Nick Reiner’s Former Attorney Alan Jackson Shares Why He Withdrew From Murder Case
More details have come to light about Nick Reiner‘s mental health battle.
The 32-year-old—who has been charged with the murders of his parents Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner—was placed in a mental health conservatorship from 2020 to 2021, two people with knowledge of the legal arrangement told The New York Times.
A clerk with the Los Angeles Superior Court confirmed to the outlet that the conservatorship ended in 2021. E! News has reached out to the court but hasn’t heard back.
Nick’s appointed conservator Steven Baer—a licensed fiduciary, which manages matters and care for clients—told the NYT that mental illness “is an epidemic that is widely misunderstood and this is a horrible tragedy,” but declined to comment further.
Nick was put under an L.P.S. conservatorship—based on the 1967 law known as the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act—which are typically initiated by a doctor or begin after an involuntary psychiatric hospitalization, according to The New York Times.
Generally, the Judicial Branch of California states, “Mental health conservatorships are for people with serious mental illness who need special care. Family members or other private parties cannot start a mental health conservatorship. Typically, treatment staff at the hospital where the person is receiving care can start the process.”
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Over the years, Nick has been candid about his struggles with substance abuse, which began when he was a teenager and led to 18 stays in rehab. The screenwriter had teamed up with his dad in 2015 to create the semi-autobiographical film Being Charlie, which depicts a father trying to help his son navigate his addiction battle.
“It’s reflected in the movie where the father character talks about how he didn’t know what to do, so he listened to anybody who had a desk and a diploma,” Rob told Entertainment Tonight in 2016. “I made mistakes and that I didn’t go with my gut instinct and the feel. And I know Nick better than some expert who’s never met him.”
In fact, the Spinal Tap director went on to share his regrets about how he handled Nick’s addiction in the past.
“Had I listened to my own instincts, I would have done a lot better by Nick. But you do what you do,” he continued. “You want to keep him safe. So, you do what they tell you. You feel you’re at their mercy. But what I feel after all of this is it’s not about punishing. If somebody is struggling and has difficulties, you don’t punish them for that. And I think a lot of these programs feel like the kid is being punished. And I don’t think that’s a great way to go.”
Michele Reiner/Instagram
For his part, Nick said he didn’t feel like his parents knew how to handle him when he struggled as a teen.
“I didn’t go to either of them ’cause neither of them believed a word I said,” he told Entertainment Tonight. “But it was sort of comforting to talk to [my mom] because she was a little bit more in touch with her emotions and how she felt about it.”
Nick was ultimately arrested in December 2025 and formally charged with two counts of first-degree murder with a special circumstance of multiple murders. He’s accused of stabbing Rob and Michele with a knife at their Los Angeles home. He has not yet entered a plea.
Read on for a closer look at the Reiners’ murder case.
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Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner’s Son Nick Reiner Details Struggle With Drugs
Years before Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner’s tragic deaths, their son Nick Reiner shared that he struggled with addiction, even collaborating with his father on the 2015 film Being Charlie about substance abuse.
Nick explained that he had been to rehab 18 times before turning 30.
“I was homeless in Maine. I was homeless in New Jersey. I was homeless in Texas,” he told People in 2016. “I spent nights on the street. I spent weeks on the street. It was not fun.”
Two years later, Nick recalled an instance when he “wrecked” his home while high on drugs.
“I went 10 rounds in my guest house,” he shared on the Dopey podcast in 2018. “I got totally spun out on uppers—I think it was coke and something else—and I was up for days on end. I started punching out some things in my guest house.”
Michele Reiner/Instagram
Nick Reiner Placed in Mental Health Conservatorship
Nick was placed in a mental health conservatorship from 2020 to 2021, two people with knowledge of the legal arrangement later told The New York Times. A clerk with the Los Angeles Superior Court confirmed to the outlet that it ended in 2021.
His appointed conservator Steven Baer—a licensed fiduciary—told the NYT that mental illness “is an epidemic that is widely misunderstood and this is a horrible tragedy,” but declined to comment further.
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Rob Reiner and Nick Reiner Fight at Conan O’Brien’s Christmas Party on Night Before Couple Is Found Dead
The When Harry Met Sally director and his 32-year-old son got into a heated argument at Conan O’Brien’s Christmas party on Dec. 13, 2025, multiple sources at the event told People. Family friends also confirmed to the L.A. Times that Rob and Nick fought at the holiday celebration, saying that guests noticed Nick acting strangely.
Two sources with knowledge of the situation told NBC News that Nick was being disruptive at the party and interrupting conversations.
Michael Tullberg/Getty Images; Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for DIFF
Jane Fonda Says Michele & Rob Reiner Were “Happy” Night Before Deaths
Jane Fonda saw Rob and Michele the night before their tragic deaths.
