Actor James Woods condemned the wave of harsh online commentary that followed the killings of filmmaker Rob Reiner and photographer-producer Michele Singer Reiner, saying political disagreement should not turn into hatred. Speaking on Fox News, Woods grew emotional while describing Reiner as “a great patriot” and “a great thinker,” and said Reiner “literally saved” his career by fighting to cast him in Ghosts of Mississippi, a role Woods said led to an Oscar nomination.
Rob Reiner, 78, and Michele Singer Reiner were found dead in their Brentwood home on Sunday, Dec. 14. Their son, Nick Reiner, 32, was arrested later that night and is being held without bail; police have said the case will be presented Tuesday to the Los Angeles County district attorney for a charging decision.
Woods’ remarks landed as the murders triggered a national political fight. President Donald Trump posted that Reiner’s outspoken attacks on him had “driven people crazy,” then used the phrase “Trump Derangement Syndrome” to frame the deaths, without offering evidence that politics played any role. The White House reposted the message, and Trump later told reporters he was “not a Reiner fan,” comments that drew bipartisan criticism for turning a family tragedy into a political point.
On air, Woods returned to a moment he said shaped his view of the current backlash: Reiner’s response after the September assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Woods said he knew Kirk and supported him, then contrasted Reiner’s condemnation of political violence with the current social-media pile-on. “When people say horrible things about Rob right now, I find it… infuriating and distasteful,” Woods said, adding that disagreement should not erase love and respect.
