Comedy legend Jerry Seinfeld has shared a heartfelt tribute to his late friend and colleague, Rob Reiner, following the tragic deaths of the actor-director and his wife, Michele. The couple were fatally stabbed in their Los Angeles home on Sunday, with their son, Nick, arrested on suspicion of murder.
A Career-Defining Influence
On Monday, the 71-year-old comic posted a poignant photograph to Instagram from the 2000 Kennedy Center Honors, showing himself standing alongside Rob Reiner and Rob's father, the legendary Carl Reiner. In an emotional caption, Seinfeld placed Reiner as the third-most impactful figure in his illustrious show business career, behind only Larry David and his manager, George Shapiro.
Seinfeld credited Reiner, whose company Castle Rock Entertainment produced the stalwart TV comedy, with single-handedly rescuing his self-titled NBC series from cancellation. "Our show would have never happened without him," Seinfeld stated. "He saw something no one else could." He described the Brooklyn native as a powerful advocate during a critical early period when network executives were unimpressed.
The Fight to Save a Sitcom
Seinfeld recalled that when "nobody at the network liked the early episodes, he saved us from cancellation." This account aligns with Rob Reiner's own 2016 recollection on The Howard Stern Show, where he detailed a fierce confrontation with then-NBC executive Brandon Tartikoff. Reiner said network brass failed to grasp the show's nuanced, conversational humour, famously dismissing it as "The Show About Nothing."
"I said, 'Please, I promise you there'll be stories. You can't take this show off the air. It's going to be one of the great shows you've ever had,'" Reiner recounted, saying he had to "beg" for more time. His advocacy allowed Seinfeld, which ran from 1989 to 1998, the chance to find its audience and become a television phenomenon.
A Personal and Professional Loss
Beyond professional gratitude, Seinfeld expressed deep personal sorrow. He marvelled at having worked with "Carl Reiner’s son, who happened to be one of the kindest people in show business," and said he was initially naive to the significance of Reiner's passion for the project. He also held up Rob and Michele's 35+ year marriage as a template, saying they "became an imprint for me of how it’s supposed to work, each one broadening the other."
Seinfeld concluded his tribute by addressing the couple's shocking demise: "Their death, together, is impossibly sad." The lifeless bodies of Rob, 78, and Michele, 68, were discovered on Sunday afternoon at their Brentwood, California home. Law enforcement confirmed they died from lethal stab wounds.
Their 32-year-old son, Nick Reiner, remains in custody without bail on suspicion of murder. Officials stated a motive has not yet been determined. Nick has previously been open about struggles with substance abuse, which led to family conflicts, periods of homelessness, and multiple rehabilitation attempts.
