At 80 years old, Robert De Niro is indulging in the joys of being a father. As a grandfather, however, the sadness for grandson Leandro predominates.
Superstar Robert De Niro (80) has shown in a detailed article how close family happiness and suffering can be. When it comes to his little daughter Gia, the Oscar winner can’t stop gushing: “She’s such an admirable baby, so sweet. When I look at her, everything else disappears. It’s a great joy and a relief to just be there at the moment to be her.”
As proof, he provided “People” with a sweet photo in which he holds the little one in his arms and smiles at the camera with her. The mother of the ten-month-old child is De Niro’s girlfriend Tiffany Chen. The actor sees with a wink that everything is a little different in the De Niros’ everyday family life. His six other children, of whom his eldest daughter Drena is a good 55 years older than sister Gia, are enthusiastic about the latest addition to the family: “So are my grandchildren. She is their aunt – and they are just turning teenagers!”
The sad topic of grandchildren
When it comes to grandchildren, however, De Niro cannot avoid mentioning a major family tragedy. Last year, his grandson Leandro Rodriguez, the only child of his eldest daughter Drena, died of an overdose at just 19 years old. In an interview with People, De Niro remembers what was going on with him at the time. At first he couldn’t believe the news when it was told to him: “It was a shock, I never thought something like that could happen.”
He wished all the more that he had spent more time with Leandro: “Only then did I start thinking about all the things I might have done with him. I don’t know if it would have made a difference. But these Thoughts keep running through my head.”
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
