Robert De Niro’s ‘disbelief’ after death of his grandson

Robert De Niro has opened up about his grandson’s shock overdose death.

The veteran actor lost his grandson Leandro De Niro Rodriguez in July 2023 and recently spoke about the “awful” reality of grieving a younger relative.

“It’s just a shock,” Robert told People magazine, adding he "never thought it would happen”.

Leandro was just 19 when he passed away from a drug overdose caused by “toxic effects of fentanyl, bromazolam, alprazolam, 7-aminoclonazepam, ketamine, and cocaine,” according to a report from the New York City chief medical examiner’s office.

And Robert, 80, said he continues to grapple with the new reality, wondering whether he could done anything differently to alter the tragic course of Leandro’s life.

“I just then started thinking about all the things I could have, should have done maybe with him,” he explained.

“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.”

Leandro was the only son of Robert’s daughter, Drena, 56.

On July 13 2023, 11 days after Leandro’s death, New York woman Sophia Marks was arrested for allegedly selling 50 counterfeit Oxycodone tablets to an undercover police officer.

As she was handing over the pills, Sophia allegedly warned the officer not to “do more than one at a time,” adding that her “friend just died”.