“I saw them night before last looking healthy and happy,” the actress wrote on Instagram Dec. 15. “I am reeling with grief. Stunned.”
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Rob Reiner and Wife Michele Singer Reiner Are Found Dead in Their Brentwood, Calif., Home
The day after the Christmas party, the Los Angeles Police Department responded to a call of a death investigation at a home in Brentwood, Calif., at about 3:40 p.m. on Dec. 14.
“Once inside the residence, officers discovered two victims,” the LAPD said in a press release, “who were subsequently identified as Robert and Michele Reiner.”
The Robbery Homicide Division, Homicide Special Section (RHD/HSS) started an investigation into the circumstances of their deaths.
Deputy Police Chief Alan Hamilton told reporters that many family members would be interviewed, per NBC News. In addition to Nick, the couple are parents to daughter Romy Reiner and son Jake Reiner, and Rob also adopted late ex-wife Penny Marshall‘s daughter Tracy Reiner.
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The Reiners’ Manner of Death Revealed as Homicide
It was determined that Rob and Michele did not die of natural causes, with a source close to the Reiner family telling NBC News that the couple appeared to have died from stab wounds.
“As a result of the initial investigation,” the LAPD said in a press release, “it was determined that the Reiners were the victims of homicide.”
Nick Reiner Seen in Gas Station Footage Before Arrest
While police investigated the case, Nick was filmed buying a Gatorade at an ARCO gas station in downtown Los Angeles near USC around 9 p.m. Dec. 14. He was wearing a green jacket, jeans and a ballcap while carrying a red backpack, as seen in footage obtained by MS NOW.
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Nick Reiner Is Arrested on Suspicion of Murder
Minutes later, the screenwriter was taken into custody near USC.
The LAPD said their investigation determined that Rob and Michele’s son was “responsible for their deaths.”
“Nick Reiner was located and arrested at approximately 9:15 p.m.,” police said in a press release, adding as of Dec. 15, “He was booked for murder and remains in custody with no bail.”
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The Obamas Had Plans to Meet With the Reiners
During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live Dec. 15, Michelle Obama revealed that she and husband Barack Obama were supposed to see Rob and Michele on the day they were found dead.
Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images/TED SOQUI/EPA/Shutterstock
Nick Reiner Hires Alan Jackson—Lawyer for Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey—as His Attorney
Two days after Nick was arrested in connection to the murder of his parents, criminal defense attorney Alan Jackson—who previously represented Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey and Karen Read—confirmed to E! News Dec. 16 that he had been hire as Nick’s attorney in the case.
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Nick Reiner’s Courthouse Absence Explained
As officials gathered at a Los Angeles courthouse Dec. 16 to announce formal charges against Nick, his attorney told reporters that the screenwriter “has not been medically cleared” to appear in front of a judge.
“Every inmate has to be medically cleared before they can be transported to court,” he explained to reporters, per MS NOW. “Hopefully, he’ll be cleared tomorrow and we can get him here.”
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Nick Reiner Charged With Murder
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced on Dec. 16 that his office plans to formally charge Nick with “two counts of first-degree murder with a special circumstance of multiple murders.”
The D.A. also confirmed Nick will also face a “special allegation that he personally used a dangerous and deadly weapon, that being a knife” on his parents.
He added, “These charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.”
Nick was formally charged Dec. 16.
Instagram/Michele Reiner
Approximate Time of Death Revealed
Though Rob and Michele’s bodies were discovered around 3 p.m. on Dec. 14, they were likely killed around 12 hours prior, according to authorities.
The district attorney said in a Dec. 16 press release that the murders took place “in approximately the early morning hours of December 14.”
Michele Reiner/Instagram
Authorities Share Murder Weapon Details
Nick is accused of “fatally stabbing” his parents, per the D.A. press release on Dec. 16. He allegedly “personally used a dangerous and deadly weapon, a knife” in the murders.
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Nick Reiner Appears in Court
On Dec. 17, Nick appeared in court for the first time, arriving to the Los Angeles Supreme Court in a blue anti-suicide smock and shackles. He did not enter a plea to his charges during the appearance, instead agreeing to a date of Jan. 7 for the arraignment.
Michele Reiner/Instagram
Official Cause of Death Revealed
The medical examiner determined Dec. 17 Rob and Michele each died by “multiple sharp force injuries,” meaning several cuts or stabs from a sharp object.
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Nick Reiner’s Attorney Alan Jackson Withdraws
At Nick’s scheduled arraignment Jan. 7, 2026, his attorney Alan Jackson announced he has withdrawn from the case and Nick will get a public defender, according to an MS NOW reporter in the courtroom.
In response, the Reiner family told E! News in a statement that they “have the utmost trust in the legal process and will not comment further on matters related to the legal proceedings.”
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