Nick Reiner, Arrested amid Family Investigation, Reportedly Went to Rehab Nearly 20 Times as a Teen

Following the shocking deaths of his parents, this screenwriter's troubled past has come under intense media scrutiny, revealing a history marked by addiction and instability.

Nick Reiner is in custody as a suspect in the deaths of his parents, Rob and Michele Singer Reiner. The son of the acclaimed director reportedly struggled with drug abuse, attending rehab nearly 20 times during his teenage years.

Bodies Discovered in Brentwood Mansion

According to sources, Rob and Michele were discovered by their daughter inside their Brentwood home on Sunday, December 14. The Los Angeles Fire Department responded at 3:38 p.m. to a medical aid call at a residence on the 250 block of Chadbourne Avenue.

The fire department said the couple was initially identified only as a man and woman, aged 78 and 68, who had been stabbed. Law enforcement sources indicate Nick was not home when his parents were found.

Investigators believe he left the home after the stabbings. Sources told ABC News that the LAPD located him near the University of Southern California and arrested him for murder.

The 32-year-old was taken into custody Sunday night and is being held without bail, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed. He is currently at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown Los Angeles.

Sources say Rob and Nick argued on Saturday night at a holiday party, where Nick was reportedly acting erratically. Investigators are interviewing the Reiner family's immediate members to understand Nick's relationships and role within the family.

Dreams Derailed: College Plans Abandoned

Born in 1993, Nick grew up with two siblings, Jake and Romy. By that time, their father, who started his acting career on the sitcom "All in the Family," was already a Hollywood success.

Their grandfather, Carl Reiner, creator of "The Dick Van Dyke Show," was a towering figure in 20th-century television. After earning his G.E.D., Nick had planned to attend college in North Carolina.

However, he ultimately decided not to pursue it, later following in his family's footsteps by entering the entertainment industry.

'Being Charlie': A Film Imitating Life

Nick's struggles with addiction have been well-documented. He has publicly spoken about periods of homelessness and substance abuse. His experiences inspired the 2015 film "Being Charlie," directed by Rob and co-written by Nick, who was 22 when the film premiered.

In the film, a former actor with political ambitions, played by Cary Elwes, struggles to connect with his son, Charlie, portrayed by Nick, who is addicted to heroin. Cary plays a popular actor vying for a governor's seat.

The film draws loosely from Rob's own efforts to help his son overcome drug addiction. Charlie and his father clash frequently, both over Charlie's care and his father's pursuit of personal ambitions.

The teenager is a comedy enthusiast who has tried open mics and can freestyle rap with a friend, but his addiction dominates his life. At 18, he becomes a heroin addict, his flashes of talent diminishing.

Charlie's mother is portrayed as a more present and sympathetic figure than his father. She supports him as he transitions to a halfway house and encourages him to gain more independence.

In contrast, his father is depicted as calculating, often lying to both his son and the press to protect his image. The story culminates after a friend's overdose, prompting Charlie to reconsider his path.

The film closes with an emotional reconciliation between Charlie and his father. This is a scene that was rewritten multiple times as Rob and Nick gained deeper insight into their own relationship.

Homeless, Lost, and Alone

The director later reflected on learning that his son had used drugs shortly before his 15th birthday. Rob noted that his reaction at the time was not driven by anger. "I felt bad for him and I didn't know what to do to help – and a lot of times parents don't know what to do," he shared.

Rob and Michele responded by sending Nick to rehab, marking the first of what would later culminate in an estimated 18 stints in recovery facilities. When Nick later refused to return to treatment at 19, he became homeless.

"I was homeless in Maine. I was homeless in New Jersey. I was homeless in Texas. I spent nights on the street. I spent weeks on the street. It was not fun," Nick previously shared.

Nick's time living on the streets and moving between shelters followed his decision to refuse further rehab. "If I wanted to do it my way and not go to the programs they were suggesting, then I had to be homeless," he noted.

Still, he added that these experiences shaped who he became. They exposed him to both challenges and remarkable people, pushing him far outside his comfort zone.

