We woke up this morning to the horrifying news that beloved actor and director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were killed in their Brentwood home in Los Angeles last night. Both had been stabbed multiple times. Details are scarce, but the couple’s 32-year-old son, Nick—who has long struggled with addiction and recently moved back in with his parents—has been arrested in connection with the killings, with bail set at $4 million.
“It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner,” the family said in a statement confirming the deaths. “We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time.”
Reiner started his career as an actor, best known for his Emmy-winning role as Meathead, son-in-law to Archie Bunker, on the 1970s sitcom All in the Family. (“I could win the Nobel Prize and they’d write ‘Meathead wins the Nobel Prize,'” Reiner once joked about the enduring popularity of the character.) Then Reiner turned to directing, although he continued to make small but memorable appearances in films such as Throw Momma from the Train, Sleepless in Seattle, The First Wives Club, and The Wolf of Wall Street, as well as TV’s The New Girl.
His first feature film as a director was an instant classic: 1984’s heavy metal mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap (check out the ultra-meta four-minute alt-trailer). He followed that up with a string of hits: The Sure Thing, Stand by Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally…, Misery, the Oscar-nominated A Few Good Men, The American President, The Bucket List, and Ghosts of Mississippi. His 2015 film Being Charlie was co-written with his son Nick and was loosely based on Nick’s experience with addiction. Reiner’s most recent films were a 2024 political documentary about the rise of Christian nationalism and this year’s delightful Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.
The tributes pour in
Tributes to Reiner and his wife Michele have been pouring in. Sure, a certain president responded with his usual lack of class. But most responses were heartfelt and sincere in expressing shock and condolences. “I’m horrified hearing this terrible news,” Kathy Bates, who starred in Misery, said in a statement. “Absolutely devastated. I loved Rob. He was brilliant and kind, a man who made films of every genre to challenge himself as an artist. He also fought courageously for his political beliefs. He changed the course of my life. Michelle was a gifted photographer. She shot my beautiful photos for the Misery campaign. My heart breaks for them both. My thoughts are with their family.”