Jake Reiner has spoken about the deaths of his parents for the first time in an interview, describing the months since the killings as both prolonged and painfully immediate.
Filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, photographer Michele Reiner, were found fatally stabbed in their Brentwood home on Dec. 14, 2025. Their younger son, Nick Reiner, was arrested hours later and now faces murder charges in their deaths.
“It’s been 8 months. It feels like 8 years at the same time. And it also feels like 8 minutes,” Jake, 35, said, speaking to KABC. “Because every moment that I wake up, I’m reminded of my reality.”
Jake also shared about the call from his sister, Romy Reiner, who told him what happened. “Romy told me our dad was dead and then she said, ‘I can’t find mom,’” he recalled.
Jake said he experienced another loss when Nick was arrested, leaving the two of them to confront the aftermath without the rest of their immediate family.
“Yeah. I mean, he’s in jail, so ...,” Jake said. “I physically lost my parents. And then Nick was arrested. And now it’s me and Romy.”
According to KABC, Jake said his parents “had unconditional love” for all three of their children and never stopped trying to help Nick, whose struggles with addiction and mental health were public. Nick co-wrote the 2015 film “Being Charlie,” loosely inspired by his experiences, and Rob directed it.
Jake is working with the Children’s Institute, an organization long supported by his parents. It has established the Michele and Rob Reiner Champion for Change Award, with actress and family friend Jamie Lee Curtis selected as its first recipient.
“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,” he wrote.
The essay also addressed having his brother at the center of the case. Jake said some details should remain private and asked the public for “love and compassion.”
A grand jury indicted Nick, 32, on two counts of first-degree murder. The indictment also alleges multiple murders, lying in wait, and use of a knife.