- 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.
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.
"And I just then started thinking about all the things I could have, should have done maybe with him," he said. "I don't know if that would've made a difference. And so that's always playing through my mind."
"It shouldn't have happened," De Niro said.
Leandro, who was following in his grandfather's footsteps as an actor, had credits in several films before his death, including "A Star Is Born," "Cabaret Maxime," and "The Collection."
De Niro, who welcomed his seventh child last year at the age of 79, issued a statement several days after Drena announced Leandro's death on Instagram.
"I'm deeply distressed by the passing of my beloved grandson Leo," De Niro said statement to People. "We're greatly appreciative of the condolences from everyone. We ask that we please be given privacy to grieve our loss of Leo."
The New York City medical examiner later determined the teen's death to be accidental and said it was caused by the effects of a drug combination that included fentanyl, ketamine, and cocaine, Deadline reported.
A 20-year-old woman was arrested in connection with the death less than two weeks later, and indicted on drug charges. In the indictment, prosecutors accused the woman of selling three counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and two Xanax tablets to De Niro's grandson, who died of an overdose after taking one of the oxycodone pills.