Actor Robert De Niro’s daughter, Drena De Niro, penned a touching tribute to her late son, Leandro De Niro Rodriguez, who died at the age of 19.
On July 4, Drena De Niro honored her son in a post on her Instagram page.
“I can barely type through my tears but all the love, the messages, calls, texts, emails, the friends and family that held me up these last 24 hrs I’ve not been able to respond yet but we’re grateful for the all (sic) your love and condolences,” she wrote in the caption of a black and white photo of him.
She also opened up about the pain she was experiencing following her loss.
“None of this is right or fair and my heart hurts in a way I never knew possible while still breathing and barely functioning,” she added.
Drena De Niro continued, “Leo my darling I love you today like the first day I held you in my arms. The same man that picked us up from the hospital when you were born drove us to the funeral home where I touched and held you for the last time.”
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Furthermore, she described her son as “kindness,” “acceptance,” and “love.”
“And I can’t believe any of this is real YOU made everything bearable and every burden lighter. You didn’t deserve to die like this but I can only believe that God needed a strong powerful angel in their army,” she said.
Drena De Niro concluded her post, writing, “My heart is broken forever. Me daddy and your family (sic) love you, I love (sic) I love you with every beat of my crying heart.”
Robert De Niro gave a statement to Fox News Digital following the death of his grandson.
“I’m deeply distressed by the passing of my beloved grandson Leo. We’re greatly appreciative of the condolences from everyone,” he said.
The actor concluded, “We ask that we please be given privacy to grieve our loss of Leo.”
According to the Associated Press, New York City police wrote that “an 18-year-old male was found unconscious, unresponsive, and was pronounced deceased by EMS on scene.”
TMZ reported drug paraphernalia was found near his body. However, his cause of death has not been revealed.
