Renowned filmmaker Rob Reiner, director of classics including When Harry Met Sally, Misery, Stand By Me, The Princess Bride, and This Is Spinal Tap, has died at age 78, along with his wife Michele Singer Reiner, 68, in what authorities are calling an apparent homicide.

According to reports, the bodies were discovered inside the Reiners’ Brentwood, Los Angeles home on Sunday after a medical aid request was made to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that detectives from the robbery-homicide division are investigating the deaths. Both TMZ and People reported that the couple suffered injuries consistent with a knife attack.

Law enforcement sources told the Los Angeles Times that a family member is being interviewed in connection with the deaths.

“It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner,” a family spokesperson said. “We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time.”

At a Sunday evening press conference, LAPD Chief Detective Alan Hamilton stated, “At this time, the LAPD is not seeking anyone as a suspect or as a person of interest ... and we will not be doing that until we conduct our investigation and we move forward.”

A Legendary Hollywood Career

Rob Reiner, born in the Bronx in 1947, was the son of comic actor Carl Reiner and singer Estelle Lebost. He began his career as an actor in the 1960s, gaining fame as Michael “Meathead” Stivic on the long-running sitcom All in the Family, earning two Emmy wins and five Golden Globe nominations for the role.

Reiner made his directorial debut with the 1984 cult classic mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, followed by a string of iconic films including Stand By Me (1986), The Princess Bride (1987), When Harry Met Sally (1989), Misery (1990), and A Few Good Men (1992), which was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.

He once told The Guardian in 2018, “Spinal Tap was satire, and I love satire, but that was something my father had done. And The Sure Thing was romantic comedy and he had done those. So Stand By Me was the first thing I did that was purely an extension of myself, and that meant a lot to me.”

Later films directed by Reiner included The American President (1995), The Bucket List (2007), and his final project, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues (2025). Throughout his career, he earned four Golden Globe nominations for Best Director and three Directors Guild of America nominations.

Reiner also had notable acting roles in films such as Sleepless in Seattle, Postcards From the Edge, The First Wives Club, and The Wolf of Wall Street, as well as guest appearances on television shows including New Girl, The Bear, 30 Rock, The Simpsons, and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Beyond Film

Reiner co-founded Castle Rock Entertainment, responsible for hits like The Shawshank Redemption, Seinfeld, and In the Line of Fire. He was also a political activist, co-founding the American Foundation for Equal Rights, which challenged California’s same-sex marriage ban. He campaigned against smoking and considered a run for California governor in 2006.

Family Life

Reiner married photographer Michele Singer in 1989. The couple had three children—Jake, Nick, and Romy—and he was also the adoptive father of Tracy Reiner, daughter of his first wife, Penny Marshall.

Hollywood friends, including Billy Crystal and Larry David, were reportedly seen at the scene after news of the tragedy broke.