“Accepting that fact that this could have happened in his home from his own son, it sent shivers and chills down all of us,” the Stand By Me star said of Nick Reiner, who was arrested and charged in connection with his parents’ murders.
Following the tragic murders of Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, actor Corey Feldman is recalling his initial reaction — including how he allegedly immediately suspected their son, Nick Reiner.
During an appearance on The Rob Reiner Story: A Hollywood Tragedy – ABC News Special, which highlighted Rob’s Hollywood legacy, Feldman — who starred in the late director’s famous film Stand By Me — claimed that he was the “first” person who said Rob and Michele’s son was behind the gruesome killings of his parents. Nick has been arrested and charged with murder.
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“As we watched the news unfold, I was actually the first one who said, ‘I think it was his son,” Feldman said in the special, per Us Weekly. “It’s awful. It’s the worst thing I could imagine. … Accepting that fact that this could have happened in his home from his own son, it sent shivers and chills down all of us.”
“All I could think is, ‘Oh my God, there’s no way this could have happened to my friend,” he later added.
The former child actor — who, like Nick Reiner, battled drug and alcohol addiction — shared insight into how he believed Nick’s struggles impacted his relationship with his family.
“When you grow up living around drug addiction and alcoholism, it’s a lot easier to accept it and process it when it comes to your own family,” he said. “When we don’t understand the plight of our friends and family, and we don’t understand what a slippery slope addiction is, it’s hard to have empathy for it.”
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Rob and Michele Reiner were tragically found dead on Sunday afternoon. Reiner was 78, his wife was 68. According to TMZ, Romy discovered her parents and told police her brother was “dangerous.”
Nick was arrested on Sunday night. On Monday, the Los Angeles DA announced he was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, which comes with a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, or even the death penalty.
On Wednesday, Rob and Michele’s kids, Romy, 27, and Jake, 34, released a joint statement to TMZ.
“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 Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience. They weren’t just our parents; they were our best friends,” the statement began. “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.”
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“We now ask for respect and privacy, for speculation to be tempered with compassion and humanity, and for our parents to be remembered for the incredible lives they lived and the love they gave,” the family added.
Following the tragedy, many stars took to social media to share heartfelt tributes to the couple, including Feldman, who mourned Reiner’s passing on both X and Instagram.
“OMG THIS IS HORRIBLE NEWS! IM SO SORRY 4 ROB & HIS WIFE, & THEIR CHILDREN & THE WHOLE REINER FAMILY! ALL I CAN SAY IS IM SHOCKED & SADDENED, BUT I #LOVE U ROB! U WILL B 4EVER MISSED! #RIPROBREINER,” he wrote on X.
See his more lengthy tribute he shared on Instagram, below.
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