Hidden True Crime - Reiner Family BREAKS SILENCE & New Details About Nick Emerge | Rob and Michele Reiner

Episode Date: December 18, 2025

Nick Reiner’s first court appearance lasted only minutes, but it raised far more questions than it answered. As new details emerge about his mental state, suicide watch status, and behavior in the days before his parents were killed, a troubling picture is coming into focus. This episode explores the Christmas party his parents didn’t want to attend without him, how their daughter Romy was alerted after a massage therapist couldn’t access the home, and why investigators are still withholding key details. With first-degree murder charges and the death penalty on the table, this case may be about far more than a single night. Sponsor Tovala: For a limited time, save up to $300 on the Tovala smart oven when you order meals 6+ times, by visiting Tovala.com/HIDDEN and using code HIDDEN. About Hidden True Crime What started as a simple conversation at their dinner table became a captivating podcast. Join the dynamic duo of Dr. John Matthias, a criminal psychologist, and Lauren Matthias, an investigative journalist, as they delve into the psychological facets of unthinkable crimes every week. Their unique perspectives and in-depth analysis offer a fresh take on true crime storytelling. Thank you for your support through sponsorships, subscribing, listening, and becoming a Patreon member at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/HiddenTrueCrime⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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It may have been the culmination of a long unraveling crisis that those closest to Nick Reiner were desperately trying to manage. My name is Lauren Matthias, and this is hidden true crime. Nick Reiner, the son of legendary filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, Michelle Singer-Riner, made his first court appearance today since being charged with their murder. The hearing itself was brief. No plea was entered. Guilty or not guilty? None of that. And on paper, very little changed except that the picture surrounding Nick's mental and emotional state continues to grow more complicated. And I'll say more disturbing. Given everything we now know reports of increasingly erratic behavior, his parents' reluctance to leave him alone and multiple accounts of him deteriorating in the weeks leading up to the killings, it raises a serious and unavoidable question, was Nick relapsing or experiencing a severe mental health crisis in the days before his parents were killed?

And that question becomes even more pointed when you look at how Nick appeared in court. Nick waived his right to a speedy arraignment, waived his right to a speedy arraignment, meaning he, again, did not plead guilty or not guilty today. His arraignment has now been continued, and it will now be on January 7th. after the holidays, and he remains in custody, though, until then without bail. Inside the courtroom,

Nick said almost nothing. The only words he spoke were, yes, your honor. When Judge Teresa McGonagall asked whether he understood his right to a speedy trial, what stood out to most observers was Nick's appearance, which many describe as striking and unsettling. He was brought in wearing shackles and what appear to be a suicide prevention vest, sometimes referred to as a smock, typically used for individuals on suicide watch. He wasn't wearing a shirt underneath the smock. His arms were bare. His face was described as blank, distant, and emotionless. That suicide prevention vest is particularly a notable detail. On one level, it indicates that jail officials believe Nick may be a danger to himself. But on another level, it may also be signaling the direction

his defense team is preparing to take. In high-profile homicide cases, especially those involving family members, visible indicators of mental instability often, right, become part of a broader legal narrative centered on diminished capacity or, as we know it, the insanity defense. And at this stage, that remains speculation for me here, a hidden two crime. But it is informed speculation based on evidence that we have seen thus far and how these cases typically unfold. For most of the hearing, the media couldn't even see Nick. He was seated off to the side partially obscured and only briefly visible at the

very end when reporters approach the front of the courtroom. Well, the judge has allowed video from the courtroom to be released. She has prohibited any footage showing Nick himself. So let's take a look inside the courtroom. 25 CJC F 08-098. Good morning, Your Honor, Alan Jackson, along with Caleb Mason and Elizabeth Little. Comptachment Jackson, point on behalf, Mr. Reiner, who's currently present in court getting custody. Thank you. Good morning, Your Honor. Could be bailiated for the people?

John, I can keep going on. Thank you. And, Counsel, how would you like to proceed today? Your Honor, if we could, I would like to ask for a continuance of the arraignment. I want to be to plead this juncture, it's too early. We've coordinated with counsel from the DA's office and January 7, with the court's permission, would be a convenient date for us to come back for potential arraignment. Thank you.

This time I'll take a waiver, some, maybe a waiver from your client. Thank you. Mr. Reiner, do you have a constitutional? institutional and statutory right to a speedy arraignment. Your counsel is requesting that your arraignment be continued to January 7, 2026. Do you waive your right to a speedy arraignment so that your arraignment can be heard on January 7,

2026? And is counsel joining the waiver? I join the court finds that the defendant has made a knowing and intelligent waiver of his right to a speedy arraignment and that is council plans in that waiver. Watter said January 7, 2026 for arraignment in this department, bailed to stand at no bail.

