The Death of Robert De Niro’s Grandson: A Shocking Tragedy

The death of Robert De Niro’s grandson, Leandro De Niro Rodriguez, at the age of 19, came as a shock. The news was confirmed by the actor himself and by his daughter and mother of the young man, Drena.

“I am deeply distressed by the passing of my beloved grandson,” the actor declared on Monday after the sad news of his grandson’s untimely death was released.

According to a report by The Daily Mail, the young man was found dead inside an apartment from the Wall Street area on Sunday when a friend went to check on him after not hearing from him for several hours. At the scene of his death, the New York police found what appeared to be narcotics and other drugs, leading to the belief that Leandro’s death was caused by an overdose. In any case, the forensic doctor is in charge of providing a final opinion on the matter.

Drena De Niro’s Heartbreaking Revelation

In this sad and devastating moment, Drena, De Niro’s daughter, claimed to know what her son died of: according to the woman, the teenager ingested pills mixed with fentanyl, without knowing that it was a fatal combination.

“Someone sold him pills that had fentanyl, they knew what they were doing and sold them anyway,” the woman told her Instagram account when a user asked her if she knew why Leandro had died. “Because of those people who alter those damn pills and sell them, my son is gone forever,” said a mother in a state of despair.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. “Just two milligrams of fentanyl, the small amount that enters the tip of a pencil, is considered potentially lethal,” reported the Drug Control Administration known as DEA.

A Mother’s Grief and Last Goodbye

The actor’s adoptive daughter and mother of the deceased young man published, because of the death of her son, a painful message after going to the funeral home where she fired Leandro’s remains.

Drena De Niro broke down by revealing that she held her son’s body for the last time and dedicated multiple words of affection to the teenager. “You didn’t deserve to die like this, but I can only believe that God needed a strong and powerful angel in his army,” she wrote.

In any case, the woman wanted to thank “all the love, messages, calls, texts, and affection from friends and family” received in the last few hours. “None of this is fair and my heart aches in a way I never thought possible while still breathing and barely beating,” she stated.

“Leo, my love, I love you today like the first day I held you in my arms. The same man who picked us up from the hospital when you were born took us to the funeral home where I last touched and held you. You were kindness and acceptance and love and I can’t believe any of this is real. You made everything bearable and each load lighter. You didn’t deserve to die like this. I am holding you every second at every moment, with my heart and memories until I am with you again. My heart is forever broken. I, daddy and your family love you, I love you with every beat of my crying heart,” said the woman, visibly broken.

A Father’s Farewell

For his part, Leandro’s father, the graffiti artist Carlos Mare, also fired his son with emotional words. Through Instagram, the artist thanked the messages of support received and addressed his son: “You cannot spell love without Leo,” he said, in relation to the common letters of the English word (“love”) and the your child’s name.

“It is in the midst of immeasurable shock and sadness that we say goodbye to our beloved son,” he added to his networks, where he uploaded a video with images of moments shared with the young man.

A Devastated Grandfather

Robert De Niro’s grandson, Leandro, died at 19 years old, and his mother, Drena, offered her hypothesis of what happened. As for De Niro, Leandro’s grandfather, he declared: “I am deeply distressed by the death of my beloved grandson.”

The actor was photographed on Sunday when he was leaving his house on the Upper East Side heading to the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home, where he went with Drena and Carlos, Leandro’s parents. After making funeral arrangements for his grandson, the actor returned to his Manhattan home, where he was supported by his wife, Tiffany Chen.

De Niro is the father of six children. With his first wife, Diahnne Abbott, they had Drena, 51, and Raphael, 46. In 1995, he welcomed twins Julian and Aaron, 27, with model and actress Toukie Smith. Three years later, Elliot, 24, was born, and then his daughter Helen Grace, 11, was born, both the result of his relationship with his ex-wife, Grace Hightower. This year, meanwhile, little Gia Virginia, daughter of the actor from Cape Fear and Chen, was born.