Rob Reiner’s younger son, Nick Reiner, was arrested and booked Monday for what investigators believe was the fatal stabbing of the director-actor and his wife at their Los Angeles home a day earlier. Police Chief Jim McDonnell said Nick Reiner, 32, has been “booked for murder” and is being held on $4 million bail.
Nick Reiner has spoken publicly of his struggles with addiction and homelessness. He and his father collaborated on a semi-autobiographical 2016 film, “Being Charlie,” that included elements of their relationship and experience.
Reiner, the son of comedy legend Carl Reiner, had long been one of the most prolific directors in Hollywood whose work included some of the most memorable movies of the 1980s and ’90s, including “This Is Spinal Tap,” “A Few Good Men,” “When Harry Met Sally” and “The Princess Bride.” Reiner’s death led to an outpouring of grief from Hollywood and beyond.
Here's the latest:
Tributes to the Reiners pour in, from celebrities to MLB
Artists and sports figures took to social media to share grief and memories after the deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner.
Producer, singer and actor Rita Wilson posted on Instagram that it was “impossible to reconcile the tragedy of their deaths with the beauty they offered the world.”
Actor John Cusack, who starred in the Reiner-directed film “The Sure Thing,” posted on X that he was “shocked” by the death of “a great man.”
Author Stephen King said he was “horrified and saddened.” Two of his novels, “Stand by Me” and “Misery” were adapted into movies directed by Reiner.
“Rest in peace, Rob. You always stood by me,” King said.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Major League Baseball also posted condolences, noting that Reiner was a longtime baseball fan.
Journalist Maria Shriver devastated by Reiners' deaths: ‘We raised our kids together’
Maria Shriver, a niece of former President John F. Kennedy and a longtime Democrat, said she hopes people remember the couple for their talent, kindness, patriotism and love for one another.
“They were among my closest friends. We raised our kids together,” Shriver wrote in a social media post on Threads. “We had dinner this past week, and they were in the best place in their lives.”
The couple’s 32-year-old son, Nick Reiner, was arrested and booked Monday on suspicion of killing his parents.
“They loved their kids so much," Shriver said, “and they never stopped trying to be really good parents.”
Biden lauds Rob and Michele Reiner’s ‘extraordinary contributions’
Former President Joe Biden offered condolences in a social media post to those grieving the deaths of award-winning director and actor Rob Reiner and his wife, producer and photographer Michele Singer Reiner.
Reiner was one of the most active Democrats in the film industry, regularly campaigning on behalf of liberal causes and hosting fundraisers.
“Jill and I send our deepest condolences to everyone whose lives were touched by Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner’s extraordinary contributions,” Biden wrote Monday on X. “We take solace in knowing their work will live on for generations to come.”
A few Republicans speak out against Trump's post on Reiner
President Donald Trump on Monday blamed Rob Reiner’s outspoken opposition to the president for the actor-director’s killing.
Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky posted on X that regardless of how one felt about Reiner, “this is inappropriate and disrespectful discourse about a man who was just brutally murdered.”
Rep. Mike Lawler of New York said of Trump’s post: “This statement is wrong. Regardless of one’s political views, no one should be subjected to violence, let alone at the hands of their own son. It’s a horrible tragedy that should engender sympathy and compassion from everyone in our country, period.”
And Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia posted: “This is a family tragedy, not about politics or political enemies. Many families deal with a family member with drug addiction and mental health issues. It’s incredibly difficult and should be met with empathy especially when it ends in murder.”
Reiner and his son once explored their troubled relationship in a semi-autobiographical film
Nick Reiner, 32, the younger of Rob Reiner’s two sons, spoke publicly of his struggles with addiction. By 18, he had cycled in and out of nine treatment facilities with bouts of homelessness and relapses in between.
Rob Reiner said in a 2016 interview with The Associated Press that “I maybe didn’t handle it the best way. I listened to a lot of people who had a desk and a diploma. I didn’t really think about my kid and what he needed.”
Nick and Rob Reiner would collaborate on a semi-autobiographical 2016 film, “Being Charlie,” that included elements of their relationship and experience. Rob Reiner directed the movie and Nick Reiner was a cowriter.
