Rob Reiner and Wife Knifed at Brentwood Home, Rob only 78

Rob Reiner and his Wife both killed at home

A man in a black suit and tie standing with a woman in black.

Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, in March.Credit...Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Human Rights Campaign

 

Updated 

Dec. 15, 2025, 9:10 a.m. ET11 minutes ago

Matt StevensShawn HublerNicole Sperling and Jill CowanReporting from Los Angeles

This was a weekend of death. brown U and Bondi beach Australia. Then early this morning I find out my favorite meat head was knifed to death.

All in The Family

We lost a great man. If there is a picture that you love from the 1990's on chances are he wrote it or stared in it. A 100% supporter of the LGBTQ community, never waivered. He was also an outspoken one with his voice and contributions. Who Could have done this? It will shock all of us when the killer is identified. They were both knifed which means rage was the motive not necessarily robbery. Cops are keeping all the information close to their vests. I feel a sense of loss for this man, The Meat Head' of "All in the family" I became a man watching that show. I hated the show the first time I saw it, could not get to like Archie nor the meat head. Only Edith but then as I watched it 1 or 2 times again I understood it. Archie was my family and neighbors. It was the parody not to say things are good around us but this is our world, neighbors and at the same time it made us laugh. Once you understood what they were doing you liked it but having in comedy form it made us less comfortable to live with our sexism, homophobia and all the hypocrisy of the government. 

Adam Gonzalez

Here’s the latest.

Investigators in Los Angeles searched for clues on Monday in the deaths of the director Rob Reiner and his wife, the producer Michele Singer Reiner, as tributes poured in from Hollywood and across the nation.

The Los Angeles Police Department said it was investigating “an apparent homicide” after the couple were found dead in their home in the upscale Brentwood neighborhood on Sunday afternoon. The Reiner family confirmed the deaths through a spokesman.

The son of Carl Reiner, a pioneering television comedian, Mr. Reiner, became a popular sitcom actor himself before directing a slate of beloved films, including “This Is Spinal Tap,” “When Harry Met Sally …” and “The Princess Bride.” He went on to become a force in California and national Democratic politics, championing gay marriage and other causes. Ms. Reiner, 70, was a photographer and later a producer.

Police officials said officers responded to a death investigation at the Reiners’ home at about 3:40 p.m. local time on Sunday and found two bodies. They did not identify a suspect on Sunday but said investigators were trying to get a search warrant for the home.

Late Sunday night, Brentwood was quiet and the streets were empty except for a cluster of police cars and news vans near the Reiners’ home. The authorities had both ends of the block cordoned off with yellow police tape.

Here’s what else to know:

Reiner’s work: Mr. Reiner’s Hollywood career as an actor and director spanned decades, including an eight-year run on “All in the Family,” a 1970s sitcom. More recently, Mr. Reiner had cameos in television shows like “New Girl” and “The Bear.” The actor Sean Astin, speaking on behalf of SAG-AFTRA, called Mr. Reiner “one of the most significant figures in the history of film and television.”

Michele Singer Reiner: Ms. Reiner inadvertently altered the course of movie history when Mr. Reiner spotted her on the New York set of the romantic comedy “When Harry Met Sally …” The pair later married, and their real-life love story influenced him to change the ending of his most famous movie.

Democrats mourn: Democratic leaders including former President Barack Obama, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California and Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles said they were heartbroken by the loss of Mr. Reiner and his wife. Mr. Reiner will be remembered not only for his films and television but also “for his extraordinary contribution to humanity,” Mr. Newsom said.

Brentwood’s identity: The Brentwood neighborhood has long felt like more of a small town unto itself than a part of the sprawl of Los Angeles. Its natural beauty and luxurious amenities make the area popular among movie stars, politicians and executives.

Rachel Parsons contributed reporting from Los Angeles, and Derrick Bryson Taylor and Julia Jacobs from New York.

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Alex Marshall

Dec. 15, 2025, 7:32 a.m. ET2 hours ago

Alex Marshall

‘Brilliant and kind’: Hollywood pays tribute to Rob Reiner.

Rob Reiner opening his black jacket to show a Spinal Tap T-shirt he is wearing in front of a “Spinal Tap” backdrop.

