Drena De Niro has spoken out about her son, Leandro De Niro Rodriguez’s, death, claiming that the “nightmare of addiction and fentanyl overdose” is what “killed him” in an Instagram statement made on Wednesday.
Rodriguez, the 19-year-old grandson of actor Robert De Niro, was found dead on July 2 after ingesting pills that were laced with fentanyl. The New York City chief medical examiner’s office confirmed on Tuesday that his cause of death was an accidental drug overdose, according to People.
“My son suffered tremendously through the pandemic as maybe many of your kids had,” she wrote to her followers. “Sadly addiction took over in the last year and eventually killed him.”
Drena tagged Leandro’s father, Carlos Rodriguez, in the statement and came out against the “narrative” emerging around the circumstances of Leandro’s death, condemning the media’s coverage as “vicious, inaccurate hypotheses and conjecture by way of trolling and randoms who have nothing better to do than spread vitriol.”
“You can politicize it till your face turns blue but mental health and addiction and fentanyl doesn’t care about pointing fingers and calling names and blaming, it chooses who it chooses and gets in the hands of too many people who then distribute it,” she wrote.
Drena’s post received hundreds of comments.
“One can only imagine how profound your sadness and grief are. You are so courageous to speak out and are already helping. Leo must be so proud,” supermodel Linda Evangelista commented.
Drena’s message on Wednesday is her most current on her late son, following a tribute she gave on Aug. 3, one month after Leandro’s death, and a statement she released on July 2 announcing her son’s death. (RELATED: Pee-Wee Herman Actor Paul Reubens Dead At Age 70)
“My beautiful sweet angel,” she wrote at the time. “I have loved you beyond words or description from the moment I felt you in my belly.”
Three days after her son’s death, Drena responded to comments on her Instagram about the cause of her son’s death.
“Someone sold him fentanyl laced pills that they knew were laced yet still sold them to him,” she wrote. “So for all these people still f—— around selling and buying this s—, my son is gone forever.”
Drena concluded her Wednesday statement saying, “I also hope his passing will help bring more empathy, understanding and support to families and people who are struggling with mental health, suicide and addiction.”