“We didn’t go into it thinking this is going to be therapeutic or bring us closer, but it did come out that way,” Rob Reiner told the AP. “It forced us to understand ourselves better than we had. I told Nick while we were making it, I said, ‘you know it doesn’t matter, whatever happens to this thing, we won already. This has already been good.’”
Rob Reiner's son is in custody
Rob Reiner ’s son has been taken into custody after the deaths of the director-writer and his wife Michele, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press.
The official confirmed 32-year-old Nick Reiner was in police custody on Monday. The official could not publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity. Reiner, 78, and his wife Michele Singer Reiner were found dead Sunday at their home.
Online jail records show Reiner was booked by Los Angeles police and remained in jail on Monday. It was not immediately clear what charges he would face. The online records showed a $4 million bail had been set.
— By Mike Balsamo
Without evidence, Trump blames Reiner’s death on his politics
Trump responded to the reported killing of a Hollywood cultural icon and his wife with a striking political attack on the victims.
In a social media post, Trump said without evidence that Rob Reiner’s death was due to his opposition to Trump and his policies — in Trump’s words, “the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME.”
Family member questioned after Rob Reiner and his wife found dead in Los Angeles, AP source says
Investigators were questioning a family member of director-actor Rob Reiner and his wife Michele after they were found dead at their home in Los Angeles, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation.
Investigators believe they suffered stab wounds, said the official, who could not publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Los Angeles Police had not identified a suspect, Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton, the chief of detectives, said at a briefing on Sunday night.
The Los Angeles Fire Department said it responded to a medical aid request shortly after 3:30 p.m. and found a 78-year-old man and 68-year-old woman dead inside. Reiner turned 78 in March.
Detectives with the Robbery Homicide Division were investigating an “apparent homicide” at Reiner’s home, said Capt. Mike Bland with the Los Angeles Police Department.
Los Angeles authorities have not confirmed the identities of the people found dead at the residence in the upscale Brentwood neighborhood on the city’s west side that’s home to many celebrities.
▶ Read more about the investigation
Rob Reiner is mourned by Barack Obama, Eric Idle and many others
Many prominent people are paying tribute to Rob Reiner and his wife Michele:
Barack Obama
“Rob’s achievements in film and television gave us some of our most cherished stories on screen. But beneath all of the stories he produced was a deep belief in the goodness of people—and a lifelong commitment to putting that belief into action.” — On X.
Eric Idle
“I spoke to him last night for over an hour. I always enjoyed his company. I met him at his Dad’s in 1975. He was telling me about fiming at Stonehenge and his thoughts for the future. This is so awful. I shall miss him. A clever, talented and very thoughtful man.” — On X.
James Woods
“Rob and I remained good friends ever since we made GHOSTS OF MISSISSIPPI. The studio didn’t think I was old enough to do the part, but Rob fought for me. Political differences never stood in the way of our love and respect for each other. I am devastated by this terrible event.” — On X.
Jerry O’Connell
“Love you, Rob.” — On Instagram with a photo of him and Reiner on the set of “Stand By Me.”
Elijah Wood
“Horrified to hear of the passing of Rob Reiner and his wonderful wife Michelle. So much love to their kids and family.” — On X.
▶Read more of the tributes
Rob Reiner, son of a comedy giant who became one in turn, dies at 78
Rob Reiner, the son of a comedy giant who became one himself as one of the preeminent filmmakers of his generation, has died. He was 78.
Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead Sunday at their home in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. A law enforcement official briefed on the investigation confirmed their identities but could not publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Reiner grew up thinking his father, Carl Reiner, didn’t understand him or find him funny. But the younger Reiner would in many ways follow in his father’s footsteps, working both in front and behind the camera.
After starting out as a writer for “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,” Reiner’s breakthrough came when he was, at age 23, cast in Norman Lear’s “All in the Family.” But by the 1980s, Reiner began as a feature film director, churning out some of the most beloved films of that, or any, era.
▶ Read more about Reiner’s life and career
