Rob and Michele Reiner Never Worried Son Nick Was Violent, Family Didn't See 'Anything Like This Coming' (Exclusive Source)
- - Rob and Michele Reiner Never Worried Son Nick Was Violent, Family Didn't See 'Anything Like This Coming' (Exclusive Source)
Benjamin VanHooseDecember 18, 2025 at 12:44 AM
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Denise Truscello/Getty; Eric Charbonneau/Getty
Nick Reiner on Sept. 14, 2024; Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner in 2017 -
Nick Reiner had a history of being "self-destructive in many ways but not violent," a source tells PEOPLE
The 32-year-old is facing murder charges in connection to the deaths of his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, who were found dead on Sunday, Dec. 14
"I don’t think anyone could have ever seen anything like this coming," adds the insider
Nick Reiner, who is suspected of killing his parents Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner inside their bedroom, was not known to have been violent, a source close to the family tells PEOPLE.
The 32-year-old had a history of being "self-destructive in many ways," says the source, "but not violent."
"If they thought he was violent, things would have been very different," adds the source. "At the worst of it, it hadn’t been like this. I don’t think anyone could have ever seen anything like this coming. Nick was declining lately but he had been really bad before."
The insider says Rob and Michele "felt enormous guilt for so long that they couldn’t help Nick get his life together.”
On Sunday afternoon, Dec. 14, Rob, 78, and Michele, 70, were found dead inside their Los Angeles home. Nick, who had alarmed guests at a star-studded holiday party the night before, was arrested on Sunday night. He has since been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection to the deaths of his parents.
John Nacion/Variety via Getty
Michele Singer Reiner and Rob Reiner on on Feb. 14, 2025
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Nick briefly appeared in court on Dec. 17, and his attorney Alan Jackson declined to enter a plea for his client. The arraignment will resume Jan. 7.
Rob and Michele's middle child co-wrote the 2015 movie Being Charlie that was directed by his dad, loosely based on their own experiences. While promoting the film at the time, Nick was open about his "dark years" struggling with addiction since he was a teen, and Rob spoke about feeling "desperate" to help his child during the difficult time.
In a September 2025 interview with NPR, Rob mentioned that Nick was "great" and "hasn't been doing drugs for over six years." The late star added of his son, "He's in a really good place." Nick joined the family on the red carpet of dad's Spinal Tap II: The End Continues premiere in Los Angeles on Sept. 9.
Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty
Rob Reiner, Michele Reiner, Romy Reiner, Nick Reiner, Maria Gilfillan and Jake Reiner on Sept. 9, 2025
Rob, a beloved sitcom star who went on to direct classic movies like Stand By Me and When Harry Met Sally, and Michele, a photographer, shared two other kids, son Jake and daughter Romy. (Reiner was also dad to daughter Tracy from his first marriage to the late Penny Marshall.)
Jake and Romy spoke out in a statement shared Dec. 17, saying, "Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day."
"The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience," they said. "They weren't just our parents; they were our best friends."
The siblings also asked for "respect and privacy, for speculation to be tempered with compassion and humanity, and for our parents to be remembered for the incredible lives they lived and the love they gave."
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
