Grace Hightower, former wife of Hollywood icon Robert De Niro, is closing a chapter. The couple’s sprawling 5,800-square-foot Central Park-facing apartment in the exclusive Brentmore building on Manhattan’s Upper West Side has officially found a buyer after being on the market since May, according to Mansion Global.
The pair married in 1997, separated in 1999, and later reconciled, renewing their vows in 2004. They split for good in 2018. They share two children, Elliot, 26, and Helen Grace, 12.
The elegant co-op in the Brentmore, an Upper West Side building that has been home to celebrities like music mogul Clive Davis and musician Sting, was listed this spring for $20 million. The asking price came in slightly below the $20.9 million the couple paid for it in 2006. Hightower told The Wall Street Journal that she set the price to attract as many buyers as possible.
The home has gone through various revamps. In 2012, a dryer fire caused major damage to the home, prompting Hightower to enlist famed architect Alexander Antonelli and interior designer Buzz Kelly for a full-scale renovation. The 5,800-square-foot apartment, which was once owned by disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein, boasts 11-foot ceilings and bay windows that perfectly frame sweeping views of the Central Park canopy.
The entry gallery flows into the dining room, living room, and library, each decorated with rich Persian rugs, contemporary art, and connected by elegant wooden sliding doors. A vestibule separates the main floor from the large eat-in kitchen.
Upstairs, the corner primary suite offers stunning Central Park views and features an all-white walk-in closet leading to a light-filled marbled bathroom with dual sinks. A bathtub is positioned beneath a crystalline window layered with hand-painted, etched glass that allows natural light to filter in.
Hightower had a “strong requirement,” according to Antonelli, for the living areas to flow seamlessly into one another but also have the option to be closed off for privacy.
A New Beginning for Hightower
Hightower’s decision to sell marks a fresh start following her 2018 split from De Niro. It’s a “new start” she shared when putting the home on the market. The co-op, with its sprawling layout and unparalleled Central Park views, symbolized a shared life that is now firmly in the past.
While De Niro remains a household name for his storied acting career and estimated $500 million fortune, Hightower has spread her own wings. She is a former flight attendant who has ventured into acting, having appeared in films like “Precious” (2009) and “The Paperboy” (2012). She has also become an entrepreneur, having launched Grace Hightower & Coffees of Rwanda in 2013 to promote fair trade and uplift Rwandan coffee farmers.
Hightower shared with the Journal that she is excited about moving into her “own space,” where she can embrace bold, vibrant designs. She noted that, unlike her, De Niro preferred more subdued interiors.
The Divorce That Made Headlines
The sale of the co-op follows Hightower’s contentious legal battle woth De Niro. They were married for over two decades and had a 2004 prenuptial agreement that shielded De Niro’s earnings. Courts ruled that the actor’s income from films, business ventures, and other assets constituted “separate property.” Under the prenup, Hightower was not privy to receive half of those earnings. New York, where the two lived, is an equitable distribution state for property and debt. Under NY divorce law for property distribution, the court will decide how to divide property and marital debt using the state’s equitable distribution laws.
The prenup did however provide Hightower with a multimillion-dollar safety net. Under its terms, the couple agreed to sell their shared $20 million home, with $6 million earmarked to help Hightower purchase a new residence for herself and their two children, according to the New York Post Additionally, De Niro agreed to pay her $1 million annually in alimony until she remarries or one of them passes away.
