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Michele Singer Reiner

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Michele Singer Reiner
Born
Michele Singer

(1955-03-03)March 3, 1955 or
(1957-03-03)March 3, 1957
Died(2025-12-14)December 14, 2025 (aged 68 or 70)
Los Angeles, California, US
Cause of deathSharp force injuries
Occupations
  • Photographer
  • film producer
Years active1980s–2025
Spouse
​
(m. 1989)​
Children3

Michele Singer Reiner (March 3, 1955 or 1957[a] – December 14, 2025) was an American photographer and film producer and the wife of filmmaker and actor Rob Reiner. Reiner was originally a photographer, taking the cover picture of The Art of the Deal (1987). She later worked on When Harry Met Sally... (1989), where she met her future husband and inspired him to revise the film's ending.

Reiner expanded into political activism with her husband, and moved into producing in the 2010s, for which she was nominated at the Primetime Emmy Awards for producing Albert Brooks: Defending My Life (2023). She frequently collaborated with her husband and was the co-president of Castle Rock Entertainment. She died in December 2025 with her husband in Los Angeles, California, after being stabbed to death.

Career

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Michele Singer was born on March 3, 1955 or 1957.[a][1][2]

Reiner began her career in photography.[3] She worked on the MysteryDisc series of video games as a photographer.[3] In the 1980s, she photographed Donald Trump for the cover of his first book, The Art of the Deal (1987);[4][5][6] years later, her future husband would become a well-known critic of Trump.[7][4] Rob Reiner met her on the set of When Harry Met Sally..., and she inspired him to alter the ending so that Harry and Sally entered a romantic relationship by the end of the film.[7] She worked as an actress in the Nora Ephron film Mixed Nuts (1994).[3] Reiner has collaborated with her husband on several films, including Misery, where she was a photographer,[4] and later pivoted towards producing with Shock and Awe (2017), Albert Brooks: Defending My Life (2023), God & Country (2024), and Spinal Tap II: The End Continues (2025).[4] For her work on Albert Brooks: Defending My Life, she received a nomination for Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Special at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards.[8]

In 2020, Reiner and her husband signed a producing and directing deal with Warner Bros. Television by a production company under Castle Rock Entertainment,[9] which Rob helped found.[10] Reiner was the co-president of Castle Rock Entertainment along with Matthew George.[11] She also founded the production and photography company Reiner Light.[12] Reiner and her husband were executive producers on Wind River: The Next Chapter, a sequel to Wind River (2017), prior to their deaths.[13]

In addition to filmmaking and photography, Reiner was also a political activist along with her husband. Along with Rob, she headed a campaign in California to fund early childhood development programs. They also founded the American Foundation for Equal Rights, which launched a federal lawsuit for same-sex marriage rights;[14] Reiner was an LGBTQ+ rights activist.[6] Her and Rob's advocacy helped achieve the landmark decision to allow marriage equality across the United States, with Kelley Robinson saying "they remained committed to the cause until their final days."[6] Her advocacy for various social justice issues was inspired by her mother, who survived the Holocaust.[6]

Personal life

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Rob Reiner with one of the couple's sons, Nick, at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) 2016 Voice Awards event

Reiner met her future husband Rob Reiner on the set of When Harry Met Sally.... The eponymous character Harry, a "miserable, divorced, Jewish romantic lead", was based on Rob. Rob had intended to call Michelle Pfeiffer after reading about her divorce in a magazine, to which Barry Sonnenfeld, the film's photography director, said, "You're not going to call her, you're going to marry my friend Michele Singer".[7] They married in 1989 and had three children:[15] Jake (b. 1991), Nick (b. 1993), and Romy (b. 1997).[4]

Michele and Rob's eldest son Jake has been involved in filmmaking and was a news reporter in Houston, Texas.[16][17][18] Second son Nick entered the first of a number of stays in drug rehab at the age of 14,[19][20] cycling "in and out of rehab" subsequently for years, and was even homeless at times.[20] He has been arrested and charged for the murder of his parents.[21] Their youngest child, daughter Romy, is a filmmaker and had a very close relationship with them.[18] She discovered her father's body in their Brentwood home soon after the killing.[22]

