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Michele Singer Reiner (March 3, 1957 – c. December 14, 2025)[1] was an American photographer, film producer, and the wife of filmmaker and actor Rob Reiner. Reiner was originally a photographer, taking the cover picture of The Art of the Deal (1987). She later worked on When Harry Met Sally... (1989), where she met her future husband and inspired him to revise the film's ending.
Michele Singer Reiner | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Michele Singer March 3, 1957 |
| Died | c. December 14, 2025 (aged 68) Los Angeles, California, US |
| Cause of death | Stab wounds |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1980s–2025 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
Reiner expanded into political activism with her husband, and moved into producing in the 2010s, for which she was nominated at the Primetime Emmy Awards for producing Albert Brooks: Defending My Life (2023). She frequently collaborated with her husband, and was the co-president of Castle Rock Entertainment. She died in December 2025 with her husband in Los Angeles, California, after being stabbed to death.
Career
editMichele Singer was born on March 3, 1957.[2][3]
Reiner began her career in photography. In the 1980s, she photographed Donald Trump for the cover of his first book, The Art of the Deal (1987);[4][5][6] years later, her future husband would become a well-known critic of Trump.[7][4] Rob Reiner met her on the set of When Harry Met Sally..., and she inspired him to alter the ending so that Harry and Sally entered a romantic relationship by the end of the film.[7] Reiner has collaborated with her husband on several films, including Misery, where she was a photographer,[4] and later pivoted towards producing with Shock and Awe (2017), Albert Brooks: Defending My Life (2023), God & Country (2024), and Spinal Tap II: The End Continues (2025).[4] Her work on Albert Brooks: Defending My Life earned her a Primetime Emmy nomination.[8]
In 2020, Reiner and her husband signed a producing and directing deal with Warner Bros. Television by a production company under Castle Rock Entertainment,[9] which Rob helped found.[10] Reiner was the co-president of Castle Rock Entertainment along with Matthew George.[11] She was also the founder of Reiner Light, a production and photography company.[12]
In addition to filmmaking and photography, Reiner was also a political activist along with her husband. Reiner, along with Rob, headed a campaign in California to fund early childhood development programs. They also founded the American Foundation for Equal Rights, which launched a federal lawsuit for same-sex marriage rights;[13] Reiner was an LGBTQ+ rights activist.[6] Her and Rob's advocacy helped achieve the landmark decision to allow marriage equality across the United States, with Kelley Robinson saying "they remained committed to the cause until their final days".[6] Her advocacy for various social justice issues was inspired by her mother, who survived the Holocaust.[6]
Personal life
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Reiner met her future husband Rob Reiner on the set of When Harry Met Sally.... The eponymous character Harry, a "miserable, divorced, Jewish romantic lead", was based on Rob. Rob had intended to call Michelle Pfeiffer after reading about her divorce in a magazine, to which Barry Sonnenfeld, the film's photography director, said "You're not going to call her, you're going to marry my friend Michele Singer".[7] They married in 1989, and had three children:[14] sons Jake in 1991 and Nick in 1993, and daughter Romy in 1997.[4]
Death
editOn December 14, 2025, Reiner and her husband were killed at their residence in Los Angeles, California, from multiple stab wounds. She was 68.[3][12][10] At the time of their death, they had been married for 36 years.[15] Their son Nick was soon arrested on suspicion of murder.[16] Several prominent figures extended tributes towards Reiner and her husband, including Nancy Pelosi, Bill and Hillary Clinton, and Laurie David.[4] Rita Wilson, who was friends with Reiner, wrote that she was an "enormously talented photographer" and praised her producing work.[10] Kelley Robinson, the president of LGBTQ+ advocacy group Human Rights Campaign, thanked Reiner for her allyship and support of the community, while Dustin Lance Black, another LGBTQ+ activist, said "the world has lost two of its greatest champions of justice, love and equality".[6] The Los Angeles County District attorney Nathan Hochman called Reiner an "iconic photographer and producer".[17]
On December 16, 2025, her son Nick was charged with two counts of first-degree murder with a special circumstance of multiple murders.[18][19]
Filmography
edit- Shock and Awe (2017)
