Celebrated Hollywood director Rob Reiner, known for films such as “This is Spinal Tap” and “When Harry Met Sally,” and his wife, producer Michele Singer Reiner, were found deceased in their Brentwood, California, home on Sunday.
Their son, Nick Reiner, 32, was apprehended in Los Angeles on Sunday and is currently being held on suspicion of murder. Authorities have classified the couple’s deaths as a homicide, and prosecutors are currently reviewing the case to determine whether to file charges.
Rob Reiner, married to Michele for 36 years, is survived by two sons and a daughter.
Here’s what is known about Nick Reiner, the couple’s younger son, and the ongoing investigation.
The couple’s youngest child, daughter Romy, discovered their bodies at their residence in Brentwood, a Los Angeles enclave known for its affluent homes and upscale businesses, according to multiple sources who spoke to CBS News, the BBC’s U.S. media partner.
Reports indicate that the Reiners sustained multiple stab wounds. An official cause of death is pending release.
CBS News sources also reported that Rob and Nick Reiner were involved in a brief but heated argument at a gathering the night prior.
Nick Reiner is currently in custody following his arrest on Sunday, according to records from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Police Chief Jim McDonnell confirmed on Monday that he was “booked for murder” and remains in custody without bail. LA County Sheriff’s jail records initially indicated bail was set at $4 million (£3 million).
In a statement, law enforcement officials stated that the initial homicide investigation at the Reiners’ home “further revealed” that Nick Reiner “was responsible for their deaths.”
Speculation regarding potential motives has circulated on social media. President Donald Trump controversially linked Rob Reiner’s death to “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” a term he frequently employs to describe his critics.
However, no official motive for the alleged killings has been disclosed by authorities.
CBS News reports that Nick Reiner is being represented by Alan Jackson, a prominent defense attorney who previously represented Harvey Weinstein in his Los Angeles rape case.
Nick Reiner was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday; however, Jackson informed CBS that his client would not appear as he has not been “medically cleared” to do so.
A spokesperson for the LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman confirmed to the BBC on Tuesday that “he’s a medical miss out.”
The spokesperson verified that prosecutors are actively reviewing the case and considering potential charges.
Prior to the release of his semi-autobiographical 2015 film, “Being Charlie,” the family openly discussed Nick Reiner’s long battle with substance abuse. The film, which the father and son co-wrote and directed, centers on a teenager struggling with drug addiction and his arduous path to recovery.
Rob and Michele Reiner recounted feeling desperate during their son’s struggles, noting that they sometimes prioritized the advice of professionals over their son’s own experiences when he expressed that a rehab program was not effective. He spent years in and out of treatment centers and experienced homelessness as a teenager.
“We were so influenced by these people. They would tell us he’s a liar, that he was trying to manipulate us. And we believed them,” Michele told the Los Angeles Times in 2015.
Rob Reiner added: “We listened to them when we should have been listening to our son.”
The film appeared to foster healing within the family. Rob stated that their relationship “had gotten so much closer” by the time they began working on the movie.
Similarly, Nick Reiner told Variety that their relationship strengthened during the process. While he enjoyed collaborating with his father on the film, he also expressed a desire for independence and to pursue his own projects.
Rob Reiner was previously married to the late filmmaker Penny Marshall and adopted her daughter, Tracy Reiner, 61.
He met Michele Singer on the set of “When Harry Met Sally,” and they later welcomed their first son, Jake.
In a 1998 interview with the BBC, shortly before his daughter Romy was born, he reflected on parenthood, stating that his approach to child-rearing was evolving and that through his experiences with his sons – Jake, then six, and Nick, then four – he was “learning about being a parent.”
That same year, Reiner supported the passage of an initiative to allocate revenue from cigarette taxes to prenatal and early childhood support programs, known as First Five California.
“I’m trying to improve the fabric of society by making an investment early on with children, so that we will have a reduction in crime and teen pregnancy and drug abuse and child abuse.”
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