Rob Reiner’s Death: Everything We Know So Far

Here are all the heartbreaking details on the beloved filmmaker’s slaying.

 

Key Points

Rob Reiner and wife Michele Singer were found murdered at their Brentwood home on Dec. 14, 2025.
Their son, Nick Reiner, was arrested and charged with their murders after a family argument.
Nick, who struggled with addiction, remains in custody with bail set at $4 million.

Rob Reiner, actor, director, writer, producer and actor, and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found murdered in their home on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. The This Is Spinal Tap creator was 78. Singer Reiner was 68. Their son, Nick Reiner, was questioned and later arrested and charged with their slayings.

Here’s everything we know so far about the tragic loss of one of America’s most beloved filmmakers.

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What happened to Rob Reiner?

Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner were found dead in their mansion in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025.

The family said in a statement shortly after the news broke, “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.”

TMZ reported that their bodies were “butchered” and that sources described the scene as being the crimes of a “mad man.”

The New York Times reported that investigators are still trying to determine the time of death, and that the Reiners may have been killed on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, or in the very early hours on Sunday.

TMZ reported that when the Reiners’ bodies were discovered, rigor mortis had already set in, which usually begins between two and six hours after death.

Related: We Ranked Every Rob Reiner Movie—Here’s the One That’s Still a Perfect 10

Who found Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer?

According to PEOPLE, Rob and Michele’s daughter Romy Reiner, who lived next door to her parents, found Rob’s body and called 911.

More details emerged in a report from the New York Times, which revealed that a massage therapist who was scheduled to be at the house called Romy when she couldn’t get in. Romy then went to the Reiners’ family home, where she found her father’s body. She immediately left the premises and reportedly didn’t know her mother was also dead inside. She called police, then family friend Billy Crystal, who lived close by and came over to say a final farewell to his longtime collaborator and Michele.

On Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, Romy and her brother Jake Reiner released a statement about the slayings.

“Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day,” they said. “The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience. They weren’t just our parents; they were our best friends.”

They continued, “We are grateful for the outpouring of condolences, kindness, and support we have received not only from family and friends but people from all walks of life. We now ask for respect and privacy, for speculation to be tempered with compassion and humanity, and for our parents to be remembered for the incredible lives they lived and the love they gave.”

A source told Us Weekly that Michele’s sisters were helping Romy, Jake and Tracy (Reiner’s daughter with ex-wife Penny Marshall) tremendously as they attempted to cope with the loss of their parents.

“Tracy, Jake and Romy are dealing with such an unimaginable loss right now, and there is so much for them to navigate amidst their grief,” the insider said. “Michele’s sisters have stepped in and been a huge support for the children.” They added, “The community has really come together for the family as well, because Rob and Michele had such a huge network of close friends. Everyone just wants to help in any way that they can. Rob and Michele did so much for so many people, oftentimes things people don’t even know about. They were incredible people.”

Related: Why Rob Reiner Rejected the Title of ‘Hero’ Months Before His Death

What time were police called to Rob Reiner’s house?

Multiple reports state that paramedics and police were called to the Reiners’ home between 3:30 p.m. and 3:40 p.m. PT on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025.

Where did Rob Reiner and Michele Singer live?

The Reiners lived in the wealthy enclave of Brentwood, located in the west side of Los Angeles county.

About 42,000 people reside in the neighborhood, including LeBron James, Gwyneth Paltrow, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dr. Dre and Disney CEO Bob Iger, as well as former vice president Kamala Harris and former second gentleman Doug Emhoff. Other stars who’ve lived in Brentwood include Marilyn Monroe, Bea Arthur, Betty White and O.J. Simpson.

Related: Billy Crystal and Larry David Seen at Rob Reiner’s Home After His Death

How did Rob Reiner die?

Both Rob and Michele Singer Reiner’s causes of deaths were homicide: They reportedly died after an assailant slit their throats. TMZ reported that the slayings took place after a “heated argument” with their son Nick and that the bodies showed signs of “lacerations consistent with a knife.”

Prosecutors in the case specified in their formal charging of Nick Reiner that a knife was used to commit the murders.

