On Saturday night, a group of powerful Hollywood creatives and executives gathered at the Pacific Palisades home of comedian and producer Conan O’Brien for a holiday party. The neighborhood, badly damaged by fires nearly a year ago, symbolized recovery and hope. For O’Brien, who had been forced to evacuate during those fires, the gathering was meant to close out a difficult year on a positive note.
But as the evening went on, the mood shifted.
An erratic man began roaming the party, interrupting conversations and asking guests if they were “famous.” Several attendees, including Jane Fonda and Bill Hader, were. Guests whispered among themselves, unsettled by the man’s behavior. Though some wondered if he had wandered in off the street, he had not.
The man was Nick Reiner, the 32-year-old son of filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Reiner.
Nick’s name was not on the guest list. His parents had asked O’Brien if he could attend with them, concerned about leaving him alone at their Brentwood home, where he had been living under their supervision. According to those familiar with the situation, Nick had struggled for years with drug issues, and his behavior had become increasingly troubling in recent weeks.
At one point, Bill Hader calmly told Nick he was in a private conversation. Nick reportedly stared at him in silence for an uncomfortably long time.
Later, raised voices cut through the party. Guests turned to see Rob Reiner arguing with his son over Nick’s disruptive and unsettling behavior. Minutes later, a visibly embarrassed Rob and Michele Reiner apologized to O’Brien and left the gathering. It remains unclear whether Nick left with them.
While conversations resumed, the energy of the night never fully recovered.
Hours later, at around 4 a.m., Nick checked into the Pierside Hotel in Santa Monica. Staff there later discovered a shower “full of blood” and bedsheets hanging over a window, according to authorities.
By Sunday afternoon, the story had taken a devastating turn.
At approximately 3:30 p.m., Rob and Michele Reiner were found dead in their Brentwood home by their daughter, Romy. Investigators said both were victims of knife wounds. The exact time of death has not yet been determined, but law enforcement believes they had been dead for several hours and may have been killed late Saturday night or early Sunday morning after returning from O’Brien’s party.
Nick Reiner was later taken into custody at a subway station in Exposition Park near USC, about 15 miles from his parents’ home.
On Tuesday, prosecutors announced they intend to charge Nick Reiner with two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances in the deaths of his parents. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said his office has not yet decided whether it will seek the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Nick Reiner has retained prominent criminal defense attorney Alan Jackson to represent him.
The case has sent shockwaves through Hollywood, casting a dark shadow over what began as a night meant to celebrate resilience, community, and hope for the year ahead.
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