Rob Reiner and Wife Michele Singer Reiner Found Dead in ‘Apparent Homicide’: What to Know

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Authorities and the family have confirmed that acclaimed director and actor Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, a producer and photographer, have died in what appears to be a homicide.

The family of Michele and Rob Reiner announced with deep sadness that both have passed away. Rob was 78 years old, and Michele was 68. The family asks for privacy as they grieve this unexpected and devastating loss, according to a statement released by a spokesperson.

On Sunday afternoon around 3:30 p.m., Los Angeles Police and Fire Departments were called to the home of Albert and Shelley Reiner and discovered a man and woman, approximately 78 and 68 years old, who were deceased. Police have since described the deaths as likely a homicide, according to LAPD Captain Mike Bland.

TMZ reported that the bodies had lacerations consistent with a knife.

According to LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton, police aren’t currently looking for any suspects as the investigation is still in the early stages. While they are interviewing family members, they are not considered suspects. Investigators are working to obtain a search warrant to thoroughly examine both inside and outside the home, as well as the surrounding area.

Legendary filmmaker and passionate advocates

Rob Reiner, son of the famous comedian and director Carl Reiner, directed many beloved films from the 1980s and 90s. He started with the mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap in 1984, and went on to direct hits like Stand By Me (1986), The Princess Bride (1987), Misery (1990), When Harry Met Sally… (1989), and The American President (1995).

Rob Reiner co-founded Castle Rock Entertainment in 1987, a production company behind many of his films, as well as popular titles like The Shawshank Redemption (1994) and the hit ’90s sitcom Seinfeld. Earlier in his career, he was also a well-known actor, famously playing Michael “Meathead” Stivic on the ’70s sitcom All in the Family, and appearing in supporting roles in films such as Sleepless in Seattle (1993) and The Wolf of Wall Street (2013).

I remember reading that Rob Reiner met Carrie Fisher – who played Sally in When Harry Met Sally… – while they were filming. Apparently, meeting her gave him a fantastic idea! The original ending was actually pretty downbeat – Harry and Sally were supposed to walk away from each other, and not get together. Can you imagine?! Thankfully, he changed it after meeting Carrie.

In 2016, Rob Reiner explained to the AV Club that he originally didn’t know how to bring the characters together romantically, so he had them walk away from each other at the film’s conclusion. However, he met his future wife while filming, and he rewrote the ending to reflect a more hopeful outcome.

Reiner and Singer married in 1989 and have three children together.

The couple worked together on projects like the film Misery and the 2023 documentary Albert Brooks: Defending My Life. Reiner also took the cover photo of Donald Trump’s book, The Art of the Deal, which was published in 1987.

Rob Reiner and director Penny Marshall were married from 1971 until 1981. During their marriage, he adopted Tracy Reiner, Penny’s daughter from a previous relationship.

Rob and Michele Reiner were well-known activists in Hollywood, strongly advocating for marriage equality. They played a key role in establishing the American Foundation for Equal Rights, which challenged California’s Proposition 8 – a law that prohibited same-sex marriage. Beyond this, they participated in other California political campaigns and raised money for the Democratic Party. Rob Reiner was also a frequent and outspoken critic of Donald Trump.

Rob Reiner explained to Stephen Colbert in 2016 that his involvement in politics was mostly inspired by his mother. He jokingly described her as the driving force behind his passion, saying she ‘lights a fire under my rear end’.

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2025-12-15 18:06