Los Angeles police are investigating the stabbing deaths of film director and actor Rob Reiner and his wife, photographer Michele Singer Reiner, after authorities arrested the couple’s adult son, Nick Reiner, on suspicion of murder.
Investigators say the killings followed a volatile weekend in which Nick Reiner was reported to have behaved erratically at a Christmas party hosted by television presenter Conan O’Brien, where witnesses described a loud family argument that left guests unsettled and Reiner fearful about what might happen next. One source quoted by People magazine said: “Nick was freaking everyone out, acting crazy, kept asking people if they were famous.”
The New York Post reported that the confrontation at the party took place on Saturday, fewer than 24 hours before Rob and Michele Reiner were found dead at their home in Brentwood, an affluent Los Angeles neighbourhood. The paper reported that Nick Reiner allegedly “fatally slit his parents’ throats and stabbed them multiple times” and that he was arrested hours after the discovery.
The Los Angeles Times reported that police announced Nick Reiner’s arrest on suspicion of murdering his parents, describing his history as cycling in and out of rehabilitation and experiencing periods of homelessness as a teenager.
Accounts of the party incident have focused on a “very loud argument” involving the three family members, with friends and neighbours telling reporters they believed tensions had been escalating for months over Nick Reiner’s substance misuse and resistance to returning to treatment. The New York Post cited sources who claimed he had undergone numerous rehabilitation stints since his teenage years and that the family had argued repeatedly about whether he should seek help at a facility or at home.
The New York Post also reported that Rob Reiner, 78, and Michele Singer Reiner, 68, left O’Brien’s gathering early after the altercation. In the aftermath, a family friend quoted by the paper said the director had told people he and his wife were “scared for Nick” and worried that his “mental state was deteriorating.”
Neighbours and acquaintances described further public signs of strain. The New York Post reported that Nick Reiner had recently argued with his father at a restaurant in Santa Monica Canyon, with a worker confirming the son had shouted at Rob Reiner in front of other diners. The same report said the couple’s daughter, Romy Reiner, discovered the bodies and told investigators her brother “should be a suspect” because he was “dangerous.”
A police press conference on the investigation provided few early details, with Deadline quoting a senior officer saying investigators had not identified a suspect at that stage of the inquiry. The announcement underscored the complexity of the case, which rapidly attracted national attention because of Reiner’s high-profile career in American film and television.
The Guardian reported that an official said investigators believed the couple had suffered stab wounds, while cautioning that the investigation was ongoing and that full details were still being established.
The New York Post said Nick Reiner was being held without bail and was “reportedly on suicide watch” following his arrest. Authorities have not publicly detailed the evidence underpinning the arrest or the precise timeline of events at the family home, but the reports have painted a picture of longstanding turmoil and repeated attempts by relatives to push Nick Reiner into sustained treatment.
Nick Reiner’s history has been described as marked by addiction and instability. The New York Post reported that at his lowest point he was addicted to opiates and heroin and that he had at times slept on the street. It also cited his past remarks about a drug-fuelled episode in which he damaged property, describing his account of being “totally spun out on uppers” and punching items in a guest house.
Friends quoted in coverage suggested that resentment may have played a role in the family dynamic, describing a difficult relationship between father and son that sometimes spilled into professional settings. The New York Post reported that Rob Reiner had used his industry connections to help his son make the 2015 film “Being Charlie”, but that those efforts failed to resolve deeper tensions.
Rob Reiner was a major figure in American entertainment, first becoming widely known to television audiences as Michael “Meathead” Stivic in the landmark sitcom “All in the Family” before building a directing career that included films such as “Stand by Me”, “The Princess Bride”, and “When Harry Met Sally…”. He also directed “Misery”, for which Kathy Bates won an Academy Award, and his death has prompted reactions from actors and filmmakers who worked with him across decades.
The New York Post quoted Bates as saying: “I’m horrified hearing this terrible news. Absolutely devastated.” It also reported that director Ron Howard wrote on social media that Reiner “proved to be a superlative filmmaker, a supportive colleague and at all times a dedicated citizen.”
The case has also focused attention on the wider Reiner family. The New York Post reported that Rob and Michele Reiner had another son, Jake Reiner, and that Rob Reiner’s adopted daughter, Tracy Marshall Reiner, spoke publicly after the deaths. It quoted her as saying: “I came from the greatest family ever,” adding: “I don’t know what to say. I’m in shock.”
The reports describe a family grappling with repeated crises over many years, with friends saying they had tried to support Nick Reiner through cycles of recovery and relapse, and with neighbours claiming they had observed him living at the family home for at least the past year.
Police have not publicly detailed what they believe happened inside the Brentwood residence or whether they have established a motive. The New York Post described the deaths as a profound shock within Los Angeles’s film community, and said the alleged violence had been preceded by warnings, arguments and fears expressed in private conversations.
Nick Reiner’s arrest moves the case into its next phase, as investigators prepare evidence for prosecutors and the courts consider custody and charging decisions. For a director whose work often explored friendship, loyalty and the strains inside families, the circumstances of Rob Reiner’s death have carried an added resonance, not only because of his fame but because those closest to him are now at the centre of a rapidly unfolding criminal inquiry.