Rob Reiner death latest: Updates as 'family member questioned'

Rob Reiner is a director, producer and actor whose career includes some of Hollywood’s most beloved films - from his 1984 directorial debut, This Is Spinal Tap, to Stand by Me (1986), The Princess Bride (1987), When Harry Met Sally... (1989), Misery (1990) and A Few Good Men (1992)

Hollywood titan Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner have been found dead with 'stab wounds in a horror double murder' at their home.

The bodies of the Hollywood actor and director, 78, and his 68-year-old wife were discovered at their property in Brentwood on Sunday with Los Angeles Police confirming they are investigating an "apparent homicide."

The couple's family shared the sad loss in a statement, which read: “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."

11:17KEY EVENT

Family member questioned

Police are today questioning a relative of Rob Reiner over the alleged murder of the Hollywood director and his wife Michele in their LA mansion, it has been reported.

The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) was called to Mr and Mrs Reiner's home at about 3.30pm on Sunday and found a man, 78, and a woman, 68, dead in the property.

The couple's daughter Romy, who lives just across the street, is said to have made the discovery when she visited their six-bedroom mansion yesterday afternoon.

The incident is being treated as a homicide and no arrests have been made.

In a news conference late Sunday, police said they were seeking a search warrant for the home and were “not looking for anyone as a suspect or in any other manner.” The investigation will continue overnight, police said.

10:46Lucy Needham

Who is Rob Reiner's wife Michele

Michele Singer, who was found dead with her husband Rob Reiner at their home on Sunday, was a photographer, producer and actor.Michele met her husband on the set of When Harry Met Sally in 1989.

Singer worked on Reiner’s films Shock and Awe and Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, a sequel to This Is Spinal Tap released earlier this year. Michele was Emmy nominated for Albert Brooks documentary Defending My Life.

She also had a role in Nora Ephron’s Christmas film Mixed Nuts, starring Steve Martin.

Together Michele and Rob campaigned for many causes, including marriage equality, and assisted in founding the American Foundation for Equal Rights, which supported same-sex marriage in California.

Reiner said in 2016: “I can honestly say the reason I’ve done as many things in the political sphere is largely because of her. She is my Bunsen burner that lights the flame in my ass.”

10:00Lucy Needham

Ben Stiller hails 'one of greatest comedies ever made'

Actor Ben Stiller has joined the outpouring of tributes after the shocking news of Rob Reiner's death broke today.

The Meet the Parents actor described Spinal Tap - which Reiner directed - as one of the greatest comedies ever made and said the movie titan was behind many of his favourite movies ever.

Stiller said in a statement: "What a huge loss. Rob Reiner was one of my favorite directors. He made some of the most formative movies for my generation.

"He came out form behind a huge comedic shadow of the great Carl Reiner and being a tv actor to being a a great director who made an incredible run of movies. Spinal Tap is one of the best comedies ever made - and the list goes on.

"He was a kind caring person who was really really funny. I didn’t know him well but was always a fan and I feel a real sadness for those who did, and his family."

09:49Lucy Needham

Officers keep watch outside the Reiners' house

09:44Lucy Needham

Police officers remain on the scene as road is blocked off

The area around the Reiners’ Brentwood home is quiet some six hours after an emergency call was first made.

About half a dozen police personnel remain with a mobile command post blocking the street on one side of the residence.


Los Angeles' Brentwood, where Rob and Michele Reiner lived, is a wealthy neighborhood where most of the residents are famous. Mansions are tucked behind tall hedges on hilltop streets.

09:24Lucy Needham

Rob Reiner's daughter says she's in 'shock'

Rob Reiner's eldest daughter has said she's in 'shock' over the brutal deaths.

Tracy Reiner was adopted by Rob during his first marriage to Penny Marshall.

Tracy told NBC: "I came from the greatest family ever. I don't know what to say. I'm in shock."

09:06KEY EVENT

Homicide investigation opened - everything we know so far

Authorities are investigating an apparent homicide after filmmaker and actor Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were found dead in their home.

A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department has confirmed they received a call at about 15:38 local time (23:38 GMT) for medical aid to a home in Brentwood, a neighbourhood that is home to many celebrities.

Robbery homicide detectives from the LA police department also responded to the home and have opened a homicide investigation.

In a news conference on Sunday night, deputy Chief Alan Hamilton said both bodies were still inside the house, more than six hours after police and firefighters had been called.

Police also did not give details about any injuries the pair sustained, nor if any weapon was found or used. Hamilton said a cause of death would be determined by the LA coroner's office.

08:56Lucy Needham

Misery star Kathy Bates speaks out

Kathy Bates is "horrified" by the "terrible news" of Rob Reiner's death.

The 78-year-old moviemaker and his wife Michele Singer Reiner, 68, were found dead at their home in Los Angeles on Sunday following an "apparent homicide" and now his Misery star Kathy has shared her devastation.

In a statement given to NBC News, Bates, 77, said: "I’m horrified hearing this terrible news. 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."

Bates won a Best Actress Oscar for her role as Annie Wilkes in Reiner's 1990 adaptation of Stephen King's novel and she also acted alongside him in 1998's Primary Colors, which won her another Academy Award nomination.

She went on to praise the director's wife, adding: "Michele 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."

08:48Lucy Needham

Rob Reiner's best movies

Legendary filmmaker Rob Reiner's entertainment industry career spanned seven decades. His most recent film was Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, the sequel to the 1984 classic This Is Spinal Tap.

Reiner - son of actor/director Carl Reiner and actress/singer Estelle Reiner - started his career in Hollywood as an actor playing Mike 'Meathead' Stivic in hit sitcom All in the Family between 1971 and 1979, with the role earning him two Primetime Emmy Awards.

