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Ashley Banfield
Hi everybody, I'm Ashley Banfield and this is drop dead Serious. There is some breaking news out of Los Angeles. It's sending shockwaves right across the country. I'm going to just tell you there's not one person who has not been affected by the death of Rob Reiner and his wife. And I say that even if you're not a fan. He either directed or wrote or starred in something that was meaningful in your life, right? Maybe way, way back it was Archie Bunker when he was meathead. Maybe it was A Few Good Men. Maybe it was When Harry Met Sally. Maybe it was Spinal Tap or the reboot of Spinal Tap. Rob Reiner was iconic in Hollywood and he was iconic in politics as well. Leftist politics. He was just so committed to to his political causes. His murder is reverberating way, way past Hollywood. The brutal killings of this Hollywood legend and his wife is a family tragedy. Rob was murdered in his home yesterday along with his wife of 36 years, Michelle Reiner. She is was a producer and a photographer. And it is their son, Nick Reiner, who's locked up tonight and suspected of knifing his parents to death after a heated fight that took place at the home of Conan o', Brien, the famous comedian, at his annual A list Christmas party. Conan o' Brien has this huge Christmas party every year and it's kind of the talk of the town. Like if, if you get invited to Conan o' Brien's party, you're somebody, right? And everybody always talks about who, you know, who got invited, who didn't get invited and what happened at Conan's party. And as it turns out, the party was just on December 13th, that was Saturday night. And Rob and Michelle were there with their son Nick. I'm going to tell you everything that I know so far about some weird stuff that happened at the party. Also a couple of very upsetting new details about the injuries that were suffered by Rob and Michelle. And then again, this curious behavior of their son Nick that he was exhibiting at the Christmas party at Conan's mansion, right along with some of the movies that I already mentioned. Rob Reiner is famous for box office hits like the Princess Bride, Stand By Me, the American President by Aaron Sorkin, and the list goes on and on and on. The news broke on Sunday night, December 14, that the couple had been found by their daughter Romy. She must have walked in on them. She lives across the street. They were brutally stabbed to death inside their gated luxury Brentwood home. And it took just hours before the police could finally name a suspect and make an arrest. The couple's 32 year old son, Nick. According to the LAPD, Nick has been booked on murder, currently being held without bail. And do not expect that to change. A double murder with somebody who's been homeless in the past, who's had drug addiction problems, that's what you call a flight risk. That's what you call a guy who now may have access to Rob Reiner's millions. It's kind of funny. There was originally reports that it was a $4 million bail and that sounded crazy. Not many people get bail when there's murder involved, especially when the kind of murder that they're talking about would bring on a life sentence, no chance of parole. Right. So what do you got to lose? Skip bail? What do you got to lose? You know, so it was surprising when they first. I'm going to talk about that in a little bit. Why There was a $4,000 or $4 million bail and then suddenly it was changed to no bail. But Nick has been very open about his struggles with heroin addiction, about being homeless and what that was like for him. He even co wrote a 2016 film called Being Charlie and it was based on his own life experiences. Guess who directed it? His dad, Rob Reiner. So wow. The tributes that have been coming in to Rob and Michelle have been just non stop, just pouring in. Here's an example. Actress and singer Rita Wilson, married to Tom Hanks. She appeared in Rob Reiner's the Story of Us and she wrote in part, rob and Michelle Reiner are two people who really did make the world a better place. Rob was a generous director who loved actors because he was one himself. He gave actors freedom and he trusted our choices. His work as an actor, writer, director will live on, as will all the works that he and Michelle endeavored so hard to establish for our civil good. Our hearts go out to their families with the deepest of sorrow and, and love. And then Kathy Bates, huge star, she started Misery, right? That was a Rob Reiner movie as well. And she remembered the couple in this way. Quote, I loved Rob. He was brilliant and kind and a man who made films of every genre to challenge himself as an artist. He also fought courageously for his political beliefs. He changed the course of my life. Michelle was a gifted photographer. She shot my beautiful photos for the Misery campaign. My heart breaks for them both my thoughts are with their family. Here is my conversation with Brian Enten from News Nation about Rob Reiner. He was live outside of Rob Reiner's home. Because that investigation is really only just getting started, Brian. There's been a lot of activity there. It took hours and hours just last night for them to get a warrant. I'm wondering if the crime scene has wrapped up, if there's still activity there.
