After a long night of laughs, glitz and glamour, the 83rd Annual Golden Globes have come to an end. While the night went off without a hitch, some viewers were surprised to see the Golden Globes 2026 host Nikki Glaser conclude the evening wearing a hat with the words “Spinal Tap” written on it.
As it turns out, the comedian donned the unlikely black tie accessory for a touching reason — to pay tribute to the late American filmmaker and actor Rob Reiner.
Nikki Glaser closes out the show paying tribute to the late Rob Reiner with a SPINAL TAP hat #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/xvuvEiWENo
— Matt Neglia (@NextBestPicture) January 12, 2026
Rob Reiner was a beloved figure in Hollywood. Not only was he known for classic films such as This Is Spinal Tap, When Harry Met Sally and The Princess Bride, Reiner had a reputation for being curious and kind to everyone he encountered.
In December 2025, Reiner was tragically found dead alongside his wife, photographer and producer Michelle Singer Reiner, at his home in Los Angeles, California. The couple had been found dead with multiple sharp force injuries.
Their son, Nick Reiner, was arrested later that day on suspicion of his parents murder. He has since been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and is facing the maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.
Glasers subtle tribute at the Golden Globes comes after Chelsea Handler made a touching speech about Reiner during her opening monologue at the Critics Choice Awards in early January.
“Everyone in this room knows that the nicest guy in Hollywood was Rob Reiner,” Handler said.
“The minute you met him, he felt like an old friend. When you were in a conversation, he was present, he was focused, he was funny and he would ask you a ton of questions, whether you were discussing politics, film or the latest beauty trends. He was all in.
After I sent him a text thanking him for dinner a few months ago, he sent me a text back saying ‘we had so much fun with you last night. Thanks for explaining so much about plastic surgery. It was very edifying’.”
With such a big impact on film, pop culture and Hollywood, it’s our bet that more award shows will be paying tribute to the filmmaking icon as we go through the season.
Vale Rob Reiner and Michele Singer.
