In a shocking development, Hollywood icon Rob Reiner was discovered stabbed to death in his Los Angeles home on Sunday, according to law-enforcement officials.
His wife, Michele, was found dead beside him, and their 32-year-old son, Nick Reiner, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
Nick is being held without bail, and jail records show he was in custody early Monday.
Reiner’s murder has sent ripples through the entertainment community and beyond.
Weeks before his death, Reiner recorded a video message for a Hanukkah ceremony, urging Holocaust survivors to remain resilient amid difficult times.
In the clip, he said, “We’re living in a time where what’s happening in our country is scary and reminiscent of what we’ve seen happen in the past, and we just hope that we can all survive this and that we can hold on to our democracy.”
Reiner, who was Jewish, noted that his wife’s extended family had been killed at Auschwitz, giving the message particular weight.
The video was broadcast as part of a virtual candle-lighting ceremony that honored Holocaust survivors worldwide on the fifth night of Hanukkah.
The event was organized by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, an advocacy group for survivors.
Around 100 survivors gathered at the Western Wall in Jerusalem for a candle-lighting ceremony, while the virtual segment reached audiences across the globe.
Hanukkah, which this year began on Sunday, commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem and the miracle of the oil that lasted eight nights.
Reiner’s message arrived amid growing concerns over antisemitism, highlighted by the recent attack on a Hanukkah event in Sydney, Australia, where 15 people were killed.
Greg Schneider, the executive vice president of the Claims Conference, addressed the survivors in Jerusalem, saying, “Even in these difficult days, when antisemitism is rising and Jewish communities around the world are under attack – this very week on the first night of Hanukkah in Sydney, Australia – we draw strength and inspiration from you, the survivors, from your personal and collective resilience.”
Reiner was not the only celebrity to record a message for the ceremony.
Barbra Streisand, Billy Crystal, Jason Alexander, Julianna Margulies, Debra Messing, Adam Arkin, and Jamie Lee Curtis also contributed.
Journalists Wolf Blitzer and Dana Bash recorded messages as well.
In his video, Reiner concluded, “If ever we needed to be resilient, it’s now. Let’s be resilient.”
He had been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump, labeling him in a 2017 Variety interview as “mentally unfit” to be president and “the single-most unqualified human being to ever assume the presidency of the United States.”
After Reiner’s death, Trump suggested that Reiner’s outspoken opposition had partially contributed to the murder.
Key Takeaways
- Rob Reiner was found stabbed in Los Angeles, and his son Nick faces two counts of first-degree murder.
- Reiner’s pre-death video urged Holocaust survivors to stay resilient during Hanukkah.
- The video was part of a global virtual candle-lighting ceremony organized by the Claims Conference.
Reiner’s death underscores the vulnerability of public figures and the ongoing challenges faced by Jewish communities worldwide.
