The acclaimed filmmaker and his wife were found stabbed to death in their Brentwood, Calif., home on Dec. 14.

Conan O’Brien breaks silence on Rob and Michele Reiner’s killings after argument with son at comedian’s holiday party

The acclaimed filmmaker and his wife were found stabbed to death in their Brentwood, Calif., home on Dec. 14.

By Lauren Huff

Lauren Huff

Lauren Huff is an award-winning journalist and staff writer at ** with over 12 years of experience covering all facets of the entertainment industry.

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February 20, 2026 6:39 p.m. ET

Conan O'Brien and Rob Reiner in 2024. Credit:

Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty

Conan O'Brien is breaking his silence on the shocking killings of his friends Rob and Michele Reiner, who were found stabbed to death the day after attending the comedian's holiday party in December.

"I knew Rob and Michele, and then increasingly got closer and closer to them, and I was seeing them a lot," he told *The New Yorker *in a profile published Friday. "My wife and I were seeing them a lot, and they were so — they were just such lovely people. And to have that experience of saying good night to somebody and having them leave and then find out the next day that they’re gone. … I think I was in shock for quite a while afterward. I mean, there’s no other word for it. It’s just very — it’s so awful.”

The acclaimed filmmaker and his wife were found dead in their Brentwood, Calif., home on Dec. 14. Hours later, their son Nick was arrested in connection with their deaths. He was subsequently charged with two counts of murder with the special circumstance allegation of multiple murders. He is also facing a special allegation that he used a dangerous and deadly weapon, a knife.

Nick Reiner in 2024.

Denise Truscello/Getty

Days after his parents' deaths, sources told PEOPLE that Nick and his father had been involved in a loud heated argument during O'Brien's holiday party on Dec. 13, with one source recalling Nick "freaking everyone out, acting crazy, kept asking people if they were famous." NBC News further reported that during the family's time at the party, Nick's strange behavior had his parents and other guests worried and uncomfortable.

"It’s just so awful," O'Brien continued. "And I think about how Rob felt about things that are happening in the country, how involved he was, how much he put himself out there — and to have that voice go quiet in an instant is still hard for me to comprehend."

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O'Brien went on to praise his late friend, who is known for helming beloved films such as *This Is Spinal Tap*, *When Harry Met Sally*, *The Princess Bride*, *A Few Good Men*, and many more. "These people are so larger than life, especially if you’ve grown up watching them or appreciating their work," he said of Rob. "I mean, I just keep mulling over . . . the body of work, I think it’s seven movies that Rob Reiner made, in quick succession, that are classics."

Michele Reiner and Rob Reiner in 2025.

John Nacion/Variety via Getty

He continued, "Now, if you can make one great movie, that’s impressive. It’s an almost impossible feat. To make two means that you’re one of the greats. To make *seven *— in, like, a nine-year, ten-year, eleven-year period — is insanity. With *Spinal Tap* alone, if that’d been the only thing he ever did, he influenced my generation enormously."**

Nick's arraignment is scheduled for Monday after the hearing was previously delayed when his attorney, Alan Jackson, removed himself from the murder case for unknown reasons, leading to the appointment of a public defender.

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