Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer were found dead at their home in Brentwood, California, on Sunday.
“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,” a spokesperson for the family confirmed in a statement.
LA Fire Department Paramedics were called to the couple’s home around 3:30 p.m. local time, where they discovered their bodies. TMZ reports that the couple sustained stab wounds. LAPD’s Robbery Homicide Division are investigating their deaths as a homicide.
Reiner, an acclaimed director and beloved actor, had a chameleon-like gift for genre and an iconic on-screen presence. Born on March 6th, 1947, to legendary comedy writer-director Carl Reiner and actress-singer Estelle Reiner, Rob grew up in New Rochelle, New York, and attended UCLA Film School in Los Angeles.
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After a number of bit acting roles in the ’60s and early ’70s, as well as a job writing on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour with then-writing partner Steve Martin, Rob landed his breakthrough role as Michael “Meathead” Stivic on the hit sitcom All in the Family, appearing in 182 episodes over the course of that show’s run. He was also the third person to ever host Saturday Night Live, taking the Studio 8H stage on October 25th, 1975.
In the ’80s, he took off as a director, helming a handful of the most defining movies of the decade, among them the iconic rock mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap (his first film as director), the coming-of-age classic Stand by Me, the fantasy-adventure comedy The Princess Bride, and the oft-quoted rom-com When Harry Met Sally…
Reiner expanded upon his versatility in the ’90s, moving away from comedy with the psychological horror film Misery, and the legal dramas A Few Good Men and Ghosts of Mississippi. Other notable movies from his filmography include The American President, Rumor Has It…, and The Bucket List.
Even after reaching A-list status as a director, Reiner continued to act throughout the years, a reliable and often hilarious screen presence in projects including Postcards from the Edge, Sleepless in Seattle, The Larry Sanders Show, New Girl, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Whether cameo-ing as himself on 30 Rock or playing Leonardo DiCaprio’s furious father in The Wolf of Wall Street, he was never anything less than a welcome addition to any cast.
Most recently, he directed the 2023 documentary Albert Brooks: Defending My Life, and appeared in three episodes of FX’s The Bear Season 4 as a business consultant. His final film as both director and actor was this year’s Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, the long-awaited sequel to This Is Spinal Tap and one of Consequence’s 25 Best Movies of 2025. The movie reunited Reiner with longtime collaborators Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, and Michael McKean, and showcased his return as hapless director Marty DiBergi.
In addition to directing and acting, Reiner was a noted liberal activist, as he co-founded the American Foundation for Equal Rights and served as a member of the Social Responsibility Task Force.
Reiner was introduced to photographer Michele Singer while he was directing When Harry Met Sally… After falling in love with her, he decided to give the movie a happy ending. Interestingly, one of Singer’s most notable photography assignments was shooting Donald Trump for the cover of his book The Art of the Deal.
Prior to tying the knot with Singer in 1989, Reiner was married to actress-director Penny Marshall from 1971 to 1981. He is survived by Tracy Reiner (Penny Marshall’s daughter from a previous marriage, whom Rob adopted as his own child), as well as his three children he shared with Michele: Jake, Nick, and Romy.