A famous father, a troubled son: How addiction tormented the Reiner family

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Rob Reiner was about 20 minutes into a video interview discussing his new movie – a personal story about a father and son, and the son’s struggles with addiction – when the interviewer asked what lessons his son, Nick (who also helped write the film), took away from the experience.

Reiner pointed just off-screen. Nick, then 22, had been there the whole time.

In a 2016 interview with Paul Mecurio, Reiner indicated the person being discussed was present, saying, “He’s right here. You can ask him,” while talking about the film Being Charlie.

“So, that’s your son?” Mecurio asked, gesturing for the slim young man with thick black glasses to join their conversation about “Being Charlie.” The film is inspired by Nick’s own struggles with drug rehab during his teenage years.

You know, watching Nick, it was often like he preferred to let his dad take the lead in conversations. He was pretty reserved. But when they finally got around to talking about why he started using drugs, he pointed the finger at his family’s legacy – the fact that his dad and grandfather, the legendary Carl Reiner, were both so famous. It was like the pressure of that fame played a big role, at least in his eyes.

Nick explained that he felt lost and lacked a sense of self. He believes this was because growing up with a famous father and grandfather heavily influenced how people saw him. As a result, he tried to create his own identity by adopting a rebellious, troubled image, even experimenting with drugs.

Los Angeles police arrested 32-year-old Nick Reiner on Sunday night, believing he killed his parents. His father was 78 years old, and his mother, Michele Singer Reiner, was a 70-year-old photographer and producer. Police found the couple dead at their home in Brentwood on Sunday afternoon.

According to family friends who spoke with The Times, Nick was staying in a guest house on his parents’ land. They also said his mother had grown increasingly worried about his well-being lately.

According to friends, Rob Reiner and his son had a disagreement at a party hosted by Conan O’Brien on Saturday night, and guests observed Nick behaving oddly. These friends, who wished to remain anonymous, stated that Rob and Romy Reiner discovered their parents at their home on Chadbourne Avenue on Sunday afternoon.

According to law enforcement, there were no signs of a break-in at the Reiners’ home, and both victims appeared to have been stabbed. Nick Reiner is currently being held without bail at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility, according to Los Angeles County sheriff’s records.

Nick Reiner, born in 1993, is one of director Rob Reiner’s three children. His parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, married in 1989 after meeting while working on the film “When Harry Met Sally.”

During a 1998 lunch interview with a Times columnist, Rob Reiner’s five-year-old son, Nick, was very active, crawling around the table. Reiner joked that Nick had always been this way, recalling the doctor’s comment at his birth: “This is a squirmy one!”

Soon, the columnist noted, “Nick’s photographer mom, Michele … arrived to scoop him up.”

I’ve been reading interviews with Nick, and he’s talked about a surprisingly distant relationship with his father. Apparently, while his dad was a very public figure, he was actually quite reserved at home, and that made it hard for them to connect when Nick was growing up. It sounds like they didn’t really bond much during those early years.

During a 2016 interview with Mecurio, Nick explained he was feeling empty and lacked motivation, saying he had no activities to occupy him and nothing to anticipate.

Growing up, Nick battled a heroin addiction that led to periods of homelessness and repeated stays in rehab.

By 2015, he had overcome his addiction and co-wrote the film “Being Charlie.” The movie tells the story of a young man struggling with drug addiction and his estranged, famous father, a former actor running for governor of California. His father also directed the film, collaborating with Matt Elisofon on the screenplay.

I was really touched hearing Nick talk about the movie during interviews. He doesn’t usually say much while his dad does the talking, but he revealed a lot of it came from their real life. He even said a really powerful line in the film – where the father says, “I’d rather you hate me and you be alive” – was actually inspired by something that happened between them. It just shows how personal this project was for both of them.

He explained in an interview with Mercurio that it was difficult dealing with public criticism after releasing the film, especially being labeled as “a spoiled, wealthy white kid.”

Rob jumped into the conversation, explaining, “I’ve already spoken with him about this. I understand what it’s like to be judged because of your family name and the assumptions people make – it’s really tough.”

Nick publicly thanked his parents for their support in his recovery. However, he also admitted to feeling bad about letting them down and expressed his desire to find his own way forward.

Rob shared that filming the movie with his son helped them heal from difficult experiences and strengthen their bond.

In a 2015 interview with The Times at the Toronto International Film Festival, Rob admitted he wished he’d listened to his son instead of following the advice of counselors when they were trying to help Nick stay in rehab.

He explained that they ignored their son, Nick, when he said something wasn’t right. They were so focused on the opinions of people with degrees that they didn’t trust their own child’s feelings.

Michele explained that they were heavily swayed by others who repeatedly called him a liar and accused him of manipulation, and they ultimately believed those accusations.

A family friend shared that Rob and Michele devoted their lives to helping their son, Nick. They pursued every available treatment and therapy, sacrificing their own needs in repeated attempts to save him. The friend described them as incredibly dedicated parents, making Nick’s tragic death even more heartbreaking.

I remember watching “All in the Family” back in the 70s, and it was groundbreaking! Rob Reiner played Michael, or “Meathead” as everyone called him, and he was this really progressive young guy. It was hilarious – and sometimes uncomfortable – watching him constantly clash with his father-in-law, Archie Bunker, played brilliantly by Carroll O’Connor, who was just so set in his old-fashioned, prejudiced ways. Their arguments were a huge part of what made the show so special.

In a 1977 episode called “Archie’s Bitter Pill,” the show dealt with the topic of addiction. Archie becomes dependent on medication while struggling with depression caused by slow business at his new bar.

When Archie becomes unusually grumpy and starts behaving strangely – like putting pancakes in his pocket before rushing off to work – Michael seriously says, “He’s definitely using drugs.”

Not much is known about Nick’s life since the movie “Being Charlie” came out. He doesn’t have any other film credits listed on IMDb.

Nick attended the Hollywood premiere of “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues” with his family in September. His dad directed the film.

In August 2018, Nick revisited the podcast “Dopey,” which focuses on addiction and recovery, to share a story about damaging his parents’ guest house.

He said he used a lot of stimulants – likely cocaine and another drug – which kept him awake for days. During that time, he damaged things in his guest house, even breaking a TV.

He explained the event occurred shortly after his parents told him he needed to enter a rehabilitation program.

In an interview, Nick admitted he was casually using marijuana and Adderall at the time. He explained he used marijuana to avoid using more dangerous drugs, but also acknowledged it wasn’t helping him get much done.

He explained that around a year ago, he relapsed into drug use, including cocaine, which led to a heart attack while he was on a flight.

The host encouraged him to try recovery again, suggesting he could share his positive experiences on the show afterward.

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2025-12-16 14:34