Rob Reiner's son Jake speaks out for first time after brother accused of killing their parents
The son of Rob and Michele Reiner has spoken out for the first time after his brother was accused of killing their parents with a knife.
The couple were found dead in their Hollywood home on December 14 last year.
The filmmaker and his wife had been found by their daughter with multiple stab wounds prompting a major police investigation.
Rob had directed a string of critically acclaimed films during the '80s and '90s, including Stand By Me and When Harry Met Sally.
Advert
Jake Reiner, the eldest son of the renowned director and his photographer wife, has spoken out after his brother, Nick Reiner, pleaded not guilty to murder charges.
Nick was formally charged with two counts of first-degree murder over the December 2025 stabbing.
The grand jury indictment also claimed that he had allegedly committed the murders by means of 'lying in wait.'
Speaking out, the eldest son of the couple Jake Reiner has done a sit-down exclusive interview with ABC7 where he opened up about the 'living nightmare'.
"Nobody really understands what it's like to go through something like that until you're living it," he told the broadcaster.
"It's been eight months. It feels like eight years at the same time. And it also feels like eight minutes because every moment that I wake up, I'm reminded of my reality.
"Romy called me, and I screened it, because I thought at the time, I'm in the middle of something, you know, I'll call her back.
"She called immediately again, and I knew at that point that something was wrong."
Jake said nothing could have prepared him for arriving at his parent's home the night of the double killing.
He explained: “As a reporter, I did it for 10 years, I came up on crime scenes all the time... but when it's your crime scene, a crime scene at your childhood home, it’s like the most surreal thing I've ever seen."
He continued: "It's like, I physically lost my parents, and then Nick was arrested. Now it's just me and Romy, and we have to navigate this by ourselves essentially.
“For me, it manifests into anger. It manifests into rage, into how unfair this was, how I didn't get a say in what happened.
"I didn't get to stop it from happening. I had no choice in the matter. I just have to accept the reality of it. And to me, that is just one of the most infuriating parts of all of this."
He also previously wrote about what happened on his personal Substack page. Back in April, he penned: "I still wake up every morning having to convince myself that, no, it’s not a dream. This truly is my living nightmare.
"One thing I keep coming back to is how frightened they must have been. They were the last people in the world to deserve what happened to them.
"They deserved to be loved, they deserved to be respected, and above all they deserved to be appreciated for how much they gave to all three of us and to the world.
"We lost more than half of our family that night in the most violent way imaginable."
Rob, 78, and Michele, 68, married in 1989 and had three children, their sons Jake and Nick and daughter Romy. They were discovered at their US home.
Jake described his parents as his 'guiding lights, the foundation of who I am as a human being, and the most giving people I have ever known.'
He penned: "The love they have for me, my brother, and my sister is truly unconditional.
"And the love they have for each other in their marriage is something I always looked up to as the standard of what a successful relationship looks like.
"My mom was the one who helped me move in and out of dorms and apartments at Syracuse University and continued to help me move in and out of apartments when I began my broadcasting career.
"Her support for me never wavered, and I always felt how much she loved me. I feel her presence everywhere, every single day. I miss her so much."
And of his father, he added: "Just like my mom, my dad also supported me in whatever I wanted to do with my life.
"I was nervous when I made the switch from broadcasting to acting because I didn’t know how he’d react.
"I guess I should’ve known because all he ever wanted was for me to be happy and love what I do. I wish he and I could’ve worked on a project together from start to finish. I miss him so much."
Reiner also faces a special allegation that he personally used a knife in the killings. He is scheduled to return to court on 15 September for a hearing.
Topics: US News, Crime, Entertainment
James Holt