How Robert De Niro Felt Late Grandson’s ‘Constant Presence’

Robert De Niro and his daughter, Drena De Niro, continue to be comforted by the actor’s late grandson, Leandro De Niro Rodriguez‘s presence.

The father-daughter duo paid an emotional visit to Pope Leo XIV in Rome. Looking back on their visit, Drena lovingly recalled feeling her late son’s presence in charming, unexpected ways. 

Drena lost her only son, Leandro De Rino Rodriguez, over two years ago due to an accidental overdose. Although the perpetrators are yet to be brought to justice, five people were recently arrested in connection with his death. 

Drena De Niro took to Instagram to share a carousel of pictures from her trip to the Vatican in Rome. She was joined by her father, Robert, and brother, Julian De Niro. 

In the post’s caption, 58-year-old Drena emotionally admitted that the visit left her heart feeling full. She wrote that standing in “his holiness’s presence” was a unique experience and honor that she won’t be in a hurry to forget. 

She also recalled feeling little glimpses of her late son, Leandro De Niro Rodriquez, noting that he made sure they were aware of his constant presence throughout their visit. In her words:

“My little Leo has been showering us with so many signs of his constant presence this entire trip… his love for his family, his mischievousness, his playfulness…” 

The actress and filmmaker recalled feeling “warmth and kindness” in Pope Leo’s eyes when she gifted him a token of her “reverence and affection.” 

She concluded the lengthy caption by writing, “I’m so shamelessly filled with gratitude to my family here in Rome, my dad, my darling Julian, and all who made this possible. With love and gratitude always to the 2 most divine Leos I’ve ever met, may we all know your peace, higher power, and mission one day.” 

Drena’s emotional post comes over a week after five arrests were made in connection with her son’s death. 

The Blast confirmed that police officers investigating the death of Leandro have made some headway in the case. 

Although the identities of the five men arrested remain undisclosed, they are now facing charges of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

They are said to have reportedly targeted young adults and teens in New York City and some parts of Long Island. 

The arrests were made two years after Leandro lost his life at the age of 19. 

As reported by The Blast, the late youngster died from a combination of cocaine, fentanyl, Xanax, ketamine, bromazolam, and other drugs. The New York chief medical examiner’s office ruled his death an accidental overdose. 

Lenadro was discovered dead in a New York apartment by a friend who searched for him after not hearing from him for an extended period. Officers who arrived at the scene discovered a bag of cocaine, pills, and tablets near his body. 

After Leandro was confirmed dead, an investigation also revealed that his suspected drug dealer, Sophia Marks, allegedly cautioned him about the dangers of taking fentanyl-laced drugs. 

According to The Blast, Marks constantly warned Leandro about ingesting the substance in large quantities and emphasized the life-threatening risks associated with doing so. 

However, when investigators went through Leandro’s phone, they also discovered that he had purchased counterfeit oxycodone and Xanax a few days before his death. 

While the investigation into Robert De Niro’s grandson’s death is still ongoing, the actor has not refrained from supporting his other family members. 

Robert’s transgender daughter, Airyn De Niro, recently opened up about her identity and gushed about the amount of love and support her father has shown her. 

“The support has still been nonstop from him, and I’m so grateful,” Airyn stated, per The Blast.

She also spoke about her father being aware of her cosmetic touch-ups, noting that while he didn’t approve or disapprove, he made it clear that he would always support her. Robert assured her that she was a “good-looking kid” who didn’t need to do anything to change herself. 

The actor further aired his unwavering love for his transgender daughter, saying, “I loved and supported Aaron as my son, and now I love and support Airyn as my daughter. I don’t know what the big deal is. I love all my children.”