Prolific director-actor Rob Reiner and his wife, producer and photographer Michele Singer Reiner, have died in an apparent homicide, according to authorities and a family statement.
“It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner. We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time,” a spokesperson for the family said in a statement. Reiner was 78 and Singer Reiner was 68.
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The Los Angeles Police and Fire Departments said they responded to a medical emergency at the Reiners’ home around 3:30 p.m. on Sunday and found a deceased man and woman aged around 78 and 68, but did not initially confirm their identities. LAPD Captain Mike Bland described the deaths as “an apparent homicide.”
TMZ reported that the bodies had lacerations consistent with a knife.
LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton said late on Sunday that the police are not seeking suspects at this time, adding that the investigation is still in its preliminary stage. He said the police are interviewing family members but are not treating them as suspects. Hamilton also said investigators are seeking a search warrant in order to proceed with a “full crime scene investigation on the interior and exterior of the residence and the surrounding neighborhood.”
Legendary filmmaker and passionate advocates
Reiner, the son of comedian and director Carl Reiner, is known for directing some of the most classic films of the ’80s and ’90s, including his directorial debut This Is Spinal Tap (1984), Stand By Me (1986), The Princess Bride (1987), Misery (1990), The American President (1995), and When Harry Met Sally… (1989).
Reiner co-founded production company Castle Rock Entertainment in 1987, which produced several of his films, as well as other highly acclaimed films like The Shawshank Redemption (1994) and the ’90s sitcom Seinfeld. He also acted in several memorable roles earlier in his career, including as Michael “Meathead” Stivic in the ’70s sitcom All in the Family, and in supporting roles in films like Sleepless in Seattle (1993) and The Wolf of Wall Street (2013).
It was during the filming of When Harry Met Sally… that Reiner met Singer. Their meeting inspired him to change the ending of the film. An early version of the script ended with the two protagonists, Sally Albright and Harry Burns, walking away from each other.
“At that time, I couldn’t figure out how I was going to get with anybody, so I just had them walking in opposite directions at the end,” Reiner told the AV Club in 2016. “And then I met the woman who became my wife during the making of the movie, and I changed the ending.”
Reiner and Singer married in 1989 and have three children together.
The couple collaborated on several projects together, including the film Misery and the documentary Albert Brooks: Defending My Life (2023). Singer Reiner photographed President Donald Trump for the cover of his book The Art of the Deal (1987).
Reiner was formerly married to director and actor Penny Marshall from 1971 to 1981. He adopted Marshall’s daughter, Tracy Reiner, from her previous marriage.
The Reiners were also prominent activists in Hollywood. They campaigned for marriage equality, and helped found the American Foundation for Equal Rights, which fought against Proposition 8, a California measure that banned same-sex marriage in the state. They were also involved with several other California ballot initiatives and fundraised for the Democratic Party. Reiner was a vocal critic of Trump.
“I can honestly say the reason I’ve done as many things in the political sphere is largely because of her,” Reiner told late night host Stephen Colbert at the Montclair Film Festival in 2016. “She is my Bunsen burner that lights the flame in my ass.”