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The Guardian World1 min read
'My living nightmare': Rob Reiner's son on how he found out parents were dead
TL;DR
Jake Reiner shared the traumatic moment he learned of his parents' murder, revealing his brother is charged with the crime. He described the overwhelming grief of losing both parents simultaneously.
Key points
- Jake Reiner's parents were murdered in December.
- Nick Reiner is charged with the murders and has pleaded not guilty.
- Jake expressed the trauma of losing both parents simultaneously.
Mentioned in this story
Jake ReinerRob ReinerMichele ReinerNick ReinerLos Angeles
The eldest son of the late Hollywood director Rob Reiner has told how his world "collapsed" after his parents were stabbed to death, and his own brother was charged with their murders.
Jake Reiner, 34, wrote in a blog post that "nothing compares to losing both of them at the same time and, on top of that, having your brother be at the center of it".
"My world, as I knew it, had collapsed," the actor wrote of the moment his sister phoned him with the devastating news. "I was in a trance."
Rob and Michele Reiner were found stabbed to death in their Los Angeles home in December. Their youngest son, Nick Reiner, 32, has pleaded not guilty to murder. He is due back in court next week.
In a lengthy Substack post published on Friday, Jake Reiner reminisced about his mother and father and said that "nothing can prepare you for what it feels like to lose both parents instantly at the same time".
"It's too devastating to comprehend. I still wake up every morning having to convince myself that, no, it's not a dream. This truly is my living nightmare," he wrote.
Rob Reiner, 78, and Michele Singer Reiner, 70, were found dead in their Brentwood home by their daughter Romy on 14 December.
Jake Reiner wrote in his post that Romy will tell her story separately from him, "in her own way and in her time".
The couple died from "multiple sharp force injuries", according to the LA County medical examiner.
Nick Reiner was arrested in Los Angeles the same day, as US outlets reported that he and his father had attended a party the previous night and had a row.
Jake Reiner said he keeps thinking about how frightened his parents must have been that night and that they were "the last people in the world to deserve what happened to them".
"They deserved to be loved, they deserved to be respected, and above all they deserved to be appreciated for how much they gave to all three of us and to the world," Jake he wrote.
Prosecutors allege that Nick Reiner fatally stabbed his father and mother inside a bedroom of their home before fleeing.
He faces two counts of first-degree murder, with a special circumstance alleging multiple murders.
He remains in custody and is next due in court on 29 April.
Q&A
What happened to Rob and Michele Reiner?
Rob and Michele Reiner were found stabbed to death in their Los Angeles home in December.
Who is charged with the murders of Rob and Michele Reiner?
Their youngest son, Nick Reiner, has been charged with their murders and has pleaded not guilty.
How did Jake Reiner react to his parents' deaths?
Jake Reiner described his world collapsing upon hearing the news, expressing profound grief over losing both parents at once.
