When Rob Reiner's son Nick spoke about his relationship with his father: 'We didn’t bond a lot as a kid'

Legendary filmmaker and actor Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead inside their Brentwood, Los Angeles home on Sunday, December 14, in a case that has sent shockwaves through Hollywood and beyond. As investigations continue into the circumstances surrounding their deaths, renewed attention has turned to Rob Reiner’s family, particularly past remarks made by his son Nick Reiner about their relationship.

Nick Reiner, who has been accused in media reports of allegedly killing his parents, had once spoken candidly about his bond with his father, admitting that the two did not share a close relationship during his childhood.

Authorities have not officially confirmed any suspect, and no formal charges have been announced so far.

In a 2016 interview with the BUILD Series, Nick reflected on how working with his father on the film Being Charlie helped bridge an emotional gap that existed for years. “It really clicked for me because we didn’t bond a lot as a kid,” Nick said at the time, offering an unusually honest look into their family dynamic.

He explained that their distance stemmed partly from differing interests. “He really liked baseball, I liked basketball, and he could watch that with my brother — baseball — but I just, when I saw him do that, it was something that I’m interested in, I was like, ‘Wow, he really knows a lot’ and it made me feel closer to him,” Nick shared. The moment marked a shift in how he viewed his father, not just as a parent, but as someone he could finally connect with.

Being Charlie, released in 2015, was loosely inspired by Nick’s own life and struggles with addiction. The film starred Nick Robinson in the lead role and was directed by Rob Reiner, making it one of the most personal projects the veteran filmmaker ever helmed. For Nick, the collaboration became a turning point in their relationship, transforming years of emotional distance into mutual respect and understanding.

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Rob Reiner also addressed this dynamic during the same conversation, acknowledging how deeply he relied on his son throughout the creative process. “It’s interesting that Nick would talk about it in that way, because, we did share that experience,” Rob said. Despite his decades-long career in filmmaking, he made it clear that this project was different.

“Even though I’ve had a lot of experience making movies, and I said this to him many, many times, that he was the heart and soul of the film,” Rob said. “So, when it came to making the film deeper and better, I would have to really defer to him.”

Rob went on to emphasize that Nick’s lived experiences were central to the film’s authenticity. “I mean, even though I have had all this experience in making films, the core of this film, I really had to look to him. I relied on him for giving it the honesty and the truth that it has,” he added.

Nick Reiner is the second of Rob and Michele’s three children. The couple married in 1989 after meeting while Rob was directing When Harry Met Sally. They share sons Jake, born in 1991, and Nick, born in 1993, along with daughter Romy, born in 1997. Rob also adopted Tracy Reiner, the daughter of his first wife, filmmaker and actor Penny Marshall, from her previous marriage. Rob and Penny divorced in 1981.

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Details surrounding Rob and Michele Reiner’s deaths are still emerging. Emergency responders were reportedly called to their Chadbourne Avenue home around 3:30 pm. Firefighters alerted police after discovering the bodies, prompting what authorities describe as an “ambulance death investigation.” While an official cause of death has not yet been released, reports suggest the couple suffered lacerations consistent with a knife attack. Their daughter Romy is said to have discovered the bodies.

As investigators continue their work, Nick Reiner’s past words about his father have taken on a haunting weight. What once read as a story of distance followed by reconciliation now sits against the backdrop of an unfolding tragedy, leaving behind unanswered questions, unresolved grief, and a legacy marked by both creative brilliance and profound loss.