Rob was 78 and Michele was 70[a] at the time of their deaths.[2]
Nick Reiner
Nick Reiner in 2016
Nick Reiner was born September 14, 1993.[5] He has an older brother, Jake, and a younger sister, Romy.[6] He has a GED and decided not to attend college.[7]
Before his arrest, Nick Reiner had discussed long-running substance use problems in interviews and podcasts, including periods in and out of treatment beginning in adolescence.[8] The Irish Times, summarizing prior public accounts, reported that he estimated he entered drug treatment 18 times as a teenager and spoke about addiction to heroin and cocaine.[9]
Rob and Nick Reiner accepting their SAMHSA Special Recognition Award and a 2016 Voice Award for their film Being Charlie
In 2015, he co-wrote the film Being Charlie, which was inspired by his experiences with addiction and his relationship with his father; Rob Reiner directed the film.[10] On December 16, 2025, People reported that Nick not only had a long history of personal struggles, which included erratic behavior, becoming a drug user at a young age, first going to drug rehab at the age of 14 before he "cycled in and out of rehab" starting around the age of 15, having 18 stays in rehab by 2016 and being homeless, but would only start to become closer to his father during the time they were making Being Charlie.[11] At the time of the deaths, Nick was living with his parents.[11]
The night before Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner were discovered dead, the couple had attended a holiday party hosted by Conan O'Brien, only to leave after their son Nick, who was reportedly "freaking everyone out, acting crazy, [and] kept asking people if they were famous," got into a "very loud argument" with Rob.[12] During the argument, Rob reportedly chastised his son for his inappropriate conduct.[13] Another associate of the Reiner family disputed the intensity of the argument and told the New York Times that the Reiners would not have left the party early due to Nick's behavior, which the family had "grown used to."[13]
Killings and investigation
On the afternoon of December 14, Rob and Michele Reiner's daughter Romy discovered her father's body in the master bedroom.[11][13][14] Her roommate, with whom she lived across the street from her parents' house, called 911 at 3:38 p.m. after Romy fled the residence.[15][13][14]Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responding to the call found a man and a woman deceased inside the house.[1] Romy was reportedly unaware of her mother's death before paramedics arrived.[13]Los Angeles Police Department officers responded shortly afterward for what the department described as a death investigation that later developed into a homicide case.[2][3] The investigation was handled by the LAPD's robbery and homicide division, and police stated detectives were working to obtain a search warrant as part of the investigation.[1]
On December 17, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner released the cause of death for the Reiners. Rob and Michele Reiner's cause of death was from multiple sharp force injuries, and the manner of death was determined to be homicide.[16][17][18][19]
Arrest and legal proceedings
Nick Reiner was arrested on the night of December 14 near the University of Southern California.[20][2][3] Police initially listed bail at $4 million, before announcing he would instead be held without bail.[2] The case has yet to be presented to prosecutors.[3] On December 16, it was reported that Nick Reiner was not medically cleared to appear in court.[21] Later that day, he was charged with two counts of first-degree murder with a special circumstance of multiple murders.[6][22]
On December 17, 2025, Nick made his first court appearance with his defense attorney Alan Jackson, who was known for work as both the prosecuting and defense attorney on cases involving celebrities and other high profile matters.[23] At his first court appearance, Nick only spoke briefly to a judge and did not enter a plea.[24][25] He is being held at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility,[26] and his official arraignment is set for January 2026.[27]
Tributes and reaction
Rob and Michele's other two children Jake and Romy released a joint statement on December 17, 2025 calling their parents their "best friends".[28]
Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass called Reiner's death a "devastating loss for our city and our country", citing his creative work and advocacy for social justice.[29] California governor Gavin Newsom said he was "heartbroken", praising Reiner's "boundless empathy" and his advocacy for children and civil rights.[30]
Close friends and collaborators Albert Brooks, Billy Crystal, Larry David, Martin Short, Barry Levinson, Marc Shaiman and Alan Zweibel released a joint statement which read in part, "There is no other director who has his range...he was always at the top of his game. He charmed audiences. They trusted him." They also wrote, "Michele and Rob Reiner devoted a great deal of their lives for the betterment of our fellow citizens...They were a special force together—dynamic, unselfish and inspiring. We were their friends, and we will miss them forever".[31][32]
Several national political figures issued condolences. Former U.S. president Bill Clinton released a statement describing the Reiners as friends and praising their public service.[43][34] Former U.S. president Barack Obama said that he and his wife, Michelle, were "heartbroken", noting Reiner's "deep belief in the goodness of people"; Michelle noted they had planned to meet the Reiners in person on the day of their deaths.[35][44] Former U.S. president Joe Biden and former U.S. vice president Kamala Harris also issued statements mourning the couple and praising their character.[45][46]
Price, Michelle L. (December 15, 2025). "Trump levels political attack on Rob Reiner in inflammatory post after his killing". Associated Press News. Retrieved December 15, 2025. Trump has a long track record of inflammatory remarks, but his comments in a social media post were a drastic departure from the role presidents typically play in offering a message of consolation or tribute after the death of a public figure. His message drew criticism even from conservatives and his supporters and laid bare Trump's unwillingness to rise above political grievance in moments of crisis.
Blake, Aaron (December 15, 2025). "Trump's ugly Rob Reiner post undercuts the GOP's post-Charlie Kirk claims to civility". CNN. Retrieved December 15, 2025. The president might argue that calling their deaths "very sad" means he wasn't celebrating them. But his point was exceedingly clear — and ugly. It's also very difficult to square with how the GOP talked about social media posts in the wake of Kirk's death, emphasizing the importance of civility.
Jeff Mason (December 15, 2025). "Trump mocks slain actor Rob Reiner, drawing swift bipartisan condemnation". Reuters. Reuters. Retrieved December 15, 2025. President Donald Trump mocked Rob Reiner in a social media post on Monday, suggesting the slain actor and director died because of his anti-Trump views — a remark that triggered swift and bipartisan backlash for injecting politics into a family tragedy.
Lebeuf, Sophie-Hélène (December 15, 2025). "Donald Trump critiqué pour son attaque sur Rob Reiner". Radio Canada International. Retrieved December 15, 2025. Des membres de la communauté artistique et des élus, y compris une poignée de républicains, ont dénoncé, lundi, le message politisé et dénué d'empathie du président américain, Donald Trump, après le meurtre du réalisateur Rob Reiner, militant proche des démocrates.
"US-Präsident erntet massive Kritik für Kommentar zu getötetem Regisseur Rob Reiner"[The US president is facing massive criticism for his comment about the murdered director Rob Reiner.]. Der Spiegel (in German). December 15, 2025. Retrieved December 15, 2025. Nach dem Tod von »Harry und Sally«-Regisseur Rob Reiner und seiner Frau Michele bekunden viele Stars und Politiker ihre Trauer. Der US-Präsident sorgt mit seinen Abschiedsworten für Irritationen und Entrüstung – auch bei seinen Republikanern.
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