Anything further on the case? Not by the defense, Your Honor. Anything for me? No, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. With Nick not entering a plea, this is now the second time his arraignment has been delayed since his arrest Sunday night. Outside the courthouse, Nick's attorney, Alan Jackson, addressed reporters.

Jackson emphasized that nothing substantive occurred during the hearing and repeatedly urged everyone to have restraint. He asked that the legal process be allowed to move forward with dignity. and that the Reiner family be given the respect they deserve. Jackson said the case involves very complex and very serious issues that need to be carefully examined and analyzed. He also explained that the initial delay earlier this week occurred because Nick had not been medically cleared in time for court. We learned that describing that the issue is procedural and declining to provide further details. It remains unclear why the arraignment was postponed again today, other than that Jackson, asked for more time to prepare.

Here's what Jackson said outside the court house. This is a devastating tragedy that has befallen the Reiner family. We all recognize that our hearts go out to the entire Reiner family. There are very, very complex and serious issues that are associated with this case. There's 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 a rush to judgment, 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. So with that, we are set for January 7th for an arraignment. That's the next court date. And that's all I have to say at this point. There may be more at some other point, but today we're going to rest on where we stand, stand procedurally, which is this was a continuance of arraignment. Nothing happened today substantively. We'll be back for an arraignment in the same department on the 7th of January. We'll see you then. Why did you delay it? Why did you delay it? Nick is currently being held again on suicide watch at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown Los Angeles without bond. As we learned yesterday, prosecutors have charged Nick with two counts of

first-degree murder, along with special circumstance allegations, including multiple murders and the personal use of a deadly weapon, a knife. If convicted, he faces life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty. We also now know the official cause of death is multiple sharp force injuries. That is official as of today. The cause of death is multiple. pull sharp force injuries heartbreaking now as the legal proceedings move slowly more clarity has emerged about what was happening in the days and even hours leading up to rob and michelle reiner's death one newly reported detail sheds light on just how concerned the family may have been about nick's behavior shortly before the killings according to the hollywood reporter it was not

originally invited to conan o'brien's christmas party on saturday night however rob and michel reportedly did not want to leave their son alone. The outlet claims the couple asked O'Brien if Nick could accompany them to the party. Sources alleged that Nick's behavior described as extreme and stressful had escalated in recent weeks and grown even more concerning.

Because of this, his parents, Rob and Michelle, they were reportedly reluctant to leave him alone in the guest house on their Brentwood property where Nick had. had been living under what was described as, quote, watchful supervision. Those parents tried. Exema is unpredictable, but you can flare less with ebbglis,

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The alleged claims Rob confronted Nick over what was described as inappropriate behavior, then apologized to Conan O'Brien before the family left the party early. The very next day, Rob and Michelle Reiner were found slain in their home, and Nick was later arrested. As court proceedings move forward, there has also been clarification around what actually happened the day Rob and Michelle were discovered, particularly amid early rumors and misinformation. There were initial reports suggesting that Michelle may have still been alive when their daughter Romi entered the house. We could never clarify that here at Hidden True Crime, which is why we never share that

information. And sources now say this is not true. So I want to clear that up. We said that when we could clarify whether this rumor was true or not, we would share that. It is not true. And what we're learning is that Romy actually lived right across the street from her parents. And when the massage therapist could not get into the Riner's Gate, she called Romy to let her know her mother wasn't answering for her appointment.

Romy went to check on them Sunday afternoon around 3 p.m. And she discovered her father first. After realizing that something was terribly, terribly wrong, she immediately fled the home. she immediately fled the home. And then Romy didn't remain inside, right? It makes sense. And she did not investigate further. She went straight to get a friend who was staying with her and told that friend to call 911. At the same time, Romy herself called one of her father's closest friends actor Billy Crystal to tell him what happened. It's now being reported that Billy Crystal immediately rushed to the scene and witnessed the horrific aftermath himself. And that detail,

That says a lot about the depth of that friendship, that in a moment of pure panic and trauma, it was Billy Crystal, one of the very first people that Romy thought to call. It wasn't until first responders arrived that Romy was informed that her mother, Michelle, was also deceased. She did not initially know that both of her parents had been killed when she ran from the house. There is still significant uncertainty about how the attack actually unfolded. Investigators haven't said whether Nick waited until his parents were asleep or whether another argument or confrontation took place beforehand. We also again know that Romi saw her father, but not her mother. And part of that uncertainty stems from the fact that authorities have not disclosed where in the home each body was found.

