Two months after filmmakers Rob and Michele Reiner were found murdered in their Brentwood home, comedian Conan O’Brien has publicly addressed the tragedy, revealing his shock and grief over the loss of his friends. The Reiners were found stabbed to death on December 14, 2025, hours after attending O’Brien’s annual holiday party.
“To have that experience of saying good night to somebody and having them exit and then find out the next day that they’re gone… I think I was in shock for quite a while afterward,” O’Brien said in a recent interview on “The New Yorker Radio Hour” podcast. “I indicate, there’s no other word for it. It’s just very—it’s so awful. It’s just so awful.”
O’Brien described the Reiners as “just such lovely people,” emphasizing his and his wife’s close relationship with the couple. He lauded Rob Reiner’s directorial achievements and his commitment to progressive political causes. Reiner, known for directing films like “When Harry Met Sally…” and “This is Spinal Tap,” was a vocal critic of former President Trump and a supporter of initiatives including early childhood education and marriage equality.
“I think about how Rob felt about things that are happening in the country, how involved he was, how much he put himself out there—and to have that voice go quiet in an instant is still hard for me to comprehend,” O’Brien told The New Yorker.
O’Brien highlighted Reiner’s prolific output as a director, noting his ability to create a string of successful films within a relatively short period. “To develop seven—in, like, a nine-year, 10-year, 11-year period—is insanity,” he said. He specifically credited “Spinal Tap” for its profound influence on his generation.
The comedian recalled discovering “This is Spinal Tap” while in college, calling it a “splitting-the-atom moment.” The two men also shared a professional connection, with Reiner appearing on O’Brien’s late-night show in 1999 and later as a guest on the “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” podcast in both 2023, and 2025.
Authorities allege that Nick Reiner, the Reiners’ 32-year-classic son, fatally stabbed his parents in their Brentwood home sometime in the early morning hours of December 14. Their bodies were discovered by their daughter approximately 12 hours later. Nick Reiner was arrested that evening in South Los Angeles by the Los Angeles Police Department.
He was charged with two counts of first-degree murder on December 16, and has yet to enter a plea. His arraignment was postponed in January after his initial attorney, Alan Jackson, withdrew from the case and was replaced by a public defender, according to reports. Sources have indicated that Nick Reiner has a history of mental health challenges and substance use, though the extent to which these factors will be presented in court remains unclear.
At the time of the murders, sources who attended O’Brien’s December 13 party described a heated verbal altercation between Nick Reiner and his parents, according to NBC News.
