Robert De Niro, Carlos Rodriguez Joe Schildhorn/BFA/Shutterstock; Jeffrey Mayer/JTMPhotos, Int’l. / MEGA
Carlos Rodriguez, the father of Robert De Niro’s grandchild Leandro, is mourning the loss of his son following his death at age 19.
“If you knew him you would know. ️ Our families and friends will grieve but never forget him,” Rodriguez wrote via Instagram on Wednesday, July 5, sharing a throwback home video of Leandro. “Leo was a passionate young man, he loved his family and friends, he was loved his life [sic] and was curious about the world.”
He continued: “Leo was a prolific and talented high-level programmer who wanted to find a purposeful use with his talents beyond the social media calamity he didn’t care for. Like his parents he loved art and artists, he was comfortable in this tribe. Leo loved to travel the world he was a seeker who on his own explored many countries to break bread with strangers and to delve into philosophical thinking about thing’s beyond his age.”
Rodriguez — who welcomed Leandro with Drena De Niro in 2003 — also noted that he and Drena, 51, were “thankful” for their friends, loved ones and “strangers’ families that have also lost a soul too soon.”
Drena announced her son’s death in an emotional Instagram tribute on Sunday, July 2.
“My beautiful sweet angel. I have loved you beyond words or description from the moment I felt you in my belly. You have been my joy my heart and all that was ever pure and real in my life,” she wrote. “I wish I was with you right now. I wish I was with you.”
Courtesy of Carlos Mare/Instagram
She added at the time: “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 .”
Rodriguez shared a heartfelt message for Drena in her Instagram comments. “My dear Drena… words aren’t enough to express the joy he gave us or the loss we now endure with our families and friends,” he penned. “He is Godschild now. On this full moon his spirit luminates what could not be seen in the dark. You can’t spell LOVE without LEO .”
Robert — who adopted Drena while he was married to his first wife, Diahnne Abbott — later addressed the passing of his eldest grandson in a statement to Us Weekly.
“I’m deeply distressed by the passing of my beloved grandson Leo,” he noted on Monday, July 3. “We’re greatly appreciative of the condolences from everyone. We ask that we please be given privacy to grieve our loss of Leo.”
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Drena revealed her son’s alleged cause of death on Tuesday, July 4, claiming via Instagram that he had taken “fentanyl-laced pills.”
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