The 32-year-old son of legendary Hollywood director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele has been arrested on suspicion of murdering them, police have revealed.
Rob, director of the hit film When Harry Met Sally and the star of 1970s sitcom All in the Family, was found dead inside his California home along with his wife on December 14.
The couple, who had been married since 1989, had knife wounds to their throats, TMZ reported.
A family spokesman confirmed news of the couple’s deaths on Sunday evening local time.
“It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner,” the spokesman said in a statement to media.
“We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time.”
Rob Reiner was 78 at the time of his passing, while his wife was believed to be 68. They had three children, Jake, 34, Nick, 32, and Romy Reiner, 28, while Rob also had an adopted daughter, Tracy, 61, from a previous marriage.
In a statement released on December 16, Los Angeles Police said Nick Reiner was “responsible for their deaths”.
“He was booked for murder and remains in custody with no bail,” the force said in the statement.
Police were called to the family home at 3.40pm on December 14, and on arrival found the bodies of Rob and Michele.
The couple’s daughter Romy was the person who discovered her parents dead, CNN reported.
Meanwhile, the outlet reported that Nick was seen having an argument with his father at a party held on Saturday at the home of American TV host Conan O’Brien.
A source told People that the father and son got into a “very loud argument”, with one insider saying, “Nick was freaking everyone out, acting crazy, kept asking people if they were famous.”
Rob and Michele reportedly left the party after the argument.
Nick had previously spoken to People about his struggles with addiction and homelessness.
“I was homeless in Maine. I was homeless in New Jersey. I was homeless in Texas,” Nick said in a 2016 interview to publicise Being Charlie, a film he co-wrote that was loosely based on his experience . “I spent nights on the street. I spent weeks on the street. It was not fun.”
“That made me who I am now, having to deal with that stuff,” he added. “I met crazy great people there, so out of my element. 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. But there was a lot of dark years there.”
Tracy Reiner – Rob’s adopted daughter from his marriage to ex Penny Marshall – broke her silence on the deaths in an interview with NBC.
“I came from the greatest family ever,” she said. “I don’t know what to say. I’m in shock.”
When Harry Met Sally star Billy Crystal, who was famously close to the director, and comedian Larry David both visited Rob’s home as news of the deaths spread on the evening of December 14.
A neighbour told ABC that Billy “looked like he was about to cry” as he left the scene.
Rob’s breakout role was playing Mike Stivic, the son-in-law of Archie and Editch Bunker on All in the Family.
While he continued to take on acting roles, he became widely known for his work directing some of the world’s most popular films including, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, A Few Good Men and This Is Spinal Tap.
