Nick Reiner, son of filmmaker Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, had once spoken publicly about a violent outburst linked to his long struggle with drug addiction years before his recent arrest in connection with his parents’ deaths.
In a 2018 episode of Dopey, a podcast focused on addiction and recovery, Nick described an incident that occurred after he was “sequestered” in his parents’ guest house. At the time, he said he was heavily using drugs and had been awake for days. According to Nick, the frustration and substance use culminated in a destructive episode in which he began “punching out different things” inside the guest house, including a television and a lamp. The outburst ultimately led to yet another stint in rehabilitation.
Nick revealed that his battle with addiction began early. He entered rehab for the first time around his 15th birthday and had reportedly undergone more than a dozen rehabilitation stays by 2016. Speaking candidly on the podcast, he admitted that he often learned how to “work the system,” staying sober just long enough to return home, only to relapse soon after.
He also spoke about experiencing homelessness after refusing to return to rehab programs suggested by his family. In interviews quoted by People, Nick said he spent nights and even weeks on the streets in states including Maine, New Jersey and Texas, calling the experience “not fun” but a consequence of his choices at the time.
The resurfacing of these past statements comes amid a major criminal investigation. Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner were found dead in their Brentwood home on December 14. Los Angeles police have stated that Nick Reiner is responsible for their deaths.
Nick Reiner, 32, has been arrested on murder charges and is currently being held without bail at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles. He is reportedly in administrative segregation and on suicide watch as the case continues to unfold.
