Acclaimed film director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner were found dead at their home in Brentwood, Los Angeles, on Sunday.
“It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner,” a family spokesperson said in a statement. “We are heart-broken by this sudden loss and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time.”
The Los Angeles Fire Department earlier told AP it responded to a medical aid request on Sunday afternoon and found a 78-year-old man and 68-year-old woman dead inside. They described the deaths as “an apparent homicide”. According to ABC7, the victims appeared to have been stabbed.
A family member close to the Reiners was being questioned by authorities, law enforcement sources told The Los Angeles Times.
“We have not identified a suspect at this time. No has been detained,” said LAPD deputy chief Alan Hamilton.
Reiner, who turned 78 in March, was one of the most prolific Hollywood directors. His work includes some of the most memorable movies of the 1980s and 1990s, including This is Spinal Tap, A Few Good Men, When Harry Met Sally and The Princess Bride.
His role as Meathead in the 1970s TV classic All in the Family alongside Carroll O’Connor’s Archie Bunker catapulted him to fame.
The upscale Brentwood neighbourhood where he lived is home to many celebrities.
The son of comedy great Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner married photographer Michele Singer in 1989. The couple met while he was directing When Harry Met Sally and have three children together – Jake, Nick and Romy. Singer shot Donald Trump’s photo for the cover of his book The Art of the Deal, but Reiner has been an outspoken critic of the US President.
Reiner was previously married to actor-director Penny Marshall from 1971 to 1981. He adopted her daughter, Tracy Reiner. Carl Reiner died in 2020 at the age of 98 and Marshall died in 2018.
Agencies contributed to this report