Rob Reiner at the Los Angeles premiere of “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues” in September.Credit...Aude Guerrucci/Reuters

Hollywood stars have been paying tribute to Rob Reiner — both as colleagues and as fans of his work.

Kathy Bates, who starred in Mr. Reiner’s “Misery,” based on the Stephen King thriller, said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter that she was “absolutely devastated” after the director and his wife, Michele, were found dead at their home in Los Angeles on Sunday.

Ms. Bates described him as “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,” she said, adding: “He changed the course of my life.”

Mr. King said in a statement posted on X that he was “horrified and saddened,” calling Mr. Reiner a “wonderful friend, political ally, and brilliant filmmaker.” As well as directing “Misery,” Mr. Reiner turned the author’s coming-of-age novella “The Body” into the hit movie “Stand by Me.” “Rest in peace, Rob. You always stood by me,” Mr. King added.

Jamie Lee Curtis issued a statement obtained by Deadline on behalf of herself and her husband, Christopher Guest. Mr. Guest starred in “Spinal Tap,” a heavy metal mockumetary that was one of several films directed by Mr. Reiner that became iconic movies of the 1980s and 1990s.

“Christopher and I are numb and sad and shocked about the violent, tragic deaths of our dear friends Rob and Michele Singer Reiner,” Ms. Curtis said. “Our only focus and care right now is for their children and immediate families and we will offer all support possible to help them,” she added.

“There will be plenty of time later to discuss the creative lives we shared and the great political and social impact they both had on the entertainment industry, early childhood development, the fight for gay marriage and their global care for a world in crisis,” Ms. Curtis’s statement continued.

Ben Stiller wrote in a post on X that Mr. Reiner had been one of his favorite directors. “He made some of the most formative movies for my generation,” Mr. Stiller said: “Spinal Tap is one of the best comedies ever made — and the list goes on.”

“I didn’t know him well but was always a fan and I feel a real sadness for those who did, and his family,” Mr. Stiller added.

Eric Idle, the British actor and comedian, wrote in a post on X that he spoke this weekend with Mr. Reiner for over an hour. “He was telling me about filming at Stonehenge and his thoughts for the future,” Mr. Idle said. (This summer, Mr. Reiner filmed a concert at Stonehenge for a new Spinal Tap movie, said a spokeswoman for English Heritage, the organization that looks after the ancient British site.)

“This is so awful,” Mr. Idle added: “I shall miss him. A clever, talented and very thoughtful man. So awful.”

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Read the Obituary

Rob Reiner, Actor Who Went on to Direct Classic Films, Dies at 78

Dec. 15, 2025

Alex Marshall

Dec. 15, 2025, 6:17 a.m. ET3 hours ago

Alex Marshall

Michele Singer Reiner was a photographer who changed movie history.

Michele Singer Reiner, looking to the side of the camera, stands in front of a backdrop with the words “human rights campaign” on it.

Michele Singer Reiner in Los Angeles in 2019.Credit...Jean-Baptiste Lacroix/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Michele Singer Reiner, who was found dead at age 70 at home in Los Angeles on Sunday, along with her husband, Rob Reiner, was working as a photographer in the late 1980s when she inadvertently changed the course of movie history.

One day, she visited the New York set of the romantic comedy “When Harry Met Sally…” and was watching a scene in which Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal’s lovesick characters argue with each other when Mr. Reiner, the film’s director, spotted her in the distance.

“I look over and I see this girl, and ‘Whoo!’ I was attracted immediately,” he told The New York Times in 1989, recalling the pair’s meeting.

A few months later, the photographer and director married — and their relationship inspired Mr. Reiner to change the ending of his most famous movie. “Originally, Harry and Sally didn’t get together,” he told the Guardian in 2018. “But then I met Michele and I thought: ‘OK, I see how this works.’” Harry and Sally had to marry each other, too.

After the real-life pair wed, Ms. Reiner worked on some of her husband’s movies. She was a special photographer on “Misery,” his 1990 horror film, according to IMDb, the movie database. She was also a producer on this year’s “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues,” his heavy metal comedy.

She also became known for working on political projects with Mr. Reiner. In the 1990s, for instance, the pair started the “I Am Your Child” campaign to raise awareness about the importance of early child development and improve parental access to support services.

