After Rob Reiner’s daughter discovered her parents dead in their Brentwood home, she called Billy Crystal, who went to the house to say goodbye to his longtime friend.
On December 14, first responders found filmmaker Rob Reiner, 78, and his wife Michele, 68, deceased inside their home. Authorities later arrested their youngest son, Nick Reiner, 32, charging him with two counts of first-degree murder.
Crystal and Reiner shared a close friendship spanning nearly 50 years, beginning in 1975 on All in the Family and continuing through multiple collaborations, including When Harry Met Sally. Crystal once recalled the joy of watching audiences react to the film’s iconic scenes, calling Reiner brilliant, funny, and deeply talented.
Photographers later captured Crystal visibly emotional outside the home. A spokesperson confirmed he did not enter the residence but was able to say goodbye from outside.
Following the tragedy, Crystal joined Albert Brooks, Martin Short, and Larry David in a joint statement praising Reiner’s extraordinary career, civic passion, and loving partnership with Michele, calling them “a special force together.”
“We were their friends,” the statement concluded. “And we will miss them forever.”