Person Struggling with Budgeting
Yeah, it's interesting when you talk about it taking hours last night for them to get a warrant. I learned the reason today and it's because Nick Reiner, the son, was actually living here at his parents house. And there is a California law that if you're a resident of a place and there's a criminal investigation, they've got to get a warrant and they didn't want to take any chances and they didn't feel like they were in a rush in that moment, I'm told, which is why they waited for the warrant to go inside. But this is the Reiners home behind me. Just a beautiful, beautiful house here in Brentwood. It's so sad to look at. I mean, the beautiful white gates, but all the Christmas decorations, the Christmas ornaments hanging from the trees, they were apparently very, very festive this time of year. One neighbor was telling me the gates were normally open, that they would be having parties this time of year. They were getting ready for the first night of Hanukkah last night when they were just. They were brutally stabbed and killed in their home. Ashley.
Ashley Banfield
So, Brian, you had a chance to speak with a former FBI agent today, but not just any FBI agent, someone who actually lives in the neighborhood and was on scene. When did that agent get on scene? What did the agent tell you?
Person Struggling with Budgeting
Yeah, this is Maureen o', Connell, and she lives down the street. She knows people in the area. And the minute she heard about this happening, she raced over to see what was going on and started talking to the neighbors. Listen to what she told me.
Maureen O'Connell
I asked him what he had heard that happened, and he said both of the. Both Rob Reiner and his wife have both passed away. And initial reportings were that one had passed away, but not the other. And so he said, no, now it's both. And, you know, unfortunately, that turned out to be true. Many people in the neighborhood say that the son, Nick, had been troubled his whole youth, and again, you know, another tragedy. But to stab both your parents is just. And then for the sister to find them is just unbelievable on Hanukkah, you.
Person Struggling with Budgeting
Know, and the sister, she lived right there.
Maureen O'Connell
She lives right across the street.
Person Struggling with Budgeting
Yeah, she was explaining to me that the sister lives close by, was concerned, came to check on her parents and his. Actually the one who made that discovery. And amid all of that commotion outside the house, she was telling me that celebrities started showing up. Larry David, Albert Brooks, Billy Crystal, who was one of Rob Reiner's best friends. They all arrived here and were just in a panic, actually, when they realized what had happened.
Ashley Banfield
So there was some confusion earlier today because the LAPD said that their son Nick was being held on $4 million bail, which sounded weird, given that this is a double murder, if he was being held on murder charges. And then they flipped. What was the story behind the bail? Confusion.
Person Struggling with Budgeting
Yeah. And there was concern here in the neighborhood when that first came out, because while $4 million might sound like a lot, you know, he could possibly have those financial resources, but it turns out they backtracked. It was no longer a $4 million bond. We were then told that the bond was set at zero, so there was no chance of him getting out. And we have learned through TMZ reporting tonight that he is apparently on suicide watch right now.
Ashley Banfield
I would not be the least bit surprised about that given that he's had such mental health issues in the past, apparently drug addiction and then what he's accused of. I mean, good God, if this is true. True. All right, so the other question I have for you is what's next? I mean, he's booked, but he's not charged yet. There's some official work that still needs to be done. What's the next step in this process for Nick Reiner?
Person Struggling with Budgeting
Yes. So there's court bright and early tomorrow morning, 8:30am Los Angeles time, downtown L. A. He is going to be making his first court appearance where he will officially be charged. It's going to be interesting to see who's there, who is his lawyer, Will his family be there? Will his sister perhaps be there? We don't know, but the first court hearing is tomorrow morning.
