Rob Reiner, Acclaimed Director and Political Activist, Found Dead at 78 in Apparent Homicide; Son Arrested
Timeline of Events and Arrest
The Los Angeles Fire Department was initially called for medical aid at 3:38 p.m. Sunday. When LAFD and LAPD personnel arrived at the couple’s home, they determined that two people inside were deceased. Nick Reiner was arrested at 9:15 p.m. Sunday and booked into LAPD jail at 5:04 a.m. Monday on suspicion of murder.
According to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department records, Nick Reiner is being held on $4 million bail. The LAPD’s Robbery Homicide Division is investigating the deaths as homicides.
Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton told reporters Sunday evening that police had not yet obtained a search warrant six hours after the 911 call. “At this time, the Los Angeles Police Department is not seeking anyone as a suspect or as a person of interest,” Hamilton said during a late-night press conference, before Nick Reiner’s subsequent arrest.
A Son’s Long Battle with Addiction
Nick Reiner has struggled publicly with drug addiction since his teenage years. In a 2016 interview with People magazine, he disclosed that he entered his first rehabilitation facility around his 15th birthday and had been through 17 rehab programs by age 22.
“I was homeless in Maine. I was homeless in New Jersey. I was homeless in Texas,” Nick Reiner told People. “I spent nights on the street. I spent weeks on the street. It was not fun.” He explained that his homelessness resulted from refusing treatment: “If I wanted to do it my way and not go to the programs they were suggesting, then I had to be homeless.”
His experiences inspired Being Charlie, a 2016 film about a young man struggling with addiction. Nick co-wrote the screenplay with Matt Elisofon, whom he met in rehab, and his father directed. The film starred Nick Robinson as Charlie, with Princess Bride actor Cary Elwes playing the protagonist’s father.
In a 2016 appearance on TODAY, Rob Reiner reflected on the painful process of making the film. “It was very, very hard going through it the first time, with these painful and difficult highs and lows,” he said. “And then making the movie dredged it all up again.”
Rob Reiner told the Los Angeles Times in 2015 that traditional rehab programs failed his son. “When Nick would tell us that it wasn’t working for him, we wouldn’t listen. We were desperate and because the people had diplomas on their wall, we listened to them when we should have been listening to our son.”
Michele Singer Reiner told the Times: “We were so influenced by these people. We thought they knew what they were doing, and they didn’t.”
The LA Times article eerily opened with this passage: “For years, Hollywood director Rob Reiner and his wife struggled as their son Nick was addicted to hard drugs, rotating in and out of rehab facilities like they were shopping malls. The couple wondered if there was an end in sight, and whether it would be the tragic one that a voice in the back of their heads kept telling them was coming.”
Trump Attacks Reiner Without Evidence
President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social Sunday evening, making unsubstantiated claims about the deaths while attacking Reiner’s political activism. Trump wrote, without providing evidence, that Reiner and his wife “reportedly” died “due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction” with “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
“He was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J Trump,” Trump wrote. The statement goes far beyond what police have disclosed about the investigation and appears to suggest that Reiner’s political views somehow contributed to his death.
Reiner was a vocal critic of Trump, calling him “mentally unfit” for office in 2017 and founding the Committee to Investigate Russia to examine Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Anthony Zurcher, BBC’s North America correspondent, wrote that Trump’s comments were “shocking” and “startling, given the lack of evidence so far from police.” Zurcher noted that Trump “is in danger of being out of step with a public that may expect—or hope for—expressions of empathy or grace from their president, even when a tragedy involves an outspoken critic.”
A Hollywood Legend and Political Activist
Rob Reiner was born March 6, 1947, in the Bronx, the son of legendary comedian Carl Reiner, who died in 2020 at age 98. He first gained fame playing Michael “Meathead” Stivic, the liberal son-in-law to Archie Bunker on Norman Lear’s groundbreaking sitcom All in the Family (1971-1979), winning two Emmy Awards.
His directing career produced an extraordinary run of critically acclaimed and commercially successful films. This Is Spinal Tap (1984) invented the mockumentary genre. Stand by Me (1986) became a coming-of-age classic. The Princess Bride (1987) achieved cult status. When Harry Met Sally (1989) redefined romantic comedy.
Misery (1990) won Kathy Bates an Academy Award. A Few Good Men (1992), nominated for Best Picture, became his biggest box office success and immortalized the line “You can’t handle the truth!”
Beyond filmmaking, Reiner was a champion of progressive causes. In 2009, he co-founded the American Foundation for Equal Rights to challenge California’s Proposition 8. The resulting lawsuit, Hollingsworth v. Perry, helped establish the legal foundation for nationwide marriage equality.
In 1998, he spearheaded California’s Proposition 10, which imposed tobacco taxes to fund early childhood development programs. The initiative generated billions of dollars for health services, child care, and developmental support for low-income families. He served as founding chair of First 5 California.
Tributes Pour In from Hollywood and Washington
Kathy Bates, who starred in Misery, told NBC News she was “absolutely devastated.” “I loved Rob. 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.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement: “Rob was the big-hearted genius behind so many of the classic stories we love, with projects as wide-ranging as The Princess Bride to A Few Good Men. His boundless empathy made his stories timeless, teaching generations how to see goodness and righteousness in others.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called the deaths “a devastating loss for city and our country,” praising Reiner as “an acclaimed actor, director, producer, writer, and engaged political activist” who “always used his gifts in service of others.”
Former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama said in a statement: “Michelle and I are heartbroken by the tragic passing of Rob Reiner and his beloved wife, Michele. Rob’s achievements in film and television gave us some of our most cherished stories on screen.”
Monty Python star Eric Idle wrote on X that he had spoken to Reiner “for over an hour” the night before his death. “The two first met 50 years ago,” Idle said. Reiner was “a clever, talented and very thoughtful man.”
Ben Stiller called it “a huge loss,” saying Reiner had “made some of the most formative movies for my generation. Spinal Tap is one of the best comedies ever made—and the list goes on.”
Neighbors told ABC News that actors Billy Crystal and Larry David were seen at the house after police arrived. “Billy looked like he was about to cry,” one neighbor said.
A Family in Shock
Rob Reiner married director Penny Marshall in 1971; they divorced in 1981. In 1989, he married photographer Michele Singer, who inspired him to change the ending of When Harry Met Sally from cynical to romantic. They shared three children: Jake, Nick, and Romy.
Tracy Reiner, Rob Reiner’s adopted daughter from his marriage to Penny Marshall, told reporters she was stunned by the news. “I came from the greatest family ever. I don’t know what to say. I’m in shock.”
The Reiner family released a statement saying: “It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner. We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time.”
According to neighbors, the Reiner family owned two houses across the street from each other in Brentwood—Rob and Michele lived in one, while a daughter with children lived in the other. The home where the bodies were discovered was decorated for the holidays.
Investigation Continues
The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office will determine the official cause of death. The LAPD’s Robbery Homicide Division continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Nick Reiner is scheduled to appear in court for arraignment. Los Angeles County prosecutors will determine what formal charges to file.
The tragedy marks one of Hollywood’s most shocking incidents in recent memory, ending the lives of two people who dedicated themselves to artistic excellence and social justice advocacy.
Rob Reiner is survived by his children Jake, Romy, Tracy, and Annie; his brother Lucas; and millions of filmgoers whose lives were touched by his work both on and off the screen.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, help is available 24 hours a day through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Hotline at 1-800-662-4357.
