Leandro De Niro Rodriguez, grandson of the great Robert De Niro, has died, according to a TMZ report. He was 19 years old. His mother, Drena De Niro, confirmed his passing on her Instagram on Sunday night. "My beautiful sweet angel," she said in her post, "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."
Law enforcement told TMZ reporters Rodriguez was in his NYC apartment Sunday afternoon. He was sitting in a chair, not responding. A friend found him after a few days of zero contact from Rodriguez. The most recent update from law enforcement is that they are investigating this as a possible drug overdose. They discovered drugs and drug paraphernalia alongside the body.
Robert De Niro And The Passing Of His Grandson
"I’m deeply distressed by the passing of my beloved grandson Leo," De Niro said on Monday. "We’re greatly appreciative of the condolences from everyone. We ask that we please be given privacy to grieve our loss of Leo." The 79-year-old actor was most recently filming in January of this year for The Wise Guys. However, he is at the moment not filming anything, giving him proper time and space to grieve this tragic situation. De Niro also let slip in May that he'd welcomed his seventh child into the world, which, at 79, makes for an interesting challenge.
As for Leandro De Niro Rodriguez, his acting career was just beginning at the time of his passing. He starred in A Star Is Born and Cabaret Maxime, both in 2018. He played the son of Bradley Cooper's character's best friend in A Star Is Born. Dave Chappelle played his father in the movie. At just 19 years old, Rodriguez's death is devastating for the De Niro family.