Robert De Niro agonizes over ‘all the things he should have done’ after grandson’s death from fentanyl overdose

Famous

By Nika Shakhnazarova

Robert De Niro has spoken about his “disbelief” over his grandson Leandro De Niro Rodriguez’s fatal overdose, admitting the 19-year-old’s death “should not have happened.”

Rodriguez, the only child of the actor’s daughter Drena, 56, died of an accidental overdose after taking pills laced with fentanyl last July.

Speaking about the devastating loss, the Oscar-winning actor said the death of his beloved grandson came as a “shock.”

“(I never) thought this would happen,” the “Killers of the Flower Moon” actor he told the people. “And at that moment I started thinking about all the things I could have done, maybe should have done with him.”

“I don’t know if that would have made a difference. And that’s always on my mind. It shouldn’t have happened,” she added.

In July, De Niro issued a statement to Page Six after hearing the news of his grandson’s death.

“I am deeply distressed by the passing of my beloved grandson Leo,” he said at the time. “We greatly appreciate everyone’s condolences. “We ask that we be given privacy to mourn the loss of Leo.”

Drain De Niro announced the death of his son in a touching Instagram tribute to her “beautiful, sweet angel.”

“I have loved you beyond words or description from the moment I felt you in my womb,” the actress and filmmaker captioned a throwback photo. “You have been my joy, my heart and everything that was always pure and real in my life.”

After writing that she doesn’t “know how to live without” the teenager, Drena added: “I will try to continue and spread the love and light that you made me feel so much by becoming your mom.

“You were so deeply loved and appreciated and I wish only love could have saved you,” she continued. “I’m so sorry my baby. … Rest in Peace and Eternal Paradise, my dear boy.”

Leandro’s father, sculptor Carlos “Mare” Rodríguez, also mourned the loss of his son and commented on Drena’s Instagram post announcing his son’s death.

Drena is the eldest of Robert’s seven children. She adopted her in 1976 after marrying her mother, Diahnne Abbott.

The legendary actor also shares son Raphael, 46, with Abbott, as well as twins Aaron and Julian, 27, with Toukie Smith and son Elliot, 25, and daughter Helen, 11, with Grace Hightower .

In May 2023, the “Taxi Driver” star revealed that his partner, Tiffany Chen, had given birth to their daughter Gia, who is De Niro’s seventh child.