Jake Reiner calls parents' stabbing deaths 'my living nightmare'

Jake Reiner, the eldest son of director Rob Reiner, broke his silence Friday in a Substack post calling the stabbing deaths of his parents "my living nightmare," as his younger brother Nick awaits trial on murder charges.

The statement marks the first public comment from within the family since Rob, 78, and Michele Reiner, 68, were found stabbed to death at their Brentwood home on Dec. 14, 2025. Their son Nick Reiner, who lived on the property, has pleaded not guilty to murder charges and is due back in court next week.

"I still wake up every morning having to convince myself that, no, it's not a dream," Jake wrote in the post, according to ABC News. He described his parents as "guiding lights, the foundation of who I am as a human being, and the most giving people I have ever known."

Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner were found stabbed to death at their Brentwood home on Dec. 14, 2025. The couple married in 1989 and had three children: Jake, Nick and Romy. Rob was 78 at the time of his death; Michele was 68.

Nick Reiner, who had been living on his parents' property, got into an argument with Rob at a holiday party the night before the deaths and was later seen acting strangely, ABC News reported. He has since pleaded not guilty to murder charges.

In his statement, Jake addressed the violence his parents endured. "One thing I keep coming back to is how frightened they must have been," he wrote. "They were the last people in the world to deserve what happened to them. They deserved to be loved, they deserved to be respected, and above all they deserved to be appreciated for how much they gave to all three of us and to the world."

Jake also reflected on his parents' bond with their children and with each other. "The love they have for me, my brother, and my sister is truly unconditional," he wrote. "And the love they have for each other in their marriage is something I always looked up to as the standard of what a successful relationship looks like."

Nick Reiner's next court hearing is scheduled for next week, according to ABC News. Jake's Substack post did not directly address his brother's charges.