Actor Corey Feldman has publicly criticized the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, describing the recent tribute to late filmmaker Rob Reiner at the 98th Academy Awards as a “family reunion I wasn’t invited to.”
Feldman, 54, shared his frustrations during a joint interview with Entertainment Weekly alongside former Stand By Me costars Jerry O’Connell and Wil Wheaton. The interview, intended to mark the 40th anniversary of the classic coming-of-age film, quickly shifted toward the notable absence of Feldman during the Oscars’ emotional segment honoring Reiner.
While O’Connell and Wheaton joined more than a dozen of Reiner’s most famous collaborators—including Meg Ryan, Demi Moore, and John Cusack—on the Dolby Theatre stage, Feldman remained on the sidelines.
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“I don’t feel like I missed much at all,” Feldman remarked, despite acknowledging the sting of the exclusion. He further critiqued the segment’s structure, noting that the participants were not permitted to speak. “I personally was probably maybe a little bothered by the fact that nobody got to speak or do or say anything from their own heart,” he said.
The Reiner Tragedy and Legal Proceedings
The tribute follows the harrowing deaths of Rob Reiner, 78, and his wife, Michele, who were found dead in their Los Angeles home on December 14, 2025. The tragedy took a darker turn when their middle child, Nick Reiner, was arrested the following day.
Nick Reiner faces two counts of first-degree murder. He has pleaded not guilty and remains in custody pending an April 29 court appearance. If convicted, he faces life in prison without parole or the death penalty.
Feldman addressed the loss with gravity, stating, “We’re all very destroyed that things went down the way they did… it’s a tragedy.”
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The Academy’s Silence
During the telecast, Reiner’s long-time friend Billy Crystal delivered a moving eulogy, focusing on Reiner’s cinematic legacy and the couple’s activism in the marriage equality movement. Crystal described the pair as “unstoppable” and “far more human.”
The Academy has yet to issue a formal response regarding Feldman’s comments or the criteria used to select the participants for the onstage memorial.