Ashley Banfield
Oh, Brian. I just can't even imagine what these siblings are going through at this time. Like you said, you can see the holiday lights behind you. This is supposed to be, you know, the season of family and celebration. And this is. I mean, there's just been so much sadness right from Brown University to Bondi beach to now Rob Reiner's home. Break into the show if you learn of anything. If anybody shows up tonight, if you find anything out, by all means, just step in and let us know what's happening. Thank you, Brian. TMZ has been out in front of this story, breaking several details of what happened inside Rob Reiner's home, as well as what's happened with the sun today. No exception as well, I had a chance to speak with TMZ's senior news producer, Charlie Neff. Here's our conversation, Charlie. It seems like Nick had a history of mental illness and maybe even drug abuse. What do you know about it?
Charlie Neff
Yeah. So Nick has publicly talked about his mental illness issues and his substance abuse abuse issues over the years. Specifically, he had said that he had been homeless every now and then because he did not want to go to the place places, the rehab facilities that his parents wanted him to go to. And so the only other option for him was to live on the street. He had been in and out of rehab. And, you know, Rob had openly talked about how he desperately tried to help his son over the years. He even had said that at times he regretted listening to counselors and what they were telling him his son needed. And he wished he listened more to his son his son was saying he needed. But he was being told that his son was manipulated, manipulating him and his wife. And he regretted just how everything had transpired. And there was a time when Nick was sober. He had collabed with his father on a drama that was loosely based on their life. It was called Being Charlie. And, you know, they did a lot of promotion for that movie. And at the time when they did interviews together, Nick had admitted that him and his father had a strained relationship and didn't have a whole lot of things in common. But, you know, everybody knows that Rob and his wife Michelle tried so hard to get their son the help that he needed.
Ashley Banfield
Charlie, what was the relationship like between Nick and his mother, Michelle?
Charlie Neff
The relationship that Nick had with his parents was very strained. In fact, in fact, we were told that these past couple months was really, really tough on the family. We're being told that Rob and his wife Michelle told their very close friends that they had tried everything they could to help their son, and they were at a breaking point where they didn't know what else they could do to help him. We do know that Nick was living at the house at the time of the Grizzly murders. But, you know, I think everybody wants answers as to why this happened. How does a son kill their parents potentially in such a grisly fashion? We're told that there was knife wounds found in their necks. And, you know, it took a very long time for police to arrest Nick, and he is currently currently in custody in connection with the murders of his parents.
Ashley Banfield
It's devastating to think about an attack like that if he's guilty of these crimes. That is such an incredibly personal way to kill someone in hand to hand combat, especially someone, you know, at close contact like that. Do you know anything more about any of the injuries and where the bodies were found and what the crime scene looked like?
Charlie Neff
We're still looking into exactly where the bodies were found found. We do know that they did have knife wounds. We also know that their daughter Romy was the one that discovered their bodies yesterday afternoon, and she was the one that had called police. And when responders came onto the scene, she told police that she believed her brother Nick was the one behind the murders and had cited an argument that had happened recently as to May being the reason as to why he acted it out in violence.
Ashley Banfield
Let me pull on that thread a little bit because TMZ is reporting that the family went to Conan o' Brien's Christmas party over the weekend. I think it was Saturday night, and that there was quite a heated argument that others witnessed between Nick and, I think, his mother, but I might have that wrong. What do you know about this reported argument?
Charlie Neff
Yes, sir. We're hearing that they attended Conan o' Brien's holiday party on Saturday, like you mentioned, and there was some. Some kind of argument that happened specifically between Nick and his father. Michelle was there as well, and I know she was very distraught over this argument. It's unclear what this argument was over, but we do know that it was so animated, so heated, that people that were at the party overheard the commotion. And shortly after the argument came to an end, we're told that both Rob and his wife Michelle left. It's unclear if Nick left at that time, but. But some people that were there at the party also told us that it was surprising to see the way that Nick was dressed. He showed up to, you know, a very fancy holiday party at none other than Conan o' Brien's huge mansion, wearing a hoodie. It didn't look like he wanted to be there. We're told he looked very out of place. And, you know, it just really sets the scene as to what this looked like, what this party looked like. And here they were there with their son. They brought him along. We don't know if his appearance got brought up at all, but we do know that he was noticed because of his appearance at the party and as well as the argument that transpired just.
