Famed Hollywood director and wife found dead
Los Angeles police are conducting a homicide investigation following the discovery of the bodies of Rob Reiner and his spouse
Hollywood director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele have been found dead at their home in Brentwood, California. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has said the incident is being investigated as an apparent homicide.
Authorities responding to a medical aid call found the bodies of 78-year-old Reiner and his 68-year-old wife on Sunday inside a home they owned. TMZ and People reported that they had suffered wounds consistent with a knife attack.
LAPD chief detective Alan Hamilton said Sunday evening that investigators were not actively seeking any suspect or person of interest as the inquiry continued. He said police would interview members of the family, stressing that “no one has been detained” and that “no one is being questioned as a suspect.”
There has been speculation, however, that the couple’s son Nick may be the culprit, according to People magazine, a popular American weekly that focuses on celebrity news. According to later reports, he is being questioned by police, although they have not confirmed that he is an official suspect.
In a 2016 interview with People, 32-year-old Nick said he had struggled with drug addiction since his early teens and been homeless for periods, experiences that later informed the semi-autobiographical film Being Charlie, which he co-wrote.
Reiner had a five-decade Hollywood career, first gaining fame playing the role of Michael “Meathead” Stivic on ‘All in the Family’ (1971-1979) before directing hits including ‘This Is Spinal Tap’, ‘The Princess Bride’ and ‘When Harry Met Sally’. He shifted into drama with ‘Stand by Me’ in 1986, and earned an Oscar nomination for “A Few Good Men” (1993), which starred Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise.
Reiner was also a political activist and a critic of US President Donald Trump. He co-founded the American Foundation for Equal Rights, which brought the court challenge that overturned California’s ban on same-sex marriage. He also led anti-smoking campaigns and briefly weighed a run against then-California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006 before deciding against it for personal reasons.
