UPDATED with latest: The bodies of Rob Reiner and his wife, photographer-producer Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead Sunday in their Brentwood home, sources confirmed to Deadline.
Sources say the Oscar-nominated director and his wife had been stabbed, and the Los Angeles Police Department is on the scene and investigating.
The family confirmed the deaths in a statement, saying, “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.”
LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton said during a late-night press conference tonight that he would not confirm the identity of the victims and their cause of death, deferring to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office pending further investigation.
Additionally, “at this time, the Los Angeles Police Department is not seeking anyone as a suspect or as a person of interest or in any other manner, and we will not be doing that until we conduct our investigation,” Hamilton added.
LAFD received an urgent call of an “incident” at the Reiner home, located on the 200 block of South Chadbourne Avenue, at approximately 3:38 p.m. PT Sunday. The organization arrived at the residence soon afterward, with the LAPD on the scene within the hour. Authorities described the situation as a “family incident.” Well-placed sources told Deadline that authorities were summoned by one of the Reiner children, believed to be daughter Romy Reiner, who lives in the neighborhood.
Two people were found dead, as a result of a stabbing, in the multi-hyphenate’s Brentwood mansion, authorities confirmed to Deadline. Though law enforcement did not disclose the identities of the deceased, they were identified as a 78-year-old man and 68-year-old woman, respectively, descriptions that match the ages of Reiner and his wife Michele Reiner.
Billy Crystal and Larry David were reported on the scene, per ABC Los Angeles.
Police officers have cordoned off several blocks around the house and were still active at the time of the press conference, which took place around 8:50 pm.
Reiner first rose to fame with his breakout role as Michael “Meathead” Stivic on Norman Lear’s pioneering CBS sitcom All in the Family, which ran for nine seasons throughout the better part of the ’70s. Portraying the progressive, countercultural hipster and husband to Sally Struthers’ Gloria, he often sparred with Carroll O’Connor’s bigoted Archie Bunker in a role that was sought by Richard Dreyfuss and turned down by Harrison Ford.
The performer went on to helm a number of classic and beloved films, which often blended comedic and dramatic sensibilities with ease. His 1984 metal band mockumentary This is Spinal Tap served as the blueprint for musical documentary satires, getting the sequel treatment earlier this year. Additional credits by the filmmaker include Stand by Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Misery, A Few Good Men (for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture), The American President and Flipped.
Throughout his extensive directing career, Reiner continued acting, appearing in such movies as Sleepless in Seattle and The Wolf of Wall Street. On television, he additionally appeared as himself on The Larry Sanders Show, Curb Your Enthusiasm, 30 Rock and Wizards of Waverly Place. He also had roles on New Girl, Hollywood, The Good Fight and, most recently, The Bear.
Prior to landing the role on All in the Family, Reiner booked early career roles on Manhunt, Batman, The Andy Griffith Show, That Girl, The Beverly Hillbillies and The Partridge Family. Afterward, Reiner also booked parts on The Odd Couple and The Rockford Files.
Reiner was born March 6, 1947 in the Bronx, New York City, into an entertainment industry dynasty. His parents were Carl Reiner, the 11-time Emmy Award-winning The Dick Van Dyke Show creator, and Estelle Reiner (née Lebost), an actress and singer who notably appeared as the scene-stealing customer in the When Harry Met Sally scene at Katz’s Delicatessen, who quips, “I’ll have what she’s having.”
The filmmaker met Michele Singer Reiner on the set of the inimitable Meg Ryan- and Crystal-led romantic dramedy, and the two had three children, daughter Romy and sons Nick and Jake. Reiner was previously wed to Laverne & Shirley star and Big director Penny Marshall, who died in 2018.
Outside of his revered, decades-spanning career, the director was an outspoken political advocate and Democratic Party booster. His latest comments in October included warning of President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to California and Oregon, calling the administration “beyond McCarthy era-esque” and urging Hollywood storytellers to “start communicating to the rest of the country, to let them know what is going to happen to them.”
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