On Dec. 17, 2025, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office released documents stating that the couple died from “multiple sharp force injuries,” the New York Post reported. They reportedly suffered from stab wounds to their throats as well as other parts on their bodies.

TMZ reported that two days after the Reiners’ causes of death were confirmed, their bodies were released to their family.

Related: Ron Howard Mourns Rob Reiner With Powerful Tribute Hours After His Death

Who killed Rob Reiner and his wife?

Nick Reiner, son of Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, was arrested in connection with their deaths, but is innocent until proven guilty.

Related: Nick Reiner Appears Unhappy in Photo With Parents 3 Months Before Tragedy

Who was the last person to talk to Rob Reiner?

While we don’t know the specific last person who spoke to Rob Reiner before his death, we do know that earlier that day and week, he was with friends and family who loved him.

Monty Python star Eric Idle said he spoke to Rob the day before the director was murdered.

“Rob Reiner was a lovely man. I spoke to him last night for over an hour,” Idle wrote on X (formerly Twitter) just after 1 a.m. PT on Monday, Dec. 15, 2025. “I always enjoyed his company. I met him at his Dad’s in 1975. He was telling me about fiming [sic] at Stonehenge and his thoughts for the future. This is so awful. I shall miss him. A clever, talented and very thoughtful man. So awful.”

Cinematographer Barry Markowitz told Page Six that he was likely one of the last people to see the Reiners alive, as he’d recently been staying with them in their Brentwood home. Markowitz said that the Reiners invited him to stay at their house when he was in town to promote one of his projects in November, and that at the time, it appeared Nick was “on the upswing” with his health.

“He looked great. He was sitting and talking with the family,” Markowitz recalled. “They eat dinner together, old school, and a lot of love, always a lot of love … He helped out, he took out the garbage, he watched TV, he washed dishes. He’d bring me something to drink. He was just normal in that sense.”

Markowitz said he didn’t notice anything unusual and that the family was loving and normal. When asked about what he thought of Nick’s alleged behavior and if he believed he could murder his own parents, he replied, “It’s just a sickness. That’s my verdict.”

Rob, Michele and Nick Reiner all attended pal Conan O’Brien‘s holiday party on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, TMZ reported. The three of them reportedly had a “very loud argument” at the soiree, after which Rob and Michele went home. Sources claimed that Michele was lamenting to friends that she and Rob were struggling for several months to get Nick treatment for his addiction and mental health problems.

Related: The Chilling Message Rob Reiner Told the World Months Before His Murder

Who is Nick Reiner?

Nick Reiner is the son of Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner. He was a screenwriter and worked with his father on the 2015 film Being Charlie, which was loosely autobiographical. He reportedly periodically Nick lived at home with his parents, and TMZ reported that Nick left the family home on his own accord before the slayings.

At one point, Nick worked as an intern for the long-running Seth Macfarlane animated comedy Family Guy.

“He was an intern on the show Family Guy for around three to six months. His father helped him get the gig,” a source told Page Six, adding that Rob “would drop him off” and “pick him up” from the job daily. The insider claimed that Nick would work for about four hours a day, but that he did little actual work, instead spending the bulk of his time “shooting the s**t” with his colleagues.

“He did not work hard and he wasn’t a hard worker,” the insider claimed. “He was 100 percent entitled. There was really no responsibility for him because we didn’t have interns. It was a favor for Rob.”

The source called Nick “captivating” and said he had a dark sense of humor.

“He was a funny kid. He was charismatic in a dark, introverted way. He was a goofy 20-year-old,” the insider said. “He was the black sheep. He felt like a f**k up. He knew that. He was self-aware of how his family was doing and how he represented them in a negative space. But none of that felt offensive or scary.”

“He was coming off rehab, so he was sober,” the source added. “This was part of his path to recovery. His whole identity was being sober.”

In terms of the allegations that Nick murdered his parents, the insider said, “I am not that shocked. He is a troubled person. Nick had an aura of darkness around him with his addiction issues. When you have addiction and mental health, there is room for emotional murders … It doesn’t seem unfounded. He was a troubled kid from a young age and had issues. But that’s not the Nick I knew.”

