Classmate Shocked by Arrest of Reiner Son in Parents' Murders

Nick Reiner’s former classmate expressed disbelief upon learning that the screenwriter had been arrested in connection with the suspected murders of his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner.

“There [was] absolutely no indication of anything that could have possibly led to this,” Brett Ferber, who attended school with Nick during their teenage years, stated on a Monday, December 22, broadcast of NewsNation’s On Balance.

Ferber described Nick as “quite friendly” when they were classmates around the ages of 16 and 17.

“We weren’t close friends. We weren’t confiding in each other late into the night about life’s biggest mysteries or anything like that, but we were in the same school building,” he added. “We played basketball. We participated in various activities together, and he was just, like, an ordinary person.”

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Ferber continued, “He possessed a good sense of humor, a bit self-deprecating. I’m very, you know, bewildered by the contrast between the person I knew and the reports I’m seeing. I’m definitely struggling to comprehend it. Still do.”

Rob and Michele were discovered deceased in their Brentwood, California, home on December 14. Shortly thereafter, Nick was apprehended near the University of Southern California campus and subsequently charged with two counts of first-degree murder.

Ferber revealed when he initially heard the news of Rob and Michele’s deaths and Nick’s arrest, he had to “pause” and double-check his phone to ensure the story was accurate.

“I kind of froze for a moment, and I thought, ‘Really?’ I don’t have much experience hearing news like that and being able to understand or process it,” he explained.

Nick made his initial court appearance on Wednesday, December 17. Lawyer Alan Jackson informed the court that his client would not be entering a plea at that time. A formal arraignment has been scheduled for January 7, 2026.

Following Nick’s arrest, an episode of a podcast where he discussed his substance abuse issues and damaging his parents’ guest house resurfaced.

“It’s not a particularly compelling story,” Nick said on an August 2018 episode of the “Dopey” podcast. “I became completely consumed by stimulants – I believe it was cocaine and something else – and I remained awake for days on end. I began destroying items in my guest house.”

Nick said, “Everything in the guest house was ruined,” including the television. During the episode, Nick referred to himself as a “drug addict.”

Ferber noted he was shocked by Nick’s actions upon hearing the podcast episode.

“Knowing that this individual was on a podcast talking about demolishing things in a guest house like a primitive person in a frozen environment, it doesn’t align with my perception of him,” Ferber said on Monday. “When I knew him, he was very relaxed, you know, it was difficult to motivate him to leave the couch. We were all rather idle. We were 16-year-old guys.”

Prior to Nick’s arraignment, his siblings Jake, 34, and Romy, 27, released a statement thanking those who had offered their support. (Rob also adopted an older daughter, Tracy, 61, during his marriage to late former wife Penny Marshall.)

“Jake and Romy Reiner remain appreciative of the outpouring of affection and support they have received,” Jake and Romy’s spokesperson told People on Monday. “They will announce details regarding a memorial service honoring their parents at a later date.”