Conan O'Brien has broken his silence two months after the murder of his friends Rob and Michele Reiner, who were killed after attending his annual Christmas party. The couple, aged 78 and 70 respectively, died from multiple stab wounds on 14 December 2025, according to their death certificates. Their son Nick, 32, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
In an interview with The New Yorker, O'Brien described being 'in shock' for an extended period following the tragedy. 'It's just so awful,' he said. 'And I think about how Rob felt about things that are happening in the country, how involved he was, how much he put himself out there – and to have that voice go quiet in an instant is still hard for me to comprehend.' He added that he and his wife had grown close to the couple and were devastated by the sudden loss.
The Reiners were discovered with stab wounds at their home in Brentwood, Los Angeles, by their youngest daughter, Romy. Reports suggest Nick had a heated argument with his parents hours before their deaths. He has been held without bail, wearing an anti-suicide smock, and his lawyer has since quit the case. Nick, reportedly diagnosed with schizophrenia in the weeks before the murder, is due to be arraigned on 23 February.
If convicted, Nick faces life in prison without parole or the death penalty, though no decision on the latter has been made. The couple's other children, Jake and Romy, issued a statement on 17 December describing the 'unimaginable pain' of losing their parents, whom they called their best friends.