If both Rob and Michelle had been asleep in the same bedroom, it would seem likely that Romi would have seen them together when she entered the house. the fact that she didn't raise as additional possibilities, that they may have been in separate rooms, that one parent encountered Nick elsewhere in the home, or that events unfolded in stages rather than all at once. Until investigators release more specifics, these questions remain unanswered, but they are central to understanding what happened inside the house that night. sources also say that when rob and michel were found their bodies were already in a state of rigor mortis indicating they had been deceased for at least several hours this indicates that the stabbings occurred in the early morning hours on sunday a timeline that directly contradicts earlier rumors that either parent was still alive when romey entered the home police arrived spoke with family members and learned that nick reiner had been staying in the guest house on the riner's property later that night shortly after nine p.m., police located Nick near the University of Southern California, an area that sources now say is known to law enforcement for frequent drug activity. Surveillance footage shows Nick inside a gas station, convenience store shortly before his arrest, waiting in line to purchase a bottled beverage.

Surveillance cameras from an exposition park convenience store show Nick Reiner wandering into the parking lot Sunday night with a distinct gate, red backpack slung over one shoulder. Inside the store, Nick Reiner grabs a drink and gets in line, nervously shifting from foot to foot, head on a swivel. This man, who appears to be a law enforcement officer, enters the store. This is the moment Nick Reiner appears to stare face to face with that law enforcement officer, stutter stepping and maneuvering to not so subtly avoid him. As he walks out, a monitor above Reiner's head reads, recording in progress. moments later, multiple police vehicles surrounded him near the intersection of Exposition Boulevard and Vermont Avenue. Nick raised his hands and was taken into custody without incident.

He was wearing a sweater, a hat, and carrying a red backpack. The photos that we saw yesterday now make more sense in light of the video, which shows Nick lowering himself to the ground voluntarily and without incident, just as officers described. That same gas station has since become part of the story in another way. Employees there say they've known Nick for years, some for more than a decade, and that the Reiner family were regulars. But they say in the weeks leading up to the killings, Nick seemed noticeably different. One employee recalled seeing him about two weeks before the murders and described him as drained, withdrawn, and unusually standoffish. He purchased a pack of

Marlboro Light, something they said was routine for him. And while he did not appear intoxicated, his demeanor was off. And that stood in sharp contrast to how he'd been just a couple months earlier when employees described him as friendly, social, and chatty. Amid all of this, Nick's siblings, Jake, and Romy Reiner released their first public statement. And it said, quote, 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 Michelle 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 taken. tempered with compassion and humanity and for our parents to be remembered for the incredible lives they lived and the love they gave." The statement notably did not mention their brother. Regarding the hotel, we're now learning that after the murders, Nick checked into the Pearside Santa Monica Hotel and stayed in room 207. Records indicate he arrived just after 4 a.m. Sunday morning and booked a room that typically costs around $400 a night. As we covered yesterday, sources say blood was later found throughout the room, including in the shower and on the bed sheets.

This discovery was made by a housekeeper who cleaned the room late Sunday morning. Those findings prompted a deeper response from law enforcement. An LAPD robbery homicide detective arrived at the hotel around 1 a.m. Monday and informed staff he was investigating Nick Reiner's room in connection with the killings of Robin Michelle. And according to sources with direct knowledge, the detective said he was concerned Nick may have disposed of a weapon and attempted to clean up or discard evidence. Hotel staff escorted detectives to room 207, which is subsequently sealed off. We're now told the entire second floor of the hotel has been closed as the investigation continues.

We're also learning more about Nick's behavior at Check-in. A hotel staff member reportedly believed he appeared, quote, tweaked out and later told investigators they suspected he was under the influence of some type of stimulant. Sources say Nick purchased for Heineken beers and a bottle of water from the hotel lobby shop. However, the beers were non-alcoholic, and it's unclear whether Nick realized that at the time, whether or not he was buying non-alcoholic. There's a very specific moment in the evening when my brain is completely done for the day, and it usually happens right around the time I'm supposed to figure out dinner. I've tried staring into the fridge. I've tried microwaving things.

