Rob Reiner’s staff were required to follow one disturbing rule when dealing with his son Nick.
The brutal murders of the Hollywood director and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, have stunned friends, family, and the entertainment world.
The couple was found in their Brentwood home on December 14, their throats slit as they slept, and their son Nick, 32, now shockingly stands accused of killing both parents.
Rob and Michele’s youngest daughter, Romy, discovered her father’s body at around 3:40 p.m. on Sunday after a massage therapist raised the alarm.
She had no idea her mother was also dead until paramedics found Michele in another part of the house.
“She didn’t see Nick when she found her parents. She called out his name as she knew he was the only other person there the night before,” a source told The New York Post. Romy also reportedly told police to find her brother.
Nick, who lived in the guesthouse at the family’s Brentwood estate, was arrested later that night about 15 miles away.
He had allegedly checked into a Santa Monica hotel where staff later discovered a room soaked in blood.
While the 32-year-old now awaits his fate in the legal system, siblings - Romy, 28, Jake, 34, and half-sister Tracy, 61 - are grappling with both grief and shock.
The Rule That Defined Nick’s Upbringing
Despite being part of one of the movie industry's most notable families, with grandfather Carl Reiner, a pioneering comedian and director, and father, Rob, the acclaimed filmmaker behind classics like Stand by Me and When Harry Met Sally, Nick’s path diverged sharply from that of his siblings.
According to family insiders, the Reiners always knew their son “needed more attention” growing up. “He would throw fits,” the source said.
Nick’s early struggles included punching walls, destroying a TV, and smashing a lamp.
“He was a very hyper little boy. They always had to keep an extra eye on him,” the insider added, explaining that the family and their helpers operated under a kind of unspoken rule: “‘Give him what he wants.’”
This approach extended to Michele herself, who would ask visitors not to upset Nick and would cater to his needs.
Romy and Jake reportedly worked to keep their brother calm and entertained as children, helping wherever they could.
Attempts To Help Nick
Back in 2014, it appeared Nick might be turning a corner when he and his father collaborated on Being Charlie, a semi-autobiographical film about addiction and family dynamics.
Barry Markowitz, the cinematographer on the film and a frequent visitor to the Reiner home, recalled a household defined by love.
“I saw nothing but love,” he shared, saying he enjoyed shooting baskets with the family and that Nick was receptive to support. “I’d talk to him and ask him for advice, out of respect,” Markowitz added.
But the movie, released in 2016, failed to make a significant impact, and Nick soon slipped back into old patterns.
His struggles with drugs and instability continued, with at least 18 stints in rehab and periods of homelessness.
Rob and Michele reportedly tried to support him with personal sober coaches instead of institutionalizing him, believing “he did better when the coaches came in.” But the arrangement was fraught: “Then Nick would get upset that the coaches were there and [the Reiners] would fire them,” the source said.
Nick had lived in the guesthouse for roughly five years, and while there were times when he was “okay” and quiet, his behavior could deteriorate suddenly.
According to a previous report, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia just weeks before the murders, and his medication change reportedly made him “erratic and dangerous,” with a source saying, “Nick was out of his head.”
Family sources told The New York Post they believed that assessment might be exaggerated, though they acknowledged he “was not acting like himself” in recent months, leaving Michele “at her wits end.”
A Troubling Night at Conan’s party
The altercation at Conan O’Brien’s holiday party was a stark indication of how strained things had become.
Per sources, multiple guests saw Nick and Rob 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.’ He talked them out of calling the police,” a source 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.”
A source close to the Los Angeles Police Department later confirmed there were no 911 calls from the party.
This week, Nick appeared in court wearing a blue suicide vest. He did not enter a plea and only said, “Yes, your honour,” when asked if he waived his right to a speedy arraignment.
His next court date is scheduled for January 7, 2026.