Jake Reiner is speaking out following the deaths of his parents Rob Reiner and Michelle Singer in December 2025.
“Nothing can prepare you for what it feels like to lose both parents instantly at the same time. It’s too devastating to comprehend. I still wake up every morning having to convince myself that, no, it’s not a dream. This truly is my living nightmare,” the eldest son of the late couple and former local news reporter for KCAL wrote in an emotional message posted to Substack titled “Mom and Dad.”
He continued: “I can’t even begin to put myself in my parents’ shoes, but one thing I keep coming back to is how frightened they must have been. They were the last people in the world to deserve what happened to them. They deserved to be loved, they deserved to be respected, and above all they deserved to be appreciated for how much they gave to all three of us and to the world.”
Reiner, the legendary director and actor, and his wife were found stabbed to death in their Brentwood home on Dec. 14. The couple’s other son, Nick, was arrested after his parents’ bodies were discovered; he has since pleaded not guilty in court. In the post, Jake notes that while the loss of his parents has been devastating, “having our brother be at the center of it” has been particularly unimaginable.
“Every day since then has been horrendous,” he wrote. “Every meeting we take, every person we talk to, every tear we shed, every movement we make is connected to our parents being murdered. In the middle of trying to process the most devastating moment of your life, the world demands meetings, paperwork, decisions, and explanations; as if documentation must come before mourning.”
The post was a tribute to his parents, whom he calls “the center of my life” and his “guiding lights, the foundation of who I am as a human being, and the most giving people I have ever known.” “A lot of people don’t have the luxury of having the best parents, the best mom, or the best dad, but I did.” He writes about talking on the phone with his mom, whom he calls “the engine, the backbone, and the heart of our entire family,” for hours; her “brilliant perspective” and sense of humor. He recalls baseball trips with his dad; his authenticity and passion; how he supported him no matter what.
“I was nervous when I made the switch from broadcasting to acting because I didn’t know how he’d react,” he wrote. “I guess I should’ve known because all he ever wanted was for me to be happy and love what I do. I wish he and I could’ve worked on a project together from start to finish. I miss him so much.”
Love Film & TV?
Get your daily dose of everything happening in music, film and TV in Australia and abroad.
He concluded: “What the hell do you say to someone who is living through this reality? The truth is, there is nothing to say. I just ask for love and compassion – the same principles my parents lived by.”
Jake wrote that his sister, Romy, will tell her story “in her own way and in her time.” The siblings had previously issued a statement to People following their parents’ death, Variety reported.
“Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day,” Jake and Romy said in a statement to People. “The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience. They weren’t just our parents; they were our best friends.”
They added, “We are grateful for the outpouring of condolences, kindness, and support we have received not only from family and friends but people from all walks of life. We now ask for respect and privacy, for speculation to be tempered with compassion and humanity, and for our parents to be remembered for the incredible lives they lived and the love they gave.”
From Variety US