Hollywood director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner were found dead Sunday afternoon inside their Brentwood home in a reported homicide.
The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to an emergency call the afternoon of December 14 and discovered Reiner, 78, and his wife, 68, dead inside the residence.
Law enforcement sources told TMZ that the couple was found with their throats slit. The LAPD’s Robbery Homicide Division has taken over the investigation.
People magazine reported that the couple’s troubled son, Nick Reiner, was questioned by police in connection with the deaths. One of Reiner’s daughters discovered her parents’ bodies and told police a family member had killed them. Sources say the daughter told police the family member “should be a suspect” because they’re “dangerous.”
Nick Reiner, 32, has previously spoken publicly about his struggles with drug addiction and homelessness. In a 2016 interview, he described experiencing homelessness in multiple states beginning in his teens. He co-wrote the 2015 film “Being Charlie,” loosely based on his life, which his father directed.
He was taken into custody by police early Monday morning.
Reiner’s family released a statement after the tragedy:
“It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner. We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time.”
Reiner first gained fame as Michael “Meathead” Stivic on the CBS sitcom “All in the Family,” winning two Emmy Awards for the role. He went on to direct classic films including “This Is Spinal Tap,” “The Princess Bride,” “Stand By Me,” “When Harry Met Sally,” “Misery,” and “A Few Good Men.”
Rob and Michele married in 1989 after meeting while he was directing “When Harry Met Sally.” Michele was a photographer who shot the cover of Donald Trump’s 1987 book “The Art of the Deal.”
The couple had three children together: Jake, Nick, and Romy. Reiner also has an adopted daughter, actress Tracy Reiner, from his previous marriage to director Penny Marshall.