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Jin Yu Young

Dec. 15, 2025, 4:07 a.m. ET5 hours ago

Jin Yu Young

What we know about the death of Rob Reiner and his wife.

Police vehicles are parked outside a home at night.

Police officers outside the home of Rob Reiner in Brentwood, Calif., on Sunday night.Credit...Mario Tama/Getty Images

Rob Reiner, the award-winning Hollywood actor and director, and his wife, Michele, were found dead in their home on Sunday in Los Angeles. Officials said they were investigating the deaths as homicides. Mr. Reiner was 78.

It was not immediately clear how they died. But the Los Angeles Police Department said it was investigating an “apparent homicide” at the couple’s home in West Los Angeles after two bodies were found.

As news of the deaths spread, public officials and members of the Hollywood community posted tributes.

Here’s what we know about Mr. Reiner’s death and his career:

The police responded after deaths were reported at Mr. Reiner’s house.

Captain Mike Bland of the Los Angeles Police Department said that officers responded to reports of deaths at a home around 3:40 p.m. on Sunday. The police identified it as Mr. Reiner’s residence and said that officers discovered two bodies inside.

Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton said the department was conducting a “death investigation.” He said that investigators were trying to obtain a search warrant for the home. The police blocked off the street where the couple lived with yellow tape.

Many of Rob Reiner’s movies became classics.

Mr. Reiner was born in the Bronx to a successful show business family. His father, Carl Reiner, created “The Dick Van Dyke Show” in the 1960s, and his mother, Estelle Reiner, was an actress and a singer.

The younger Mr. Reiner enrolled in drama class in high school and landed roles in small theaters. He later created his own improv group.

He first rose to fame in the 1970s when he played Meathead, Archie Bunker’s son-in-law, on the sitcom “All in the Family.” He won two Emmy Awards for his work on the show.

Mr. Reiner made his directorial debut with the 1984 film “This is Spinal Tap,” a mockumentary about a British band past its prime that became a cult classic. He would later go on to direct “The Princess Bride” (1987) and the 1989 hit “When Harry Met Sally…”

He was a Democrat and a longtime political activist.

In addition to being a Hollywood hitmaker, Mr. Reiner, a Democrat, was an outspoken supporter of political causes. In 1998, he spearheaded a ballot initiative in California to increase taxes on tobacco to pay for early childhood programs.

In 2005, he joined forces with labor unions to challenge some of the policies of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican. In 2006, voters rejected an initiative he led that, if successful, would have raised income taxes on top earners to pay for half-day preschool for all 4-year-olds in California. Later, he backed a legal campaign to persuade the Supreme Court to establish same-sex marriage as a constitutional right.

The stature of Mr. Reiner and his wife among the biggest names in the Democratic Party was evident in the tributes released after their death.

“Together, he and his wife lived lives defined by purpose,” former President Barack Obama said on social media. “They will be remembered for the values they championed and the countless people they inspired.”

Democratic leaders mourn Reiner, a champion of liberal causes.

Rob Reiner, in suit and tie, standing at a podium with a sign reading “American Foundation for Equal Rights.”

Rob Reiner in 2012. He helped overturn Proposition 8, California’s ban on gay marriage.Credit...Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

From seeking to limit chain stores in Malibu, Calif. to helping to overturn Proposition 8, California’s short-lived ban on gay marriage, Rob Reiner was a well-known champion of liberal causes, and Democratic Party leaders on Sunday mourned the news that he and his wife, Michele, had died at their home in Los Angeles.

Former President Barack Obama said that he and his wife, Michelle, were “heartbroken,” and that Mr. Reiner’s legacy went far beyond his prolific career as a film and television actor and director.

“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,” Mr. Obama wrote in a statement on X. “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.”

Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles called their deaths a tragedy that would reverberate through Hollywood and the civic fabric of California. She praised Mr. Reiner for helping to create a statewide early childhood development initiative and for being an advocate for the L.G.B.T.Q. community.

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that it was “hard to think of anyone more remarkable and excellent in every field and endeavor they pursued.” She said on X that Mr. Reiner “cared deeply about people and demonstrated that in his civic activities,” noting that he supported the state’s First 5 initiative, which aims to improve the well-being of young children and their families, and fought against Proposition 8.

