Rob and Michele Reiner ‘Tried So Hard’ with Son Nick but He ‘Didn’t Take the Help Seriously’ 

Rob and Michele Reiner tried repeatedly to support their son Nick through long-running struggles, but those efforts were often met without lasting follow-through, according to people familiar with the family.

“They tried so hard already for years,” a source close to the situation says.

Another person adds that Nick “didn’t take the help seriously,” describing a pattern that stretched back years. “His issues were far, far out of his parents’ control,” the person says.

One insider describes Nick as “unreliable,” claiming he “lied a lot,” but could also be “convincing and intelligent.” The same person says the family remained compassionate about how deeply his struggles affected his behavior, and that they continued to hope for improvement even during frightening periods. “They never lost hope in him, even when he was scaring them or making their lives harder,” the person says.

On Sunday, Dec. 14, Rob, 78, and his wife Michele, 70, were found dead inside their Los Angeles home. Nick was arrested later that night and has since been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with their deaths. Nick appeared in court Wednesday, Dec. 17, and his lawyer Alan Jackson declined to enter a plea. His arraignment will continue Jan. 7.

Nick co-wrote the 2015 film Being Charlie, directed by his father and loosely inspired by Nick’s experiences with addiction. While promoting the project, Nick spoke openly in interviews about what he described as “dark years,” including multiple stints in rehab as a young adult.

In one Los Angeles Times interview from that period, Rob and Michele reflected on what they saw as mistakes they made while trying to navigate their son’s addiction.

“The program works for some people, but it can’t work for everybody,” Rob said at the time. He added that when Nick told them it wasn’t working for him, “we wouldn’t listen,” describing how desperation influenced their decisions.

Michele also recalled feeling swayed by outside voices. “We were so influenced by these people,” she said. “They would tell us he’s a liar, that he was trying to manipulate us. And we believed them.”

The Reiners’ children Jake, 34, and Romy, 28, spoke out in a statement shared Dec. 17, describing the “unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day.”

“The horrific and devastating loss of our parents,” they added, “is something that no one should ever experience. They weren’t just our parents; they were our best friends.”

Nick had joined the family on the red carpet at the Spinal Tap II premiere in Los Angeles on Sept. 9. In a September interview with NPR, Rob said Nick “hasn’t been doing drugs for over six years,” adding, “He’s in a really good place.”

But one person close to the family says stability remained difficult. According to that source, the Reiners “tried everything — giving him space, keeping him close,” yet continued to fear the depth of his struggles. “It’s just a parent’s worst nightmare,” the person says. “They were such lovely people and tried in every way to help their son.”