Director-actor Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner have died, a spokesperson for the family has announced with "profound sorrow".
The couple were found dead at their Los Angeles home, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation. The official could not publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Investigators believe they suffered stab wounds and a family member is being questioned.
The Los Angeles Fire Department said it responded to a medical aid request shortly after 3.30pm on Sunday (local time) and found a 78-year-old man and 68-year-old woman dead inside.
Rob Reiner has been remembered for his art and activism. Source: Getty / Andreas Rentz
A spokesperson for the Reiner family confirmed their deaths in a statement to media on Sunday evening.
"It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner," the family spokesperson said in a statement reported by the Guardian. "We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time."
Los Angeles police have not confirmed the identities of the people found dead at the residence in the upscale Brentwood neighbourhood.
There was an outpouring of grief on social media, including from former US president Barack Obama, who said he and his wife Michelle were "heartbroken" by the news.
"They will be remembered for the values they championed and the countless people they inspired," Obama wrote.
Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass said Reiner’s death was a "devastating loss for our city and country".
"Rob Reiner’s contributions reverberate throughout American culture and society, and he has improved countless lives through his creative work and advocacy fighting for social and economic justice," she said.
Former US vice president Kamala Harris said Reiner's "work has impacted generations of Americans", saying the director "fought for America's democracy".
Reiner is one of the most prolific directors in Hollywood, and his work includes some of the most memorable movies of the 1980s and '90s, including This is Spinal Tap, A Few Good Men, When Harry Met Sally and The Princess Bride.
His role as Meathead in the 1970s TV classic All in the Family, alongside Carol O'Connor's Archie Bunker, catapulted him to fame.
Reiner turned 78 in March.
The son of comedy legend Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner has been married to photographer Michele Singer Reiner since 1989.
The two met while he was directing When Harry Met Sally and have three children together.
Reiner was previously married to actor-director Penny Marshall from 1971 to 1981.
He adopted her daughter, Tracy Reiner. Carl Reiner died in 2020 at age 98 and Marshall died in 2018.
Killings are rare in the Brentwood neighbourhood.
The scene is about 2km from the home where O.J. Simpson's wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman were killed in 1994.
Share
