Month: December 2025

The children of filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, have issued their first public statement following the couple’s deaths and the arrest of their brother, Nick Reiner, in connection with the killings.

In a message released through media outlet TMZ, siblings Jake and Romy Reiner said: “Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day. The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience. They weren’t just our parents; they were our best friends. We are grateful for the outpouring of condolences, kindness, and support we have received not only from family and friends but people from all walks of life. We now ask for respect and privacy, for speculation to be tempered with compassion and humanity, and for our parents to be remembered for the incredible lives they lived and the love they gave.”

Prosecutors say the bodies of Rob Reiner, 78, and Michele Singer Reiner, 68, were discovered Sunday afternoon at their Brentwood, California, home. The couple was found around 3:40 p.m., reportedly by their daughter Romy. Nick Reiner, 32, was taken into custody several hours later at the Expo/Vermont Metro station in Exposition Park.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office revealed the official cause of death on Wednesday, stating the Reiners died as the result of multiple sharp force injuries, with the manner of death ruled a homicide

Nick is charged with two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstance allegations of multiple murders for allegedly stabbing his parents to death. Court documents show Reiner also faces an allegation of using a deadly weapon, a knife. If convicted, he could be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole or face the death penalty.

Reiner appeared briefly in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Wednesday after being medically cleared, but his arraignment was postponed for a second time and is now scheduled for Jan. 7. During the appearance, he did not enter a plea. According to reports, he was handcuffed and dressed in an anti-suicide smock. The only words he spoke in court were, “Yes, your honor.”

His attorney, prominent defense lawyer Alan Jackson, urged restraint following the hearing. “There are very, very complex and serious issues that are associated with this case,” Jackson said. “Things need to be thoroughly but very carefully dealt with and examined and looked at and analyzed .. We ask that during this process, you allow the system to move forward in the way that it was designed to move forward … not with jumping to conclusions, but with restraint and with dignity and with the respect that this system and this process deserves, and that the family deserves.”

Rob and Michele Reiner were married in May 1989 and shared three children: Jake, 34; Nick, 32; and Romy, 27. Rob Reiner was also the father of Tracy, 61, the daughter of his late ex-wife, Penny Marshall, whom he adopted when they were married.

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Australian authorities say the father and son accused of carrying out a deadly antisemitic attack during a Hanukkah gathering at Sydney’s Bondi Beach were motivated by Islamic State ideology and had recently traveled to the Philippines, a region known for past extremist activity.

Officials described the assault as a terrorist attack aimed at maximizing casualties among civilians. Fifteen people were killed and more than 40 wounded in Sunday’s shooting, including a 10-year-old girl and an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor. The attackers were identified as a 50-year-old father, Sajid Akram, who was fatally shot by police at the scene, and his 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram, who remains hospitalized after being wounded during the confrontation. Police said the firearms used were legally owned by the elder Akram.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Tuesday investigators have found clear indicators of extremist influence. “It would appear that there is evidence that this was inspired by a terrorist organization, by ISIS” Albanese told reporters. Australia’s federal police commissioner, Krissy Barrett, echoed that assessment, calling the incident “a terrorist attack inspired by Islamic State.” Authorities said homemade ISIS flags and improvised explosive devices were discovered inside a vehicle linked to the suspects.

Investigators confirmed the two men traveled to the Philippines from Nov. 1 to Nov. 28, with immigration records listing Davao as their final destination. New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said authorities are examining where the men went and what they did during the trip. Australian media, citing security sources, reported the suspects may have received “military-style training,” though Philippine officials said there is no current evidence of foreign militants operating in the country’s south.

Indian police confirmed Sajid Akram was originally from Hyderabad, where he earned a degree before migrating to Australia in 1998. He held an Indian passport, while his children were born in Australia and are citizens. Indian authorities said Akram had limited contact with relatives in India and that family members “expressed no knowledge of his radical mindset or activities, nor of the circumstances that led to his radicalization.” Police added his son’s radicalization appeared to have no connection to India.

Australian officials acknowledged that Naveed Akram had been investigated in 2019 for possible links to a Sydney-based extremist network, but intelligence agencies later determined he posed no threat at the time. ABC News reported he had associations with individuals tied to pro-ISIS activity, though lawyers for one of those figures denied any involvement in the Bondi Beach attack.

Albanese and state leaders pledged to further tighten Australia’s already strict gun laws, noting that the elder suspect legally possessed multiple firearms. “The suspected murderers, callous in how they allegedly coordinated their attack, appeared to have no regard for the age or ableness of their victims.”

Israeli officials sharply criticized Australia’s government, pointing to a rise in antisemitic incidents. Israeli Ambassador Amir Maimon warned that Jewish Australians no longer feel safe and urged stronger action, saying, “We are now facing here a surge of antisemitism, and Australians of Jewish faith are not feeling secure in their own country, and this is insane.”

Editorial credit: Shutterstock AI Asset Gen