Gov. Gavin Newsom of California described Mr. Reiner as “the big-hearted genius behind so many of the classic stories we love,” whose empathy added depth and timelessness to his work. He added that Mr. Reiner’s political advocacy “made California a better place.”

It’s nearing midnight, and the area around the Reiners’ Brentwood home is still and quiet. About half a dozen police personnel are milling about near a mobile command post blocking the street on one side of the residence.

Jill Cowan

Dec. 15, 2025, 2:21 a.m. ETDec. 15, 2025

Jill CowanReporting from Los Angeles

Brentwood, where the Reiners lived, is a wealthy enclave popular with celebrities.

TV camera crews on a residential street at night.

Reporters gathering near Rob Reiner’s residence in Brentwood, Los Angeles, on Sunday.Credit...Ethan Swope/Associated Press

Brentwood, where Rob and Michele Reiner lived, is a wealthy neighborhood of Los Angeles that has long felt like a small town — albeit one where residents tend to be much more famous than elsewhere.

Mansions are tucked discreetly behind tall hedges and along winding hillside streets. A neighborhood hub is the Brentwood Country Mart, a shopping center that opened in 1948 and was built to look like a red barn. Its tenants include Goop, Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle brand, and a market and restaurant that offers caviar service.

A range of Hollywood stars, media executives and politicians have called Brentwood home, including Ms. Paltrow, LeBron James, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bob Iger, Disney’s chief executive. Former Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, own a home there.

Rick Caruso, a billionaire developer of high-end shopping centers and hotels, made an unsuccessful run for mayor in 2022 inspired largely by the homelessness he saw on the streets near his Brentwood home. (He lost that race to Mayor Karen Bass but has encouraged speculation that he could run again next year, in the aftermath of the devastating Palisades fire, which prompted evacuations in Brentwood.)

Perhaps because of its allure for celebrities, Brentwood has also been a setting for scandals over the decades.

O.J. Simpson lived in a Brentwood mansion when his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, was murdered in 1994. Even after he was acquitted, the community there did not welcome him back.

And the Brentwood Spanish colonial-style house where Marilyn Monroe died in 1962 was the subject of a lengthy battle. In 2023, the Los Angeles City Council voted to spare the home from demolition. In September, a judge denied a request from the house’s current owners to raze it.

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Matt Stevens

Dec. 15, 2025, 1:52 a.m. ETDec. 15, 2025

Matt StevensReporting from Los Angeles

The actor Sean Astin, president of the film and TV actors’ union known as SAG-AFTRA, called Rob Reiner “one of the most significant figures in the history of film and television.” Reiner had been a member of the union for nearly 60 years, Astin said.

“Our entertainment community and audiences around the world will mourn deeply,” he said. “On a personal note, so many of Mr. Reiner’s films and performances made me think, made me emotional and especially they made me laugh really hard. That’s how I will remember him.”

Orlando Mayorquin

Dec. 15, 2025, 1:31 a.m. ETDec. 15, 2025

Orlando MayorquinReporting from Los Angeles

One of Rob Reiner’s final interviews addressed the current political moment. Speaking on MS NOW in October, he criticized the Trump administration’s efforts to influence entertainment and media companies, and drew comparisons between the administration’s actions and the era of McCarthyism. “That feels quaint compared to what’s going on in America right now,” Reiner said.

Derrick Bryson Taylor

Shawn Hubler

Dec. 15, 2025, 1:11 a.m. ETDec. 15, 2025

Derrick Bryson Taylor and Shawn Hubler

Reiner’s career spanned Hollywood and politics.

Rob Reiner talks to a young Tom Cruise. Both are wearing ballcaps.

Rob Reiner, right, directing Tom Cruise in “A Few Good Men,” which was released in 1992.Credit...Columbia Pictures, via Getty Images

Rob Reiner was a son of Carl Reiner, who created and produced “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” and Estelle Reiner, an actress perhaps best known for the line “I’ll have what she’s having” in her son’s romantic comedy “When Harry Met Sally…”

He was born in the Bronx and, from an early age, was influenced by his parents and their famous friends, including Sid Caesar and Mel Brooks.

