‘This is Spinal Tap’ Director Rob Reiner and His Wife Murdered in Their Home
Los Angeles detectives are investigating the homicide of director Robert Reiner and his wife Michele Singer in their Brewntwood, California home after officials told TMZ they were both found dead with “lacerations consistent with a knife.” Reiner was 78 and Singer was 70.
A representative for the family confirmed the deaths, releasing the following statement:
“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.”
According to reporting by People and New York Post, the couple’s 32-year-old son Nick Reiner has been labeled a “person of interest” by the authorities. He’s since been questioned by police as part of the investigation. Multiple sources have come out stating that Nick was the one who murdered his parents, but police have yet to officially confirm those accusations.
Los Angeles Police Department deputy chief Alan Hamilton assured the public that no one else was in danger. Hamilton also that the investigation was still in its early stages, no one has been deemed a suspect just yet, and that they were going to “try to speak to every family member that we can to get to the facts.”
Reiner was a prolific director, producer, and actor over the last few decades, rising to prominence first for his role as Mike on the influential Norman Lear sitcom All In The Family. He eventually went on to flex his directorial muscle with the release of the infinitely funny mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap in 1984, which he also wrote. He would go on to direct some major films, including Stand By Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally…, Misery, and A Few Good Men.
The later stage of Reiner’s career included films like The American President, Ghosts of Mississippi, and The Bucket List. He also acted in a number of roles over the years and became active in political discourse on a number of issues.
Most recently, he completed and released Spinal Tap II: The End Continues earlier this year. As the continuation of the eponymous band’s career decades after the height of their success, the movie was yet another opportunity to poke fun at the absurdity of the rock star lifestyle. So impactful and funny was the Spinal Tap films that many rockstars to this day quote the movie and share their own “Spinal Tap” moments from their lives on the road. It’s been an incredibly influential comedy in the rock and metal world.
This is a major loss not just to the rock and metal world for Reiner’s work on the Spinal Tap films, but for the art of film in general. Reiner was an undeniable powerhouse, whose untimely death has robbed the world of more superbly directed, written, and performed film and television. We at MetalSucks want to offer our deepest condolences to Reiner’s loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.
