Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were killed on Sunday, December 14, in what authorities are investigating as a domestic homicide. One of their sons, Nick Reiner, has been arrested in connection with their deaths and is being held on $4 million bail, according to TMZ.
Police sources say the couple were found with apparent stab wounds after one of their daughters discovered their bodies and told officers a family member was responsible. Authorities have not yet released full details of the alleged motive or circumstances.
In a statement, the family said: “It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner. We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time.”
Rob Reiner was one of Hollywood’s most influential figures, first gaining fame in the 1970s as Mike “Meathead” Stivic on All in the Family before becoming a celebrated director. His body of work includes This Is Spinal Tap, Stand by Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally…, Misery, A Few Good Men and The American President. His most recent project, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, was released earlier this year.
Reiner was previously married to actress and director Penny Marshall and adopted her daughter, Tracy Reiner. He later married Michele in 1989, and they had three children together: Jake, Nick and Romy.
Jake Reiner, born in 1991, is a writer, actor and producer who also co-hosts a baseball podcast and worked as an executive producer on the film Things Like This. Nick Reiner, the couple’s middle child, co-wrote the semi-autobiographical film Being Charlie, which chronicled his struggles with heroin addiction and homelessness. Romy Reiner, the youngest, has largely stayed out of the entertainment industry but frequently appeared with her parents at public events.
Tracy Reiner told NBC News she had seen Rob just a day before his death at a family gathering and said she was in shock. The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities yet to release further official findings.
