"Deeply distressed": Tragedy strikes Robert De Niro's family
Robert De Niro's grandson, Leandro De Niro Rodriguez, has tragically passed away, as confirmed by his daughter, Drena De Niro.
Drena De Niro, who is 51 years old and Robert De Niro's daughter from his previous marriage to Diahnne Abbott, shared the devastating news of her young son's passing on Instagram.
In a heartfelt tribute, accompanied by a photo of her late son, she expressed her deep love for him, stating: "My beautiful sweet angel. I have loved you beyond words or description from the moment I felt you in my belly. You have been joy in my heart and all that was ever pure and real in my life."
Overwhelmed by grief and yearning to be with her son, she continued, "I wish I was with you right now. I wish I was with you. I don't know how to live without you but I'll try to go on and spread the love and light that you so made me feel in getting to be your mama.
"You were so deeply loved and appreciated and I wish that love alone could have saved you 😞 I'm so sorry my baby, I'm so sorry @carlosmare 😢💔. Rest in Peace and Eternal Paradise my darling boy."
Upon learning the tragic news, Robert De Niro expressed deep distress over his teenage grandson's passing.
In a statement provided to the New York Post's Page Six section on Monday, Robert De Niro expressed his sorrow, saying, "I'm deeply distressed by the passing of my beloved grandson Leo."
The statement was delivered through a spokesperson. He further added, "We're greatly appreciative of the condolences from everyone. We ask that we please be given privacy to grieve our loss of Leo."
At present, the cause of Leandro's death remains unknown, although reports suggest that drugs and drug paraphernalia were found near his body.
Leandro was the son of Drena De Niro and graffiti artist Carlos "Mare139" Rodriguez. Carlos commented on Drena's social media post, expressing his heartfelt emotions:
"Words aren't enough to express the joy he gave us or the loss we now endure with our families and friends. He is God's child now. On this full moon, his spirit illuminates what could not be seen in the dark. You can't spell LOVE without LEO."
Several celebrities, including Lenny Kravitz, Andy Cohen, and Naomi Campbell, expressed their support and condolences in the comments section of Drena's post.
Drena De Niro is the eldest of Robert De Niro's seven children. He adopted her in 1976 after marrying her mother, Diahnne Abbott. Robert also has a son named Raphael, 46, with Ms. Abbott, as well as twins named Aaron and Julian, 27, with Toukie Smith.
Additionally, he has a son named Elliot, 25, and a daughter named Helen, 11, with Grace Hightower. In May, Robert announced that he and his partner, Tiffany Chen, welcomed their seventh child, a daughter named Gia.
Images: Instagram