Drena De Niro Honors Late Son Leandro On His 20th Birthday
Drena De Niro is remembering her late son, Leandro De Niro Rodriguez, on his 20th birthday.
The 19-year-old died last month, just over a month shy of turning 20 yesterday, Aug. 11. In honor of what would have been his first year out of his teens, Drena took to Instagram with a series of photos from throughout his life, from infancy through his school years.
"You would have been 20 yrs old today??," she wrote alongside the carousel. "Thank you for the happiest and most profound 2 decades of my life ,little angel. I hope you are at peace and your spirit is filled with joy today and always ????????? ?? ???8~11~03 - 7~2~23."
Leandro's death was announced on July 3, with his mom sharing the devastating news on Instagram. "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," she wrote in part. "I wish I was with you right now. I wish I was with you."
The teen was reportedly found dead in a chair in a New York City Apartment the day prior when a friend went to check in on him after not hearing from him for several days.
At the time, his mother reported that he had taken pills he did not know were laced with fentanyl, causing him to overdose. Late last week, the medical examiner's office confirmed that a toxic combination of fentanyl, cocaine, ketamine, and more was found in his system, and that the young actor had passed the day before he was found.
Leandro had been following in his grandfather's, Robert De Niro, footsteps, acting in a handful of films in the years before his death, including as Leo in A Star Is Born.
Next: Chris Hemsworth Says 'Not a Single Piece of Cake' Survived His 40th Birthday