Robert De Niro says he was in ‘disbelief’ when he learned his 19-year-old grandson had died: ‘It shouldn’t have happened’

• Robert De Niro said his 19-year-old grandson’s death was “just a shock.”
• Leandro De Niro-Rodriguez died of a drug overdose in July 2023 after ingesting fentanyl-laced pills.
• “It shouldn’t have happened,” De Niro said in a new interview.

Robert De Niro reflected on the tragic death of his grandson last year, saying he felt “disbelief” when he heard the news.

Leandro De Niro-Rodriguez was found dead in his apartment in downtown Manhattan on July 2, 2023. He was the son of De Niro’s adopted daughter, Drena, and Carlos Rodriguez, an artist.

In a reply to a comment on her Instagram post announcing his death, Drena said her son had died after “someone sold him fentanyl laced pills.”

“It’s just a shock,” De Niro told People in a new interview, adding that he “never thought it would happen.”

According to the actor, the unexpected death of his grandson also caused him to reflect on what he could have done differently in their relationship.

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