A source told PEOPLE that Nick struggled to find his own identity in the shadow of his famous father and grandfather (Carl Reiner, who died in 2020).

“Nick wanted to live a life that didn’t exist. He was entitled,” the insider said. “He didn’t want to do any work but expected to be loved the way the rest of his family was.” The source added that Michele and Rob “felt enormous guilt for so long that they couldn’t help Nick get his life together … they could never reach stability with Nick. They tried everything—giving him space, keeping him close—but his struggles are so deep. It’s just a parent’s worst nightmare. They were such lovely people and tried in every way to help their son.”

Nick reportedly had a difficult relationship with at least one of his siblings.

“It feels like Romy has been scared of Nick since she was a child,” a source told the Daily Mail. “Even before his drug addiction, his outbursts were frightening because they seemed to come out of nowhere. She tried to stay out of his way as much as she could but it wasn’t easy.”

The source added, “She didn’t even like the idea of him living across the street from her. But she knew they moved him in so they could keep a close eye on him and give him a roof over his head.”

While the source alleged that Jake felt similarly to Romy, they never gave up on their brother.

“Anytime that her parents looked overwhelmed or asked for help, Romy and Jake were there for Nick,” the insider said. “It wasn’t perfect by any means, but she never disowned Nick.”

Related: Does Nick Reiner Have Instagram? See the Private Account His Siblings Follow

What did Nick Reiner suffer from?

Nick struggled with mental illness and addiction for much of his life, TMZ reported which at times left him homeless and often in and out of various rehabilitation centers and programs; his count as of 2016 was reportedly 17 stints. His substance abuse, and his family’s responses to it, deteriorated his relationship with his parents. Sources alleged to TMZ that prescription drugs especially “messed with [Nick’s] head.”

“I was homeless in Maine. I was homeless in New Jersey. I was homeless in Texas,” Nick told PEOPLE in 2016. “I spent nights on the street. I spent weeks on the street. It was not fun … If I wanted to do it my way and not go to the programs they were suggesting, then I had to be homeless.”

“When Nick would tell us that it wasn’t working for him, we wouldn’t listen,” Rob recalled to the Los Angeles Times in September 2015. “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.”

“We were so influenced by these people,” Michele added at the time. “They would tell us he’s a liar, that he was trying to manipulate us. And we believed them.”

For his part, Nick said in a 2016 interview with Build Studios that he “didn’t really bond a lot” with his father when he was young. He also admitted (via the Los Angeles Times), “I had no identity, and I had no passions. I think the reason I had no identity was because I have a famous dad and a famous grandpa, and that fame sort of informs who you are. So I wanted to edge out my own identity with a more rebellious, angry, drug-addicted sort of persona.”

One time Nick reportedly did recall Rob being there for him was when he once was on an LSD trip. He curled up in bed next to his father, who calmed him and talked him through the experience.

In 2018, Nick revealed that on the Dopey podcast that he’d once gotten so high that he completely trashed his parents’ guest house.

“I got totally spun out on uppers,” he said. “I think it was coke and something else—and I was up for days on end. I started punching out different things in my guest house … started with the TV and then I went over to the lamp … everything in the guest house got wrecked.”

In the same podcast, Nick admitted that he pretended to be more mentally disturbed than he actually was while in a rehabilitation center in New Jersey in an effort to score medication.

“I was, like, ‘How do I show these mother f***ers that I’m crazy?’ So I was like, ‘I’ll throw a rock through a window,’” he recalled. He said a woman saw him do it and alerted the staff, who then prescribed him the antidepressant Wellbutrin.

In September 2025, Rob told NPR that Nick was doing well and had been sober for about six years at that point in time.

Sources told PEOPLE that at O’Brien’s holiday party, “Nick was freaking everyone out, acting crazy, kept asking people if they were famous.” According to TMZ, Nick arrived underdressed for the “ritzy” event (he wore a sweatshirt while everyone else wore suits and fancy dresses). Insiders alleged that he was behaving erratically, roaming around the property aimlessly and barely interacting with other guests. According to NBC News, one of those guests was Barry star and Saturday Night Live alum Bill Hader: Nick reportedly interrupted Hader during what Hader told him was a “private conversation,” then stoood still, stared blankly and finally stormed off.

