Eight months after his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, were found stabbed to death in their Brentwood mansion, their son Jake Reiner is speaking out about the profound grief and anger he continues to experience. Jake, 34, described the emotional toll in his first television interview since the December 14 incident.
"It feels like eight years at the same time, and it also feels like eight minutes," Jake told ABC7. "Because every moment that I wake up, I'm reminded of my reality, and you're living through that every single day."
Jake recounted receiving a call from his younger sister, Romy, on the day of the murders. "Romy told me our dad was dead, and then she said, 'I can't find mom,'" he said. When asked about his brother, Nick, 32, who is accused of the killings, Jake paused and struggled to find words.
"I mean, he's in jail," Jake stated. "So... You know, it's... It's like, I physically lost my parents, and then Nick was arrested, and it's like, now it's just me and Romy."
He acknowledged that his parents had consistently supported Nick, even as he publicly discussed struggles with drug addiction and mental health more than a decade ago. Nick co-wrote the 2015 film Being Charlie, loosely based on his life, with his father, Rob. Jake believes the project was an effort by his father to connect with his brother.
Jake admitted to feeling "rage" about the unfairness of the situation and the lack of control over the events. "I had no choice in the matter," he said. "I just have to accept the reality of it. And to me, that is just one of the most infuriating parts of all of this."
Rob and Michele Reiner were discovered in their $13.5 million mansion. Rob Reiner was a celebrated Hollywood director known for films such as This Is Spinal Tap, Stand By Me, and A Few Good Men. He met Michele Singer, a photographer, during the production of When Harry Met Sally.
Nick Reiner was arrested hours after his parents' deaths near the University of Southern California campus and charged with two counts of first-degree murder. He faces a potential sentence of life in prison without parole or the death penalty, though prosecutors have not yet stated if they will seek capital punishment.
Jake is continuing his parents' legacy by working with the Children's Institute foundation, led by his aunt Martine Singer, a cause Rob and Michele strongly supported. He is scheduled to attend the foundation's gala in their place on November 8, acknowledging that the event will be difficult.
According to an indictment unsealed August 12, Nick was allegedly lying in wait before fatally stabbing his parents. The indictment, returned July 20 but unsealed after Nick pleaded not guilty, stated he used a knife but provided no further details about the alleged murders or his actions beforehand.
Nick has also sought access to funds from a trust established by his parents in 1993, arguing the money is necessary for his defense. He claims the trustees, who oversee more than $1.6 million, have denied him access without legal justification. A petition filed in Los Angeles Superior Court states that Nick loved his parents and is devastated by their deaths, but argues the facts of the case are separate from the trust litigation.
Half of the trust was designated for Nick on his 30th birthday in September 2023 but was not disbursed, according to the petition. In a recent Los Angeles County Superior Court hearing, one of Nick's attorneys noted that $200,000 of the trust had been spent.
Nick is seeking to rehire his original attorney, Alan Jackson, who has maintained Nick's innocence. A judge did not rule on the trust money during the recent hearing and set a subsequent hearing for October 23. Nick, who was not present at the hearing, is due back in court on September 15 for a pretrial hearing related to his murder charges. He has been held without bail at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles since his arrest.