The violent deaths of Hollywood power couple Michele and Rob Reiner in December, allegedly at the hands of their son, sent shockwaves worldwide.
The presence of his father on Fire Island — Carl Reiner —is the stuff of local lore. As a screenwriter in the 1950s and 1960s, including work on The Dick VanDyke Show, the senior Reiner did not have to take the “Daddy boat” back to work on Monday mornings. He stayed in Ocean Beach, writing scripts during the summer and spending time with his friend Mel Brooks, who kept a home in Lonelyville.
Together, they tested material at Fire Island cocktail parties while developing the 2,000-Year-Old Man routine.
Little has been said about Carl’s shy, thoughtful son, who spent those summers on Fire Island, watching and learning in a creative environment. Another member in that Fire Island family circle would later notice young Robert’s delivery of lines and phrases. That man was Norman Lear, who eventually cast him as Mike Stivic in the groundbreaking 1970s TV comedy All in the Family.
Rob Reiner became a household name in his own right, and his career continued to grow after All in the Family ended in 1979 as he transitioned to filmmaking. He brought the mockumentary, a new comedy genre, to the screen with his film This is Spinal Tap. Other classics he directed included The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, and dramas like A Few Good Men.
Reiner married comedy actress Penny Marshall in 1971. She would go on to become an acclaimed film director in her own right, though the marriage ended. He later met Michele Singer while filming When Harry Met Sally, and the two married in 1989.
Singer attended the School of Visual Arts, graduating in 1978 with a degree in photography. She shared Reiner’s passion for social activism. Together, they raised three children: sons Jake and Nick and daughter Romy.
Like their parents, Jake and Romy also pursued careers in film production. Their middle son, Nick, however, struggled with substance addiction and mental health issues. He was arrested on Dec. 14 for stabbing his parents to death inside their home in Brentwood, CA. He pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder. The case remains pending in court.
“Michele and Rob Reiner devoted a great deal of their lives to the betterment of our fellow citizens … They were a special force together — dynamic, unselfish, and inspiring. We were their friends, and we will miss them forever,” wrote colleagues Albert Brooks, Billy Crystal, Larry David, and Martin Short, among others, in a joint statement released after the untimely death of their friends.
In the wake of their passing, a border conversation has emerged about what has long been a taboo subject: Parents who live in fear for their physical safety due to the violent tendencies of children they are raising. If any meaning at all can be found in the tragic circumstances surrounding their deaths, perhaps other families might now seek help.
