The loss of a life is always tough, but such an event is especially tragic when said person leaves this world at a very young age. Sadly, Robert De Niro and his family are experiencing such a difficult situation. The acclaimed actor’s grandson, Leandro De Niro Rodriguez, has sadly died. The young man was gradually making a name for himself as an actor and most notably appeared in 2018’s A Star is Born. News of his death was confirmed by his mother this past Sunday and the exact cause has not been revealed. Leandro was only 19 at the time of his passing.
Drena De Niro took to Instagram to share the news of her son’s death. She shared an emotional caption in which lovingly paid tribute to Leandro. The affectionate-sounding mother reflected on the time she was able to spend with her son and described the feelings of “joy” that he brought her. The 51-year-old actress tagged Leandro’s father, sculptor Carlos Mare, in the message as well:
My beautiful sweet angel . I have loved you beyond words or description from the moment I felt you in my belly .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 . 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 🙏🏽💔💔💔💔💔🕊️🕊️🕊️🕊️
The post was accompanied by a single photo of Leandro, and a number of celebrities and fans have since commented, sending their condolences to the family. Among the stars to pay their respects are Rosie Perez, Andy Cohen, Debi Mazar and Naomi Campbell. Carlos Mare also responded with a comment, through which he lovingly reflected on his son:
My dear Drena… words aren’t enough to express the joy he gave us or the loss we now endure with our families and friends. 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 👼 💔 💔
Just a few months ago, Drena De Niro posted about her son on Mother’s Day. She took to social media to recap their day together and to share some sweet photos, which can be seen below:
Robert De Niro adopted Drena after he married her mother, actress Diahnne Abbott, in 1976. As mentioned, Leandro was following in the acting footsteps of his grandparents and mother, whose credits include Great Expectations, Joy and Hands of Stone. He and his mom famously appeared together in Bradley Cooper’s A Star is Born remake, in which he played the son of his mother’s and Dave Chappelle’s characters. Drena and Leandro also appeared together in The Collection and Caberet Maxime.
This tragic news comes nearly two months after Robert De Niro revealed that he’d welcomed his seventh child, a baby girl, at the age of 79. At the time, he received well wishes from Billy Crystal and other celebrity friends. This new addition coincided with his early promotion for his latest film, Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. All the while, De Niro had been opening up a bit about being a parent and what he’s learned from his experiences. Now, in the midst of Leandro’s passing, one would hope that the Oscar winner and his loved ones will find comfort and love amongst each other, as they remember their loved one.
We here at CinemaBlend extend our deepest condolences to the De Niro, Rodriguez and Mare families during this time.
