Rob Reiner, the American filmmaker, actor, producer and political activist whose work helped shape American film and television from the 1970s through the 1990s, was found dead Sunday at his home in the Brentwood. He was 78. His wife, photographer and producer Michele Singer Reiner, was also found dead in the home.
Los Angeles authorities are investigating the deaths as a homicide. The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a medical aid call around 3:30 p.m. Dec. 14 and found both inside the residence with “injuries consistent with stabbing.” Police said there were no signs of forced entry. One of the couple’s children discovered the bodies, according to sources familiar with the investigation.
Their younger son, Nick Reiner, 32, was taken into custody late on Dec. 14 and booked on suspicion of murder the next morning. Bail was set at $4 million. As of press time, prosecutors had not yet filed formal charges. The LAPD Robbery-Homicide Division is leading the investigation. Nick Reiner has spoken publicly in the past about long struggles with addiction, including cycling in and out of rehab centers and experiencing periods of homelessness beginning in his teens. He became sober by 2015 and later co-wrote the semi-autobiographical film “Being Charlie” with his father, which touched on addiction and a strained father-son relationship. The Los Angeles Times reported that Rob Reiner and his son argued the night before the deaths at a party at Conan O’Brien’s home, where multiple attendees noticed Nick “acting strangely.”
Hours after the Reiners were discovered, actors Billy Crystal and Larry David were both spotted inside the police-barricaded zone around the Reiner house —TMZ reported that both appeared “emotional” and were wiping away tears.
The deaths stunned many prominent figures throughout Hollywood and politics who were connected with Reiner at some point in his more than five decades in entertainment.
Born Robert Reiner on March 6, 1947, in the Bronx, New York, he was the son of the legendary writer, director and comedian Carl Reiner, and Estelle Reiner, a singer and actor. After attending Beverly Hills High School, he studied film at UCLA and began working as a writer and actor. Reiner first became widely known as an actor playing Mike “Meathead” Stivic on Norman Lear’s CBS sitcom “All in the Family,” which ran from 1971 to 1979. His liberal character often clashed on the show with his conservative father-in-law Archie Bunker. The role as Meathead earned Reiner two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, along with multiple nominations.
In 1984, Reiner made his feature directing debut with “This Is Spinal Tap,” a “mockumentary” co-created with Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer.
“Rob was a friend and collaborator through much of my life,” Shearer wrote on Instagram. “He was funny, he was smart, he was a mensch. When he came to see the comedy act I was in, and, later, the musical comedy I had co-written, his laugh was uproarious and audible around the block. He was a great collaborator, and when the four of us proposed ideas for the films, he was the one who wrote them on 3×5 cards, and organized them into a movie.”
Reiner followed “Spinal Tap” by directing major hits including “The Princess Bride” (1987) and “When Harry Met Sally…” (1989). His courtroom drama in “A Few Good Men” (1992) earned Reiner an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. Reiner co-founded Castle Rock Entertainment in 1987, which produced acclaimed films such as “City Slickers” (1991) and “The American President” (1995). Reiner also directed adaptations of Stephen King’s work, including “Stand by Me” (1986) and “Misery” (1990).
“I’m horrified and saddened by the death of Rob Reiner and Michele. Wonderful friend, political ally and brilliant filmmaker,” King wrote on X. “Rest in peace, Rob. You always stood by me.”
This year, Reiner directed the long-awaited sequel “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.” “Spinal Tap at Stonehenge: The Final Finale,” is scheduled for release in 2026.
Reiner married Michele Singer in 1989 after meeting her while directing “When Harry Met Sally …” The couple had three children together: Jake, Nick and Romy. Reiner had previously been married to actor and director Penny Marshall, and he adopted her daughter, Tracy Reiner.
In later years, Reiner became as much known for his political activism as for his filmography. He emerged as a prominent Democratic donor and advocate focusing on causes such as early childhood education and tobacco regulation. He chaired California’s First 5 Children and Families Commission beginning in 1999.
Tributes poured in from across film, comedy and politics.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom called Reiner “a big-hearted genius” who “made California a better place through his good works.”
Former President Barack Obama said “beneath all of the stories [Reiner] produced was a deep belief in the goodness of people — and a lifelong commitment to putting that belief into action. Together, he and his wife lived lives defined by purpose.”
President Donald Trump, someone who Reiner was a frequent critic, threw verbal jabs at Reiner in a statement on Truth Social:
“Rob Reiner, a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star, has passed away, together with his wife, Michele, reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME,” the President said.
Meanwhile, actor Jerry O’Connell shared a photo with Reiner taken on the set of the director’s 1987 movie “Stand By Me” on Instagram, where he wrote, “Love you, Rob. Sincerely.”
“Rob Reiner is one of the most significant figures in the history of film and television,” Sean Astin, president of SAG-AFTRA, said. “The impact he made on American culture simply can’t be overstated.”
Actor Paul Walter Hauser said “grieving the loss of my favorite director of all-time,” adding “‘A Few Good Men’ is THE reason I became an actor, and Rob’s filmography behind the camera is THE reason I wanted to direct and still do.”
“Monty Python” actor Eric Idle said that he talked to Reiner for “over an hour” the night before his death.
“He was telling me about filming at Stonehenge and his thoughts for the future,” Idle continued. “This is so awful. I shall miss him. A clever, talented and very thoughtful man.”
