Rob Reiner and Michele Singer were found dead in their shared Los Angeles home on Sunday. They had been stabbed to death, sending shockwaves through the entertainment industry. The joint memorial for the couple, who were perhaps the preeminent collaborative artistic team of the last half century, commemorated their many iconic creations and their deep humanitarian roots. Their son, Nick Reiner, is in jail following an investigation into his role in the operation. He was subsequently charged with two counts of first-degree murder related to their deaths.
On Sunday afternoon, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer’s bodies was discovered. Law enforcement officials later told media that both men had received several stab wounds. Nick Reiner was arrested later that evening, according to police records. He is facing very serious charges and if convicted could potentially face the death penalty.
This collaboration earned Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Academy Awards for their fruitful partnership on classics such as When Harry Met Sally… and Misery. Their influence continues to be felt in the cinema. Their collaboration was much more than a film studio. They were remarkable for their activism, spending the majority of their lives agitating for the welfare of others.
Some of the same friends of the couple, including Billy Crystal, Martin Short and Larry David, expressed their sadness in a joint statement with The Associated Press. They said they were heartbroken by their tragic loss. They described Rob and Michele as a “special force together—dynamic, unselfish, and inspiring.”
“His comedic touch was beyond compare, his love of getting the music of the dialogue just right, and his sharpening of the edge of a drama was simply elegant,” – Rob Reiner’s friends.
It was his long legacy – as an unlikely director’s director, and as a filmmaker whose work shaped generations of other directors and actors – that ran the deepest. His friends pointed out his incredible gift for moving people to action with compelling narratives. In particular, they called out his ability to combine comedy and drama.
“Absorbing all he had learned from his father Carl and his mentor Norman Lear, Rob Reiner not only was a great comic actor, he became a master story teller,” – Rob Reiner’s friends.
From there their friends went on to think about how Rob and Michele were really creating this kind of turmoil, spiritual turmoil, affecting their friends. They illuminated that, despite being larger than life military leaders, both were principled and strong-willed men who channeled their energy into advancing the well-being of others.
“There is a line from one of Rob’s favorite films, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’ ‘Each man’s life touches so many other lives, and when he isn’t around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?’” – Rob Reiner’s friends.
As Chicago’s Jewish community begins to process the loss of such foundational figures, the details leading up to their deaths are still being investigated. Charged with attempted murder and hate crime, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office has stood steadfast against all charges against filmmaker Nick Reiner. They emphasize how dire the landscape really is.
