Robert De Niro’s daughter Drena honors her late son Leandro on his 21st birthday: “My little angel”

Leandro died in July 2023 at the age of 19, his grandfather Robert confirmed to PEOPLE at the time

Drena De Niro honors her late son Leandro De Niro-Rodriguez on his 21st birthday.

On Sunday, August 11, Drena, the daughter of actor Robert De Niro, shared a post on social media to celebrate Leandro’s birthday, just over a year after his death at the age of 19.

“Happy 21st birthday up there in heaven, my little angel,” 56-year-old Drena wrote in her Instagram stories next to a baby photo of Leandro, his name and his birthday: August 11, 2003. “I never stop thinking about you.”

Related: Robert De Niro’s daughter Drena honors son Leandro one year after his death: “You made the world a brighter place”

Leandro’s father, Carlos “Mare” Rodriguez, also posted on Instagram for his son’s birthday. He shared a photo of himself and Leandro sitting on the floor and posing for a photo together and wrote in the caption: “Happy birthday my beautiful boy.”

“May your soul rest in peace as it rests in me. Thank you for your light, your laughter, your love and your teachings,” he finished the caption, adding the hashtag: “#youcan’tspelllovewithoutlion 💔.”

Robert, 80, first shared the news of Leandro’s death on July 2, 2023, writing on Instagram, among other things: “Rest in peace and eternal paradise, my dear boy.”

A spokesperson for the NYPD’s Deputy Information Commissioner told PEOPLE at the time that on July 2, 2023, a “man was found unconscious and unresponsive and EMS pronounced him dead at the scene.”

Robert also expressed his sadness over the death of his grandson, writing in a statement to PEOPLE: “I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of my beloved grandson Leo. We are so grateful for everyone’s condolences. We ask that we have the privacy we need to grieve the loss of Leo.”

In August of last year, the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed to PEOPLE that Leandro died of an accidental drug overdose, attributing the overdose to the “toxic effects of fentanyl, bromazolam, alprazolam, 7-aminoclonazepam, ketamine and cocaine.”

Related: Drena De Niro says her “heart is forever broken” in an emotional post about the death of her son Leandro

Just last month, on July 2 – one year after the anniversary of his death – Drena celebrated her son’s life by sharing countless photos of him from his childhood. In her Instagram post, she showed a photo of her son posing in a leather jacket and leather pants, with his arms spread wide. In the next picture, Leandro was again wearing a leather jacket and a white shirt while turning his head to the side and his hair covering his face.

Drena also shared more recent photos, including a photo from her visit to her son’s grave, which was decorated with vases full of flowers. She concluded the Instagram post with a snapshot of Leandro’s smile.

“I KNEW this boy was stealing my clothes behind my back!!!” Drena jokingly began her caption.

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“Today we celebrated sweet, wild boy Leo 🖤,” she continued in part. “In your short time here, you have made the world a brighter place. You are loved deeply as the sun loves the moon and the moon loves the sea.”

In his Instagram stories from the same day, Leandro’s father shared that he had baked a cake in honor of his late son, which had the phrase “You can’t spell love without Leo” written on it. He also shared some childhood videos of Leandro dancing in the street.

“Year one. Rest in peace, rest in me Leo,” he wrote in a separate post last month. “#youcan’tspelllovewithoutLeo 🙏🕊️❤️💔.”

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