NEWSRob Reiner Confided 'a Lot' in Pal Michael Douglas About Son Nick's 'Drug Issues' Before His 'Terrible' Murder
Filmmaker Rob Reiner confided 'a lot' in pal Michael Douglas before his murder as they bonded over their children's 'issues' with drugs.
Dec. 22 2025, Published 4:44 p.m. ET
Rob Reiner had a friend in pal Michael Douglas, as the Fatal Attraction actor recalled bonding with the late filmmaker over their children’s issues with drugs.
“With this terrible tragedy, we’re realizing how much pressure he was dealing with in his personal life with his son,” Douglas, 81, explained during the CBS News special Rob Reiner — Scenes from a Life, which aired on Sunday, December 21.
Michael Douglas Confided in Rob Reiner
Michael Douglas revealed he and Rob Reiner connected over their son's issues with drug addiction.
Douglas’s 47-year-old son, Cameron, also struggled with addiction, which the filmmaker proudly said he’s “overcome” and “living a prosperous life.”
Douglas recalled speaking to Rob “a lot” about his son Nick Reiner’s drug addiction, calling the When Harry Met Sally director “a man who always gave it his best.”
Michael Douglas and Rob Reiner Talked 'a Lot'
Rob Reiner's body was found by his daughter Romy on December 14 before paramedics found her mom.
“We did talk a lot about that and what you can do as a parent, what you can’t do,” he recalled, adding that their backgrounds as sons of famous fathers brought them closer.
Rob was the son of legendary comedian Carl Reiner, best known as the creator of the classic sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show. Meanwhile, Douglas is the son of the late Spartacus actor Kirk Douglas.
- Rob Reiner Never Encouraged His Kids to 'Just Say No to Drugs' Before Being Brutally Killed by Addict Son
- Rob Reiner's Drug Addict Son Nick Said He Was 'Lucky' to Have Loving Parents 10 Years Before Being Arrested for Their Murders
- Rob Reiner's Eerie Remark Resurfaces: Actor Spoke About Loving 'All' of His Kids, 'Even the Bad Ones,' Months Before Son Nick Stabbed Him to Death
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Michael Douglas Praised Rob Reiner
Rob Reiner and Michael Douglas connected over being the sons of famous men.
“Well, my experience watching him was that I could never be the man that my father was. He can do everything,” he said. “I mean, he was ‘Spartacus’ … Once you go into the same business, it stares you in the face.”
Despite the pressure, Douglas praised Rob for making his own name in the industry, explaining, “In Rob’s case, are you as funny as your father? I think that also created his tenacity, his strength and that’s something that’s not really talked about enough with Rob about his endurance.”
Rob and Michele Reiner Were Murdered
Nick Reiner was arrested in connection to the deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner.
Rob and Michele were found stabbed to death in their Brentwood, Calif. Home on December 14. Their daughter Romy discovered her dad's body, before paramedics realized her mom had also been killed. Hours later, Nick was arrested and charged in connection with their deaths after authorities tracked him to a hotel roughly twenty miles from the scene.
Nick, who was reportedly diagnosed with schizophrenia before the slayings, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and could face the death penalty or life in prison without parole if convicted.
Romy and her other brother, Jake, spoke out for the first time since the murders on December 17, asking for privacy as they mourn the unimaginable loss.
"Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day. The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience," they wrote. "They weren’t just our parents; they were our best friends."
