ROB Reiner told friends he was terrified of his own son and feared he could hurt him just hours before the Hollywood legend and his wife were murdered.
Nick Reiner, 32, has been charged in connection to his parent’s death after Rob, 78, and Michele 70, were allegedly found with their throats slit on Sunday.
The veteran Hollywood director made the comments at a star-studded holiday party on Saturday night, shortly before returning home to the Brentwood mansion where he and his wife would later be found dead.
According to MailOnlineReiner told friends: “I’m petrified of him”.
“I can’t believe I’m going to say this but I’m afraid of my own son. I think my own son can hurt me.”
Those words were repeated to shocked mourners as Reiner’s closest friends gathered for an impromptu memorial, leaving many in tears by how grimly prophetic they now seemed.
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Both deaths have been ruled homicides caused by multiple sharp force injuries, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.
As observant Jews, the couple would have hoped to be buried within 24 hours of death.
Instead, their bodies remained in police custody as detectives launched a double murder investigation.
In place of a burial, friends organised a rapid memorial on Monday to honour what they believed would have been the Reiners’ wishes.
The gathering was hosted by comedian Albert Brooks at his Brentwood home.
Among those present were Billy Crystal and his wife Janice, Larry David, Bill Hader and Conan O’Brien.
All had attended O’Brien’s holiday party the night before the killings.
Rob and Michele arrived at that party with Nick because they were reportedly afraid to leave him alone.
Nick, 32, had been living in the guesthouse of his parents’ $13.5 million Brentwood estate.
He had struggled with drug addiction since his teens, undergone at least 18 stints in rehab and experienced periods of homelessness.
Sources say Nick behaved erratically at the party and unsettled guests.
At one point, Rob introduced Nick to Bill Hader.
Nick then interrupted Hader mid-conversation, according to accounts.
Hader reportedly told him he was “in the middle of a private conversation.”
Nick reacted angrily, stood still, stared at Hader and stormed off.
It was moments later that Rob approached friends and voiced his fear.
Those remarks were later discussed at Monday’s memorial, where insiders say the mood turned sombre as their meaning became clear.
The Daily Mail requested comment from representatives for those present.
One representative denied that Reiner made the comments at the party.
Hours after the gathering, prosecutors allege Nick returned home and killed both his parents in the early hours of Sunday.
On Sunday afternoon, a masseuse contacted the Reiners’ 27-year-old daughter Romy after being unable to gain entry to the home.
Romy rushed to the house and found her father’s body before fleeing in distress.
She later learned her mother had also been killed.
Billy Crystal was seen outside the home with his wife Janice, wiping away tears as police arrived.
Crystal later joined Albert Brooks, Larry David, Martin Short and Barry Levinson in a statement praising Reiner as “a great comic actor” and “a master storyteller.”
Police said both victims were found in the master bedroom and no other suspects were located.
Nick was arrested around 9pm on Sunday near the Expo/Vermont Metro station.
Earlier that morning, he had checked into a Santa Monica hotel.
About an hour before his arrest, he was seen acting nervously while buying a Gatorade at a gas station.
Nick has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and is being held without bail.
He appeared briefly in court wearing an anti-suicide vest and did not enter a plea.
His lawyer, Alan Jackson, said it was “too early” to do so and requested more time.
Nick’s arraignment was pushed to January 7, with prosecutors still considering the death penalty.
Nick’s siblings, Jake, 34, and Romy released a statement describing their parents’ deaths as “horrific and devastating.”
“They weren’t just our parents; they were our best friends,” they said.
Nick had long spoken about his battles with addiction, which began when he was 15.
Rob and Michele repeatedly tried to help him, including securing him an internship on Family Guy after rehab.
“Hey, my son’s coming out of rehab and getting back on his feet and I want to find him a job,” Rob told producers, a former colleague recalled.
Nick was described as quiet, introverted and darkly funny during that time.
Rob reportedly drove him to and from work every day.
Nick later attempted stand-up comedy, landing high-profile slots through his father’s influence.
“If you want to live forever, try to do a year sober so it’ll feel like eternity,” Nick once joked.
That line later appeared in Being Charlie, a film Nick co-wrote with his father inspired by their real-life struggles.
Friends say Nick’s mental health continued to deteriorate, leaving Rob and Michele “at their wits end.”
On Saturday night, they brought him to the party to keep him close.
By Sunday morning, prosecutors say Rob Reiner’s final warning had become a devastating reality.