His other acting credits include parts in 1993 rom-com Sleepless in Seattle, The First Wives Club in 1996, 1998 thriller Primary Colors and 2013 movie The Wolf of Wall Street.

However, he is best remembered for his directing work which started in the early 1980s when he took charge of 1984 music mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap.

He went on to direct Stand by Me (1986) as well as 1987 fantasy adventure The Princess Bride and 1989 rom-com When Harry Met Sally ... with the moviemaker meeting his wife Michele during the shoot.

Reiner's directing work continued with Stephen King adaptation Misery in 1990 and courtroom drama A Few Good Men in 1992 which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Picture.

His other movies included 1995's The American President, And So It Goes in 2014 and 2017's Shock and Awe. His final movie returned to his roots as he brought Spinal Tap back to the big screen for a second outing, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, which hit cinemas earlier this year.

08:25Lucy Needham

Barack Obama joins famous faces speaking out

The former US president posted: "Michelle and I are heartbroken by the tragic passing of Rob Reiner and his beloved wife, Michele. Rob’s achievements in film and television gave us some of our most cherished stories on screen. But beneath all of the stories he produced was a deep belief in the goodness of people—and a lifelong commitment to putting that belief into action.

"Together, he and his wife lived lives defined by purpose. They will be remembered for the values they championed and the countless people they inspired. We send our deepest condolences to all who loved them."

08:16Lucy Needham

Hollywood romcom that inspired real life romance

Rob and Michele met on the set of the iconic romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally. Rob said their blossoming romance at the time even inspired the film’s heartwarming ending.

Harry and Sally were originally going to part ways, Reiner told CNN in 2024.

“It was going to be the two of them seeing each other after years, talking and then walking away from each other,” Rob said. The actor and director had been single for years and wasn’t sure he’d ever find love again.

But after meeting Michele on set and had a change of heart. They were introduced by cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld, and Rob said it was love at first sight.

The romantic comedy instead ends with Harry declaring his love for Sally at a New Year’s Eve party and the two of them getting married.

Rob and Michele wed in 1989, the year the film came out, and went on to have three children together: Jake, Nick and Romy.

In a 2024 interview with Senior Planet, Reiner credited their enduring marriage to their close friendship. “We get along just great and enjoy each other’s company,” he said.

08:06Lucy Needham

Monty Python legend Eric Idle spoke to Rob Reiner hours before death

Monty Python's Eric Idle has revealed he spoke to actor Rob Reiner hours before his death. The comic described the late actor as a 'lovely man' and said he was shocked by his 'awful' passing.

Speaking on X, Eric said: "Rob Reiner was a lovely man. I spoke to him last night for over an hour. I always enjoyed his company. I met him at his Dad's in 1975. He was telling me about fiming at Stonehenge and his thoughts for the future. This is so awful. I shall miss him. A clever, talented and very thoughtful man. So awful."

07:59KEY EVENT

Family statement

Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner's loved ones have released a statement following news of their sudden deaths.

“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,” the family said in a statement to Variety.

Rob and Michele, who met when Rob directed When Harry Met Sally, wed in 1989 are parents to Romy and Jake. Rob was also dad to daughter Tracy, whom he adopted when he was married to Penny Marshall. (Tracy's biological father is Marshall's late first husband, Michael Henry.)

07:44Lucy Needham

The couple were discovered by their daughter

Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were found in their Los Angeles home by their daughter, Romy.

Calls about the tragedy first came into the Los Angeles Fire Department at about 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 14. First responders arriving at the home said they found a man and woman dead — and the victims were later identified as Rob and Michele.

07:41KEY EVENT

Hollywood legends arrive at the scene

Billy Crystal and Larry David were at the home of Rob Reiner shortly after reports of his death in an apparent homicide.

A source has conformed to PEOPLE that that actors Crystal, 77, and David, 78, arrived separately at the home hours after the tragedy occured.

Crystal "looked like he was about to cry," a neighbor told ABC 7 Los Angeles.

Reiner collaborated with Crystal on projects including When Harry Met Sally, This Is Spinal Tap and The Princess Bride. He also made an appearance on David's hit HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm.

07:38Lucy Needham

Los Angeles mayor issues statement

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has since paid tribute to the couple, saying in a statement: "This is a devastating loss for our city and our country. Rob Reiner’s contributions reverberate throughout American culture and society, and he has improved countless lives through his creative work and advocacy fighting for social and economic justice.

"An acclaimed actor, director, producer, writer, and engaged political activist, he always used his gifts in service of others. Personally, I am heartbroken by the tragic loss of Rob and his wife Michele. I knew Rob and have tremendous respect for him."

She added: "I want to thank all of the first responders who were called to this tragic event. The investigation is ongoing. I’m holding all who loved Rob and Michele in my heart."

07:38Lucy Needham

Desperate call to the couple's home

The Los Angeles Fire Department was called to the couple's home at around 3:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon to provide medical aid, but found the pair already deceased.

The Los Angeles Police Department later confirmed the investigation into the tragedy is being led by the robbery homicide division who are treating the deaths as an "apparent homicide".

07:38Lucy Needham

Tragic ending

Law enforcement sources told TMZ.com the victims at the Brentwood house suffered lacerations "consistent with a knife [attack]".

Speaking at a press conference, LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton said: "We have not identified a suspect at this time. No one has been detained."

PEOPLE reports the Los Angeles Fire Department was called to the couple's home at around 3:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon to provide medical aid, but found the pair already deceased.