Los Angeles County prosecutors have charged Nick Reiner with two counts of first-degree murder in the fatal stabbings of his parents, filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, after the couple were found dead in their Brentwood home on December 14. The case, which includes special-circumstance allegations that could bring the death penalty, has unfolded amid controversy over former President Donald Trump’s statements linking the killings to what he called 'Trump Derangement Syndrome.'
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman on Tuesday announced that Nick Reiner, 32, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the stabbing deaths of his parents, acclaimed director and actor Rob Reiner, 78, and his wife, photographer and activist Michele Singer Reiner, 70, at their Brentwood residence.
According to charging documents and statements from Hochman reported by outlets including the Associated Press, Reuters and People, the complaint includes special-circumstance allegations of multiple murders and the use of a deadly weapon, which make Nick Reiner eligible for a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole or, at prosecutors’ discretion, the death penalty.
Authorities say Los Angeles police officers responded to the Reiners’ home on December 14, where the couple were found fatally stabbed. Their daughter Romy discovered the bodies and called for help, according to People and other reports. Nick Reiner was arrested hours later in the Exposition Park area and is being held without bail, pending medical clearance for his initial court appearance.
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell has described the killings as “heartbreaking,” according to The Guardian’s account of his public comments. An official autopsy and precise time of death have not yet been publicly detailed, but investigators have said the couple were killed with a knife.
Multiple outlets, including Reuters, People and The New York Times as cited in subsequent reporting, have noted that Rob and Nick Reiner were seen at a holiday party hosted by Conan O’Brien the night before the bodies were discovered, and that witnesses reported a heated argument between father and son at the event. Reports have also referenced Nick Reiner’s long‑documented struggles with addiction and mental health; elements of his past were dramatized in the 2015 film Being Charlie, which he co‑wrote with his father.
The Reiners’ deaths have been followed not only by an outpouring of tributes from Hollywood and political figures but also by a political furor after former President Donald Trump responded to the killings with a post on Truth Social. In that message, published Monday and widely quoted by outlets such as TheWrap and The Nation, Trump claimed that Rob Reiner “passed away, together with his wife, Michele, reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME,” and went on to describe Reiner as “tortured and struggling” and obsessed with Trump.
Trump later reiterated his view in remarks to reporters at the White House, referring to Reiner as “a deranged person” and saying the filmmaker suffered from “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” according to coverage by TheWrap and other outlets.
The comments drew swift condemnation from across the political spectrum. During a Monday appearance on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” former First Lady Michelle Obama, a longtime friend of the Reiner family, defended Rob and Michele without mentioning Trump by name. “Rob and Michele Reiner are some of the most decent, courageous people you ever want to know,” she said, adding, “They are not deranged or crazed,” in remarks reported by Politico, TheWrap and other outlets.
Michelle Obama said she and former President Barack Obama had been scheduled to see the Reiners the night they were killed and described the couple as passionate advocates for family, fairness and equity.
Trump’s Truth Social post and subsequent remarks have also been criticized by several Republican elected officials, though not all of the individuals named in early commentary appear in the public record of responses. Reporting in The Nation and other outlets notes that a handful of GOP lawmakers and conservative commentators publicly distanced themselves from the tone of Trump’s statement, emphasizing that political differences do not justify demeaning a murder victim, but detailed, on‑the‑record condemnations from specific members of Congress have been limited so far.
Among conservative voices responding to the tragedy, actor James Woods, a longtime supporter of Trump, spoke emotionally on Fox News about his friendship with Rob Reiner and condemned what he called “distasteful” and “infuriating” attacks on the late director, according to Variety and the Daily Wire. Woods credited Reiner with helping revive his career by casting him in Ghosts of Mississippi and described him as a “godsend” and a “patriot,” saying their close relationship endured despite sharp political disagreements.
Rob Reiner, the son of legendary comedian Carl Reiner, was best known for his role on the television sitcom All in the Family and for directing a string of influential films, including This Is Spinal Tap, Stand By Me, When Harry Met Sally... and A Few Good Men. He was also an outspoken progressive activist and frequent critic of Trump, a profile highlighted in outlets such as The Nation. Tributes have poured in from across Hollywood and beyond, with colleagues recalling both his artistic legacy and his work on social and political causes.
Nick Reiner has retained veteran defense attorney Alan Jackson, who, according to the Daily Wire and Reuters, is representing him in the case. His arraignment has been delayed while he undergoes medical evaluation. Prosecutors have not publicly announced whether they will seek the death penalty, and investigators have not yet disclosed a suspected motive.
