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Killing of Rob and Michele Reiner
2025 homicides in Los Angeles, California, U.S. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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On December 14, 2025, American filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, photographer and producer Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead with multiple sharp force injuries at their home in Brentwood, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California.[1] Their son Nick Reiner was arrested later the same day on suspicion of murder.[2][3]
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Background
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Rob Reiner was an American actor, director, and political activist. His credits include This Is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally..., Stand by Me, and A Few Good Men.[1] Michele Singer Reiner was a photographer, producer, and LGBTQ rights advocate.[4] Rob and Michele married in 1989 and had three children.[2][1] Rob also had an older adopted daughter, Tracy, whose mother was his former wife, Penny Marshall.[1]
Rob was 78 and Michele was around 70[a] at the time of their deaths.[2]
Nick Reiner
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]
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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]
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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.[13][15] 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]
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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 had not yet been 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 by Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman 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, known for his 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, did not enter a plea and waived his right to a speedy trial,[24][25] after Jackson asked for continuance regarding Nick's arraignment.[24][26] He is being held at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility,[27] and his arraignment is set for January 7, 2026.[28][29]
Tributes and reaction
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Rob and Michele's other two children, Jake and Romy, released a joint statement on December 17, 2025, calling their parents their "best friends".[30]
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.[31] California governor Gavin Newsom said he was "heartbroken", praising Reiner's "boundless empathy" and his advocacy for children and civil rights.[32]
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".[33][34]
Numerous figures in the entertainment industry also paid tribute to Reiner, including Sean Astin, Kevin Bacon, Alec Baldwin, Kathy Bates, Jamie Lee Curtis, John Cusack, Michael Douglas, Zooey Deschanel, Cary Elwes, Jane Fonda, Morgan Freeman, Whoopi Goldberg, Ron Howard, Eric Idle, Stephen King, Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Demi Moore, Ben Stiller, Barbra Streisand, Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Woods, and Robin Wright.[35][36][37][38] Sally Struthers, who played his on-screen wife in All In the Family, called the deaths "beyond devastating."[39] Cast members from Stand by Me, including Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell, and Wil Wheaton, also issued statements remembering Reiner.[40][41][42] Late night hosts including Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and Howard Stern also paid tribute.[43][44]
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.[45][36] 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.[37][46] Former U.S. president Joe Biden and former U.S. vice president Kamala Harris also issued statements mourning the couple and praising their character.[47][48] Journalists paying tribute to Reiner included CNN's Anderson Cooper.[49]
President Donald Trump mocked Reiner, writing on Truth Social that "a very sad thing happened" and stating Reiner and his wife "reportedly died due to the anger he caused others" with and that Reiner was afflicted by what he called "Trump derangement syndrome".[50][51][52][53] Trump's reaction was widely criticized[54][55] by both Republicans and Democrats; Republican critics included Mike Lawler, Don Bacon, and Stephanie Bice, as well as opponents of Trump such as Marjorie Taylor Greene and Thomas Massie.[56][57] Asked about his post during an event that afternoon, Trump reiterated that Reiner was "very bad for our country" and a "deranged person", accusing him of being one of those behind "the Russia hoax", a reference to the Russia investigation origins conspiracy theory.[58][59][60]
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Media
ABC News aired a one-hour special titled The Rob Reiner Story: A Hollywood Tragedy on December 16.[61][62]
CNN plans to air a two-part special, Rob Reiner: His Life and Legacy, the Whole Story, and Rob Reiner: In His Own Words, A Larry King Exclusive on December 21.[63]
CBS News plans to air a news special titled Rob Reiner: Scenes from a Life on December 21.[64]
Notes
- News outlets reported her age as 68 and 70. The County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner's Office lists her age as 70.
References
External links
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