By Jordan Freiman / Updated December 15, 2025 / CBS News
Director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead Sunday in their Brentwood, Los Angeles, home in what police described as an apparent homicide, sources told CBS News. Rob Reiner was 78 and Michele Singer Reiner was 68.
Their family released a statement to Variety: “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.”
Firefighters called to the home Sunday afternoon discovered two bodies. The Los Angeles Police Department said the Robbery Homicide Division responded but provided few details, calling the case an “apparent homicide.” At a news conference, LAPD Deputy Chief Allen Hamilton said the department was “not seeking anyone as a suspect, or as a person of interest or in any other manner, and we will not be doing that until we conduct our investigation and move forward.” He added LAPD had not identified a suspect “at this time,” and that “no one has been detained. … No one is being interviewed.” Police would not immediately confirm the identities of the deceased.
Leaders and figures in Hollywood and politics reacted to the news. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called it “a devastating loss for our city and our country,” praising Reiner’s contributions to American culture and his advocacy for social and economic justice. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and his partner, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, said they were “heartbroken by the tragic loss of Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner.” Newsom lauded Reiner’s storytelling and empathy, citing films from The Princess Bride to A Few Good Men.
Former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama said they were “heartbroken” and noted Reiner’s achievements in film and television and his deep belief in the goodness of people. Rep. Nancy Pelosi called the news “devastating,” calling Rob “creative, funny, and beloved” and describing Michele as his “indispensable partner, intellectual resource, and loving wife.” Sean Astin, newly elected president of the Screen Actors’ Guild, called Reiner “one of those most significant figures in the history of film and television,” saying his cultural impact “simply can’t be overstated.”
Reiner directed and produced celebrated films including The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally…, A Few Good Men, Stand By Me and This Is Spinal Tap. A sequel, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, was released this fall. Michele Singer Reiner worked as a photographer and, according to Variety, took the photo of Donald Trump used on the cover of his book The Art of the Deal.
The couple married in 1989 and had three children. Reiner was previously married to director Penny Marshall and is the adoptive father of her daughter, actress Tracy Reiner. The son of comedian and actor Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner rose to fame as Michael Stivic (“Meathead”) on CBS’s All in the Family, a role that earned him two Emmy Awards.
The family of Norman Lear, the producer of All in the Family, said Lear “often referred to Rob as a son” and noted Rob and Michele “spent every breath trying to make this country a better place” through their art, activism, philanthropy and love for family and friends.
In When Harry Met Sally…, Reiner included a brief appearance by his mother Estelle, who delivered the iconic line, “I’ll have what she’s having.” Reiner first met Michele during the filming of that movie, and in a 2016 interview with AV Club he said meeting her influenced his decision to change the film’s ending so Harry and Sally end up together.