Legendary Hollywood film-maker and actor Rob Reiner and his wife Michele have been found dead in their Los Angeles home, according to the BBC’s news partner CBS.
Authorities are investigating the incident as an apparent homicide after police and firefighters were called to the couple’s house on Sunday afternoon in the upmarket Brentwood neighbourhood of LA.
Police said a 78-year-old man and 68-year-old woman were both pronounced dead at the home. Police said no suspect or person of interest was currently being sought.
Reiner is known for directing classic films such as The Princess Bride, This is Spinal Tap, When Harry Met Sally, Misery and A Few Good Men.
Homicide investigation
Authorities did not immediately identify the couple or the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department told the BBC they received a call at about 15:38 local time (23:38 GMT) for medical aid to a home in Brentwood, a neighbourhood that is home to many celebrities.
Robbery homicide detectives from the LA police department also responded to the home and have opened a homicide investigation.
In a news conference on Sunday night, police did not offer any details about the deaths or what they found when they responded. Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton said both bodies were still inside the house, more than six hours after police and firefighters had been called.
No-one has been detained or arrested in relation to the incident, he said.
Police also did not give details about any injuries the pair sustained, nor if any weapon was found or used. Hamilton said a cause of death would be determined by the LA coroner’s office.
Hollywood classics
California Governor Gavin Newsom released a statement that confirmed the death of Reiner and his wife.
Newsom said he was “heartbroken” by the deaths and called Reiner a “big-hearted genius behind so many of the classic stories we love”.
Reiner started his career in the 1960s and made it big playing Meathead in groundbreaking TV sitcom All in The Family in the 1970s, which scored him two Emmy Awards.
He achieved futher success with cult mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap in 1984, which he directed as well as playing on-screen director Marty DiBergi.
That began a run of classic Hollywood movies directed by Reiner, including Stand By Me (1986), The Princess Bride (1987), When Harry Met Sally (1989), Misery (1990) and A Few Good Men (1992), the latter of which scored him an Academy Award nomination for best picture.
He also co-founded the successful Castle Rock Entertainment production company.
He was married to actress Penny Marshall from 1971 to 1981 and is the adoptive father to Marshall’s daughter, actress Tracy Reiner.
He married Michele Reiner, an actress and photographer, in 1989. The couple have three children together.
LA mayor Karen Bass called Reiner’s death a “devastating loss for our city and country”, and paid tribute to the couple’s charity work for childhood development and LGBTQ+ advocacy.
BBC News
