The 81-year-old actor made a rare family appearance, delivered a daring political statement, and reflected on a festival he considered “home” in the midst of global conflict as he returned to the Cannes spotlight with more than just acclaim in tow.
At the 78th Festival of Cannes’ opening ceremony on May 13, 2025, renowned American actor, filmmaker, and producer Robert of Niro was presented with an honorary Palme d’Or for lifetime accomplishment.
“Titanic” star Leonardo DiCaprio gave the prize to the actor. Fourteen years have passed since Robert presided over the jury at the esteemed film festival in 2011.
Robert discussed U.S. political trends in his acceptance speech, mentioning President Donald Trump in particular.
He started off by saying, “In my country, we are fighting like [expletive] for the democracy we once took for granted.” He said, “That affects all of us here because the arts are democratic.”
The link between democratic values and the arts was highlighted by Robert, who said, “That’s why we are a threat to autocrats and fascists.”
He went on to discuss the recent nomination and policy plans of the U.S. President. Robert remarked, “America’s philistine president has had himself appointed head of one of our premier cultural institutions,” alluding to the appointment of the president as chair of the John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts himself.
The former “Goodfellas” star also took issue with the 47th president of the United States’ announcement of new tariffs, saying, “He has cut funding and support to the arts, humanities, and education, and now he has announced a 100 per cent tariff on films that are produced outside the US.”
“Let that sink in for a minute,” he said to the audience after a lengthy silence.
Calling the situation unacceptable, Robert urged action beyond American borders. “All these attacks are unacceptable. And this isn’t just an American problem, it’s a global one,” he said.
He closed this portion of his speech with a call to action. “Like a film, we can’t just all sit back and watch. We have to act, and we have to act now without violence but with great passion and determination. It’s time for anyone who cares about liberty to organise, to protest, and when there are elections, of course, to vote.”
Social media users responded to Robert’s speech in a variety of ways, as was to be expected. The passion of his statement was conveyed in a number of comments on TikTok.
One person wrote, “Who hurt him?” Another added, “A man with courage.” A third commented, “Words are powerful when spoken with conviction.” Meanwhile, on Facebook, opinions varied significantly. One netizen wrote, “Very well said. Powerful speech.” Another commented, “Shame on him.”
A different person reacted by saying, “This guy is insane Out of touch completely [sic],” while someone else noted, “So disrespectful [sic].” There were also supportive remarks, including, “Very well spoken by Mr DeNiro. We need to take this seriously and fight back.” However, criticism continued with another stating, “He is a joke.”
Below is a video of Robert De Niro’s entire speech.
Tiffany Chen, the actor’s 45-year-old girlfriend, walked with him on the red carpet. Helen Grace, his daughter, attended the function as well. These are their finest images
