Michele Singer Reiner and Husband Rob Reiner Found Stabbed to Death in Los Angeles

In a shocking turn of events, photographer and LGBTQ+ activist Michele Singer Reiner and her husband, director Rob Reiner, were discovered stabbed to death Sunday at their Brentwood, Los Angeles home.

The Tragic Discovery

The Reiners’ 32‑year‑old son, Nick Reiner, was arrested on suspicion of murder and is being held without bail Monday. The police report indicates that the couple’s deaths were the result of a violent assault.

A Life of Creativity and Advocacy

Michele Singer Reiner built a diverse career. She was a still photographer for Donald Trump’s 1987 bestseller The Art of the Deal and worked as a special photographer on the 1990 horror film Misery. Later, she produced Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, God & Country, Albert Brooks: Defending My Life, and Shock and Awe.

Rob Reiner, best known for directing When Harry Met Sally…, met Michele on the set of that film. Within seven months of meeting, the couple married. They had three children: Nick, Jake, and Romy.

The Film Connection

Rob Reiner told The Guardian in 2018 that meeting Michele influenced his decision to alter the ending of When Harry Met Sally… so the characters got married:

> “Originally, Harry and Sally didn’t get together,” he said. “But then I met Michele and I thought: OK, I see how this works.”

Reiner later recalled how he first noticed Michele on the set in 1989, when cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld predicted he would marry her. He described his attraction:

> “I look over and I see this girl, and whoo! I was attracted immediately,” he said. “I wormed my way into their lunch. But that’s what he said to me: ‘You’re going to marry her.’ And one thing led to another and here we are.”

Activism and Legacy

Michele’s commitment to social justice was rooted in her family history; she cited her mother, a Holocaust survivor, as a key inspiration. Together, the Reiners served as board members of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, which organized and funded federal court challenges to California’s 2008 same‑sex marriage ban, Proposition 8.

Screenwriter and director Dustin Lance Black, also a board member, later collaborated with Rob on the play 8, dramatizing the federal trial that overturned Proposition 8. After the couple’s deaths, Black said:

> “The world has lost two of its greatest champions of justice, love and equality. I have lost two of the most spectacular human beings I will ever know.”

Human Rights Campaign president Kelley Robinson reflected on their advocacy:

> “So many in our movement remember how Rob and Michele organized their peers, brought strategists and lawyers together and helped power landmark Supreme Court decisions that made marriage equality the law of the land — and they remained committed to the cause until their final days.”

Rob Reiner himself acknowledged his wife’s influence on their activism:

> “There’s just too much injustice in the world, and she wants to fix it all.”

Public Reactions

Actor, singer, and producer Rita Wilson, who appeared with the Reiners in Sleepless in Seattle and The Story of Us, posted a tribute on Instagram. She remembered their screening parties, where they paired themed foods and discussions with classic films. Wilson praised Michele’s talent:

> “Michele was an enormously talented photographer whose eye applied not only to what she captured on film but also to her own personal esthetic. Her work as a producer focused on social justice and creating awareness of our world. She was wry, funny, opinionated but also reasonable and self reflective.”

Trump’s response was controversial. On Monday, he blamed Rob Reiner’s outspoken opposition to him for the killings, sharing an unsubstantiated claim on social media that drew criticism even from some prominent conservatives. Trump did not mention his personal connection to Michele Singer Reiner.

Key Takeaways

• Michele Singer Reiner and Rob Reiner were found stabbed to death in Los Angeles.
• Their son Nick Reiner has been arrested on suspicion of murder and is held without bail.
• The couple were prominent activists, board members of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, and their legacy continues to inspire.

The community mourns the loss of two passionate advocates whose lives intertwined creativity and activism. Their deaths have left a profound void in the fight for equality and justice.