Rob Reiner, the Oscar-nominated director behind films including “When Harry Met Sally…” and “The Princess Bride,” and his wife, photographer and producer Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead at their Brentwood home on Sunday, Dec. 14, as Los Angeles police opened a homicide investigation. Comedian and actor Eric Idle said he had spoken with Reiner for “over an hour” the night before, calling him “a clever, talented and very thoughtful man.”
Firefighters responding to a medical-aid call shortly after 3:30 p.m. found a 78-year-old man and a 68-year-old woman dead inside the residence, authorities said. The Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery-Homicide Division took over the case, describing it publicly as an “apparent homicide.” At a late-night briefing, Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton said investigators had not identified a suspect and no one had been detained, adding that detectives were working under a search warrant to process the scene.
Officials have not released the cause of death or the victims’ identities pending the medical examiner’s findings. A law enforcement official briefed on the case said investigators believe both victims suffered stab wounds and that a family member was being interviewed. Police said they expect to speak with multiple relatives and confirmed that the initial call for help came from someone inside the home.
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…
Mayor Karen Bass called the deaths “a devastating loss,” praising Reiner’s impact on culture and his public advocacy, while Gov. Gavin Newsom said Reiner’s work shaped generations on screen and in civic life. Reiner first rose to fame as Michael “Meathead” Stivic on “All in the Family,” then moved behind the camera for a decades-long directing run that ranged from the mockumentary “This Is Spinal Tap” to courtroom drama “A Few Good Men.”
Violent crime is rare in Brentwood, a Westside enclave that has long drawn high-profile residents. Councilmember Traci Park said the department increased neighborhood patrols while detectives work through witness interviews, security footage, and forensic evidence that could clarify how the couple was killed.
