What’s Tea? Rob and Michele Reiner Found Dead, Their Son Charged for Their Deaths Following an Explosive Night at a Holiday Party
- Chinyere Ibeh
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
The director and his wife were discovered in their home on December 14, leading to a whirlwind of headlines, condolences, and presidential remarks.
Director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, were found dead in their Los Angeles on Sunday, December 14, no more than a day after an argument with their son.
Multiple sources told PEOPLE that the couple was found by their daughter, Romy. The same sources told the publication that the couple’s son, Nick, was responsible for their deaths. Calls about the fatal incident came in around 3:30 p.m., with first responders seeing the couple dead upon arriving at their home.
After the news hit headlines, the couple’s son was arrested that day, at around 9:15 p.m., on suspicion of murder. Los Angeles police later found him responsible for the fatal stabbing of his director-producer parents. He was later charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
The charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty. District Attorney Nathan Hochman said prosecutors are unsure of whether they will seek the death penalty, according to CNN.
Nick has been held behind bars without bail since his arrest, CNN reports. He faces a special allegation that he used a knife during the fatal incident.
The Argument at Conan O’Brien's Holiday Party Caused Concern Amongst Partygoers
The couple’s son was seen arguing with Rob during a holiday party at Conan O’Brien’s home on Saturday, according to a source close to the situation.
Two sources confirmed the reports to PEOPLE, noting that Nick was “freaking everyone out” while asking guests “if they were famous.” According to TMZ, Rob and Michele left the party soon after the argument.
The argument stemmed from Nick refusing treatment for his recent relapse, sources told The New York Post. A lifelong family friend told The Post that Rob was concerned for Nick and his mental state, as he feared it was deteriorating.
A neighbor told the publication that Nick was supposedly clean, though talk surfaced that he wasn’t as clean as many believed. The neighbor alleged that Nick was “badly addicted to a combo of opiates and heroin.”
“I know [the parents] wanted him to get help, go to rehab, but he wanted to get help while at home — he did not want to get treatment at a facility,” another family friend told the publication. “And I know they have argued about that for years.”
Donald Trump Makes His Opinions on Reiner Known, Much to the Disdain of His Republican Constituents
As the news rippled through Hollywood and amongst fans alike, President Trump entered the fray as he called Rob Reiner “a deranged person.”
In a post to Truth Social, he claims that Rob and Michele were killed because of “the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME.”
Trump continued by saying Rob “was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump, with his obvious paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump Administration surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness.”
Rob became an outspoken critic of Trump, calling him an authoritarian who “wants to destroy the constitution, go after his political enemies and turn America into a n autocracy.”
The sitting president received criticism from one of his party members, Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie, noting the disrespect and inappropriateness of the comment.
“Regardless of how you felt about Rob Reiner, this is inappropriate and disrespectful discourse about a man who was just brutally murder,” Massie said on Twitter, currently known as X. “I guess my elected GOP colleagues, the VP, and White House staff will just ignore it because they’re afraid? I challenge anyone to defend it.”
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, now deemed a “traitor” in the eyes of the president, noted that the situation is a family tragedy and not about politics.
The Reiner Parents Wished They Handled Their Son’s Addiction Differently
Regarding the relationship between Rob, Michele and their son, Nick, the couple once shared regret on how they handled Nick’s substance addiction.
Rob and Nick collaborated on “Being Charlie,” a semi-biographical film about Nick’s life and his struggles with addiction. The film followed 18-year-old Charlie Mills and the strained relationship with his parents, particularly dealing with their harsh treatment of him.
During a 2015 interview with BUILD Series about the film, Rob and Nick said they grew closer while working on the project. They admitted to not having the best relationship in the years leading up to the collaboration.
“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,” Rob told the Los Angeles Times at the time.
Michele noted how they were influenced by these people, noting how they’d say Nick was manipulating them.
“We were so influenced by these people. They would tell us he’s a liar, that he’s trying to manipulate us. And we believed them,” Michele added.
Nick Has His First Day in Court, Tackling a Potential Plea Deal and His Future Arraignment + His Siblings Release Statement
Following his arrest and two first-degree murder charges, Nick briefly appeared in court on Wednesday (Dec. 17). He entered the courtroom wearing a suicide-prevention smock as he has been on suicide watch during his time in jail.
He was expected to take a plea deal, though his lawyer, Alan Jackson, told the court it was “too early” for a plea. Nick only spoke when the judge asked if he was waiving his right to a speedy arraignment, to which he said yes. His arraignment has been scheduled for January 7, 2026.
The county medical examiner’s office confirmed that the couple died of “multiple sharp force injuries.” They were found in the master bedroom area of their home on Sunday afternoon, according to Dominic Choi, the assistant chief of the Los Angeles Police Department.
Romy, the couple’s daughter, initially spoke under anonymity as she and her other brother, Jake Reiner, were not ready to speak publicly at the time. The siblings would release a statement on Wednesday for the first time since their parents’ deaths.
“Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day,” the statement read. “The horrific and devastating loss of parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience. They weren’t just our parents; they were our best friends.”
The New York Post Pieces Together a Timeline of Nick’s Movements Between the Murders and His Arrest
It’s unclear what specifically went down in the hours between the Reiners’ deaths and Nick’s subsequent arrest, though The New York Post does its best to piece things together.
Following the argument with his parents at Conan O’Brien’s party, it’s assumed that Nick went home to grab his belongings. He walked past a gas station half a mile from his parents’ home around 11:16 p.m. according to footage obtained by The Post.
He’s then seen walking in a direction away from the family home, though it’s unclear where he went. There’s a nearly five-hour void where Nick is unaccounted for, though he would later check into The Pierside Santa Monica hotel around 4:15 in the morning.
A hotel staffer allegedly told TMZ that Nick appeared “tweaked out” as he checked in for his room. When housekeeping went to clean said room, they allegedly found blood in the shower and on the bed.
Nick would be unaccounted for, yet again, from his hotel check-in until Sunday evening. As he essentially disappeared for the time being, his parents were discovered around 3:30 p.m., and rigor mortis had already set in.
Rigor mortis begins around six hours after someone dies, and it’s when the body’s joints and muscles stiffen — lasting from one to four days after a person’s death, according to Oxford Languages.
Nick would be arrested at the Metro station at Expo and Vermont in Los Angeles, near the University of Southern California campus. As the police swooped in to arrest him, Nick would be seen putting his hands up in surrender.
Photos shared by the Los Angeles Police Department, now deleted, showed Nick being pushed onto the ground and handcuffed on the pavement. Prior to the arrest, he was seen purchasing a drink at a nearby gas station
Rob Reiner was known as an actor, director, producer and political activist. He rose to fame with his role as Michael “Meathead” Stivic on “All in the Family,” a popular 1970s sitcom. He later made his transition to director and producer as he directed various classics, including “When Harry Met Sally” and “The Princess Bride.”
His wife, Michele, worked as a photographer and film producer. She shot the cover of “Trump: The Art of the Deal,” a book written by both the current president and journalist Tony Schwartz. She later worked alongside Rob for “When Harry Met Sally,” which is where the couple crossed paths.
Comments