Meet Rob Reiner’s Family: His Wife Michele, Children and Ex-Wife Explained

Rob Reiner, a longtime Hollywood director, producer, and actor, died alongside his wife, Michele Singer Reiner. As authorities continue to investigate their deaths, here’s what’s known about the filmmaker’s family, including his late wife, their children, and his former marriage.

On Sunday, December 14, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner were both found dead at their Los Angeles home. The Los Angeles Fire Department was called to the residence around 3:30 p.m. local time to provide medical aid. When first responders arrived, they discovered a man and a woman deceased inside the home. The victims were later identified as Rob, 78, and Michele, 70.

Rob was born Robert Maxwell Reiner on March 6, 1947, in New York City. He was the son of legendary comedian and filmmaker Carl Reiner, best known for creating The Dick Van Dyke Show. Rob began his career as an actor, becoming widely known for his role as Mike Stivic on All in the Family, before transitioning into directing. He later helmed some of the most influential films of the 1980s and 1990s, including Stand by Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally…, Misery and A Few Good Men.

Michele Singer Reiner

Michele Singer Reiner, who died alongside her husband, met Rob while he was directing When Harry Met Sally…. Years later, Rob reflected on how meeting Michele influenced the film’s ending.

During a 2019 interview with Couchsurfing, he explained that the original script ended differently.

“Now, this is interesting that we’re watching this scene because I’d been married for 10 years, I was single for 10 years and making a mess of my personal life, in and out of relationships and not being able to make anything work,” Rob explained. “And when the first draft of the script, or the draft we were going to shoot, Harry and Sally don’t get together. They meet each other years later and walk their separate ways.”

That changed after he met Michele.

“I met my wife while making the movie and we changed the ending and this is what we came up with,” Reiner said. “Billy came up with some of this dialogue and that’s how we decided to end the movie, that they do end up together.”

Rob and Michele married in 1989. Michele, a photographer and producer, largely stayed out of the public spotlight. Together, they shared three children.

Jake Reiner

Jake Reiner is the eldest child of Rob and Michele Reiner. He has worked primarily behind the scenes in the entertainment industry as a producer and production executive and has largely kept his personal life private. He also currently co-hosts “The Incline” podcast, which is all about the Dodgers. He and his father shared a love for baseball, something Rob said was passed down to him by his own father, Carl Reiner.

In June 2023, Jake and Rob spoke to People about attending a baseball game in every U.S. city with a Major League Baseball team. “There’s nothing like the ballpark,” Rob said at the time.

Earlier this year, Jake was an executive producer on the film Things Like This, in which he also appeared. Having been a reporter, he’s also played quite a few of them on TV and in films — including the recent War of the Worlds movie, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, For All Mankind and American Crime Story.

Nick Reiner

Nick Reiner, the couple’s middle child, has spoken publicly about his past struggles with drug addiction and periods of homelessness. In a 2016 interview with People, Nick said his addiction began in his early teens and led to repeated stays in rehab, as well as time spent homeless in multiple states.

Those experiences later became the basis for the semi-autobiographical film Being Charlie, which Nick co-wrote and which was directed by his father.

“Now, I’ve been home for a really long time, and I’ve sort of gotten acclimated back to being in L.A. and being around my family,” Nick told People at the time.

Romy Reiner

Romy Reiner is the youngest of Rob and Michele’s three children. She has largely stayed out of the public eye and has not pursued a public-facing career in the entertainment industry. Romy has occasionally appeared alongside her parents at events but has otherwise kept a low profile.

Rob Reiner’s First Marriage

Before marrying Michele, Rob was married to actress and filmmaker Penny Marshall. The two wed in 1971 and divorced in 1981. During their marriage, Rob adopted Marshall’s daughter, Tracy Reiner, from her previous marriage to Michael Henry. Tracy later went on to work as an actress and producer.