Updated on: December 15, 2025 / 3:30 AM EST / CBS LA
Hollywood director and actor Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were discovered dead in their Brentwood, Los Angeles, home on Sunday afternoon, sources told CBS News. Los Angeles police are treating the deaths as an apparent homicide.
The Reiner family issued a statement saying they are heartbroken by the sudden loss and asking for privacy during this difficult time.
LAPD investigators respond
Robbery Homicide detectives with the Los Angeles Police Department were called to the couple’s home around 3:40 p.m. Sunday after Los Angeles Fire Department crews, who arrived first, reported finding two people deceased. The victims were later identified as Rob Reiner, 78, and Michele Singer Reiner, 68. The LAPD has not publicly released details about how they died.
At a Sunday night news briefing, LAPD Deputy Chief Allen Hamilton said investigators had not identified a suspect and that the department was not actively seeking anyone as a suspect or person of interest while detectives continue their work.
Career highlights
Reiner first rose to prominence as Mike “Meathead” Stivic on the CBS sitcom All in the Family, a role that earned him two Emmy Awards. He went on to appear in films such as Sleepless in Seattle, The Wolf of Wall Street, Everyone’s Hero and The First Wives Club.
As a director, Reiner was responsible for many well-known films, including The Princess Bride, Misery, A Few Good Men, Stand by Me and When Harry Met Sally. He wrote and directed the cult mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap and its sequel, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, which was released in September. Over a six-decade career he received numerous Emmy and Golden Globe nominations as well as an Academy Award nomination.
He was the son of comedian and actor Carl Reiner, creator of The Dick Van Dyke Show, who died in 2020 at age 98. In 2017, Carl and Rob became the first father-and-son pair to leave handprints and footprints together outside the TCL Chinese Theatre.
Personal life
Reiner married Michele Singer in 1989 after meeting her during the filming of When Harry Met Sally. Michele Singer Reiner worked as a photographer; Variety reported she took the image of Donald Trump that appeared on the cover of The Art of the Deal. The couple had three children. Reiner was previously married to director Penny Marshall and is the adoptive father of her daughter, actress Tracy Reiner.
Reactions
Messages of shock and sorrow poured in from across Hollywood and politics. The Lear family, speaking for producer Norman Lear, said they were devastated and recalled Norman often referring to Rob as a son. Former President Barack Obama said he and Michelle were heartbroken and praised Reiner’s work and public service. Actor Sean Astin, newly elected president of the Screen Actors Guild, called Reiner one of the most significant figures in film and television.
California Governor Gavin Newsom and his wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom described themselves as heartbroken and lauded Reiner’s creative contributions and advocacy. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called the news a devastating loss for the city and country. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the deaths devastating and acknowledged Michele Reiner as an indispensable partner to Rob.
The LAPD continues its investigation. Authorities have not released additional details about the circumstances of the deaths or whether a suspect has been identified.