In a heartbreaking twist that has left both Hollywood and Washington stunned, Michelle Obama has revealed that she and former President Barack Obama were scheduled to meet Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner on the very night the couple was brutally murdered in their Los Angeles home.
During an emotional appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, the former First Lady spoke publicly about the tragedy for the first time, sharing that she and Barack had been close friends with the Reiners for decades.
“We’ve known them for many, many years,” Michelle said somberly. “We were supposed to see them that night—and then we got the devastating news.” She described the couple as “some of the most decent, courageous people you could ever hope to meet.”
The Obamas’ deep friendship with the Reiners had been well-known in Hollywood circles. The families often attended private gatherings together, sharing mutual admiration for one another’s work in film and public service.
Michelle Obama also used the appearance to defend the Reiners’ legacy following former President Donald Trump’s controversial remarks, which criticized the late director. “They weren’t deranged or crazed,” she said firmly. “They were passionate individuals in a time when courage is in short supply. They cared deeply about their family, about this country, and about fairness and equity. That’s who they were. I knew them well.”
The shocking murders have gripped the entertainment world. According to LAPD, the couple was found stabbed to death inside their Brentwood home on December 14. Their son, Nick Reiner, 32, was arrested later that night and has since been charged with murder. Authorities say he fled the scene after the attack and was later apprehended near the University of Southern California.
Their daughter, Romy Reiner, 28, made the horrifying discovery and called emergency services. The Los Angeles Fire Department arrived shortly after, but both Rob and Michele were pronounced dead at the scene.
Nick Reiner, a screenwriter and actor who has publicly struggled with addiction and mental health issues in the past, was initially held on $4 million bail, later updated to no bail as the case was turned over to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
The murders occurred just hours after the Reiner family attended Conan O’Brien’s annual Christmas party—a detail that has shocked those who saw them alive and well that evening.
In the aftermath, Rob’s eldest daughter, Tracy Reiner, who was adopted during his marriage to the late Penny Marshall, told NBC News that she had seen her father the day before. “I came from the greatest family ever,” she said tearfully. “I don’t know what to say. I’m in complete shock.”
As the investigation continues, the intertwining of celebrity, family tragedy, and presidential proximity has made this one of the most chilling and heartbreaking stories Hollywood has seen in years.
