After receiving a desperate call from Rob Reiner’s daughter, who had just found her parents dead in their Brentwood home, Billy Crystal went to the house to share some final words with the friend he had known for half a century.
On Dec. 14, about 3:30 p.m., the Los Angeles Fire Department was dispatched to a residence in the Brentwood neighborhood after receiving a 911 call for medical assistance.
According to several media outlets, including People, first responders found the slain bodies of 78-year-old Rob Reiner, and his 68-year-old wife Michele inside the home.
The Daily Mail reports that the couple had been dead for several hours before they were discovered, with authorities noting signs of rigor mortis at the scene. The outlet said both victims died from knife wounds, adding that a source suggested their throats had been slit while they were sleeping.
Within hours of the crime scene being secured, police arrested the Reiners’ youngest son, Nick Reiner, 32. He has since been charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
When Billy Met Rob
Shortly after she made the gruesome discovery, TMZ reports that Romy, 28, contacted Billy Crystal, who had been a close friend of her father for 50 years.
Crystal and Reiner’s ‘bromance” began in 1975 on the set of the sitcom All in the Family, where they played best friends on screen. Their connection extended far beyond television, continuing through numerous collaborations over the years.
“It worked really well, and we said, ‘It feels right onstage, why don’t we just continue this in our lives?’ We became the closest of friends,” Crystal, 77, wrote of his early bond with Reiner in a 2016 personal essay for The Hollywood Reporter.
Crystal then recalled that his “favorite moment” with his pal was at their first screening of When Harry Met Sally.”
“Rob and I were sitting in the back next to each other. Then the orgasm scene happens, and the place goes berserk. When Rob’s mother, Estelle, says, ‘I’ll have what she’s having,’ it was thunderous, a laugh you can only hear with the best of jokes in a concert hall. It’s those moments that make movies so spectacular: You set up the joke in September, and you don’t hear the punch line until May. We just grabbed each other’s hands because we knew something exciting was about to happen with this movie.”
“He was so smart and so accurate and funny at the same time. And he was a terrific actor as well. It’s a very impressive combination of talents that I first met – plus, he was just hilarious,” Crystal added.
‘Looked like he was about to cry’
On Dec. 14, photographers on scene captured images of Crystal wiping his face as he stood with his wife and spoke briefly with law enforcement before leaving.
The Analyze That star was observed outside the home by a neighbor, who told ABC7 that that he appeared deeply affected, and “looked like he was about to cry.”
TMZ writes that before watching first responders tending to his friends, Crystal had a chance to say to say his last “goodbyes” – but from a distance.
A representative for Crystal disputed earlier reports that claimed the star and his wife saw the bodies, stating that the couple was never permitted to get close to the house. According to the spokesperson, Crystal and his wife remained outside the property and did not enter the residence.
‘Will miss them forever’
Following confirmation of the deaths, several stars including Crystal, Albert Brooks, Martin Short and Larry David, released a joint statement through the Associated Press, offering a reflection on Reiner’s impact on both the industry and audiences.
“There is no other director who has his range. From comedy to drama to ‘mockumentary’ to documentary he was always at the top of his game. He charmed audiences. They trusted him. They lined up to see his films,” the tribute to the legendary filmmaker started.
“Rob was also a passionate, brave citizen, who not only cared for this country he loved, he did everything he could to make it better and with his loving wife Michele, he had the perfect partner. Strong and determined, Michele and Rob Reiner devoted a great deal of their lives for the betterment of our fellow citizens…They were a special force together – dynamic, unselfish and inspiring.
“We were their friends, and we will miss them forever,” the statement said before concluding with a quote from Reiner’s favorite Christmas move, It’s a Wonderful Life.
“‘Each man’s life touches so many other lives, and when he isn’t around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?’ You have no idea.”
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