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That's up to $300 off when you head toavala.com slash hidden and use promo code hidden. As for Nick's past, much of it is well documented and is now being reexamined through devastating hindsight. Nick has spoken openly about his struggles with addiction since his teenage years. He has described periods of homelessness and more than a dozen stints in rehabilitation by his early 20s. And as we discussed before, in 2015, he co-wrote the film Being Charlie with his father, a story loosely based on his experiences with addiction and recovery. At the time, Rob spoke publicly about how desperate he felt to help his son, saying he tried

everything, even approaches that went against his instincts because he was willing to listen to anyone to claim they might help. Nick himself has said that growing up with a famous father and grandfather, Carl Reiner, left him without a clear identity, pushing him toward a rebellious and self-destructive path. Sources close to the family now describe Nick as entitled, someone who wanted a life that didn't exist, who expected love and success without the work required to build it. Those same sources, say Rob and Michelle carried enormous guilt for years, feeling they had somehow failed to help their son find stability.

Despite being described as an incredibly close, tight-knit family who did everything together, insiders say Nick's struggles were never fully resolved, no matter how much support, how much space, how much intervention his parents tried. Another resurfacing detail. This is interesting. It involves a yoga instructor who worked with the Reiner family when Nick was a child. She has said she was hired not only to work with Michelle, but in part to help Nick, who was already dealing with aggression and behavioral issues at a very young age.

Nick was around eight years old at the time of this. And she remembers this yoga instructor, him as having intense energy. Okay, he's eight, right? frequently interrupting sessions and struggling to regulate himself. And so at the time, she didn't see this as an alarming red flag, an eight-year-old. Many children have high energy. But the experience, it did stay with her. And years later, it stayed with her so much.

She wrote a children's book inspired by it, learning now that her former student is charged with killing his parents. She said she was devastated. Let's take a listen to a little bit of her interview. She taught yoga to Rob Reiner's son Nick when he was just eight years old. And the experience was so disturbing, she wrote a children's book about it. The book is called A Chair in the Air, and it features a boy named Nikki. From this experience with him, I was like rhyming this story about Little Nikki. He was just so picky.

He can't sit still. Little Nikki was picky. He often threw a fit. The book opens. In the book, Nikki breaks his mom's vase. and is despondent. Nikki awoke at home. His mom was still crying.

Mom, I'm not perfect, he said, but I'll keep on trying. I spoke to author Alana Zabel. Was he very troubled as a child? He had so much energy. And a lot of young boys have that kind of energy where they can't sit still. It is not uncommon. So I never saw it as a massive red flag.

Alana Zabel says she met the Reiner family when she was hired to train mom Michelle Reiner in yoga. Nick Reiner was about eight years old and she says he would often interrupt the yoga sessions. Her reaction to the news that her former student is now charged with his parents' murders. I was just devastated. Even Dr. Drew Pinsky has weighed in publicly, noting that when parents are dealing with addiction, many of their instincts can be wrong, acknowledging just how complex, painful, and heartbreaking these situations can be. Joey Meatball says at the end of day it's a personal responsibility.

No, Joey doesn't tend to work like that, unfortunately. If those, believe me, people that are doing drugs are desperate to stop many times. And it's a brain syndrome that makes it next to impossible. So personal responsibility, I mean, you can talk about being responsible for your recovery. That's something they should be responsible for. And you can talk about people doing drugs in the first place. Maybe you educate people enough, there'd be less likely to do that. But education doesn't seem to make much of an impact on people's choice to do drug.

but here we are. There's also been public curiosity surrounding Nick's legal representation, specifically how Nick is paying for someone as high profile as defense attorney Alan Jackson. Jackson, we know, doesn't need publicity, especially coming right off of the Karen Reed case. So it's unlikely he'd be taking this case pro bono. There is widespread speculation that Nick's defense may be funded through family money, possibly an inheritance or trust left by his grandfather.

Carl Reiner, though that has not been confirmed. That is speculation. How is this being paid for? We do not know. For now, here is what we do know, though. Nick Reiner remains in custody on suicide watch facing the most serious charges possible. This next court date is January 7th. Prosecutors have not disclosed a motive. And investigators say the case remains active. But the story might ultimately turn less on what happened inside that house and more on what was happening inside Nick Reiner himself. In the next episode on this case, we'll take a closer look at what may be unfolding behind the scenes, potential defense strategies, how an insanity or diminished capacity argument could be built and why certain details appear to be emphasized so early in this

case. We'll also explore the inner workings of the Reiner family and what members of Hollywood are saying about this tragedy. Some speaking publicly, others privately, Nick's struggles and the pressure of growing up inside a very public legacy. We'll also hear from my co-host, Dr. John Matthias, very soon. This is a deeply personal family tragedy unfolding under an unforgiving spotlight, and it is far from over, but we'll continue following each development. Let's be honest, buying cannabis shouldn't be complicated, sketchy, or low quality. That's why I want to tell you about mood.com. That's M-O-O-O-D.com.

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