Jake Reiner Says He Will “Never Understand” Why His Parents Were Killed

Eight months after the deaths of his parents, filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, Jake Reiner has spoken publicly about his grief and the impact of his brother Nick Reiner’s arrest.

In an interview with KABC-TV’s Marc Cota-Robles, Jake recalled learning that his father had died on Dec. 14, 2025. He was attending a celebration of life for a friend at Los Angeles’ Union Station when his sister, Romy, called.

After missing her first call, Jake said he knew something was wrong when she called again moments later. Romy told him their father was dead and that she could not find their mother.

Jake said arriving at his childhood home and seeing it as a crime scene was “the most surreal thing” he had ever experienced. He said the eight months since his parents’ deaths have felt both extremely long and very recent.

Jake declined to discuss his brother’s alleged involvement in the killings. He said, however, that his parents never stopped loving or helping Nick, who had struggled with drug addiction. Rob Reiner had also worked with Nick on the 2015 film “Being Charlie,” which was loosely based on Nick’s experiences with addiction.

Jake said he has been attending therapy and dealing with intense grief and anger. He said one of the hardest parts has been accepting that he had no control over what happened.

“I will never understand why this happened,” Jake said.

Nick Reiner, 32, was indicted earlier this month on two counts of first-degree murder. Prosecutors also allege the killings involved a knife and that Nick lay in wait. He has pleaded not guilty.

Nick has been held without bail at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles since his arrest, which came hours after his parents’ deaths. He is due back in court for a pretrial hearing on Sept. 15. If convicted, he could face the death penalty or life in prison without parole.