Tracy Reiner Breaks Her Silence After Deaths of Father Rob Reiner and Stepmother Michele

Tracy Reiner “in Shock” Following Death of Father Rob Reiner and Wife Michele

Rob Reiner’s family members are shocked and distraught.

Just a short while after the famous Hollywood director and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were discovered dead in their house on Dec. 14 in what appears to be a homicide, his daughter Tracy Reiner—Rob’s adoptive daughter from his marriage to the late Penny Marshall—was heard exclaiming in shock that she had last seen her father only a day prior to the incident.

“I came from the best family in the world,” she told NBC news. “I don’t know what to say. I’m in shock.”

Relatives close to Rob and Michele Reiner, with whom he had shared children Jake Reiner, Nick Reiner, and Romy Reiner, had previously confirmed their deaths in a statement to Variety: “We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time.”

LAPD Examining Possible Murder at Rob Reiner’s Residence

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the police arrived at the Reiners’ residence on a death investigation call shortly before 4 p.m. local time on Dec. 14 and found that there were two bodies there.

“The Robbery Homicide Division responded to the residence, which has been determined to be the residence of Rob Reiner,” confirmed officials. “At this time, there is no additional information available regarding this case, as an ongoing RHD investigation, concerning what is presumably a homicide.”

The deputy police chief, Alan Hamilton, was quoted by NBC News as saying that the investigation would continue well into the night and that no suspect had yet been identified. He also said that several members of the family would have to be interviewed in relation to the deaths.

Rob Reiner  Remembered for Iconic Films, TV Roles and Advocacy Work

In all the years that Rob Reiner has been active within the boundaries of the Hollywood film industry, he has managed the direction of several films that are dear to audiences, and these include The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally , A Few Good Men, Stand By Me, This Is Spinal Tap, and Spinal Tap II: The End Continues

He also acted in numerous other projects including his most famous roles in All in the Family and New Girl, as well as roles in The Wolf of Wall Street and episodes of season four of The Bear in 2025.

In addition to his busy schedule of screen credits that solidified his importance in Hollywood, Rob was actively involved in various advocacy endeavors outside of his role in cinema.

The Legacy of Rob Reiner: An Advocate for Children and Equality

Rob Reiner has been one of the most active advocates of equal rights in America and was an original co-founder of American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER), which was instrumental in overturning Proposition 8, the anti-gay marriage law in California. Rob Reiner also served as the Chair of the Campaign for California Children and Families Initiative that helped establish early childhood development services in California through funding through the taxation of tobacco products.

In response to the deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said of the actor-director: “He used every one of his talents for the benefit of all.”

Read what other stars have said to pay tribute to the immense talent of Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele.

Tracy Reiner

Actor and daughter of Rob Reiner, stated that she had spent time with her father on Dec. 12 at a family dinner the night before both he and Michele Singer Reiner were found deceased from an apparent murder/suicide event in their Los Angeles residence.
“I have been blessed with the greatest family ever,” said Reiner to NBC News on December 14. “Right now, I cannot put my feelings into words. I am devastated.”

Paul Feig

“One of my most treasured photos” is how director Paul Feig described a picture shared with Rob Reiner via his account on X. “Rob has always been my true hero – an incredible visionary giant and a wonderful human being.”

He continued, “No one knows if it’s right to post during such an awful time for someone so respected, but I wanted everyone else around the world to know what we’ve all known within our industry…Rob was the finest.”

Zooey Deschanel

Zooey Deschanel posted a tribute to Rob Reiner on her Instagram account. “Rob Reiner was not just an amazing father to me in New Girl; he was also a big part of my life. He was the sweetest, funniest, most kind-hearted person I’ve ever met. He was an artist and a playful, fun collaborator. I’ll forever remember all the times we had together working on projects and all the films he created that shaped who I am today.

Zooey Deschanel also posted a picture of Rob Reiner and his beautiful wife Michele saying how much they meant to her. She said it brought her great happiness each time she saw them.”

Barack Obama & Michelle Obama

Former President Barack Obama and Mrs. Obama have expressed their sadness at the death of Rob Reiner and his wife Michele. In his post on X, Barack Obama expressed that, “Rob’s films and television shows gave us so many memorable stories, but his real legacy comes from his belief in the goodness of people and his dedication to seeing that belief carried out in his actions during his life.”

He goes on to say, “Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner lived purposeful lives together, and they will be remembered for the values they promoted and the many people they touched over their lives. We offer our condolences to all who knew and loved them.”

Jerry O’Connell

Jerry O’Connell, who directed Rob Reiner in the 1986 film Stand By Me, paid tribute to him by posting a picture from the scene on Instagram with the caption, “Love you, Rob.” Sincerely.”

He stated on CBS Mornings on December 15, “I don’t intend any harm to my parents—Rob was like a father to me.” “To me, he was like a parent.” It’s simply bizarre.

“Rob Reiner is the reason I have everything,” O’Connell continued. Everything I own. It’s simply a startling day.

The Family of Norman Lear

The late television icon Norman Lear’s family expressed their close relationship with Rob and Michele Reiner in a moving message.

“The Lear Family is grieved by the loss of Rob and Michele Reiner,” they said in an interview with Deadline. “To us and the world, their tight friendship was unusual, and Norman frequently referred to Rob as a son.”

“Norman would have wanted to remind us that Rob and Michele worked tirelessly to improve this country via their art, activism, philanthropy, and love for family and friends,” they went on. “The world is undeniably darker tonight, and we are left desolate,” commented Lyn Lear, who had stayed extremely close to them.