Sources alleged that Rob and Michele were embarrassed at Nick’s behavior at the party and that they’d “tried everything” to get their son to be healthy.

“They had had an argument at Conan’s holiday party, and Rob had been telling people that they’re scared for Nick and scared that his mental state was deteriorating,” a source told the New York Post. A friend of the Reiner family claimed that Rob and Michele were urging Nick to get treatment at a facility for a drug relapse, but that he refused.

A source told Daily Mail of the argument, “It got so bad and loud [that] someone wanted to call the police to report it, but Conan stepped in and said, ‘It’s my house, my party, I’m not calling the police.’ He talked them out of calling the police.”

A second insider added, “When the s–t was hitting the fan, somebody said, ‘We need to call the police.’ The conversation was about getting this kid put into a mental-health hold. It makes sense; who wants the cops showing up creating a scene? But the argument between Rob and Nick was pretty intense.”

Markowitz concurred that the Reiners worked extraordinarily hard to get Nick healthy.

“They gave him everything, they tried a million things with him,” he told Page Six. “Not giving him money but sending him to top-of-the-line places. Rob never gave up. He tried everything. If you knew Rob, he was just a bundle of love.” He added that he and Rob never suspected Nick could be violent with them, explaining, “[Rob] never had fears for his safety. I’m not in his head, but we talked. [Nick] wasn’t a violent type. I slept in the same house as Nick. There was never a thought, I believe, in Rob’s head [that Nick was a danger]. If he would have thought his life was in peril at any point, he would have handled the situation.” He added, “When somebody is mentally disturbed, you don’t need a reason. There’s no rhyme or reason. Mental illness, that’s the reason.”

However, a source told The Daily Mail that Nick’s family was “scared” of him because of his alleged “violent outbursts,” and described Nick as “violent and super aggressive.” They claimed that his behavior was often disturbing, but was “magnified to horrific levels” when he was using substances. Sources alleged that Nick was a “ticking time bomb” and prone to “meth-fueled outbursts” that often included destroying property. An insider alleged that Rob and Michele “threatened to call authorities multiple times, but in the end didn’t.”

“If they thought he was violent, things would have been very different,” a source told PEOPLE. “At the worst of it, it hadn’t been like this. I don’t think anyone could have ever seen anything like this coming. Nick was declining lately but he had been really bad before.”

TMZ reported that Nick was increasingly erratic in the three to four weeks preceding the murders, with sources alleging that Nick’s doctors adjusted his medications but had trouble stabilizing him.

In the CBS News special Rob Reiner: Scenes From a Life that aired on Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, Michael Douglas revealed that he and Rob often discussed their sons’ struggles with substance abuse, as Douglas’ son Cameron Douglas battled addiction as well.

“With this terrible tragedy, we’re realizing how much pressure he was dealing with in his personal life with his son,” Douglas, who starred in Reiner’s films The American President (1995) and And So It Goes (2014), said. “I also had a son who had drug issues. And I’m happy to say he’s overcome them and he’s living a prosperous life. But we talked a lot about that: What you can do as a parent, what you can’t do. So knowing with all of that going on behind the scenes, this was a man who always gave you his best.”

Related: Who Is Nick Reiner’s Defense Attorney Alan Jackson?

Is Being Charlie about Rob Reiner’s son?

When Nick got sober (at least at the time), he and Rob collaborated on the 2015 film Being Charlie. The movie was a semi-autobiographical look at a successful filmmaker eyeing a run for political office (played by Cary Elwes, who also starred in Reiner’s classic The Princess Bride) and his strained relationship with his son Charlie (Nick Robinson), who suffers from addiction.

Rob and Nick said that one particular line in the movie, when the father character tells his son, “I’d rather you hate me and be alive,” came directly from their real-life conversations.

“I mean, we did get into fights over things, but ultimately it forced us to make the film better,” Rob Reiner said in 2016. “The whole process for me—I can just speak for myself—it did make me understand him a lot more, and it did make me a better father. Hopefully it did.”

