Saturday Night Live paid tribute to Rob Reiner during its Dec. 20 episode — less than a week after the filmmaker and his wife, Michele Reiner, were killed by their son, Nick Reiner.
Reiner previously hosted the third episode of SNL in October 1975, shortly after the show premiered on Oct. 11 of that year. During the Dec. 20 broadcast, a tribute card appeared just before the goodnights segment, featuring a throwback photo of Reiner.
The episode — the show’s final installment of 2025 — featured Ariana Grande as host and Cher as the musical guest. It also marked Bowen Yang’s final episode as a cast member.
Rob and Michele Reiner were found dead at their Los Angeles home on Sunday, Dec. 14. They were 78 and 70, respectively. Their son, Nick, 32, who has a history of mental health struggles and drug addiction dating back to his teenage years, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with their deaths.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner released the causes of death on Wednesday, Dec. 17, three days after the couple were found. Both deaths were attributed to multiple sharp-force injuries, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide.
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Nick Reiner appeared in court on Dec. 17 wearing a blue anti-suicide smock and shackles. His attorney, Alan Jackson, declined to enter a plea. His arraignment is scheduled to continue on Jan. 7.
Rob and Michele were also parents to two other children — son Jake and daughter Romy — and Rob additionally adopted Tracy Reiner, the daughter of his late wife, Penny Marshall, from her marriage to Michael Henry.
The son of comedy legend Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner first rose to prominence on All in the Family, where he played Mike “Meathead” Stivic — a role that earned him two Emmy Awards.
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He later built a celebrated career as a director, beginning with This Is Spinal Tap (1984) and followed by Stand by Me (1986), The Princess Bride (1987), When Harry Met Sally (1989), Misery (1990), and A Few Good Men (1992). As an actor, his credits include Sleepless in Seattle (1993), Bullets Over Broadway (1994), The First Wives Club (1996), and The Wolf of Wall Street (2013).
In a statement released days after their parents’ deaths, Jake, 34, and Romy, 28, called it a “horrific and devastating loss.”
“Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day,” they said. “They weren’t just our parents; they were our best friends.”
