Nick Reiner, the younger son of Rob and Michele Singer Reiner, has been arrested on suspicion of murdering his parents, who were discovered dead on Sunday in their Los Angeles-area home.
Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell confirmed at a Monday news conference that Nick Reiner is in custody and being held on $4 million bail.
The Reiners were found dead after police responded to a call on Sunday afternoon. A source close to the family told NBC News that both appeared to have suffered stab wounds.
It is not yet known whether Nick Reiner has legal representation.
The death of Rob Reiner, a celebrated actor and filmmaker, has sent shockwaves through Hollywood and among fans worldwide.
Rob Reiner earned acclaim for acting, producing, and directing a string of hit films in the 1980s and 1990s.
Nick Reiner, 32, has struggled with drug addiction since his teens. In a 2016 interview with People, he revealed that he spent weeks living on the streets and was repeatedly in and out of rehab for substance abuse treatment, which began when he was 15.
His personal experiences served as inspiration for the 2016 film Being Charlie, which Rob Reiner directed, Nick co-wrote, and Cary Elwes starred in as the father of the main character.
The movie centers on a young man battling addiction and struggling to find support through rehab programs.
“Now, I’ve been home for a really long time, and I’ve sort of gotten acclimated back to being in L.A. and being around my family,” Nick told People in 2016.
Reflecting on the real-life challenges that informed the film, Rob Reiner told the Los Angeles Times in 2015, “It was very, very hard going through it the first time, with these painful and difficult highs and lows. And then making the movie dredged it all up again.”
The Reiners also discussed the film’s connection to their son’s struggles, noting the limitations of traditional rehab programs.
“When Nick would tell us that it wasn’t working for him, we wouldn’t listen. We were desperate and because the people had diplomas on their wall, we listened to them when we should have been listening to our son,” Rob Reiner said.
