Two of the late Hollywood director Rob Reiner’s children have reportedly decided to halt their financial support for their brother Nick’s legal defense. Nick Reiner is facing charges related to the fatal stabbing of their well-known parents in Los Angeles.
According to TMZ, Romy, 28, and Jake, 34, who were seen in Los Angeles on Monday, have ceased funding a private defense attorney for Nick. Shortly after the tragic discovery of their parents, the “When Harry Met Sally” director and his wife Michele, in mid-December, the siblings had initially enlisted prominent criminal defense attorney Alan Jackson to represent Nick.
However, Jackson soon withdrew from the case due to an undisclosed disagreement, as reported by the news outlet.
Last month, a public defender was assigned to handle Nick’s defense, a move that was largely seen as a temporary solution until another private attorney could be retained, according to the report.
On Monday, Kimberly Greene, a deputy public defender, appeared in court to represent Nick, who entered a plea of not guilty to first-degree murder charges.
Kimberly Greene, the deputy public defender, was in court on Monday representing Nick, who pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder.
“Nick’s defense is Nick’s defense. They’re not involved,â a source told TMZ on Jake and Romyâs approach to their brotherâs upcoming trial.
A spokesman for the public defenderâs office declined to comment when reached by the California Post. Representatives for the Reiner siblings were not immediately available for comment.
Nathan Hochman, the district attorney for LA County, told reporters after the arraignment on Monday that he would not rule out the death penalty for Nick if he is convicted â this despite Rob’s very public opposition to capital punishment.
Nick, 32, was arrested on Dec. 14 after police responded to a âdeath investigationâ at the familyâs Brentwood home and found Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner dead inside, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
His next court appearance is scheduled for April 29, when a preliminary hearing date is expected to be set.
Nick has previously spoken publicly about struggles with substance abuse and periods of instability, including addiction and homelessness years before the killings.
He co-wrote the 2015 film âBeing Charlieâ with his father, a project widely described as drawing from his experiences with drug addiction and recovery.
Separate reporting has indicated that Reiner had a history of mental health treatment and was placed under a court-approved conservatorship in 2020 that later ended, though diagnostic details and medication history have not been established in court filings related to the case.
