Award-winning filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead in their Los Angeles home on Sunday, December 14, 2025, in what authorities described as an apparent homicide.
Reiner, 78, and Michele, 68, were discovered by firefighters responding to an emergency call at their Brentwood residence on Sunday afternoon. The Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery-Homicide Division is leading the investigation but has not released details about the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
“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,” their family said in a statement obtained by Variety.
At a press briefing Sunday night, LAPD Deputy Chief Allen Hamilton said that police were “not seeking anyone as a suspect, or as a person of interest or in any other manner,” adding that investigators would “speak to every family member that we can to get to the facts of this investigation.”
No arrests have been made, and the LAPD has not yet officially confirmed the identities of the deceased.
A Storied Career in Film and Television
Rob Reiner was one of Hollywood’s most acclaimed directors, known for classics such as The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally…, A Few Good Men, Stand By Me, and This Is Spinal Tap. The sequel, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, was released earlier this year.
Before his directing career, Reiner gained fame as Michael “Meathead” Stivic on the hit CBS sitcom All in the Family, a role that earned him two Emmy Awards. He was the son of legendary comedian and actor Carl Reiner, and his stepdaughter, actress Tracy Reiner, is from his earlier marriage to director Penny Marshall.
Michele Singer Reiner was a renowned photographer, best known for capturing the image of Donald Trump used on the cover of his 1987 book The Art of the Deal. The couple married in 1989 and had three children together.
Their relationship began during the filming of When Harry Met Sally… — a film whose ending, Reiner once revealed, he changed after meeting Michele.
“Meeting Michele made me believe in happy endings again,” he said in a 2016 interview with the A.V. Club.
Tributes from Across the Nation
Tributes poured in from political leaders, colleagues, and fans following news of the couple’s deaths.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called the deaths “a devastating loss for our city and our country.”
“Rob Reiner’s contributions reverberate throughout American culture and society,” she said. “He used his creativity and advocacy to fight for social and economic justice.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom and his partner, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, described Reiner as “a big-hearted genius behind so many of the classic stories we love.”
“His boundless empathy made his stories timeless,” Newsom said. “He taught generations how to see goodness and righteousness in others — and encouraged us to dream bigger.”
Former President Barack Obama said he and former First Lady Michelle were “heartbroken” by the loss.
“Rob’s achievements in film and television gave us some of our most cherished stories on screen,” Obama said. “Beneath all of them was a deep belief in the goodness of people — and a lifelong commitment to putting that belief into action.”
Rep. Nancy Pelosi described the couple’s passing as “devastating,” calling Rob “creative, funny, and beloved” and Michele his “indispensable partner.”
Sean Astin, president of the Screen Actors Guild, said Reiner was “one of the most significant figures in the history of film and television,” adding that his influence “simply can’t be overstated.”
The Lear family, in a statement to the Associated Press, said that legendary producer Norman Lear, who died last year at 101, “often referred to Rob as a son,” and that the Reiners “spent every breath trying to make this country a better place through their art, activism, philanthropy, and love.”
The LAPD said the investigation remains ongoing. As of Monday morning, no further information had been released regarding possible motives or suspects.
