Robert De Niro’s daughter Drena is keeping her late son Leandro’s memory alive.
On Tuesday, the A Star Is Born actress, 56, paid tribute to her child with a heartfelt tribute and photos on Instagram, marking one year since Leandro’s death at age 19.
‘I KNEW this kid was jacking my clothes behind my back!!!’ she started in the caption, referencing a photo of the teen serving a fun look. ‘Today we celebrated sweet wild boy Leo..
‘In your short time here you made the world a brighter place. You are deeply loved like the sun loves the moon and the moon loves the sea.’
Drena continued, ‘Thank you to everyone of you who held me, @carlosmare and our family in your arms and hearts through the darkest days.. I can only hope to pay it forward.. #cantspelllovewithoutleo’
Robert De Niro’s daughter Drena is keeping her late son Leandro’s memory alive. On Tuesday, the actress, 56, paid tribute to her child with a heartfelt tribute and photos on Instagram, marking one year since Leandro’s death at age 19
Leandro’s death was ruled an accident, caused by a ‘toxic’ combination of illicit drugs, including fentanyl, bromazolam, alprazolam, 7-aminoclonazepam, ketamine and cocaine; pictured with mom Drena and grandfather Robert
Leandro was found dead by a friend on July 2, 2023, sitting in a chair in his New York City apartment.
His death was ruled an accident, caused by a ‘toxic’ combination of illicit drugs, including fentanyl, bromazolam, alprazolam, 7-aminoclonazepam, ketamine and cocaine.
Sofia Haley Marks, 20, was arrested in connection with the overdose last July, charged federally with distributing narcotics.
Drena, who shared Leandro with artist Carlos Rodriguez, announced their son’s death on Instagram, writing: ‘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. I wish I was with you right now. I wish I was with you.
She continued, ‘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,’ added Drena.
Carlos wrote in his own post, ‘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 luminates what could not be seen in the dark,’ he added. ‘You can’t spell LOVE without LEO.’
‘In your short time here you made the world a brighter place. You are deeply loved like the sun loves the moon and the moon loves the sea,’ she wrote
‘I KNEW this kid was jacking my clothes behind my back!!!’ she started in the caption, referencing a photo of the teen serving a fun look
‘Today we celebrated sweet wild boy Leo.. In your short time here you made the world a brighter place,’ wrote Drena. ‘You are deeply loved like the sun loves the moon and the moon loves the sea’
Robert adopted Drena in 1976 when he married her mother Diahnne Abbott. The pair divorced in 1988 after welcoming another child
Robert, 80, opened up about the ‘awful’ tragedy of his grandson’s death in a February interview with People.
‘It’s just a shock,’ he said after recalling his ‘disbelief’ in hearing the tragic news. ‘[I] never thought it would happen.’
‘And I just then started thinking about all the things I could have, should have done maybe with him,’ the Oscar winner continued. ‘I don’t know if that would’ve made a difference. And so that’s always playing through my mind.’
The Killers of the Flower Moon actor added, ‘It shouldn’t have happened.’
He adopted Drena in 1976 when he married her mother Diahnne Abbott. The pair divorced in 1988 after welcoming another child.
Robert has five other children, including a baby girl named Gia he welcome in April with girlfriend Tiffany Chen, 45, with whom he has been linked since summer 2021.
