Robert De Niro’s girlfriend, Tiffany Chen, 45, recently spoke about her struggles with Bell’s palsy after she gave birth to the couple’s daughter in April 2023.
Chen shared details about her horrific condition in her first interview with CBS Mornings since giving birth to De Niro’s seventh child.
Robert De Niro’s girlfriend diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy after delivering daughter
In an interview with CBS Mornings’ Gayle King, Robert De Niro’s girlfriend explained that soon after delivering her daughter, Gia Virginia Chen De Niro, in April, she started noticing changes in her tongue.
“My tongue felt strange; it felt a little tingly, it was starting to get a little bit numb. I realized, like, my face just felt weird. I didn’t know what the feeling was that I was having. It felt weird.
Robert De Niro’s girlfriend added that she used to look into the mirror and saw that everything on her face was melting and falling down. She felt weird but was unable to make out what was causing the problem.
“I couldn’t eat; everything came out”- Tiffany Chen
A terrified Chen said that the symptoms continued to exacerbate, and within a few days, she started facing difficulty while speaking or eating. She added that it was difficult for her to eat, as the food would come out of her mouth.
“I was trying to eat. I went to put just a fork of food in my mouth, and everything came out. I couldn’t eat.”
She continued:
“And then I was starting to slur. I realized there is something going on here.”
Later Tiffany Chen consulted her doctor who advised her to go to the hospital immediately. Robert De Niro’s girlfriend was then diagnosed with postpartum Bell’s Palsy.
What is Bell’s Palsy?
Bell’s Palsy is a serious condition that causes temporary weakness or paralysis of the facial muscles.
It usually affects only one side of the face and significantly reduces over weeks. The condition makes the face appear to melt and also leads to severe swelling and inflammation.
People with Bell’s Palsy are unable to smile, eat and talk and also can’t close their eyes on the affected side. While the condition can occur at any age, it’s more common between ages 16 to 60. Bell’s Palsy is also a very common condition post-pregnancy.
Bell’s Palsy after pregnancy: What are its causes and risk factors?
Although the exact cause is unknown, it’s believed that swelling of a particular facial nerve can lead to temporary paralysis of the face.
Several bacteria and viruses have also been liked to Bell’s Palsy, including herpes simplex, HIV, herpes zoster virus and Epstein-Barr virus.
Common risk factors of Bell’s Palsy in pregnant women
When it comes to Bell’s Palsy during or after pregnancy, the major risk factors associated with it are obesity and high blood pressure.
Other risk factors include:
- infection
- diabetes
- Lyme disease
- multiple sclerosis
According to Facial Paralysis Institute, pregnant women are three times more likely to get Bell’s Palsy compared to their non-pregnant counterparts.
Fortunately, in most cases, symptoms improve in a few weeks or months without treatment. However, in serious cases, medications and home remedies like facial massages and physical therapy exercises are quite useful.
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