Friends of Hollywood director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele have launched a fierce defence of the couple, condemning online trolls who have suggested they did not adequately support their son before he allegedly murdered them.
Family Tragedy and Online Backlash
The couple were found dead with their throats slit in their $13.5 million Los Angeles mansion on December 14. Their 27-year-old daughter, Romy, discovered their bodies. Their son, Nick Reiner, 32, was arrested the following day and is accused of the killings.
In the wake of the tragedy, controversial attacks emerged online, notably from conservative influencer Megyn Kelly. She suggested the vicious murders "may involve parents who were focused on the wrong thing, like careers instead of their kid."
Sources close to the family have told the Daily Mail these accusations are utterly false. "Any reporting suggesting that Rob and Michele didn't love all of their children equally is totally false," a source said. "They were totally devoted to all of their children and did everything they could to support them."
A Long Struggle with Mental Health
Friends describe a family grappling for years with their son's severe mental illness. Nick had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and struggled with substance abuse. He had attended rehab at least 17 times in recent years, often staying in his parents' guesthouse during recovery.
Insiders claim his condition deteriorated sharply in the weeks before the alleged murders after doctors changed his psychiatric medication. He reportedly became "erratic and dangerous" as his mental illness spiralled out of control.
Nick had been living in the guesthouse on his parents' property for the past five years. A source described him as a "ticking time bomb," whose drug use worsened after his parents threatened to ask him to leave. "He would do meth and not sleep for days and then have outbursts, breaking things, punching walls," the friend claimed.
Final Days and a Star-Studded Party
The depth of his parents' concern was highlighted on the Saturday night before their deaths. Rob and Michele reportedly asked if they could bring Nick to a star-studded holiday party hosted by Conan O'Brien because they wanted to "keep an eye on him."
Guests at the A-list event said Nick displayed "antisocial behaviour," including staring at attendees. Witnesses said he had a loud argument with his father and a heated moment with comedian Bill Hader.
At the time of his arrest, his sister Romy told investigators her brother "should be a suspect" because he was "dangerous." The case continues to unfold, leaving a family and community in mourning and fighting against a painful narrative they say is built on lies.
