‘You can’t spell Love without Leo’: Mother and father of Leandro De Niro are seen today after posting sweet picture tributes to their 18-year-old son who was found dead in a chair next to a white powder
- Artist Carlos Rodriguez was seen outside Drena De Niro’s NYC home on Monday
- Leandro was found dead on Sunday with a powdery substance near his body
- The Oscar winner previously said he was ‘distressed’ by his grandson’s passing
The parents of Robert De Niro’s late grandson Leandro were seen arriving at the 18-year-old’s mother’s New York City apartment after paying tribute to the 18-year-old following his death on Sunday.
Carlos Rodriguez, 58, was seen arriving at Drena’s Manhattan home for a second on Monday afternoon. Both waved away attention from the media as they snapped photos of the grieving parents.
Leandro was found unresponsive in a $1million home with a white powdery substance on a plate near his body, police told DailyMail.com.
His father, a renowned graffiti artist, and his ex-wife Drena, 51, shared a statement on Instagram on Monday as they reacted to Leandro’s untimely passing.
‘It is with immeasurable shock and sadness that we say goodbye to our beloved son Leo. We thank you for the outpouring love and support and ask that we are given privacy this time to process this inconsolable grief.
The parents of Robert De Niro ‘s late grandson Leandro were seen arriving at the 18-year-old’s mother’s New York City apartment after paying tribute to the 18-year-old following his death on Sunday
Carlos Rodriguez was seen arriving at his ex-partner’s New York City home after the tragic death of their 18-year-old son Leandro on Sunday
‘You can’t spell Love without Leo,’ Carlos added as the caption to the post, which featured sweet pictures of Leandro
In a statement today, Robert De Niro said: ‘I’m deeply distressed by the passing of my beloved grandson Leo.’ (He’s pictured with Carlos and Leandro)
‘You can’t spell Love without Leo,’ Carlos added as the caption to the post, which featured sweet pictures of Leandro at different ages.
Earlier in the day, Carlos was pictured with a suit in arm outside the the West Village home of Leandro’s mother Drena, who was adopted by the Oscar-winning actor as a child.
He wore a dark blue baseball cap that matched his shirt and accessorized it with a necklace.
The grieving father had previously shared a message on Drena’s Instagram.
‘Words aren’t enough to express the joy he gave us or the loss we now endure with our families and friends. He is God’s child now. On this full moon his spirit luminates what could not be seen in the dark,’ he said.
Aspiring actor and director Leandro was following in his mother and grandfather’s career footsteps, landed a small role in 2018’s A Star Is Born as the son of Bradley Cooper’s best friend, George ‘Noodles’ Stone, played by Dave Chappelle. He also appeared in Cabaret Maxime in 2018.
Various flower deliveries were also seen being delivered at Drena’s home on Monday following the news.
Earlier on Monday De Niro broke his silence over the death of his grandson.
Carlos Rodriguez (pictured right), 58, was seen arriving at Drena’s (pictured left) Manhattan home on Monday afternoon
Both waved away attention from the media as they snapped photos of the grieving parents
Leandro was found unresponsive in a $1million home with a white powdery substance on a plate near his body
Their son, aspiring actor and director Leandro was following in his mother and grandfather’s career footsteps
In a statement today, the actor said: ‘I’m deeply distressed by the passing of my beloved grandson Leo.
‘We’re greatly appreciative of the condolences from everyone. We ask that we please be given privacy to grieve our loss of Leo.’
Drena announced Leandro’s death on Instagram, saying: ‘I wish that love alone could have saved you.’
The teenager’s lifeless body was found sitting in a chair inside a $950,000, one-bedroom apartment in the Cipriani Club Residences on Wall Street.
A police source tells DailyMail.com the substance was found near his body and there were no signs of trauma. He was found by a friend who hadn’t heard from him in a few days and was checking in on him, a police source told TMZ.
The concierge at 55 Wall Street confirmed that Leandro lived in the building.
He’d lived alone in the upscale sixth-floor apartment, renting the unit for less than a year, he said. The apartment is located in the same stone building as Cipriani, a luxury venue for events.
He described Leandro as a friendly young man, who’d always say hello when he came and went.
Leandro and his mom Drena are pictured in one of the images the grieving parents shared on Monday
Leandro was found on Sunday by a friend who hadn’t heard from him in a few days and was checking in on him, according to police
The teenager’s lifeless body was found sitting in a chair inside a $950,000, one-bedroom apartment in the Cipriani Club Residences on Wall Street
Drena was adopted by De Niro, and took his surname, after the actor married her mother, Diahnne Abbott, in 1976
‘I’d see him every now and then, and he’d always say hi,’ the concierge said. ‘He just was friendly, kept to himself.’
‘I didn’t know who he was until I read the story,’ he said. ‘It’s a tragedy. I was just talking to my coworker that said my daughter just turned 20. You see his (Leandro’s) picture, he was a baby.’
The concierge said he had never seen De Niro at the apartment.
Residents in the building, right next to the Wall Street subway stop told DailyMail.com they saw an ambulance and a fire truck pull up on an otherwise tranquil Sunday afternoon.
They were unaware of what had happened until the news broke Monday morning that De Niro’s grandson was found unresponsive in his apartment.
Drena was adopted by De Niro, and took his surname, after the actor married her mother, Diahnne Abbott, in 1976.
She had a relatively transient lifestyle thanks to her father’s vibrant career and split her time between New York City, Los Angeles, and Italy.
Drena left school and decided to explore the arts, turning her hand to a whole host of career paths including model, DJ and fashion consultant.
She eventually decided to follow in De Niro’s footsteps and soon found her feet as an actress and filmmaker.
Aspiring actor and director Leandro was following in his mother and grandfather’s career footsteps, landed a small role in 2018’s A Star Is Born
Drena announced Leandro’s death on Instagram, saying: ‘I wish that love alone could have saved you’
De Niro split with Drena’s mother in 1988 but the Hollywood A-lister remained in her life nonetheless.
She made De Niro a grandfather in 2003 when she welcomed Leandro with her then-boyfriend Carlos Rodriguez.
Drena, who currently lives in New York, has since turned her attentions to directing and also describes herself as being trained in Muay Thai and martial arts.
At 51, Drena is five years older than De Niro’s oldest biological child, Raphael, with Abbott. Now 46, he’s a Manhattan estate agent whose celebrity clients have included Jon Bon Jovi and Renee Zellweger.
De Niro also has two children — twins Aaron and Julian, 27, — from his relationship between 1988 and 1995 with former model and actress Toukie Smith. They were conceived by in vitro fertilizations and delivered by a surrogate mother.
In 1998, he also had a son, Elliot, 21, and in 2011, a daughter, Helen, 11, (also born via surrogate) during his stormy 20-year marriage to his second wife, former flight attendant Grace Hightower.
In May, the 79-year-old actor confirmed that he’d welcomed his seventh child Gia Virginia with his girlfriend Tiffany Chan, 43, to whom he has been linked since summer 2021.
Leandro’s death comes after the Department of Justice filed charges against several Chinese companies and executives over their alleged role in the U.S. fentanyl trade.
Federal prosecutors say nearly all fentanyl precursors are manufactured and shipped from China today.
Criminal organizations like the infamous Sinaloa cartel in Mexico work with Chinese companies to get their ingredients for fentanyl.
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