Hollywood director and actor Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, were found dead inside their Los Angeles home on Sunday afternoon, sources told CBS News, in what police are investigating as an apparent homicide. 

“It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner. We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time,” said Reiner’s family in a statement obtained by Variety.

Los Angeles police launch investigation

Los Angeles Police Department Robbery Homicide Division detectives were called to the couple’s Brentwood home at around 3:40 p.m. Sunday after learning that two people had been found dead. They responded to the property after being asked to by Los Angeles Fire Department crews, who were the first to be called to the scene. 

Reiner, 78, and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, 68, were later identified as the victims, sources told CBS News. LAPD detectives still haven’t publicly identified the deceased or provided the circumstances surrounding their deaths.

During a news conference on Sunday night, LAPD Deputy Chief Allen Hamilton said that they had not identified a suspect “at this time.” Hamilton said they were “not seeking anyone as a suspect, or as a person of interest or in any other manner, and we will not be doing that until we conduct our investigation and move forward.”

Rob Reiner’s legendary life and career in Hollywood

Reiner first gained fame in the CBS sitcom “All in the Family,” in which he played Archie Bunker’s son-in-law Mike “Meathead” Stivic. He won two Emmys for the role before he went on to star in “Sleepless in Seattle,” “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “Everyone’s Hero” and “The First Wives Club.”

Reiner is highly regarded for directing multiple classic films, including “The Princess Bride,” “Misery,” “A Few Good Men,” “Stand By Me” and “When Harry Met Sally…” He also wrote and directed the mockumentary “This is Spinal Tap,” which was followed by a sequel, “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues,” which was released in September. 

Over the course of his six-decade career, Reiner was nominated for seven Primetime Emmy Awards, eight Golden Globes and one Academy Award. 

He is the son of Carl Reiner, the iconic comedian and actor who had a career spanning decades. Along with starring in films like “Oh God!,” “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World,” “Ocean’s Eleven” and its sequels, he is also the creator of the “Dick Van Dyke Show.” He died in 2020 at 98 years old. 

In 2017, Carl and Rob became the first father-son duo to be memorialized outside the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, when they left their handprints and footprints in the cement. 

Reiner married his wife, Michele, in 1989, after they met during the filming of “When Harry Met Sally…” In 2016, Reiner told the AV Club during an interview that meeting Michele led to him changing the end of the movie, in which Harry and Sally end up together.

Michele was a photographer who took the photo of President Trump that was used on the cover of his book “The Art of the Deal,” according to Variety.

They had three children together.

Reiner was previously married to the late director Penny Marshall, and is the adoptive father of her daughter, actress Tracy Reiner. 

Hollywood stars and politicians react

The family of Norman Lear, the legendary producer of “All in the Family” who died in 2023 at 101, shared a statement upon learning of the Reiners’ deaths. 

“The Lear Family is devastated by the deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner. Norman often referred to Rob as a son, and their close relationship was extraordinary, to us and the world,” the Lear Family statement said. “Norman would have wanted to remind us that Rob and Michele spent every breath trying to make this country a better place, and they pursued that through their art, their activism, their philanthropy, and their love for family and friends.”

Former President Barack Obama posted on X, noting that he and his wife, Michelle, were “heartbroken by the tragic passing.” 

“Rob’s achievements in film and television gave us some of our most cherished stories on screen. But beneath all of the stories he produced was a deep belief in the goodness of people—and a lifelong commitment to putting that belief into action,” the post said. “Together, he and his wife lived lives defined by purpose. They will be remembered for the values they championed and the countless people they inspired. We send our deepest condolences to all who loved them.”

Actor Sean Astin, the newly elected president of the Screen Actors’ Guild, called Rob Reiner “one of those most significant figures in the history of film and television.” He said Reiner’s impact on American culture “simply can’t be overstated.”  

California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statement on behalf of himself and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, saying that they are “heartbroken by the tragic loss of Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner.”

“Rob was the big-hearted genius behind so many of the classic stories we love, with projects as wide-ranging as ‘The Princess Bride’ to ‘A Few Good Men,'” Newsom said. “His boundless empathy made his stories timeless, teaching generations how to see goodness and righteousness in others – and encouraging us to dream bigger.”

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement that, “This is 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. An acclaimed actor, director, producer, writer, and engaged political activist, he always used his gifts in service of others.” 

A statement from former House Speaker and current Rep. Nancy Pelosi called the news “devastating.”

“It’s hard to think of anyone more remarkable and excellent in every field and endeavor they pursued. Rob was creative, funny, and beloved. And in all of their endeavors, Michelle was his indispensable partner, intellectual resource, and loving wife,” said her post on X.