Robert De Niro’s 18-year-old grandson died after taking an overdose of fentanyl, claims his mom.
The Oscar-winning actor’s heartbroken daughter, Drena De Niro, 51, made the declare on Wednesday on Instagram that somebody bought her beloved son, Leandro, 18, medicine that had been tainted, inflicting his dying final week.
‘Somebody bought him fentanyl laced drugs that they knew had been laced but nonetheless bought them to him,’ Drena stated.
She added: ‘For all these individuals nonetheless f–king round promoting and shopping for this s–t, my son is gone perpetually,’ she added.
The grieving mom made the comment in response to a commenter who requested her how her son had died.
Leandro’s shock dying occurred on Sunday when {the teenager}’s lifeless physique was discovered sitting in a chair beside white powder inside a $950,000, one-bedroom residence within the Cipriani Membership Residences on Wall Avenue, New York.
His explanation for dying has not but been confirmed.
Drena’s response was posted to Instagram on Wednesday in response to a remark somebody had made asking about how her son had died
Robert De Niro’s grandson Leandro De Niro Rodriguez (pictured, left) was the son of De Niro’s (pictured, proper) adopted daughter Drena De Niro (pictured, centre). The 18-year-old handed away on Sunday. An official explanation for dying has not but been decided
Town Workplace of the Chief Medical Examiner has not disclosed Leandro’s official explanation for dying, however sources stated NYPD detectives in Narcotics Borough Manhattan South have been introduced in to probe the case, an indication that officers could also be investigating who, if anybody, offered the medicine, in accordance with a report.
NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig advised reporters final month that fentanyl is now ‘laced in most likely 98% of the medicine’ within the Large Apple.
‘Fentanyl is in all the pieces now, all the pieces,’ Essig stated. ‘Now individuals have low tolerance, that is why they’re overdosing a lot.’
Drena’s publish garnered greater than 213 likes with many others sharing their very own grief of how their kids and family members died from medicine, suicide and different devastation.
One mom wrote about her son, who died eerily just like Leandro’s, when he was simply shy of his seventeenth birthday.
‘I’m so extremely sorry in your loss. My coronary heart breaks for him and your loved ones. My extremely son was taken for us in October 2020 at 16 by somebody who gave him fentanyl in our own residence and left him to die alone within the basement of our dwelling,’ she wrote.
‘He would have turned 19 in December 2023. The ache by no means goes away and can soften at greatest. There aren’t any phrases. I might be praying for your loved ones.’
One other mom shared the heartbreaking lack of her daughter three years in the past.
‘I am so sorry in your devastating loss. My 18 yr outdated daughter handed 12.4.20 and each emotion you are writing is all the pieces I felt then and nonetheless really feel right now,’ she wrote.
‘Look ahead to signal out of your darling boy. He’ll ship them on a regular basis. That helps to maintain me going is her indicators. Could God bless you with consolation and power at this recasting time. Bless you.’
Fentanyl is an artificial opioid that’s as much as 50 occasions stronger than heroin and 100 occasions stronger than morphine. It’s also main contributor to deadly and nonfatal overdoses in america, in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Illegally made fentanyl (IMF) is accessible on the drug market in numerous varieties, together with liquid and powder.
Powdered fentanyl appears similar to many different medicine. It’s generally combined with medicine like heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine and made into drugs which are made to resemble different prescription opioids.
Fentanyl-laced medicine are extraordinarily harmful, and many individuals could also be unaware that their medicine are laced with fentanyl.
In its liquid kind, IMF could be present in nasal sprays, eye drops, and dropped onto paper or small candies.
A number of the road names fentanly known as embody: Apace, China Woman, China City, Dance Fever, Buddy, Goodfellas, Nice Bear, He-Man, Jackpot, King Ivory, Homicide 8, Poison and Tango & Money, as per the US Drug Enforcement Administration.
Drena De Niro posted a monochrome {photograph} of her 18-year-old son Leandro on Instagram, together with a heart-breaking caption about holding him for the ultimate time at a funeral dwelling
On Tuesday, Drena described holding her son Leandro for the ultimate time in a heartbreaking Instagram publish and stated ‘my coronary heart is damaged perpetually’.