With that rich lineage, Mr. Reiner started in television in the 1960s, playing small roles like that of a delivery boy in a 1967 episode of “Batman.” That same year, he played an apprentice in an episode of “The Andy Griffith Show.”

At age 23, Norman Lear cast him as Michael Stivic, better known as “Meathead,” the liberal son-in-law of the close-minded racist Archie Bunker in “All in the Family.” That show, Mr. Lear’s most famous sitcom, ran from 1971 to 1979 on CBS. Mr. Reiner won two Emmy Awards for the role.

The actors Rob Reiner, Sally Struthers, Jean Stapleton and Carroll O’Connor sitting around a dinner table in a black-and-white photograph,

Mr. Reiner, left, with Sally Struthers, Jean Stapleton and Carroll O’Connor on the set of “All in the Family” in 1978.Credit...Ron Eisenberg/Michael Ochs Archives, via Getty Images

Mr. Reiner later followed in his father’s footsteps by becoming a director. He directed a host of hit movies, including “This Is Spinal Tap” (1984), “Stand by Me” (1986), “The Princess Bride” (1987) and “When Harry Met Sally…” (1989). His film “A Few Good Men,” a legal thriller, was nominated for best picture at the 1993 Academy Awards.

While some in Hollywood might consider it a burden to have famous parents, Mr. Reiner deeply admired his father. “My father thought, ‘Oh, my God, this poor kid is worried about being in the shadow of a famous father,’” Reiner said in an interview with “60 Minutes” this year. “And he says, ‘What do you want to change your name to?’ And I said, ‘Carl.’ I just wanted to be like him.”

Mr. Reiner, a Democrat, also got involved in politics. He spearheaded a successful 1998 ballot initiative in California that increased taxes on tobacco to pay for early childhood programs. He argued that the tax hike would help reduce smoking and establish services for children across the state in their formative years. He was so instrumental to the cause that it was known as the “Reiner Initiative,” and the funding established First 5 programs across the state that still exist today.

Rob Reiner stands at a cluttered desk, talking on the phone. Framed movie posters are on the walls.

Mr. Reiner in 1998, soliciting contributions for a California ballot initiative to tax tobacco to pay for early childhood programs.Credit...Reed Saxon/Associated Press

In 2006, Mr. Reiner was less successful at the polls. Voters rejected an initiative he led that would have raised income taxes on top earners to pay for half-day preschool for all 4-year-olds in California. Mr. Reiner, who led the First 5 state commission at the time, faced criticism that he had misused First 5 funds to promote universal preschool while his new initiative was on the ballot.

Two decades ago, Mr. Reiner served as a liberal Hollywood counterweight to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, joining forces with labor unions to oppose the governor’s efforts to restrict the unions’ political activities. He was often discussed as a potential Democratic candidate for governor but ultimately decided not to run.

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Shawn Hubler

Dec. 15, 2025, 12:55 a.m. ETDec. 15, 2025

Shawn HublerReporting from Los Angeles

The family of Rob and Michele Reiner confirmed their deaths in a statement. “We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time,” it said.

Jesus Jiménez

Dec. 15, 2025, 12:47 a.m. ETDec. 15, 2025

Jesus JiménezReporting from Los Angeles

Yellow police tape has blocked off the street where Rob Reiner and his wife lived in the Brentwood neighborhood of West Los Angeles. A number of news cameras and trucks are positioned along the residential street.

Credit...Ethan Swope/Associated Press

Rachel Parsons

Dec. 15, 2025, 12:37 a.m. ETDec. 15, 2025

Rachel ParsonsReporting from Los Angeles

At a news conference Sunday night, Alan Hamilton, deputy chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, said it was conducting a “death investigation” but would not release any information about the victims until the L.A. County coroner does so. Hamilton said the police had not identified a suspect and that no one was in custody. He said that investigators were trying to obtain a search warrant to enter the home.

Credit...Ethan Swope/Associated Press

Orlando Mayorquin

Dec. 15, 2025, 12:20 a.m. ETDec. 15, 2025

Orlando MayorquinReporting from Los Angeles

Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois said that he and his wife, MK, cherished the time they spent with Rob Reiner, and his wife, Michele, and were devastated to learn of their deaths. “Titans of the industry in every sense, the Reiners’ legacy is secured through works of art that impacted generations,” Pritzker said in a statement.