Romy and Jake Reiner have released a joint statement expressing profound grief over the killings of their parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, as their brother Nick made his first court appearance on murder charges. The family is asking for privacy and compassion amid ongoing legal proceedings and intense public attention.
Romy, 28, and Jake Reiner, 34, issued their first public statement on Wednesday regarding the murders of their parents, filmmaker Rob Reiner and producer Michele Singer Reiner. The statement, first reported by TMZ and carried by outlets including ABC News and The Daily Wire, marked the siblings' first public comments since the killings.
In the statement, Romy and Jake said in part: “Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day. The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience. They weren’t just our parents; they were our best friends. We are grateful for the outpouring of condolences, kindness, and support we have received not only from family and friends but people from all walks of life. We now ask for respect and privacy, for speculation to be tempered with compassion and humanity, and for our parents to be remembered for the incredible lives they lived and the love they gave,” according to multiple news reports, including ABC News and Newsweek.
Their statement came within hours of the first court appearance by their brother, Nick Reiner, 32. Prosecutors have charged him with two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances for multiple victims in the stabbing deaths of his parents, according to ABC News and The Daily Wire. He was arrested on Sunday, December 14, after the couple were found dead in their Brentwood, Los Angeles, home, and formally charged on Tuesday.
Nick appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom on Wednesday wearing a blue suicide-prevention smock and sitting behind glass, according to The Daily Wire, which cited courtroom observations also reported by other outlets. He did not enter a plea at the brief hearing. After confirming that Reiner understood he was waiving his right to a speedy arraignment, the judge granted a continuance, moving his arraignment to January 7, 2026. He is being held without bail, as reported by ABC News and other major outlets.
Authorities have said Rob and Michele Reiner were found dead in their Brentwood home on Sunday, December 14. A law-enforcement source told ABC News that the couple's daughter discovered their bodies and alerted authorities. Nick was arrested later that day and identified by investigators as the suspect in the killings.
Nick Reiner is represented by defense attorney Alan Jackson, a high-profile lawyer whose past clients have included Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey, according to The Daily Wire. Jackson has not publicly commented in detail on the allegations against his client.
The killings have prompted widespread reaction across the political spectrum, in part because of Rob Reiner's long record as a prominent critic of former President Donald Trump. In an opinion column published by The Daily Wire, commentator Gates Garcia noted that several conservative figures publicly urged restraint and compassion following the murders. According to that piece, Daily Wire editor Ben Shapiro wrote that the Reiner family "deserves prayers and privacy" regardless of political differences, while House Speaker Mike Johnson called the deaths "a heartbreaking loss" and urged Americans to "lower the temperature" in public discourse. The same column criticized Trump for a Truth Social post that framed the killings in terms of "Trump Derangement Syndrome," arguing that such rhetoric undermined appeals for civility.
As the criminal case moves forward, Romy and Jake have emphasized their wish that public discussion focus on their parents' lives rather than on speculation about the crime. In their statement, they asked that "speculation be tempered with compassion and humanity" and that Rob and Michele be remembered for "the incredible lives they lived and the love they gave."