LOS ANGELES — Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner’s son, Nick, has been arrested after two bodies were found inside the couple’s Brentwood home Sunday afternoon. The 32-year-old was taken into custody Sunday evening; his bail has been set at $4 million.
“It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner,” a Reiner family spokesperson said in a statement shared with Variety and the Los Angeles Times. “We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time.”
The Los Angeles Fire Department said it responded to a medical aid request at around 3:40 p.m. local time Sunday and discovered the bodies of a 78-year-old man and a 68-year-old woman inside the couple’s home. Reiner turned 78 in March.
The estate of Norman Lear — the legendary producer who created All in the Family and cast Reiner in the series — released a statement remembering their close relationship. “Norman often referred to Rob as a son,” the statement said. “The world is unmistakably darker tonight.”
On X, former President Barack Obama remembered Reiner for giving audiences “some of our most cherished stories” told on screen, adding that “beneath all of the stories he produced was a deep belief in the goodness of people – and a lifelong commitment to putting that belief into action.”
Author Stephen King, who collaborated with Reiner on the film adaptations of Stand by Me and Misery, wrote he was “horrified and saddened,” calling Reiner a “wonderful friend, political ally and brilliant filmmaker.”
Beyond entertainment, Reiner was active in politics, frequently supporting liberal causes and speaking out on social issues. President Donald Trump disparaged Reiner in a post on Truth Social on Monday morning.
Investigation underway in Brentwood
The Los Angeles Police Department says its investigation remains active. The area surrounding the Reiners’ home was cordoned off overnight as homicide detectives worked at the scene. Officials declined to say whether there are any suspects. “At this time, the Los Angeles Police Department is not seeking anyone as a suspect or as a person of interest,” a spokesperson said, adding they would not make such determinations until the investigation proceeds. Authorities did not elaborate on the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
A career that spanned decades
Rob Reiner was born in the Bronx in 1947 to a show business family. He often cited his father, Carl Reiner — a comedy writer and performer who worked with Sid Caesar, Mel Brooks and Neil Simon and created The Dick Van Dyke Show — as his number one inspiration. After studying at UCLA, Rob Reiner began his career with an improv company.
In the 1970s, Reiner co-starred in the TV sitcom All in the Family, playing Michael Stivic, the progressive son-in-law nicknamed “Meathead” by Archie Bunker. Reiner recalled to Fresh Air that he was 23 when the show debuted and that it was groundbreaking and controversial for its time. All in the Family was the number one TV show in America for five years straight.
Reiner went on to become a well-loved movie director whose films produced many memorable and quotable lines. Jack Nicholson’s “You can’t handle the truth” in A Few Good Men and the word “Inconceivable” from The Princess Bride are among those lines. Reiner also cast his mother, Estelle Reiner, to deliver the punchline “I’ll have what she’s having” in When Harry Met Sally.
His first feature film as a director, This Is Spinal Tap (1984), introduced mainstream audiences to the mockumentary format. The film includes the famous exchange about an amplifier that “goes to 11.” Earlier this year, Reiner brought Spinal Tap back together for a sequel, Spinal Tap: The End Continues, featuring cast members including Harry Shearer, who told NPR he remembered Reiner as “a great collaborator. He was a great appreciator. He was encouraging and it was fun to be around him.”
Shearer called the deaths “devastating” and described the situation as “a Greek tragedy” given how the story ended, saying Reiner “still had more work to be done, and it’s a loss.” Authorities and the family have requested privacy as investigations and follow-up proceed.