Rob and Michele Reiner 'Thought They Had More Time' to Help Son Nick Before Killings: 'They Never Lost Hope' (Exclusive)
- - Rob and Michele Reiner 'Thought They Had More Time' to Help Son Nick Before Killings: 'They Never Lost Hope' (Exclusive)
Jack SmartDecember 20, 2025 at 6:00 AM
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Denise Truscello/Getty; Eric Charbonneau/Getty
(Left-right:) Nick Reiner; Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner -
Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were found dead in their home on Dec. 14, and their son Nick, 32, has been charged with murder
A source tells PEOPLE that the couple “never lost hope” in their son, who struggled with drug addiction for years
“They thought they had more time before it resulted in tragedy,” the source adds
Rob and Michele Reiner never gave up on their son Nick’s wellbeing, says a source close to the family.
“His issues were far, far out of his parents’ control,” the source tells PEOPLE of the 32-year-old, who has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the Dec. 14 deaths of his parents.
Nick had been open about his struggles with drug addiction, homelessness and rehab. But, the source says, he “didn’t take [his parents’] help seriously. This was true for years and years.”
Rob and Michele, who also shared son Jake and daughter Romy, were “empathetic to how much his struggles contributed to his behavior,” says the source. “They never lost hope in him, even when he was scaring them or making their lives harder.”
"Nick had so many good days too, says the source, noting his struggles “would change day to day. They thought they had more time before it resulted in tragedy.”
Gilbert Carrasquillo/FilmMagic
Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner in 2013
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On Sunday, Rob, 78, and Michele, 70, were found dead inside their Los Angeles home. The When Harry Met Sally director and his producer wife “did an admirable job balancing parenting and work,” says another source, “but their kids are all adults now and they had tried so hard already for years.”
Nick appeared in court on Wednesday, Dec. 17; his lawyer Alan Jackson declined to enter a plea for his client. His arraignment will continue Jan. 7.
Jake, 34, and Romy, 28, spoke out about the "horrific and devastating loss of our parents" in a statement shared on Wednesday. "Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day.”
Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty
(Left-right:) Rob Reiner, Michele Singer Reiner, Romy Reiner, Nick Reiner, Maria Gilfillan and Jake Reiner at the Los Angeles premiere of 'Spinal Tap II: The End Continues' on Sept. 9
In PEOPLE's latest cover story, one insider close to the family said the Reiners "could never reach stability” when it came to Nick’s issues.
“They tried everything — giving him space, keeping him close — but his struggles are so deep.... They were such lovely people and tried in every way to help their son."
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