Death

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Reiner and her husband were due to have dinner with Michelle and Barack Obama in the evening of December 14th, 2025. That afternoon, a massage therapist came to their Brentwood, Los Angeles, residence for a previously scheduled appointment for the couple, and was met with a lack of response; she then called the couple's daughter Romy.[23] Romy, who lived nearby, arrived quickly at around 3 p.m., and discovered the bodies. Her friend then called 911.[24]

Reiner and her husband were killed early in the morning on December 14 from multiple stab wounds.[24][2] She was 68 or 70.[2][12][10] At the time of their death, they had been married for 36 years.[25] Their son Nick was soon arrested on suspicion of murder.[26] Several prominent figures extended tributes towards Reiner and her husband, including Nancy Pelosi, Bill and Hillary Clinton, and Laurie David.[4] Rita Wilson, who was friends with Reiner, wrote that she was an "enormously talented photographer" and praised her producing work.[10] Kelley Robinson, the president of LGBTQ+ advocacy group Human Rights Campaign, thanked Reiner for her allyship and support of the community, while Dustin Lance Black, another LGBTQ+ activist, said "the world has lost two of its greatest champions of justice, love and equality".[6] The Los Angeles County District attorney Nathan Hochman called Reiner an "iconic photographer and producer".[27]

The Los Angeles Police Department opened a homicide investigation into their deaths and on December 16, 2025, her son Nick was charged with two counts of first-degree murder with a special circumstance of multiple murders.[28][29] Nick would then make his first court appearance on the murder charges on December 17, 2025, with the appearance only being brief and not seeing him enter any plea.[30][31] Nick's official arraignment is set to be held in January 2026.[32]

Filmography

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Key
† Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released
Year Title Role Ref.
1990 Misery Special photographer [4]
1994 Mixed Nuts Actress [3]
2017 Shock and Awe Producer [4]
2023 Albert Brooks: Defending My Life
2024 God & Country
2025 Spinal Tap II: The End Continues
TBA Wind River: The Next Chapter † Executive producer [13]

Awards and nominations

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Awards and nominations received by Michele Singer Reiner
Award Year Category Nominated work Result Ref.
Primetime Emmy Awards 2024 Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Special Albert Brooks: Defending My Life Nominated [33]
Producers Guild of America Awards 2024 Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television Albert Brooks: Defending My Life Nominated [34]

Notes

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  1. ^ a b News Outlets reported her age at 68 and 70. The County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner's Office lists her age at 70.

