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NEED TO KNOW
On Dec. 14, Rob Reiner and his wife were found dead by suspected homicide in their home
Their son Nick, who had previously been open about his struggles with drug addiction and homelessness, has been arrested in connection with their killings and will be charged with two counts of first-degree murder
The award-winning director had been candid over the years about navigating Nick's struggles, though he said in September 2025 that his son had been in a "really good place"
Rob Reinerand his wife were candid over the years about navigating their sonNick Reiner's struggles with addiction. Now, he isaccused of killing them.
On Dec. 14, theWhen Harry Met Sally...director and his wife,Michele Singer Reiner, were founddeadby suspected homicide in their Brentwood, Calif., home. Multiple sources who spoke with family members told PEOPLE that the couple werekilled by their son, who was arrested later that day in connection with their deaths. The Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced at a press conference on Dec. 16 that Nick will be charged withtwo counts of first-degree murderwith a special allegation that used a knife.
Shortly after their deaths, a source told PEOPLE that Rob and Michele "could never reach stability" with Nick, who had previously been open about his years-long struggles with drug addiction and homelessness and cycled in and out of rehab around 18 times.
"They tried everything — giving him space, keeping him close — but his struggles are so deep. It's just a parent's worst nightmare," one source said, while another insider added that the couple "tried in every way to help their son."
Rob and Michele — who also sharedson Jake, daughter Romy and Rob's daughter Tracyfrom his first marriage — had also been candid about navigating Nick's battles, with the Oscar-winning director even channeling it into his work with his 2015 filmBeing Charlie, which was co-written by Nick.
Here's everything that the late Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner said about their son Nick's struggles with addiction.
Rob "felt bad" for his son, but was "never angry"
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In 2015, Rob and Nick collaborated onBeing Charlie, a film loosely inspired by their own experiences. The story centers on a teenager battling addiction who grows resentful of his parents after they repeatedly send him to rehab.
Ahead of the film's release, Rob reflected to PEOPLE about his son's own struggles and recalled discovering that Nick had been using drugs just shy of his 15th birthday.
"I was never angry," Rob said. "I felt bad for him andI didn't know what to do to help– and a lot of times parents don't know what to do."
Rob went on to say that making the movie with his son "forced us to look at what each other was going through."
"Anytime you get an insight into what somebody else is experiencing, it makes you understand them more," he said. "And if it's a father-son, a child and a parent, it makes the relationship better. Our relationship is better now than it was, and it's got places to go."
Rob said there were "painful and difficult highs and lows"
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Rob reflected on Nick's recovery and addiction in a September 2015 interview with theLos Angeles Times, recalling how things had changed over the years.
"It was very, very hard going through it the first time, with these painful and difficult highs and lows," Rob said, adding that makingBeing Charlie"dredged it all up."
Working onBeing Charlietogether made Rob "understand" Nick a lot more
In May 2016, Rob and Nick appeared on theBUILD Seriesto discussBeing Charlie, and got candid about how the experience making the movie affected their relationship. While they admitted that they didn't have the strongest relationship before collaborating, the father and son shared that they grew closer while working on the project.
"I mean, you know, we got into issues [but] ... the whole process for me,it did make me understand him a lot moreand I think it made me a better father, hopefully it did," Rob said, while Nick added that it made him feel "closer" to his dad.
Rob said he regretted not trusting his own instincts about his son's struggles
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Elsewhere in his interview with theLos Angeles Times, Rob opened up about his regrets on how he and Michele handled Nick's addiction.
"The program works for some people but it can't work for everybody," the director said. "When Nick would tell us that it wasn't working for him, we wouldn't listen. 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."
While speaking on theBUILD Series, Rob also got candid about struggling with the idea of enforcing "tough love," which had been advised to him by many people.
"The whole idea of tough love and you have to be a certain way, it's not my nature, it's not the way I am built," he said. "If your kid is going through rough times, [as] the parent, your main job is to keep your child safe."
Rob continued, "At the end of the day, I know my child better than an expert does and I probably should have trusted my own instinct and that's one of the things I did learn about the whole experience."
Michele said she felt "influenced" by those who tried to tell her how to handle her son's addiction
In theBUILD Seriesconversation, Michele echoed Rob's remarks on wishing they hadn't always let outside voices influence them.
"We were so influenced by these people," she said. "They would tell us he's a liar, that he was trying to manipulate us. And we believed them."
Rob said his son was in a "really good place" and hadn't done drugs in over six years in September 2025
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Just three months before Rob and his wife were killed, the actor said he believed Nick was in "a really good place."
During an interview withNPRin September 2025, Rob revisitedBeing Charlieand compared his own father-son relationship to that of the one depicted in the film. Unlike the on-screen characters, Rob said he was "never, ever too busy" for Nick.
"I mean, if anything, I was the other way, you know, I was more hands-on and trying to do whatever I thought I could do to help," the actor continued. "I'm sure I made mistakes and, you know, I've talked about that with him since."
Rob also shared that Nick was doing "great" at the time, saying that he "hasn't been doing drugs for over six years."
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
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