Authorities report that the younger son of Rob Reiner has been incarcerated, suspected of a deadly stabbing incident involving the acclaimed director-actor and his spouse, Michele.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — In a shocking turn of events, the 32-year-old son of Hollywood legend Rob Reiner was taken into custody on Monday, accused of murdering his parents in their Los Angeles residence. The suspect is being held without bail as the investigation unfolds.
The case is set to be presented to prosecutors on Tuesday, who will decide on the formal charges against Nick Reiner. The arrest followed the tragic discovery of Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner’s bodies. As of now, the authorities have not disclosed any potential motive behind the crime.
Attempts to reach representatives of the Reiner family for comments have been unsuccessful, and it remains unclear whether Nick Reiner has legal representation to speak on his behalf at this time.
Rob and Nick Reiner’s complex father-son relationship and Nick’s battles with substance abuse were previously highlighted in the semi-autobiographical 2016 film, “Being Charlie.” Nick Reiner has openly discussed his addiction struggles, which led him through numerous rehab stints and periods of homelessness before the age of 18.
The Reiners’ bodies were discovered on Sunday afternoon in their luxurious Brentwood neighborhood home. Investigators suspect stabbing as the cause of death, according to a law enforcement official who shared insights with The Associated Press. This official, privy to the ongoing investigation, requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the case.
Reiner was long one of the most prolific directors in Hollywood, and his 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.”
His role as Michael “Meathead” Stivic in Norman Lear’s 1970s TV classic “All in the Family” as a liberal foil to Carroll O’Connor’s Archie Bunker catapulted him to fame and won him two Emmy Awards.
The son of comedy legend Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner married photographer Michele Singer Reiner in 1989. The two met while he was directing “When Harry Met Sally.” They had three children together: Nick, Jake and Romy.
Reiner told The New York Times in 1989 that the cinematographer on “When Harry Met Sally,” Barry Sonnenfeld, predicted he would marry her. “I look over and I see this girl, and whoo! I was attracted immediately,” Reiner said.
Michele Singer Reiner was a producer for “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues,” “God & Country,” “Albert Brooks: Defending My Life” and “Shock and Awe,” according to IMDB. Earlier in her career, she photographed the cover image of President Donald Trump’s 1987 bestseller “The Art of the Deal.”
Trump on Monday blamed Rob Reiner’s outspoken opposition to the president for the actor-director’s killing, delivering the unsubstantiated claim in a social media post that seemed intent on decrying his opponents even in the face of a tragedy.
Relatives of Lear, the legendary producer who died in 2023, said the Reiners’ deaths left them bereft.
“Norman often referred to Rob as a son, and their close relationship was extraordinary, to us and the world,” a Lear family statement said. “Norman would have wanted to remind us that Rob and Michele spent every breath trying to make this country a better place, and they pursued that through their art, their activism, their philanthropy, and their love for family and friends.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called the deaths a devastating loss for the city.
“Rob Reiner’s contributions reverberate throughout American culture and society, and he has improved countless lives through his creative work and advocacy fighting for social and economic justice,” Bass said in a statement. “An acclaimed actor, director, producer, writer, and engaged political activist, he always used his gifts in service of others.”
Reiner was previously married to actor-director Penny Marshall from 1971 to 1981. He adopted her daughter, Tracy Reiner. Carl Reiner died in 2020 at age 98 and Marshall died in 2018.
Killings are rare in the Brentwood neighborhood. The scene is about a mile from the home where O.J. Simpson’s wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman were killed in 1994.
Balsamo reported from Washington. Associated Press Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton in Los Angeles contributed.
