Legendary director Rob Reiner and his longtime wife were found brutally stabbed to death in their Brentwood home, with authorities now focusing on the couple’s troubled adult son as a person of interest, sources tell law enforcement.
Their daughter, Romy, made a shocking discovery Sunday afternoon: her 78-year-old father, the legendary director of ‘When Harry Met Sally,’ and her 68-year-old mother had been found dead, sources told FaqInsurances.
“It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner,” the couple’s family said in a statement.
“We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time.”
Rob Reiner, Michele Reiner, Romy Reiner, Nick Reiner and family at the Bleecker Street’s “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues” Los Angeles premiere at the Egyptian Theatre on Tuesday, September 9, 2025. Todd Williamson/JanuaryImages / BACKGRID
Sources told FaqInsurances that a knife was used in the deadly stabbing that claimed the lives of Rob and Michele Reiner, and authorities are eyeing their 32-year-old son, screenwriter Nick Reiner, as a person of interest.
Reiner, 78, is best known for directing a string of iconic films from the ’80s and ’90s, including “When Harry Met Sally,” “The Princess Bride,” “This Is Spinal Tap” and “A Few Good Men.” Getty Images
A 2016 photo shows director Rob Reiner with his son Nick, who has since been identified as a person of interest in the brutal killing of his parents. Getty Images
Nick has publicly spoken about his past struggles with drug addiction and periods of homelessness.
“I was homeless in Maine. I was homeless in New Jersey. I was homeless in Texas. I spent nights on the street. I spent weeks on the street. It was not fun,” he told People in an interview in 2016.
Officers sealed off the street in front of the Reiners’ home as detectives moved in and out of the residence, heightening the scene’s tense and urgent atmosphere.
On the scene, a man identifying himself as Rocco approached police, claiming to be Reiner’s assistant and volunteering to help officers enter the home, sources told FaqInsurances.
A neighbor told FaqInsurances that comedian Billy Crystal, a longtime friend of Reiner, was seen arriving at the home. Larry David was also spotted there following the murders, and ABC 7 reported that Crystal "looked like he was about to cry."
Rob Reiner pictured with close friend Billy Crystal at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival — a bond now cast in the shadow of tragedy. Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival
During a tense press conference outside the Reiner residence, LAPD Detective Chief Alan Hamilton revealed that, six hours after the 911 call, the department was still trying to secure a search warrant to fully investigate the brutal murders.
While Hamilton told reporters that the people of Brentwood were safe, he warned that authorities had not yet arrested a suspect in the shocking murders.
While Hamilton withheld the identities of the deceased, LA Mayor Karen Bass and California Gov. Gavin Newsom publicly honored Reiner and his wife, a couple married since 1989.
At Rob Reiner’s Brentwood residence, paramedics and police responded Sunday following reports that two people were tragically found dead inside. NBCLA
The scene outside Rob Reiner’s Brentwood mansion on December 14, 2025. Jamie Paige
“This is a devastating loss for our city and our country. Rob Reiner’s contributions reverberate throughout American culture and society, and he has improved countless lives through his creative work and advocacy fighting for social and economic justice,” said Bass.
“Jen and I are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner,” Newsom said in a post on X.
Rob Reiner pictured with his wife, Michele, in an undated photo — a glimpse of happier times. @michelereiner/Instagram
“Rob was a passionate advocate for children and for civil rights — from taking on Big Tobacco, fighting for marriage equality, to serving as a powerful voice in early education. He made California a better place through his good works. Rob will be remembered for his remarkable filmography and for his extraordinary contribution to humanity,” Newsom added.
On Sunday, Reiner’s home was adorned with holiday decorations. Located in an upscale Brentwood neighborhood, the property is shielded by large hedges and gates. It sits less than two miles from the site where Nicole Brown Simpson was murdered in 1994.
Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in 2018. Brent N. Clarke/REX/Shutterstock
Reiner, 78, is best known for directing a string of iconic films from the ’80s and ’90s, including “When Harry Met Sally,” “The Princess Bride,” “This Is Spinal Tap” and “A Few Good Men.”
Rob Reiner shot to stardom playing Mike "Meathead" Stivic on the iconic 1970s CBS sitcom All in the Family, winning two Emmy Awards for his work.
