Hollywood icon Rob Reiner and his wife Michele found dead, police investigating

It feels strange and sad to write this.

If you haven’t heard by now, on Sunday December 14, 2025, the world lost one of the architects of our childhood and countless movie nights. Rob Reiner, the man who taught us what “Hello” really meant, who made us laugh at This Is Spinal Tap and fall in love all over again in The Princess Bride and When Harry Met Sally…, and his wife Michele Singer Reiner, a talented photographer and producer who stood beside him for more than three decades, were found dead in their Brentwood, California, home.

Reiner’s career could fill a shelf of VHS tapes and Blu-rays. From playing “Meathead” on All in the Family in the 1970s, which was a role that made him a familiar face in living rooms across America, to directing films that became part of every Gen Xer’s life, his influence on pop culture was enormous. Michele was his partner in that life, both personally and professionally, after they married in 1989 and raised three children together.

What makes this tragedy especially heartbreaking for fans and the film community isn’t just the loss of two beloved figures, it’s that initial reports indicate a family member was involved in the fatal incident, and authorities have said their son, Nick Reiner, is being questioned and is in custody in connection with what police are treating as a homicide investigation. None of the official reports have released graphic details, and out of respect for the family and the seriousness of ongoing investigations, I won’t reprint those here.

It’s a reminder that behind the movies that bring us comfort, the laughter that echoes through decades, there are real lives and real heartbreaks. Rob and Michele’s work helped shape our sense of humor and our sense of love, and for that, they’ll be remembered not just as creators, but as part of our film and personal history.

What’s your favorite Rob Reiner film?