Robert De Niro's grandson Leandro De Niro Rodriguez dead at 19 in possible overdose

July 2024 · 5 minute read

Explore More

Robert De Niro’s 19-year-old grandson Leandro De Niro Rodriguez was found dead inside a lower Manhattan apartment in what cops are probing as a possible overdose, police sources told The Post Monday.

The teenager’s lifeless body was discovered sitting in a chair in the Financial District apartment on Sunday afternoon with a white powdery substance and drug paraphernalia nearby, the sources said.

His mom, Drena De Niro, broke the news of his death in a heartbreaking statement on Instagram early Monday.  

His exact cause of death hasn’t yet been determined.

“I’m deeply distressed by the passing of my beloved grandson Leo,” Robert De Niro said in a statement through his rep.

“We’re greatly appreciative of the condolences from everyone. We ask that we please be given privacy to grieve our loss of Leo.”

Leandro’s mother, who is the Academy Award-winning actor’s eldest daughter with his ex-wife Diahnne Abbott, described her son as a “beautiful sweet angel.”

“I have loved you beyond words or description from the moment I felt you in my belly,” she wrote in her emotional tribute.

“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,” the heartbroken mom continued.

“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,” Drena added, referring to Leandro’s artist dad, Carlos Rodriguez, who shared a blacked-out image on his Instagram page.

Carlos posted a grieving comment on his former partner’s post, writing: “He is Godschild now.  On this full moon his spirit luminates what could not be seen in the dark. You can’t spell LOVE without LEO.”

Leandro’s body was found by a friend who had gone to the apartment to check in after not hearing from him for several days, TMZ reported.

Leandro’s lifeless body was found sitting in a chair by a friend in his New York City apartment, according to a report.

The doorman of the building told The Post he’d seen the teen around the building over the last year, while sources said Leandro was apartment-sitting at the time of his death.

“He always said hi when he was leaving or coming in, but other than that he kept to himself,” the doorman said.

“I didn’t even know he was related to Robert De Niro.” 

A porter at his mother’s West Village apartment said the staff there were grieving “a very sweet boy”. 

“I saw him grow up,” the employee, only identified as Richie, told The Post. “When he was little he would run up and hug me around the leg.”

Leandro De Niro Rodriguez’s cause of death has not been revealed. @drenadeniro

“As he got older, he became a very sweet guy,” he continued. “He was always very mature for his age. He was a very smart kid.”

The porter added that Leandro mostly lived with his mother but would periodically spend time away.

Leandro’s grief-stricken father, Carlos, was spotted arriving at Drena’s apartment on Monday.

Wearing a baseball cap and shades, Carlos appeared visibly distressed as he leaned against the front door and bowed his head as he waited to be buzzed in.

The grieving parents left together just hours later, with Leandro’s dad clutching a Zara suit bag.

Drena, dressed in black, kept her head down as she emerged from the building and was whisked away in a waiting SUV.

Like his mother and grandfather, Leandro, too, had acting credits to his name.

He had appeared alongside his mother in the 2018 flick “A Star Is Born,” where he played the son of Dave Chappelle’s George “Noodles” Stone, who was best pals with Bradley Cooper’s Jackson Maine.

He and his mom also appeared together in 2005’s “The Collection” and 2018’s “Cabaret Maxime.”

On Mother’s Day, Drena shared sweet images of her and Leandro as they watched the 1974 comedy “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.”

“A Lil bit of Leo Lil bit of Mare,” she wrote, also sharing photos of Leandro hanging out with his dad and the family dog.

“Lots of memories of my soulmate, fur baby Daisy. Today was a good day,” Drena captioned the post.

In May, Leandro’s 79-year-old grandfather welcomed daughter Gia Virginia Chen De Niro with girlfriend Tiffany Chen — the couple’s first child and the Oscar-winner’s seventh.

De Niro adopted Drena in 1976 when he married Diahnne Abbott. Abbott and De Niro then welcomed a son together, Raphael, now 46, that same year.

During his second marriage to former actress and model Toukie Smith, De Niro welcomed twins Julian and Aaron. The brothers, now 27, were born via surrogate in 1995.

In 1998, De Niro and then-wife Grace Hightower had a son, Elliot, and in 2011 a daughter, Helen, also born via surrogate.

Additional reporting by Yaron Steinbuch

ncG1vNJzZmimqaW8tMCNnKamZ2Jlf3R7j3BmaWtfp7yjsdGtZJ2dXaO2s7vSZp6rmZ6ZwLC6jKWcmqaUp7xusMRmpaKqn2K%2FsLDRop6unapisaqx0maYoJ2UYn56ew%3D%3D