Related: Watch Rob Reiner and Nick Reiner Talk About Being Charlie a Decade Before the Director’s Murder

How old is Nick Reiner?

Born Sept. 14, 1993, Nick Reiner is 32 years old as of this writing.

Has Nick Reiner been arrested?

Nick Reiner was arrested without incident at about 9:15 p.m. PT on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, hours after his parents were found dead.

Related: LAPD Releases Photos of Nick Reiner’s Arrest

Where was Nick Reiner found?

Police arrested Nick Reiner close to Exposition Park and near the University of Southern California campus, PEOPLE reported. Footage obtained by ABC7 Eyewitness News showed that Nick bought a drink at a gas station moments before police apprehended him. He was wearing a black, green and white striped track jacket, a black cap and blue jeans and was carrying a red backpack at the time.

TMZ reported that Nick had checked into the Pierside Santa Monica hotel, 20 miles from where he was arrested, at about 4 a.m. on Dec. 14, 2025, using his credit card. Spies alleged that Nick was “tweaked out” when he checked in, but that he didn’t have any blood visible on his person. His room after he left, however, was a horrifyingly different story: Police who went to the room to investigate reportedly found blood in the shower and on the bed and bedsheets covering the windows.

Sources told TMZ that police told front desk staff at the hotel they were there to do a welfare check on Nick, and ultimately performed a search for the murder weapon on the premises. On Dec. 20, 2025, TMZ reported that insiders claimed police didn’t have a warrant to search Nick’s hotel room. If the police were genuinely there to perform a welfare check, they wouldn’t need a warrant, but if they were really there to search for evidence or a murder weapon, they would need a warrant.

TMZ later obtained footage of Nick walking towards the hotel minutes before he checked in (and hours before Rob and Michele Singer Reiner’s bodies were found in their home). In this footage, Nick carries a black backpack, not a red one like he did when he was arrested, so it appears he switched bags at some point after getting to his hotel room and before police apprehended him.

Sources told TMZ that Nick hasn’t processed the murders of his parents and is “in a fog,” likely in part due to the medications he’s taking, and appears to be simultaneously “calm, cognizant and dazed.”

Related: Rob Reiner’s When Harry Met Sally Confession Goes Viral After His and Wife Michele’s Death

What is Nick Reiner charged with?

On Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, Nick Reiner was formally charged with two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Michele and Rob Reiner. Assistant district attorney Nathan J. Hochman said in a statement that the charges carry a maximum sentence of life without parole or the death penalty.

Because there were multiple murders, Nick was hit with additional special circumstances, which can add extra time to a prison sentence.

“Prosecuting these cases involving family members are some of the most challenging and most heart wrenching cases that this office faces because of the intimate and often brutal nature of the crimes involved,” Hochman said.

Related: Rob Reiner’s Daughter Tracy Reiner Speaks Out After His Death: ‘I’m in Shock’

What is Nick Reiner’s bail?

Nick’s bail was set at $4 million, but he is now being held without bail at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility.

Related: Michelle Obama Reveals She and Barack Had Plans With Rob and Michele Reiner the Day They Died

When is Nick Reiner’s court appearance?

Nick appeared in court briefly on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, TMZ reported. He was seated behind glass and did not enter a plea. His attorney, Alan Jackson, said that the court agreed to formally arraign Nick on Jan. 7, 2025. According to PEOPLE, when asked if he waived his right to a speedy arraignment, Nick replied, “Yes, your honor.” He reportedly wore a suicide prevention vest to court.

PEOPLE previously reported that Jackson told press that Nick Reiner hadn’t been medically cleared to appear in court and that it was a “procedural issue.”

On Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, Hochman said that once Nick had a medical screening, he would be formally arraigned in court.

Sources told TMZ that Nick will likely plead not guilty by reason of insanity, citing his mental illness as why he couldn’t comprehend his actions or their impacts at the time of the crime. However, if Nick was also using illegal drugs at the time, that can be considered willful behavior, which prosecutors may try to use to nix the insanity defense.