Robert De Niro
Will Robert De Niro receive his 7th Oscar nomination? Reuters

American actor, director and producer Robert De Niro, 68, and his wife Grace Hightower, 56, have even more reason to celebrate this festive season. They are welcoming a baby girl, born via a surrogate.

The news was confirmed by Gossip Cop and People magazine, who received statements from De Niro's spokesman on Friday.

The child, named Helen Grace Hightower De Niro, weighed 7lbs 2oz at birth and is the actor's sixth child. De Niro and Hightower have been married for 14 years and already have a child together - a 13-year-old son, Elliot.

The two-time Academy Award winning actor (Best Supporting Actor for The Godfather Part II in 1974 and Best Actor for Raging Bull in 1980) has four other children - daughter Drena, 40, and son Raphael, 35, with former wife Diahnne Abbott; as well as 16-year-old twin sons Julian and Aaron, born via surrogate with ex-girlfriend Toukie Smith.