Rob Reiner, the director and actor behind films such as “When Harry Met Sally…,” “The Princess Bride” and “A Few Good Men,” and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead Sunday afternoon at their home in Los Angeles’ Brentwood neighborhood, authorities said, prompting a homicide investigation led by the Los Angeles Police Department.
Firefighters responded to a medical-aid call shortly after 3:30 p.m. at a residence on Chadbourne Avenue and found a man and a woman dead inside, the Los Angeles Fire Department said. Police later described the case as an “apparent homicide,” and investigators said the couple’s identities would be formally confirmed through the county medical examiner. A statement released by the family said they were “heartbroken” and asked for privacy.
Police have not announced a suspect or a motive, and no one was in custody early Monday. Capt. Mike Bland, speaking for the LAPD, said detectives were waiting for a search warrant before conducting a full crime-scene examination inside and outside the property. Investigators have interviewed a family member, according to law-enforcement officials briefed on the case, while the medical examiner works to determine the cause and manner of death.
The killings stunned an industry that grew up on Reiner’s run of tightly built studio hits and character-driven comedies. Reiner first became widely known as Mike “Meathead” Stivic on the 1970s sitcom “All in the Family,” then shifted behind the camera and built a career across comedy, drama and courtroom storytelling. Michele Singer Reiner, a photographer and producer, worked alongside him on projects and civic efforts over decades.
Public officials quickly paid tribute. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called the deaths “a devastating loss,” praising Reiner’s cultural impact and civic work, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he was “heartbroken” by the news. As detectives secured the quiet Brentwood street, colleagues and longtime collaborators began sharing condolences, even as investigators worked to pin down what happened inside the home.
