The father of Robert De Niro’s late grandson Leandro paid tribute to the 18-year-old following his tragic death on Sunday.
Carlos Rodriguez, 58, was spotted Monday at the home of his ex-partner Drena in New York City following the tragic death of their son Leandro.
Police told Leandro was found dead in a $1 million home with a white powdery substance on a plate near his body.
His father, a well-known graffiti artist, and his ex-wife Drena, 51, shared a statement on Instagram on Monday in response to Leandro’s untimely death.
“It is with great dismay and sadness that we say goodbye to our beloved son Leo. We thank you for the overflowing love and support and ask that this time we be given privacy to process this heartbreaking grief.
Carlos Rodriguez was seen arriving at his ex-partner’s home in New York City on Sunday following the tragic death of his 18-year-old son Leandro
“You can’t spell love without Leo,” Carlos added as a caption to the post, which included cute pictures of Leandro
In a statement today, Robert De Niro said: “I am deeply saddened by the passing of my beloved grandson Leo.” (He is pictured with Carlos and Leandro)
“You can’t spell love without Leo,” Carlos added as a caption to the post, which included cute pictures of Leandro.
Carlos was pictured with a suit in his arms outside 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 to match his shirt and accessorized it with a necklace.
The grieving father previously shared a message on Drena’s Instagram.
“Words are not enough to express the joy he brought us or the loss we now bear with our families and friends.” He is God’s child now. “With this full moon, his mind illuminates what could not be seen in the dark,” he said.
According to the news, various flower deliveries at Drena’s home were also observed on Monday.
Earlier Monday, De Niro broke his silence on the death of his grandson.
In a statement today, the actor said: “I am deeply saddened by the passing of my beloved grandson Leo.”
“We are very grateful for everyone’s condolences.” We ask that we have privacy so that we can grieve the loss of Leo.’
Drena announced Leandro’s death on Instagram, saying, “I wish love alone could have saved you.”
The teen’s lifeless body was found on a chair in a $950,000 one-bedroom apartment at the Cipriani Club Residences on Wall Street.
A police source told 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 several days and was looking for him, a police source told TMZ.
The concierge at 55 Wall Street confirmed that Leandro lived in the building.
He lived alone in the exclusive sixth-floor apartment and rented the unit for less than a year, he said. The apartment is located in the same stone building as Cipriani, a luxury events venue.
He described Leandro as a friendly young man who always said hello when he came and went.
Drena was adopted by De Niro and took his surname after the actor married her mother Diahnne Abbott in 1976
“I saw him every now and then and he always said hello,” said the concierge. “He was just friendly and reserved.”
“I didn’t know who he was until I read the story,” he said. “It’s a tragedy. I just spoke to my colleague who 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 next to the Wall Street subway station told they saw an ambulance and fire engine pull up on an otherwise calm Sunday afternoon.
They didn’t know what happened until news broke Monday morning that De Niro’s grandson had been found lifeless at his home.
Aspiring actor and director Leandro followed in the professional footsteps of his mother and grandfather and 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 performed at Cabaret Maxime in 2018.
Drena was adopted by De Niro and took his surname after the actor married her mother Diahnne Abbott in 1976.
Thanks to her father’s dynamic career, she led a relatively transient lifestyle, commuting between New York City, Los Angeles and Italy.
In May, Drena – weeks before her son’s death – had made a sweet post on Instagram to praise him on Mother’s Day.
In the snaps, Drena could be seen beaming for a selfie next to Leandro, and in another shot, the pair posed with Leandro’s father, Carlos Rodriguez.
Drena left school and decided to pursue the arts, pursuing a variety of career paths including modeling, DJing and fashion consultant.
She eventually decided to follow in De Niro’s footsteps and soon found her footing as an actress and filmmaker.
Her first role was in Allison Anders’ Grace of My Heart in 1996. She went on to star in several of her father’s films, including On The Run (1999), City By The Sea (2002), and Showtime (2002).
De Niro split from Drena’s mother in 1988, but the Hollywood star stayed in her life nonetheless.
She made De Niro a grandfather in 2003 when she welcomed Leandro with then-boyfriend Carlos Rodriguez.
Drena, who currently lives in New York, has since turned to directing and describes herself as trained in Muay Thai and martial arts.
At 51, Drena is five years older than De Niro’s eldest biological child, Raphael, with Abbott. Now 46, he’s a Manhattan real estate agent whose celebrity clients include Jon Bon Jovi and Renee Zellweger.
De Niro also has two children – twins Aaron and Julian, 27 – from his 1988-1995 relationship with former model and former actress Toukie Smith. They were conceived by in vitro fertilization and delivered to a surrogate mother.
In 1998, during his tumultuous 20-year marriage to his second wife, former flight attendant Grace Hightower, he also had a son, Elliot, 21, and in 2011 a daughter, Helen, 11 (also born to a surrogate).
In May, the 79-year-old actor confirmed he had given birth to his seventh child, Gia Virginia, with girlfriend Tiffany Chan, 43, with whom he has been dating since the summer of 2021.