Robert De Niro’s daughter Drena De Niro-Rodriguez took to Instagram on Tuesday with a series of pictures as she visited the grave of her late son Leandro De Niro-Rodriguez, who died more than three months ago at the age of 19 from a drug overdose.
Drena, a 52-year-old actress, model and DJ who is the adopted daughter of the Oscar-winning actor and his ex-wife Diahnne Abbott, was pictured with a friend, visiting the grave of her son, where she left flowers.
In the caption of the post, she discussed the intense feelings of grief she is experiencing in the wake of her child’s July 2 passing, which came after he consumed counterfeit oxycodone pills that were laced with fentanyl.
‘If everyone valued the depth of love & sadness, a person can feel I don’t believe we’d have wars, we wouldn’t hurt children, animals, each other our planet and oceans the way we do,’ Drena said.
Drena said that her heartbreak was for herself, her loved ones ‘and everyone who has ever lost a child or one whom they’ve loved so deeply.’
Mourning: Robert De Niro’ s daughter Drena De Niro Rodriguez, 52, took to Instagram on Tuesday with a pair of pictures as she visited the grave of her late son Leandro who died more than three months ago at the age of 19 from a drug overdose
Flashback: Leandro, Drena and Robert De Niro were pictured together
She continued: ‘I’ll never get used to this, no one should. Praying for the whole world to heal and for this heart that beats inside me to find peace.’
Drena shared a series of photos from her somber day at the cemetery, including one of a rock which had a heart with wings drawn onto it, and the words, ‘To Leo, we love you. The world misses you.’
She captioned the shot (in Italian), ‘Mi manchi motto molto, il mio amore, mio cuore, Leo,’ which translates in English to, ‘I miss you very much, my love, my heart, Leo.’
On another picture of the gravesite with the flowers, she wrote, ‘Love you sweet boy.’
Drena on August 11 paid tribute to Leandro on what would have been his 20th birthday. She wrote next to a carousel of 10 photos: ‘You would have been 20 yrs old today.
‘Thank you for the happiest and most profound 2 decades of my life, little angel. I hope you are at peace and your spirit is filled with joy today and always. 8~11~03 – 7~2~23.’
Leandro was found dead at his apartment in New York City July 2; A woman named Sofia Haley Marks, 20, has been accused of selling him drugs containing fentanyl – a powerful opioid which is said to be up to 50 times stronger than heroin.
Leandro died from a toxic mix of fentanyl, bromazolam, alprazolam, 7-aminoclonazepam, ketamine, and cocaine, according to medical records obtained by TMZ.
Memorial: Drena shared a series of photos from her somber day at the cemetery
Tragic: The actress wrote, ‘Love you sweet boy’ alongside a shot of his grave
Sorrow: Drena shared a series of photos from her somber day at the cemetery, including one of a rock which had a heart with wings drawn onto it
Message: The rock had the words, ‘To Leo, we love you. The world misses you’ written on it
Sad: Drena shared an image of the cemetery on the clear fall day, more than three months after his death
According to police documents, also obtained by the outlet, texts were found on Leandro’s phone from Marks, where she asked him: ‘do you really need them? I don’t wanna kill you. I just don’t like serving u them cuz they not script.’
Marks is reported to have agreed to sell him three oxycodone pills and two Xanax tablets for $105 before allegedly texting him to say: ‘don’t go overboard with these.’
The drugs were delivered by car to Leandro around 9 p.m. on July 1 and police say that Marks texted him at 1:50am to ask ‘u good?’
However, he never responded and was found dead on July 2.
Investigators found ‘one bag of cocaine, one straw with residue, two blue pills with ‘M’ and ’30’ (the oxycodone) and seven rectangular tablets – believed to be Xanax’ on a table beside Leandro after his death.
Drena previously claimed her son died after taking pills laced with fentanyl.
In a post on Instagram, she alleged: ‘Someone sold him fentanyl-laced pills that they knew were laced yet still sold them to him.’
‘So for all these people still f****** around selling and buying this s***, my son is gone forever.’
Birthday: Robert De Niro’ s daughter Drena De Niro Rodriguez paid tribute to her late son Leandro on what would have been his 20th birthday
Emotional tribute: ‘You would have been 20 yrs old today,’ she wrote next to a carousel of 10 photos. ‘Thank you for the happiest and most profound 2 decades of my life, little angel. I hope you are at peace and your spirit is filled with joy today and always. 8~11~03 – 7~2~23’
Life in pictures: According to police documents, also obtained by the outlet, texts were found on Leandro’s phone from Marks, where she asked him: ‘do you really need them? I don’t wanna kill you. I just don’t like serving u them cuz they not script’
Family: She is reported to have agreed to sell him three oxycodone pills and two Xanax tablets for $105 before allegedly texting him to say: ‘don’t go overboard with these’
Looking back: The drugs were delivered by car to Leandro around 9pm on July 1 and police say that Marks texted him at 1:50am to ask ‘u good?’
Tragic loss: However, he never responded and was found dead on July 2. Investigators found ‘one bag of cocaine, one straw with residue, two blue pills with ‘M’ and ’30’ (the oxycodone) and seven rectangular tablets – believed to be Xanax’ on a table beside Leandro after his death
Grief: Leandro’s mother Drena De Niro – who is Robert De Niro’s adopted daughter from his marriage to ex-wife Diahnne Abbott – previously claimed her son died after taking pills laced with fentanyl
Baby boy: In a post on Instagram, she alleged: ‘Someone sold him fentanyl-laced pills that they knew were laced yet still sold them to him.’ ‘So for all these people still f****** around selling and buying this s***, my son is gone forever’
High five: Leandro is survived by his mother Drena De Niro and father Carlos Rodriguez
First grandson: Leandro was Robert De Niro’s first grandchild
The 51-year-old actress previously confirmed his passing in an emotional post on Instagram.
She wrote: ‘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. 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.’
The Academy Award-winning actor released a statement following the tragic death of his grandson.
‘I’m deeply distressed by the passing of my beloved grandson Leo,’ he said. ‘We’re greatly appreciative of the condolences from everyone. We ask that we please be given privacy to grieve our loss of Leo.’
