A tense argument between Rob Reiner and his son Nick reportedly transpired at a Hollywood Christmas party just a day before the legendary director and his wife, Michele Reiner, were found lifeless at their Brentwood, California home.
According to multiple outlets, the argument unfolded in front of other guests and ended with Rob and Michele leaving the event early. Nick was arrested the following day in connection with the tragic incident.
Rob and Nick Reiner’s argument reportedly unfolded at Conan O’Brien’s Christmas party
TMZ first reported that Rob Reiner, his wife Michele, and their son Nick attended Conan O’Brien’s Christmas party on Saturday night.
Sources told the outlet that Rob and Nick got into a “very loud argument” at one point. The confrontation was reportedly loud enough for other attendees to hear.
According to the report, Rob and Michele left the party shortly after the argument, though it remains unclear if Nick also departed the event at the same time.
Representatives for Reiner and O’Brien have not issued any comments on the matter as of writing.
Family sources later told TMZ that Michele had been confiding in friends for months about ongoing struggles at home.
One source said she felt Michele and Rob were “at their wits’ end” over Nick’s mental health and alleged substance a*use issues, adding, “We’ve tried everything.”
Less than a day later, Nick’s younger sister, Romy, found the lifeless bodies of Rob and Michele.
Investigators are treating the tragic incident as a homicide case
On Sunday afternoon, first responders were dispatched to the Reiners’ Brentwood residence for what was initially described as a medical aid call.
Initial reports only mentioned that a 78-year-old man and a 68-year-old woman had lost their lives at the location.
However, a family spokesperson later confirmed that the deceased were indeed Rob and Michele Reiner.
Multiple outlets reported that both had suffered fatal stab wounds, including injuries to their throats. This led authorities to treat the case as a homicide.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner was seen arriving at the scene shortly after the discovery of the Hollywood couple’s bodies.
Nick Reiner, 32, was arrested Monday and booked on m*rder charges. According to Page Six, he was being held at Parker Center Jail in Downtown Los Angeles with bail set at $4 million.
Police have not officially confirmed a motive or detailed how the investigation led to his arrest.
The tragic case has renewed attention on Nick Reiner’s past struggles
The shocking arrest has also revived public attention on Nick Reiner’s past struggles, which he had spoken about openly years earlier.
In a 2016 interview, Nick described a long battle with substance dependence that began in his early teens and led to repeated stints in rehab and periods of homelessness.
That experience later became the basis for Being Charlie, a semi-autobiographical film co-written by Nick and directed by his father.
At the time, he said, “Now, I’ve been home for a really long time, and I’ve sort of gotten acclimated back to being in LA and being around my family.”
Rob and Michele Reiner’s passing is being mourned by Hollywood
Rob Reiner has had a successful career spanning over five decades. He first made a name for himself as Mike Stivic on Norman Lear’s All in the Family before rising to prominence as a director.
Some of the industry’s most iconic movies, such as The Princess Bride, This is Spinal Tap, When Harry Met Sally, and Misery, were directed by Reiner.
Following news of his passing, numerous celebrities, from John Cusack to Ben Stiller, expressed their grief on social media.
Monty Python star Eric Idle, one of Rob’s closest friends, also shared on X that just a day before the director lost his life, they talked and reminisced about the past in an hour-long phone call.
“Rob Reiner was a lovely man. I spoke to him last night for over an hour. I always enjoyed his company. I met him at his Dad’s in 1975.
“He was telling me about filming at Stonehenge and his thoughts for the future. This is so awful. I shall miss him. A clever, talented and very thoughtful man. So awful,” Idle wrote.
Netizens shared their thoughts about Rob Reiner’s passing on social media
