LOS ANGELES—In a stark and dramatic turn that left many in grief, Nick Reiner, the eldest son of the celebrated Hollywood director Rob Reiner, walked into a Los Angeles courtroom on Wednesday wearing a bright blue vest designed to flag suicide risk.
He arrived for his first appearance after prosecutors charged him with murdering his parents inside their Brentwood estate.
Nick was given a short, stark session in court—his brief arrival through a glass cage, no plea entered, and his arraignment set for January 7.
Prosecutors allege he is on two counts of first‑degree murder with a special circumstance, a charge that carries the possibility of the death penalty in this high‑profile case.
The alleged killings took place early Sunday morning. According to police reports, Nick stabbed his 78‑year‑old father, Rob Reiner, and his 70‑year‑old mother, Michele Singer Reiner, before being tackled and arrested roughly 15 miles away later that day.
Courtroom footage showed the troubled former child raising his arms as police officers closed in near the University of Southern California campus.
The arraignment was originally slated for Tuesday, but his well‑known legal team—represented by attorney Alan Jackson—stated that Nick was not medically fit to travel to court at that time.
The event drew a large media presence outside the downtown Los Angeles courtroom on December 17, when the case would officially begin.
Rob Reiner, an honored figure in Hollywood, was seen with his wife Michele and their children—Jake, Romy, and Nick—in a recent family portrait taken by photographer Evan Agostini.
The tragic scene was discovered by the family’s daughter, Romy, who stumbled upon the horror while checking on her parents after a massage therapist had failed to answer the gate as they approached.
Nick has a long history of substance‑use problems, having entered and left rehabilitation facilities at least 17 times over the years. He has also endured a strained relationship with his father, which reportedly included a fallout at a Conan O’Brien holiday party several years back.
The community and industry remain stunned, with many still processing how a family that once appeared together in front of microphones and cameras could be shattered in such a violent way. The upcoming court proceedings will set the next stage in a story that has already shocked both Hollywood and the broader public.
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