Nick Reiner, the 32-year-old screenwriter, has dealt with addiction and homelessness over the years.
Now, he has been arrested after the deaths of his parents.
A ”very loud argument”
Rob Reiner, his wife Michele, and their son Nick were at Conan O’Brien’s Christmas party on Saturday night. According to Reiner family sources who spoke to TMZ, Rob and Nick got into a “very loud argument” during the event — so loud that many other guests could hear it.
Rob and Michele were then found dead on Sunday, December 14, inside their abode in Brentwood, California. According to The Mirror, authorities described the scene as a “horror double murder” involving what appeared to be stab wounds.
Reiner was 78, Michele was 68.
Now, Nick Reiner has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the deaths of his parents, according to the Los Angeles police chief Jim McDonnell. Jail records first indicated his bail was set at $4 million, but authorities later ordered that Nick Reiner be held without bail.
Authorities have not released any information about a possible motive for the killings. But as more details have emerged and police have identified a suspect, public attention has increasingly turned to Nick’s relationship with the rest of his family, with fans revisiting past dynamics in search of context.
Made a movie together
Years before the current tragedy, Rob and Nick Reiner had publicly explored their complicated father-son relationship through film.
In 2015, the two collaborated on Being Charlie, a semi-autobiographical movie inspired by their family’s real-life struggle with addiction. Nick co-wrote the script with a friend he met in rehab, drawing directly from his own experiences as an addict, while Rob directed the project.
Much like the Reiners’ own story, the character resents what he sees as his parents’ rigid, rehab-focused approach to his recovery.
The movie’s final moments are especially poignant. The father apologizes for how he handled his son’s addiction, while still affirming his love. Charlie responds by saying he doesn’t “hate” his dad, embraces him, and quietly says, “take good care” before walking away.
Homelessness and rehab
That on-screen apology mirrored real life. Nick spent years moving between rehab centers and also faced periods of homelessness during his teenage years.
“When Nick would tell us that it wasn’t working for him, we wouldn’t listen,” Rob told the Los Angeles Times during a family dinner that included Nick.
“We were desperate and because the people had diplomas on their wall, we listened to them when we should have been listening to our son.”
