‘This is Spinal Tap’ Director Rob Reiner and His Wife Murdered in Their Home [UPDATED]
[Update: Rob Reiner’s son Nick is currently in police custody and charged with his parents’ murder. He is being held in the Los Angeles Police Department Jail without bail.]
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 initial reporting by People and New York Post, the couple’s 32-year-old son Nick Reiner was labeled a “person of interest” by the authorities. He was questioned by police as part of the investigation and ultimately arrested and charged with his parents’ murder. Though he was initially held on a $4 million bond, his bail has since been rescinded.
Los Angeles Police Department deputy chief Alan Hamilton assured the public that no one else was in danger.
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.
