Killings of Rob Reiner and his wife stun Hollywood as decision on
charges for their son looms
[December 16, 2025]
By CHRISTOPHER WEBER and MIKE BALSAMO
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles police are set to present a case to
prosecutors Tuesday following Nick Reiner's arrest in the killings of
his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, which stunned their
communities in Hollywood and Democratic politics, where both were widely
beloved.
Prosecutors are set to decide whether and how to charge 32-year-old Nick
Reiner, who is being held in jail without bail. He was arrested several
hours after his parents were found dead in their home in the upscale
Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles on Sunday, police said.
Rob Reiner was the Emmy-winning star of the sitcom “All in the Family”
who went on to direct films including “When Harry Met Sally..." and ”The
Princess Bride" He was an outspoken liberal activist for decades.
Michele Singer Reiner was a photographer, movie producer and advocate
for LGBTQ+ rights. They had been married for 36 years.
Representatives for the Reiner family did not respond to requests for
comment, and it wasn’t clear if Nick Reiner had an attorney who could
speak on his behalf. Police haven’t said anything about a motive for the
killings.
Investigators believe Rob and Michelle Singer Reiner died from stab
wounds, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. The
official, who was briefed on the investigation, could not publicly
discuss the details and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
The killings were especially shocking given the warm comic legacy of the
family. Rob Reiner was the son of comedy legend Carl Reiner, who died in
2020 at age 98.
Kathy Bates, who won an Oscar as the star of Rob Reiner's 1990 film
“Misery,” was among those paying tribute to the couple.
“I loved Rob," Bates said in a statement. “He was brilliant and kind, a
man who made films of every genre to challenge himself as an artist. He
also fought courageously for his political beliefs. He changed the
course of my life. Michele was a gifted photographer.”
Bill Clinton called the couple “good, generous people who made everyone
who knew them better.”
“Hillary and I are heartbroken by the tragic deaths of our friends Rob
and Michele Reiner," he said in a statement. “They inspired and uplifted
millions through their work in film and television.”
Three months ago, Nick Reiner was photographed with his parents and
siblings at the premiere of his father's film “Spinal Tap 2: The End
Continues.”
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Flowers cover the Walk of Fame star for Rob Reiner Monday, Dec. 15,
2025, in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian
Dovarganes)
He had spoken publicly of his struggles with addiction, cycling in
and out of treatment facilities with bouts of homelessness in
between through his teen years. Rob and Nick Reiner explored — and
seemed to improve — their relationship through the making of the
2016 film, “Being Charlie.”
Nick Reiner co-wrote and Rob Reiner directed the film about the
struggles of an addicted son and a famous father. It was not
autobiographical but included several elements of their lives.
“It forced us to understand ourselves better than we had,” Rob
Reiner told the AP in 2016. “I told Nick while we were making it, I
said, ‘You know it doesn’t matter, whatever happens to this thing,
we won already.’"
Rob Reiner was long one of the most prolific directors in Hollywood,
and his work included some of the most memorable and endlessly
watchable movies of the 1980s and ’90s, including “This is Spinal
Tap” and “A Few Good Men.”
He met Michele Singer Reiner on the set of “When Harry Met
Sally...," and their meeting would inspire the film's shift to a
happy ending, with stars Billy Crystal — one of Reiner's closest
friends for decades — and Meg Ryan ending up together on New Year's
Eve.
The Reiners were outspoken advocates for liberal causes and major
Democratic donors.
President Donald 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.
___
Balsamo reported from Washington. Associated Press Entertainment
Writer Andrew Dalton in Los Angeles contributed.
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