Jake and Romy Reiner break silence after parents’ murders: ‘They were our best friends’
Honoree Rob Reiner poses with family at the 41st Annual Chaplin Award Gala at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on April 28, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES - Jake and Romy Reiner released a statement Wednesday as they continue to grapple with the unfathomable loss of their parents, Rob and Michele Singer Reiner.
Their brother, 32-year-old Nick Reiner, was charged in the stabbing deaths of their parents.
‘Unimaginable pain’
What they're saying:
Jake and Romy Reiner issued a joint statement, first obtained by TMZ.
"Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day. The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience. They weren't just our parents; they were our best friends."
Reiner family breaks silence as Nick appears in court
The son and daughter of Rob and Michele Reiner released a statement Wednesday on the day their brother Nick appeared in court for the first time, accused of being the person responsible for killing their parents in their Brentwood home.
The statement continued, "We are grateful for the outpouring of condolences, kindness, and support we have received not only from family and friends but people from all walks of life. We now ask for respect and privacy, for speculation to be tempered with compassion and humanity, and for our parents to be remembered for the incredible lives they lived and the love they gave."
Nick Reiner appears in suicide prevention vest
Nick Reiner made his first court appearance on Wednesday. Reiner appeared in a suicide prevention vest, according to Fox News.
Romy frequently shared heartfelt posts featuring her filmmaker father in her Instagram posts. The most recent one was from Nov. 29, showing what appeared to be a family vacation.
Rob Reiner, wife found dead in Los Angeles home
Actor Rob Reiner and his wife were found dead Sunday afternoon inside their Los Angeles home.
Rob Reiner also adopted his daughter, Tracy Reiner, from his first marriage to Penny Marshall.
Heartfelt tributes pour in
Tributes poured in from celebrities and politicians following the shocking deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner, with several statements speaking to their kindness.
On Monday, Michelle Obama revealed on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" that she and her husband, Barack, were set to have dinner with the couple the night they were killed.
RELATED:
- ‘Stunned’: Jane Fonda shares she saw Rob and Michele Reiner night before murders
- Rob Reiner: Hollywood reacts to legendary filmmaker's death
The backstory:
Officials said it was Romy Reiner who made the gruesome discovery when she found her parents dead at their Brentwood home on the afternoon of Sunday, Dec. 14.
Investigators said Nick was not at the home when officers arrived, and detectives believe he left sometime after the attacks.
Surveillance footage obtained by FOX 11 showed him buying Gatorade at a gas station near the University of Southern California before he was surrounded by officers and subsequently arrested on suspicion of murder. His arrest took place about 14 miles from the crime scene.
RELATED: Reiner murders: Video shows Nick Reiner moments before arrest
Charges filed against Nick Reiner
Nick Reiner made his first court appearance on Wednesday in a downtown LA courtroom where his official arraignment has been postponed to Jan. 7, 2026.
The day prior, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced the 32-year-old was charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
Along with the murder charges, prosecutors added special circumstances of multiple murders and a special allegation that the defendant used a dangerous weapon, a knife. The additions could mean a greater sentence.
LA County DA Nathan Hochman has not made a decision on whether to pursue the death penalty.
New details emerge
The night before the killings, sources reported that Nick got into a heated argument with his father at Conan O'Brien's holiday party. A witness told FOX 11 the couple's son had been acting "oddly" that night.
a hotel around 4 a.m., with Santa Monica hotel staff alleging they found blood in his shower and on his mattress.
RELATED COVERAGE:
- Rob Reiner and son Nick had argument at Conan O’Brien party before parents' death, sources say
- Nick Reiner's Santa Monica hotel room 'full of blood' amid Rob Reiner, Michele Reiner's deaths: TMZ
- List: Rob Reiner’s movie and TV shows
Read more of this story from FOX 11 Los Angeles.
The Source: This story was written from a joint statement released by Jake and Romy Reiner on Wednesday, Dec. 17. This story also used information from the Associated Press, the Los Angeles Police Department, and previous FOX 11 reports.