Megyn Kelly has sparked backlash after speculating on the dynamic between Rob Reiner and his son Nick.
The 78-year-old Hollywood director and his wife, Michele Singer, 70, were found stabbed to death in their Brentwood mansion on December 14.
Their son, Nick, 32, who lived in the guesthouse on the property, was arrested hours later, about 15 miles away, and has since been charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
Kelly Suggests Potential "Menendez Defense"
In a recent episode of The Megyn Kelly Show, the former Fox News host discussed the case against Nick and referenced his working relationship with his father on Being Charlie, a semi-autobiographical film.
The 55-year-old said an unnamed actor who worked on the film claimed he was uncomfortable with how the father and son interacted on set.
“They were kissing each other on the lips, which was weird,” she said. “They bickered, or they were bickering. They were going off on each other on set. It wasn’t comfortable. There was definitely hostility there.”
She then speculated whether the 32-year-old's legal team might attempt to build a defense similar to the one used by the Menendez brothers, who claimed they killed their parents in Beverly Hills after years of sexual abuse.
“So my question is, is there a likelihood Nick Reiner pulls a card from the Menendez defense?” Kelly said. “We’re in California, it’s going to be a California jury, and says, ‘He was molesting me my whole life.’”
She continued: “‘That’s why I was so messed up from the time I was 10, that’s why I got hooked on drugs.’ There’s no way of disproving that, and [he] plays the sympathy card with a California jury about why, from a very young age, he was all messed up.”
Kelly clarified she was not accusing Rob Reiner of abuse. “Nor do I believe there’s anything untoward…I think he seems, by all accounts, a loving father and an appropriate father,” she said.
Still, her remarks were met with outrage. “Why would you even put that out there?” one user wrote on social media.
Another said: “How awful that you would say such a thing.” A third slammed Kelly for airing such speculation: “His dad is barely cold, and she comes out with this??? Shame on her…”
The host defended her remarks by noting that defense attorneys often take dramatic swings in desperate cases.
“This is going to be a desperation defense,” she said, referencing Nick’s attorney Alan Jackson, a veteran lawyer known for representing high-profile figures like Kevin Spacey and Harvey Weinstein. “They swing for the fences. That’s why they get hired.”
Party Argument The Night Before Murders
Reports of the explosive confrontation between Nick and his father at Conan O’Brien’s holiday party have added to the growing public interest in the case.
According to sources, multiple guests saw the pair in a heated argument, prompting at least one person to suggest calling 911. But O’Brien, the host of the gathering, allegedly intervened.
“Conan stepped in and said, ‘It’s my house, my party, I’m not calling the police,’” one insider told the Daily Mail.
Another attendee recalled guests discussing placing Nick on a mental-health hold due to his behavior. “When the s**t was hitting the fan, somebody said we need to call the police,” the source said. “But the argument between Rob and Nick was pretty intense.”
No police call was ever made, and a source close to the LAPD confirmed there were no 911 calls from the residence that night.
That same evening, Rob reportedly confided in friends that he feared for his safety. “I’m petrified of [Nick],” he allegedly said. “I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but I’m afraid of my son. I think my own son can hurt me.”
Mental Health Spiral
Nick, who has battled drug addiction since his teens and been in rehab at least 18 times, was diagnosed with schizophrenia and was undergoing treatment at a $70,000-per-month Los Angeles facility.
Weeks before the murders, his medication was changed - and sources say he "was out of his head".
It was reported that after the killings, Nick walked the streets, bought a drink, and briefly checked into a Santa Monica hotel where staff later found a blood-covered shower and a window sealed with bedsheets.
He was arrested later that night and remains in custody without bail. His next hearing is scheduled for January 7, 2026.