- Albert Brooks: Defending My Life (2023)
- God & Country (2024)
- Spinal Tap II: The End Continues (2025)
Awards and nominations
edit| Award | Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 2024 | Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Special | Albert Brooks: Defending My Life | Nominated | [20] |
| Producers Guild of America Awards | 2024 | Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television | Albert Brooks: Defending My Life | Nominated | [21] |
References
edit- ^ Karlamangla, Soumya (December 16, 2025). "Asked by a reporter if the Reiners died on Saturday or Sunday, Chief Jim McDonnell said the coroner was still trying to determine the exact time of death". The New York Times. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ Sengwe, Stephanie (December 15, 2025). "Look Back at Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner's Family Photos". People. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ a b Cain, Sian (December 14, 2025). "Director and actor Rob Reiner found dead at home with wife Michele Singer Reiner". The Guardian. Archived from the original on December 15, 2025. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f Rottenberg, Josh (December 15, 2025). "Michele Singer Reiner, photographer and creative partner to Rob Reiner, dead at 70". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ Tasker, John Paul (December 15, 2025). "Trump wildly claims Rob Reiner's death a result of 'Trump derangement syndrome'". CBC. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Schoenbaum, Hannah; Brumfield, Sarah (December 16, 2025). "Michele Singer Reiner, photographer who inspired 1980s rom-com's happy end, dies". Associated Press. Archived from the original on December 16, 2025. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ a b c Freeman, Hadley (July 19, 2018). "'I want everyone to be happy': how Rob Reiner became a great director – and a political hero". The Guardian. Archived from the original on July 19, 2018. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ Salam, Maya; Marshall, Alex (December 15, 2025). "Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner: A Love Story That Changed Movie History". The New York Times. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ Low, Elaine (October 1, 2020). "Rob and Michele Reiner's New Production Company Ink Overall Deal With Warner Bros. Television". Variety. Archived from the original on October 2, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ a b c "Rob Reiner, wife Michele Singer's son was 'responsible' for their deaths". USA Today. No. December 15, 2025. Archived from the original on December 16, 2025. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ McClintock, Pamela (October 19, 2021). "Rob Reiner's Castle Rock Revives Film Division With $175M Fund". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ a b Halpert, Madeline; Morris, Regan (December 16, 2025). "Rob Reiner's son Nick arrested on suspicion of murder after director and wife found dead". BBC News. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (October 1, 2020). "Rob & Michele Reiner Relaunch Castle Rock Banner With Overall Deal At Warner Bros TV". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 2, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ Hanlon, Greg (December 14, 2025). "Rob Reiner and His Wife Michele Were Found Dead by Their Daughter (Exclusive Sources)". People. Archived from the original on December 15, 2025. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ Saad, Nardine (December 16, 2025). "What we know about Nick Reiner, son arrested in death of director Rob Reiner". BBC News. Archived from the original on December 16, 2025. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ "Reiners' Son Arrested in Deaths of His Parents". The New York Times. December 15, 2025. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ Lombardo, Clare (December 16, 2025). "Nick Reiner will be charged with first degree murder in his parents' killing". NPR. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
- ^ Bryson Taylor, Derrick (December 16, 2025). "Nick Reiner, Charged in Deaths of His Parents: What We Know". The New York Times.
- ^ Lavietes, Matt; Stelloh, Tim (December 16, 2025). "Nick Reiner to be charged with murder in death of parents, officials say". NBC News. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ "Michele Reiner". Television Academy. Archived from the original on August 14, 2025. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ Davis, Clayton (January 12, 2024). "PGA Awards Nominations: 'Anatomy of a Fall' and 'Zone of Interest' Make History and Join 'Barbie,' 'Oppenheimer' and More". Variety. Archived from the original on January 12, 2024. Retrieved December 16, 2025.