References

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  1. ^ Sengwe, Stephanie (December 15, 2025). "Look Back at Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner's Family Photos". People. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c Cain, Sian (December 14, 2025). "Director and actor Rob Reiner found dead at home with wife Michele Singer Reiner". The Guardian. Archived from the original on December 15, 2025. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d Harvey, Lex (December 15, 2025). "Michele Singer Reiner, dead at 67, made her own mark on Hollywood and political activism". CNN. Archived from the original on December 17, 2025. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Rottenberg, Josh (December 15, 2025). "Michele Singer Reiner, photographer and creative partner to Rob Reiner, dead at 70". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
  5. ^ Tasker, John Paul (December 15, 2025). "Trump wildly claims Rob Reiner's death a result of 'Trump derangement syndrome'". CBC. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
  6. ^ a b c d e Schoenbaum, Hannah; Brumfield, Sarah (December 16, 2025). "Michele Singer Reiner, photographer who inspired 1980s rom-com's happy end, dies". Associated Press. Archived from the original on December 16, 2025. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
  7. ^ a b c Freeman, Hadley (July 19, 2018). "'I want everyone to be happy': how Rob Reiner became a great director – and a political hero". The Guardian. Archived from the original on July 19, 2018. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
  8. ^ Salam, Maya; Marshall, Alex (December 15, 2025). "Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner: A Love Story That Changed Movie History". The New York Times. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
  9. ^ Low, Elaine (October 1, 2020). "Rob and Michele Reiner's New Production Company Ink Overall Deal With Warner Bros. Television". Variety. Archived from the original on October 2, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
  10. ^ a b c "Rob Reiner, wife Michele Singer's son was 'responsible' for their deaths". USA Today. No. December 15, 2025. Archived from the original on December 16, 2025. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
  11. ^ McClintock, Pamela (October 19, 2021). "Rob Reiner's Castle Rock Revives Film Division With $175M Fund". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
  12. ^ a b Halpert, Madeline; Morris, Regan (December 16, 2025). "Rob Reiner's son Nick arrested on suspicion of murder after director and wife found dead". BBC News. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
  13. ^ a b Lang, Brent (March 7, 2023). "Jason Clarke, Scott Eastwood, Chaske Spencer Starring in 'Wind River' Sequel". Variety. Archived from the original on December 17, 2025. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
  14. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (October 1, 2020). "Rob & Michele Reiner Relaunch Castle Rock Banner With Overall Deal At Warner Bros TV". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 2, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
  15. ^ Hanlon, Greg (December 14, 2025). "Rob Reiner and His Wife Michele Were Found Dead by Their Daughter (Exclusive Sources)". People. Archived from the original on December 15, 2025. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
  16. ^ Grande, Ariana (December 15, 2025). "Former Houston reporter Jake Reiner mourns parents found dead in LA". The Houston Chronicle. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
  17. ^ Horton, Michael (December 15, 2025). "'We stand with him': Houston Police Union pays respect to former KPRC 2 reporter Jake Reiner after Rob Reiner's death". KPRC. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
  18. ^ a b Blair, Caroline (December 15, 2025). "Rob Reiner's 4 Kids: All About Nick, Romy, Jake and Tracy". People. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
  19. ^ Romano, Andrew (December 16, 2025). "Who is Nick Reiner? Son of Rob, Michele Reiner booked for murder in parents' deaths". Yahoo News. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
  20. ^ a b Anderson, Eric (December 16, 2025). "Rob Reiner, Wife Michele 'Tried Everything' to Help Son Nick Before They Died in 'Nightmare' Murder (Exclusive Sources)". People. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
  21. ^ Park, Aditi Sangal, Hanna (December 16, 2025). "Rob and Michele Reiner's son charged with murder in their deaths". CNN. Retrieved December 17, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  22. ^ Pulver, Andrew (December 17, 2025). "New details emerge of how Rob and Michele Singer Reiner's bodies were found". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
  23. ^ Hubler, Shawn; Stevens, Matt (December 16, 2025). "New details emerge about how the Reiners were found dead". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 17, 2025. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
  24. ^ a b Sangal, Aditi; Romine, Taylor; Tsui, Karina (December 17, 2025). "What we know about the fatal stabbings of Rob and Michele Reiner and the case against their son". CNN. Archived from the original on December 17, 2025. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
  25. ^ Saad, Nardine (December 16, 2025). "What we know about Nick Reiner, son arrested in death of director Rob Reiner". BBC News. Archived from the original on December 16, 2025. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
  26. ^ "Reiners' Son Arrested in Deaths of His Parents". The New York Times. December 15, 2025. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
  27. ^ Lombardo, Clare (December 16, 2025). "Nick Reiner will be charged with first degree murder in his parents' killing". NPR. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
  28. ^ Bryson Taylor, Derrick (December 16, 2025). "Nick Reiner, Charged in Deaths of His Parents: What We Know". The New York Times.
  29. ^ Lavietes, Matt; Stelloh, Tim (December 16, 2025). "Nick Reiner to be charged with murder in death of parents, officials say". NBC News. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
  30. ^ "Reiner's Son Appears, Briefly, Before a Judge". New York Times. December 17, 2025. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
  31. ^ Dalton, Andrew; Weber, Christopher (December 16, 2025). "Rob Reiner's son Nick set to appear in court on 2 counts of murder in killing of his parents". Associated Press. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
  32. ^ Dallow, Lily (December 17, 2025). "Official cause of death revealed for Rob and Michele Reiner". KTLA. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
  33. ^ "Michele Reiner". Television Academy. Archived from the original on August 14, 2025. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
  34. ^ Davis, Clayton (January 12, 2024). "PGA Awards Nominations: 'Anatomy of a Fall' and 'Zone of Interest' Make History and Join 'Barbie,' 'Oppenheimer' and More". Variety. Archived from the original on January 12, 2024. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
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