Rob Reiner's children break their silence on parents' 'horrific' death

Rob and Michele Reiner's children are breaking their silence following the couple's killing.

The acclaimed "Princess Bride" director and his producer wife were found dead in their Southern California home on Sunday, Dec. 14. On Tuesday, prosecutors filed criminal charges against their son, Nick Reiner, who is accused of "fatally stabbing" his parents.

"Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day," Jake and Romy Reiner said in a statement to TMZ and People released Wednesday. "The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience. They weren't just our parents; they were our best friends."

USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Rob, Michele, Romy and Jake Reiner for comment.

Nick Reiner has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder with a special circumstance of multiple murders, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced during a Tuesday press conference. The 32-year-old screenwriter also faces a special allegation that he used a dangerous and deadly weapon, namely a knife, in the killing of his parents.

The special circumstance of multiple murders can entail a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole — or the death penalty.

In their statement, Jake and Romy Reiner said they were grateful for the "outpouring of condolences, kindness and support" from their loved ones and "people from all walks of life."

"We now ask for respect and privacy," the Reiner children concluded. "For speculation to be tempered with compassion and humanity, and for our parents to be remembered for the incredible lives they lived and the love they gave."

Michele Singer Reiner was a one-time photographer who captured the image of Donald Trump that appears on the cover of his book "Trump: The Art of the Deal." The couple met while Rob Reiner was filming "When Harry Met Sally …" and he often credits her with inspiring the film's happy ending. They married in 1989.

The couple shared three children: actors Jake Reiner and Romy Reiner and screenwriter Nick Reiner.

The couple's children have done extensive work in acting and writing: Their youngest child, Romy, 28, starred in the 2023 film "You People" and is writing an upcoming TV series; their oldest son, Jake, is starring in the upcoming comedy "Love and Taxe$" and the 2025 comedy "Things Like This."

Meanwhile, their younger son, Nick, has one credit on his IMDb page: the 2015 semi-autobiographical drama "Being Charlie," a film he cowrote and enlisted his father to direct.

This story was updated to add new information.

Contributing: USA TODAY staff