Ashley Banfield
A couple seconds left. But I do want to ask you, is there any reason as to why Romy believed that it was her brother or at least indicated that as such to the police?
Charlie Neff
We know that Romy had noted the mental health issues that Nick had over the years, and she had noted his substance abuse issues over the years. And she had mentioned the argument that happened as well that she knew about, and so she believed that he was the one that had acted out in violence. We know that Nick was not home at the time. Like I mentioned, he was living at the house. And so Romy had insinuated to police that he may have fled the scene, and that is why he wasn't located on the property. And we do know that police were looking for him for quite some time, and they since have arrested him, and now he's behind bars.
Ashley Banfield
So that's it for this episode. But I'm going to stay on this case because, honestly, it's a mystery when you hear about a child who could potentially have taken the lives of his own parents, people who seemingly had it all, right, all the fame, all the money, all the friends, all the relevance, all the influence like, you just look at their home and the Christmas decorations and how happy everything looked. And then you wonder about your own life. When you think things aren't going well with you, you just imagine these perfect people, things aren't going well with them, right? And in retrospect, we may have it so good. It just. I think that's really the mystery that grips me here. It may not be a whodunit. Look, everyone gets their day in court and Nick Reiner will get his day in court. It may not be such a mystery, given that the arrest was so fast, given that his sister was there and the word is that she led them to the arrest to her brother. But little like Coburger, we know he did it. We just don't know why. We want to get inside that head and figure out what makes people do this, what makes them snap our norms into. What makes them take our peace and our essence and our realities and our love and our worlds and just shatter them. Single people can just destroy everything. Why did they do it? What's in there? That's what's the mystery to me. And I keep wondering if that's what we're gonna get in this story and every other true crime murder that I cover. It's the why for me, right? It's always the why. What took you there? What made you stray so far outside the flock? I'm going to stay on this case. I'm going to bring you updates as soon as we have them. And just a heads up, definitely subscribe because especially with Nick Reiner, he's going to make an appearance later this week and he hasn't even been charged yet. So there's a lot of stuff to drop and I think it's going to be a bad Christmas for that guy in a cell. Also, speaking of Christmas, drop dead Serious merch is now extended. The sale goes through Friday of this week. Because I knew you had to do some Christmas shopping. And if you're like me, you leave it till the. And then you really need, like, saving. So I'm here again. You're welcome. 20% off site wide. Just go to shop.dropdeadserious.com and then I defy you to say that like five times in a row. Fast. Shop.dropdeadserious.com I'm a professional broadcaster. I struggle with it. But go to the merch store, check out the stuff. There's stuff for people you have to buy nice stuff for and spend a lot on. And then there's stuff that you're like, ugh, I gotta buy for that person. And it's like, you know, you'll spend a little but you'll do your duty and you'll save the Christmas dinner. So yeah, check it out. Site wide 20 off. Go till Friday. I decided to go like skip 2 black Fridays and give you 2 extra black Friday weeks because that's me. Hey everybody, thank you so much for being here. Thank you for listening. Thank you for watching. And as always, remember, the truth isn't just serious. Stop being serious.
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Episode: Double Murder in Brentwood: Hollywood Legend and Wife Killed | Rob & Michele Reiner
Date: December 16, 2025
Host: Ashleigh Banfield
In this gripping and somber episode, Ashleigh Banfield dives into the shocking double homicide of renowned Hollywood director Rob Reiner and his wife, producer-photographer Michele Reiner. The episode focuses on the details of the crime, its impact on the industry and community, and the troubling background leading up to it—including the arrest of their son, Nick Reiner, as the prime suspect. Banfield explores family dynamics, mental health struggles, reactions from friends, and the emotional toll on those involved, providing her personal insights and firsthand reporting.
Breaking News: Rob and Michele Reiner were brutally stabbed to death in their Brentwood, Los Angeles home on December 14, 2025. Their daughter, Romy, discovered the bodies and alerted police.
Details of the Incident:
Setting and Atmosphere:
Nick Reiner’s History:
Persistent struggles with heroin addiction and mental health; cycles in and out of rehab.
