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Robert De Niro’s daughter Drena claims son Leandro died from tragic drug accident

The Hollywood star’s heartbroken daughter claims her teenage son Leandro died last week after taking pills that were laced with fentanyl.

Robert De Niro's grandson died due to fentanyl-laced drugs, mother claims

Robert De Niro’s daughter Drena claims that her son Leandro died last week after taking pills that were laced with fentanyl.

“Someone sold him fentanyl laced pills that they knew were laced yet still sold them to him,” Drena, 51, alleged on Instagram in response to a commenter asking how Leandro passed away.

“For all these people still f***ing around selling and buying this s**t, my son is gone forever,” she added.

Robert De Niro with daughter Drena and grandson Leandro. Picture: Instagram
Robert De Niro with daughter Drena and grandson Leandro. Picture: Instagram

Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use of pain relief and anaesthetic,” according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. The drug is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin as an analgesic.

“Just two milligrams of fentanyl, the small amount that fits on the tip of a pencil, is considered a potentially deadly dose,” the DEA states.

Drena announced that her only child had died at the age of 19 on Sunday.

“My beautiful sweet angel. I have loved you beyond words or description from the moment I felt you in my belly,” the filmmaker wrote in a heartbreaking Instagram post at the time.

“You have been my joy my heart and all that was ever pure and real in my life,” she continued. “I wish I was with you right now. I wish I was with you. I don’t know how to live without you.”

Leandro was Drena’s only child. Picture: Instagram
Leandro was Drena’s only child. Picture: Instagram
Drena has since paid tribute to her son on Instagram. Picture: Instagram
Drena has since paid tribute to her son on Instagram. Picture: Instagram

While she didn’t immediately share details of how her son died, a police source told the Daily Mail that a “white powdery substance” was found “on a plate” near the body.

The Taxi Driver actor, 79, shared how “deeply distressed” he is by the passing of his “beloved grandson,” in a statement to Page Sixon Monday.

“We’re greatly appreciative of the condolences from everyone. We ask that we please be given privacy to grieve our loss of Leo,” he said in the statement.

Leandro’s father, sculptor Carlos “Mare” Rodriguez, also mourned the loss of his son by commenting on Drena’s Instagram post announcing their son’s death.

“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,” the graffiti artist wrote on Monday.

“He is Godschild [sic] now. On this full moon his spirit luminates what could not be seen in the dark. You can’t spell LOVE without LEO.”

Robert De Niro and Drena De Niro attend a Vanity Fair party in 2008. Picture: Bill; y Farrell/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
Robert De Niro and Drena De Niro attend a Vanity Fair party in 2008. Picture: Bill; y Farrell/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

As Leandro’s parents grieved, Drena shared her gratitude to all those who reached out with love and kindness.

“It is with immeasurable shock and and [sic] sadness that we say goodbye to our beloved son Leo,” she wrote on Instagram. “We thank you for the outpouring of love and support and ask that we are given privacy at this time to process this inconsolable grief.”

She also described holding her son’s hand for the last time, writing, “None of this is right or fair and my heart hurts in a way I never knew possible while still breathing and barely functioning.”

Meanwhile, her dad was spotted looking downcast following the news of Leandro’s passing.

Drena is the eldest of Robert’s seven children. The “Goodfellas” star adopted the actress in 1976 when he married her mother, Diahnne Abbott, and Drena then took his last name.

Robert and Abbott divorced in 1988, though he appears to still have a close relationship with Drena.

This article originally appeared in Page Six and was reproduced with permission

Originally published as Robert De Niro’s daughter Drena claims son Leandro died from tragic drug accident

Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/robert-de-niros-daughter-drena-claims-son-leandro-died-from-tragic-drug-accident/news-story/942d83c2e5a604a5d664901bff407a76