Acclaimed filmmaker Rob Reiner, best known for directing the iconic mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, and his wife Michele were found dead on Sunday, December 14, in what authorities are treating as an apparent homicide. He was 78 years old.
According to TMZ, Rob Reiner and his 70-year-old wife were found dead in their Brentwood, California home, with law enforcement sources claiming both had suffered knife-related lacerations. The report added that there were no signs of forced entry.
A spokesperson for the family confirmed the Reiners’ deaths, saying in a statement: “It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner. We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time”.
According to People and New York Post, the couple’s 32-year-old son Nick Reiner is “a person of interest” in the deadly stabbing and he is currently “being questioned” by police.
Los Angeles Police Department deputy chief Alan Hamilton said, “We are not looking for anyone as a suspect or in any other manner at this time,” emphasizing that the investigation is still in its earliest phase and adding that no one had yet been detained nor was anyone being interviewed “as a suspect”.
“We’re going to try to speak to every family member that we can to get to the facts of this investigation,” Hamilton said.
Reiner was a two-time Emmy Award–winning actor for his role in the landmark TV series “All in the Family,” and an acclaimed filmmaker behind classics such as “This Is Spinal Tap,” “Stand by Me,” “The Princess Bride,” “When Harry Met Sally…,” “Misery,” “A Few Good Men,” “The American President,” “Ghosts of Mississippi,” and “The Bucket List.” More recently, he directed the Emmy-nominated documentary “Albert Brooks: Defending My Life,” as well as “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues,” the long-awaited sequel to “This Is Spinal Tap”.
R.I.P., Mr. Rob Reiner.
