Highlights
- Rob and Michele Reiner attend a holiday party hosted by Conan O’Brien hours before their deaths
- Witnesses report a heated argument involving the couple and their son, Nick Reiner
- The couple are later found dead at their Brentwood home; Nick is arrested on suspicion of murder
Just hours before Hollywood reels from the violent deaths of director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, tensions reportedly spill into public view at a celebrity holiday gathering in Los Angeles.
On Saturday night, the couple attend a Christmas party hosted by Conan O’Brien. What begins as a festive evening reportedly takes a sharp turn, according to guests who later speak to investigators and media outlets.
Heated argument at the party
Witnesses say a loud and intense argument breaks out between Rob, Michele and their son, Nick Reiner. The exchange is animated enough to draw attention and quiet the room.
“It’s unclear what the argument was over, but it was so heated and so animated that people at the party overheard the commotion,” says TMZ contributor Charlie Neff.
Rob and Michele leave the party shortly after the confrontation. It remains unclear when Nick departs.
Some attendees tell TMZ that Nick appears withdrawn throughout the evening. He reportedly wears a hoodie while others are dressed formally, avoids conversation and keeps to himself. One guest describes him as showing little emotion and appearing unwell.
Bodies discovered hours later
By Sunday afternoon, Rob and Michele Reiner are found dead inside their Brentwood home with apparent stab wounds. Their 28-year-old daughter, Romy Reiner, discovers the bodies and contacts police.
According to Neff, Romy tells officers that her brother has a history of mental illness and substance abuse, and that she believes he poses a danger.
Nick Reiner is taken into custody later that night by the Los Angeles Police Department. He is booked on suspicion of murder on Monday and is being held without bail.
Nick Reiner’s background and custody status
Nick Reiner has spoken publicly in the past about his struggles with drug addiction and periods of homelessness. He writes the 2015 film Being Charlie, loosely based on his own experiences. The film is directed by his father and receives a SAMHSA Voice Award.
By age 18, Nick reportedly cycles through nine treatment facilities.
Following his arrest, law enforcement sources tell TMZ that Nick is placed in administrative segregation and on suicide watch at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles. The New York Post also reports that he is under suicide watch while in custody.
A broader pattern under scrutiny
The case draws attention amid a series of recent family-related killings in Southern California. Authorities note that this may be the fifth suspected incident of a child killing a parent in the region in recent months.
In separate cases, the son of Grammy-nominated singer Jubilant Sykes is charged with murder after two people are fatally shot in their driveway. Elsewhere, a 47-year-old man is arrested in Perris on suspicion of killing his 70-year-old father, while a 30-year-old man in Lake Balboa allegedly stabs his father to death.
Investigators continue to examine the events leading up to the deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner as the case moves forward.
The Los Angeles Police Department says the deaths are being investigated as a homicideGetty Images
