On July 2, the taxi driver’s grandfather’s 19-year-old grandson passed away.
Robert De Niro and his daughter Drena De Niro attended her son Leandro’s wake on Thursday after he passed away at the age of 19.
The 79-year-old Goodfellas actor was accompanied by Drena and Carlos Rodriguez, Drena’s ex-husband, as they said goodbye to their child and arrived at the Frank E. On the Upper East Side of Manhattan, the Campbell funeral home.
While Drena and Carlos arrived hand-in-hand and put on a united front, De Niro tried to cover his face with a newspaper as he entered the funeral home. After the wake, the Taxi Driver actor was seen with a sad face making his way to an waiting car.
Both parents paid tribute to their children following the tragic day. Drena, who was adopted in 1976 and was raised by De Niro and his ex-wife Diahnne Abbott, posted an emotional caption alongside a photo of Leandro when he was younger and holding a guitar.
“We honor you, my sweetheart, today and always. As we struggle through this awful time, we are appreciative of everyone’s prayers, kind words, and loving support. I want to express my gratitude to Julie for taking this beautiful photo of Leo.
Leandro’s father wrote, “You would know if you knew him.”. “While grieving, our loved ones will always think of him. Leo was a young man with a lot of energy who loved his friends, family, and life. He was also very interested in the outside world. ”.
“Leo was a prolific and gifted high-level coder who desired to use his abilities for something more significant than the chaos of social media. ”.
Leo was a seeker who, acting alone, traveled to many different countries in order to eat with strangers and engage in intellectual conversation about issues that were older than himself. He was also a young man with a story and journey that were unknown to us and to his companions because a young heart is still searching for its place at this age and time. ”.
“@drenadeniro and I are thankful for everyone who is supporting family, friends, and strangers’ families who have also lost a soul too soon,” Carlos said in conclusion. ”.
The powerful opioid fentanyl, which is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, was found in the pills that Drena’s son took before he passed away earlier this week, according to Drena.
In response to a question on Instagram about Leandro’s cause of death, the 51-year-old wrote, “Someone sold him fentanyl-laced pills that they knew were laced yet still sold them to him.”.
So my son is gone forever for all these people still selling and buying this [expletive], she continued.
De Niro released a statement after his grandson passed away that read, “I’m deeply distressed by the passing of my beloved grandson Leo. The condolences from everyone are greatly appreciated. Please give us some space so that we can mourn Leo’s passing in private. ”.
