Actor and director Rob Reiner had a prolific Hollywood career as both an actor and director, known for his role in All in the Family and directing films including The Princess Bride (1987) and Stand by Me (1986). When he met his wife, photographer Michele Singer Reiner, he changed the ending of When Harry Met Sally… (1989), making it the rom-com classic it’s known as today.
On December 14, 2025, Rob, 78, and Michele, 70, were found dead in their Brentwood, California, home, discovered by their daughter, Romy Reiner, according to CNN. Death certificates revealed the couple died from “multiple sharp force injuries” caused “with a knife by another.”
A few hours later, their son Nick Reiner was arrested by the LAPD, far from his parents’ home, in connection with the killings. He has since been charged with the murders of Rob and Michele. Here’s everything we know about Nick’s strained relationship with his parents and the case so far.
Who Is Nick Reiner?
Nick Reiner was born on September 14, 1993, in Los Angeles to parents Rob and Michele Reiner. He has an older brother, Jake, and a younger sister, Romy. His father also adopted Tracy Reiner in his previous marriage to Penny Marshall.
From a young age, Nick struggled with substance use disorder, including heroin, attending rehab 17 times starting at age 15, People previously reported.
“I had no identity, and I had no passions,” Nick said on a podcast in 2016. “And I think the reason I had no identity was because I have a famous dad and a famous grandpa, and that fame sort of informs who you are. So, I wanted to edge out my own identity with a more rebellious, angry, drug-addicted sort of persona.”
Nick, 32, is responsible for the deaths of Rob and Michele, according to a statement by the LAPD.
What Was Nick Reiner’s Relationship With His Parents Like?
Nick has said that he and his dad did not bond much when he was younger, according to the L.A. Times.
Rob and Michele “were incredibly passionate, all-in parents doing their best,” a private yoga instructor who taught the family in the early 2000s told People. She added that Nick would interrupt sessions with “an intense issue or meltdown,” disrupting the flow of class.
But his years-long struggle with substance use led to a strained relationship with his parents. “If I wanted to do it my way and not go to the programs they were suggesting, then I had to be homeless,” he told People in 2016.
Rob and Michele reportedly gave Nick a choice between rehab and homelessness, an ultimatum they’d later admit they regret. It led Nick to spend nights on the streets in Texas, New Jersey, and Maine.
“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 L.A. Times in 2015.
Nick cowrote the 2015 film Being Charlie, a semi-autobiographical film about his struggles with addiction. His father directed it. Nick said much of the film was inspired by his relationship with his father, including the line from father to son, “I’d rather you hate me and you be alive.”
Before the murders, Nick and Rob were allegedly seen arguing at a holiday party at Conan O’Brien’s home in Los Angeles.
What Will Happen to Nick Reiner’s Trust?
Rob and Michele had established a trust for each of the Reiner siblings. Nick was eligible for more than $550,000 of his now more than $1.6 million trust when he turned 30. However, he was struggling with addiction at the time, and he was not granted that sum, according to Deadline.
Now, he’s hoping to access the trust to help pay for legal fees, but a law in California, known as the “slayer statute,” prevents people from inheriting money from someone they “feloniously and intentionally” kill, according to The New York Times. And there is no exception that allows a killer’s inheritance to be used for criminal defense costs.
However, his lawyer Anita P. Wu argues that he is entitled to the money. “The slayer statute requires a determination, not a mere accusation,” she said in a statement. “Nick is presumed innocent and has been convicted of nothing.”
In this case, the funds instead would go to Nick’s siblings, Jake and Romy. Nick also claims his siblings agreed to fund his legal defense and then backed out, causing his first attorney, Alan Jackson, to withdraw in January of this year. Jackson is known for representing Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey.
Where Is Nick Reiner Now?
On December 14, 2025, the same day of his parents’ murder, he was arrested and held on $4 million bail. He remains in custody with no bail at Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles.
He’s been housed in Tower 2’s high-observation mental health unit, according to People. Doctors and mental health professionals have determined he has a “mental disability,” a police source previously told People.
On December 16, 2025, Nick was charged with two counts of first-degree murder. He first appeared in court on December 17, 2025, but his lawyer declined to enter a plea on his behalf. On February 23, 2026, he entered a plea of not guilty.
In July, a Los Angeles grand jury returned an indictment on two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of his parents. On August 12, the indictment was unsealed, revealing a special circumstance allegation that the murders were committed by means of lying in wait, in addition to an allegation involving the use of a knife, according to a news release from the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office. His siblings testified before the grand jury but have not publicly commented on his indictment.
“This was a profound betrayal by someone who was loved and trusted by the very people he is accused of killing,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said in a statement.
Reiner has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances. He pleaded not guilty. He’s scheduled to return to court on September 15 for a pretrial hearing.
If convicted, he faces death or life in state prison without the possibility of parole. A decision on whether to seek the death penalty will be made at a later date, according to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office.
Check back with Biography.com for updates from the case.
Jordan Smith is a freelance writer, editor, and author with 10 years of experience reporting on health and fitness news and trends. She's also an ISSA certified running coach, and is passionate about making fitness accessible to all. You can find her work in publications including Runner's World, SELF, Prose, Vital Proteins, and more. The Philadelphia-based writer has yet to meet a workout class she doesn't like and can be found exploring the robust Philly food scene, hiking with her three dogs, and chronicling her attempt at tackling her endless TBR.