Even so, Nick said he was striving to stay clean as a way to avoid returning to life on the streets. He acknowledged that on the streets, survival was uncertain and every day felt like a gamble.

A Life of Desperation and Destruction

Nick also shared stories about his crises and volatile behavior during his struggles with addiction. On one occasion, after staying awake for days on cocaine in his parents' guest house, he caused extensive damage, destroying items such as a television and a lamp.

In another incident, he suffered a heart attack on a plane due to cocaine use and woke up in a hospital. He also once threw a rock through a window at a treatment center in an attempt to convince staff that he needed medication.

Nick has described this period as one in which he felt completely lost. He lacked an understanding of himself or the world, relying on destructive behaviors as his primary coping mechanism. His addiction left his parents feeling at a loss.

Parents' Struggle: Trying Everything to Help Their Son

Alan Horn, a former Disney studio chairman and a close friend and longtime collaborator of Rob, recalled that Michele had reflected on her son's struggles a few years ago. She said, "We've tried everything. We don't know what else to do."

Rob later explained that navigating Nick's recovery process meant relying heavily on professionals whose guidance did not always account for the individual needs of his child. This experience taught him the importance of trusting his own understanding as a parent.

"When Nick would tell us that it wasn't working for him, we wouldn't listen. We were desperate and because the people had diplomas on their wall, we listened to them when we should have been listening to our son," he acknowledged.

Michelle agreed with her husband, "We were so influenced by these people. They would tell us he's a liar, that he was trying to manipulate us. And we believed them."

Nick also said his recovery wasn't driven by treatment centers or structured programs, but by maturity and his own process of coming to terms with what he had been through.

"I was able to wait it out long enough in order to see just a glimpse of things differently. That's all it took, just to see the situation I was in from a slightly different angle. Then the concept of life became clear to me," said Nick.

Bonding Through Art: Father and Son Reconnect

Nick later found direction through writing "Being Charlie" alongside Matt Elisofon, a friend he met during his final stay in rehab. "It was the first time in my life that I tasted life. Not everybody gets to make a movie. But in this case, I found my salvation," he revealed.

The project also helped rebuild his relationship with his father. Working on the film required both of them to confront each other's struggles, which improved their child-parent and father-son bond. "I really wasn't sure I wanted to do this," Rob admitted.

However, through the process, Rob gained more knowledge of what his son was going through, which helped him understand Nick more deeply. "Our relationship is better now than it was, and it's got places to go," said Rob.

Nick divulged that the connection with his father did not come from the story alone, but from observing how Rob expressed himself. By listening quietly, Nick was able to learn more from his father and strengthen their bond.

Rob explained that experiencing his son's struggles was extremely difficult, filled with painful highs and lows. Hence, making the film brought those emotions and memories back to the surface.

However, the director praised how well he and his son worked. "It was intense, it was difficult at times but it was also the most satisfying creative experience I have ever had," he gushed.

Rob acknowledged his son's abilities on set, noting that Nick demonstrated strong acting skills. He highlighted the way he connected with his co-stars and brought authenticity to his character.

From Redemption to Horror: What Happened?

Nick Reiner hoped the film resonated with others who may have faced similar struggles. He and his father aimed to make the story reflect their real-life experiences as closely as possible, while acknowledging that not every detail was drawn from their own lives.

Today, even though his relationship with his parents had reportedly improved and he had remained sober, Nick is now a suspect in the stabbing and murder of his parents.

Comedian Geoffrey Mark, who had known Rob for roughly 30 years through group dinners and other events, said he rarely spoke directly about difficulties at home.

On occasion, he would respond to inquiries about his well-being with a joking but pointed remark, "Go have children."

Mark explained that the comment was a humorous way of hinting at underlying troubles that Rob Reiner did not want to discuss openly, while still acknowledging their presence.

Now, the public remains eager for the police to complete their investigation and provide more clarity about what occurred in the Reiner household, leading to the devastating death of Rob and his wife, Michele.