Co-wrote “Being Charlie” (2016), loosely based on his own life, directed by Rob Reiner.
"Nick has been very open about his struggles with heroin addiction, about being homeless and what that was like for him...He even co-wrote a 2016 film called 'Being Charlie' and it was based on his own life experiences. Guess who directed it? His dad, Rob Reiner. So wow." [03:56]
Family Strain:
Recent months described as a “breaking point” for the family. Parents reportedly shared with friends their exhaustion and inability to help Nick any further.
Relationship between Nick and his parents described as very strained, especially in recent times.
"Rob and his wife Michelle told their very close friends that they had tried everything they could to help their son, and they were at a breaking point..." [14:14] - Charlie Neff
Rob, Michelle, and Nick all attended the high-profile event.
A heated and animated argument between Nick and Rob was overheard by other attendees, with Michelle distraught in its aftermath.
Nick’s appearance—wearing a hoodie at a formal occasion—was noted as out of place and possibly symptomatic of his mental state.
"There was some kind of argument that happened specifically between Nick and his father...It was so animated, so heated, that people that were at the party overheard the commotion." [16:31] - Charlie Neff
Procedural Nuances:
Police had to obtain a warrant due to Nick’s residency status at the home, slowing the initial search.
Nick was not present at the house when bodies were found; Romy told police to focus on him as the suspect, noting his recent argument and his mental health history.
“There is a California law that if you're a resident of a place and there's a criminal investigation, they've got to get a warrant and they didn't want to take any chances...” [07:27] - Brian Enten
Legal Proceedings:
Nick is being held without bail (“bond was set at zero”) and is on suicide watch. First court appearance scheduled for the following morning.
Ongoing investigation; expectations of further revelations upon formal charging and in court.
"We were then told that the bond was set at zero, so there was no chance of him getting out. And we've learned through TMZ reporting tonight that he is apparently on suicide watch right now." [10:25] - Brian Enten
The killings—by stabbing—are personal and violent, raising questions about motive and Nick’s state of mind.
The “why” of such familial violence, especially in affluent, high-achieving families, becomes the focal point for Banfield’s ongoing interest.
"It's always the why. What took you there? What made you stray so far outside the flock? ... That's what's the mystery to me." [19:40] - Ashleigh Banfield
Ashleigh Banfield [01:31]:
“There is some breaking news out of Los Angeles. It's sending shockwaves right across the country. I'm going to just tell you there's not one person who has not been affected by the death of Rob Reiner and his wife.”
Kathy Bates [05:58]:
“I loved Rob. He was brilliant and kind and a man who made films of every genre to challenge himself as an artist...He changed the course of my life.”
Maureen O’Connell, former FBI agent & neighbor [08:46]:
“Many people in the neighborhood say that the son, Nick, had been troubled his whole youth, and again, you know, another tragedy. But to stab both your parents is just...And then for the sister to find them is just unbelievable on Hanukkah.”
Charlie Neff, TMZ [14:14]:
“We're being told that Rob and his wife Michelle told their very close friends that they had tried everything they could to help their son, and they were at a breaking point where they didn't know what else they could do to help him.”
Ashleigh Banfield [19:40]:
“It's the why for me, right? It's always the why. What took you there? What made you stray so far outside the flock?...Single people can just destroy everything. Why did they do it? What's in there? That's what's the mystery to me.”
Ashleigh Banfield’s style in the episode is direct, empathetic, and unflinching, blending her journalistic rigor with a deeply personal sense of tragedy and curiosity. Banfield brings her characteristic irreverence at moments, but the overall tone is somber, reflective, and committed to uncovering the human stories behind the headlines.
This episode is a comprehensive, clear-eyed examination of a staggering Hollywood tragedy. Banfield’s reporting, conversations with journalists and law enforcement, and exclusive insights from those close to the Reiner family provide a nuanced look at the facts, the family’s long struggle, and the broader impacts. The episode is a must-listen for those interested in true crime, Hollywood lore, and the critical questions about family, loss, and the “why” behind the unimaginable.
(Advertisements, merchandise pitches, and non-content segments have been omitted from this summary.)