Christopher Guest and Jamie Lee Curtis

Christopher Guest and Jamie Lee Curtis are heartbroken after hearing of the deaths of Rob and Michelle Singer-Reiner. In their statement to Variety, Jamie Lee Curtis said: “Christopher and I are truly devastated by the sudden and tragic loss of Rob and Michelle, our dear friends. Our only focus at this time is on their children and families, and we will support them however we can.”

The couple also added: “We will have many opportunities to reflect on the creative friendships we built and the incredible impact they had on our culture and the entertainment community. They fought for early childhood education and the legalization of same-sex marriage, and their hearts were huge; they cared about people throughout the world and their struggles. We have lost two amazing people in our lives, and we need time to process this.”

Eric Idle

On the night before his passing, Eric Idle, one of the members of Monty Python, revealed that he had conversation with Rob Reiner. “Rob Reiner was a wonderful man and I had a wonderful conversation,” he posted in X. “I remember meeting him in his father’s home in 1975 and was always impressed by him. My conversation with him about filming at Stonehenge and his thoughts on the future were really interesting to me. I am very sad because I have lost a friend who was a bright and talented and caring person. He will be missed”.

Kathy Bates

The actor of the film Misery stated that she was “completely devastated” at hearing about the death of Rob Reiner. “I have always loved Rob,” Bates told NBC News. “He was a talented and loving man, who created works in every type of film because he wanted to grow as an artist.”

Bates continued: “Rob also altered my life. Michele is a very talented photographer and was responsible for taking so many wonderful images of me during my time as the lead in Misery. I’m just heartbroken for their family. My prayers go out to them.”

Sophia Bush

A tribute by Sophia Bush to Rob Reiner can be found on her X page. In her tribute, Sophia referred to Rob as being “an almost indescribably wonderful man!”

He was described as being “kind, jovial, thoughtful and generous,” Sophia writes. “He shaped our industry, and more importantly, he made films that are centred around empathy and humor and have made us all bolder, and more willing to take risks for the sake of love. He took advantage of his massive audience, and his storytelling abilities, to defend democracy and stand up for all of his neighbours, both locally and globally.”

The impact Rob had on the industry was also felt in the way he contributed outside of the film industry:

“He was one of the first to say YES to getting involved with the organizing work of many different causes. He was a frequent participant in zoom meetings, meeting after meeting, with all of the organisations working tirelessly to improve the world for all of us. He generously offered his time and talents to every organisation in any way he could. I have known Rob for more than a few years through his work with organisations, and he has influenced and inspired me positively in many ways. I am incredibly sad at the loss of both Rob and Michele, and I am sending healing and thoughts to Rob’s family and loved ones.”

Ben Stiller

Ben Stiller expresses through his social media account, X, that director Rob Reiner is a personal favorite of his. He cites that Rob has created some of the most defining films for Stiller’s generation as well as Rob coming from behind the shadow of his phenomenal father, Carl Reiner and from being a television actor to an outstanding filmmaker with numerous outstanding films.

In addition, Stiller considers Rob’s film Spinal Tap to be one of the greatest comedies of all time, along with many other films made by Rob. Ben describes Rob as a generous and caring human being with a tremendous sense of humor.

Ayo Edebiri

According to Ayo Edebiri, she posted on her Instagram Stories: “His work has had such a huge impact on my life that I don’t know how to express it any other way than simply saying it changed my life.” Edebiri went on to say, “He was eager to talk to me—not just because I was a young fan. I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to meet him last week.” Edebiri also described how much passion this man had for the job that he had and how much enjoyment he derived from working with the people that he worked with, stating that “He was very open and generous with his time, efforts, and experiences, and I feel absolutely crushed by this loss.”

Paul Walter Hauser

Hauser, who is an Emmy Award winner, shared on Instagram his grief following the death of his lifelong hero as a filmmaker. He stated: “Because A Few Good Men was my inspiration to become an actor and Rob’s body of work as a director has influenced me so much I want to be a director.”

Hauser continued: “It is heartbreaking that Rob and his wife are no longer on Earth, but they were both a tremendous influence on so many people during their lives.”

Josh Groban

After the passing of Rob and Michele Reiner, Josh Groban recalled his time spent with them during the recording of Spinal Tap: Final Finale at Stonehenge after learning about their deaths.

While he will always remember the time spent with him and Michele, Josh wrote on social media about how they gave him the feeling of family and a chance to accomplish a life goal, along with many fond memories of laughter, affection, singing, and the wonderful love and camaraderie that has been lost to him forever, and that he was “devastated” and “deeply touched” by the loss, and is sending his “deepest condolences” to their families during this time of mourning.

Josh Gad

In a Facebook post, Josh Gad reflected on losing Rob Reiner, praising him as “one of the greatest directors of our time,” and a “good friend,” as well as a “wonderful person.” He continued to honor Rob, saying, “Rob and Michelle Reiner were two of the best people in this world. They cared for everyone and everything that had no voice before them. Losing him is a tragedy for all of us and I can’t describe how deeply I feel the pain.”

Rob Schneider

Comedy legend Rob Schneider shared via Twitter, “My heart is so low today. A legendary American Film Director who achieved what other American Film Directors did not. His films are known and loved around the world by many. For me, however, his greatest legacy will always be making me cry from laughter while sitting next to my father watching the greatest American television series to ever exist, All In The Family.”