Drena De Niro’s heart-breaking publish about holding her 18-year-old son for the ‘final time’
‘I can barely sort by way of my tears however all of the love, the messages, calls, texts, emails, the family and friends that held me up these final 24 hrs I’ve not been in a position to reply but however we’re grateful for the all of your love and condolences,’ she stated.
‘None of that is proper or truthful and my coronary heart hurts in a manner I by no means knew attainable whereas nonetheless respiration and barely functioning.
‘Leo my darling I really like you right now like the primary day I held you in my arms.’
The grieving mom added that she was taken to the funeral dwelling the place she ‘touched and held’ her son for the ultimate time, by the identical driver who picked them up from the hospital when he was born.
‘You had been kindness acceptance and love and I can not consider any of that is actual YOU made all the pieces bearable and each burden lighter,’ she added.
‘You did not should die like this however I can solely consider that God wanted a robust highly effective angel of their military.
‘I am holding you each second of each second in my coronary heart and reminiscences till I am with you once more. My coronary heart is damaged perpetually.
‘Me daddy and your loved ones love you , I really like I really like you with each beat of my crying coronary heart.’
She additionally shared a sequence of pictures of Leandro along with her 27.5k followers on her Instagram Story, together with a few of him as a youthful little one.
Leandro’s father, artist Carlos Rodriguez, posted a black sq. on Instagram on the day of his son’s dying.
Rodriguez has been quieter within the wake of the tragedy, however he too just lately shared a reel displaying pictures of Leandro and their household, that includes the music Blessings by Hole Coves.
He shared the reel alongside the caption: ‘Thanks in your messages of assist.
‘Drena De Niro and our households are grateful. You may’t spell love with out Leo.’
Robert De Niro additionally launched an announcement about his grandson’s dying, saying he was ‘deeply distressed’ and appreciated the condolences which had poured in for his household.
‘I am deeply distressed by the passing of my beloved grandson Leo,’ he stated.
‘We’re drastically appreciative of the condolences from everybody. We ask that we please be given privateness to grieve our lack of Leo.’
Closing publish: Robert De Niro ‘s grandson Leandro De Niro Rodriguez additionally appeared in a heartbreaking social media publish shared by his mom Drena on Mom’s Day
Aspiring actor and director Leandro was following in his mom,who was additionally an actress and well-known grandfather’s profession footsteps, touchdown small roles in 2018’s A Star Is Born and Cabaret Maxime and 2005’s The Assortment.
Aspiring actor and director Leandro was following in his mom, an actress and well-known grandfather’s profession footsteps, touchdown small roles in 2018’s A Star Is Born and Cabaret Maxime and 2005’s The Assortment.
Drena, was adopted by De Niro after the actor married her mom, Diahnne Abbott in 1976. She introduced her son’s dying on Monday, saying: ‘I want that love alone might have saved you’.
She later added a close-up monochrome {photograph} of Leandro laughing, thanking family and friends members who had supplied assist within the wake of his surprising dying.
After her son’s premature passing, messages of affection and assist poured in from family and friends, and random strangers who had been praying for her devastating loss.
A kind of messages of sympathy got here from Victoria Gotti. ‘Dreana you gave SO a lot as a single mother or father as did Leo again to you. He knew who ‘his rock was!’ I really like you and can miss my pricey ‘younger BD’ past phrases.
‘A smile STILL involves thoughts the day I purchased him his first pink bike and he tore by way of the attractive apt! A lot to your dismay! However he was so very ‘particular and liked’ one couldn’t assist it,’ she wrote.
‘A greater mother no child can ask for. Use these reminiscences like Thanksgiving at my new dwelling final yr and channel them by way of your thoughts. As we each kno(in your phrases ) from one ‘ badass mother to a different…..we rock!’
‘You had been his rock my pricey. Always remember that. Ever. I really like you. I’m right here for you and your loved ones throughout such a most tough and attempting time!! And Leo will at all times stay in my reminiscence financial institution and minds eye imaging for eternity. Like to you my sister!’