Jerry O’Connell admitted to getting “emotional” as Nick Reiner faces murder charges in connection with the deaths of his parents, movie director Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner.
O’Connell, 52, got his big break in Rob’s 1986 hit movie, Stand by Me, costarring Wil Wheaton, Corey Feldman and the late River Phoenix, and previously described Rob as being like a “father to me.”
On the Tuesday, February 24, episode of Fox 5’s Good Day New York, the actor and talk show host weighed in on the news that Nick, 32, had pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances during an arraignment the day before.
“Those who may not know, I am an actor, and I was in Stand by Me. It was my first job,” O’Connell explained his connection to the story. “Rob Reiner was the director of Stand by Me. This is very emotional for me to hear about.”
The Sliders actor added, “It’s going to be very difficult going through this whole trial process. I’m going to be watching it closely in the hopes that it doesn’t become one of these circuses that sometimes happens around these murder trials.”
“It’s very emotional and chilling. It’s churning up a lot of emotions,” O’Connell said.
Nick, 32, pleaded not guilty in a Los Angeles courtroom on Monday, February 23, and waived his right to a speedy trial in connection with his parents’ deaths. His next court hearing will be held on April 29.
Rob, who was 78, and Michele, who was 70, were found dead inside their Brentwood, California, home on December 14, 2025. The couple, who wed in 1989, shared sons Nick and Jake, 36, and daughter Romy, 28. (Rob was also adoptive father to Tracy Reiner, 61, whom he shared with first wife Penny Marshall.)
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman announced formal charges against Nick on December 16. Nick was charged with two counts of murder with the special circumstance allegation of multiple murders. He also faces a special allegation that he used a knife. Nick could receive life in prison without parole or the death penalty if convicted.
“Prosecuting cases involving family violence are some of the most challenging and heart-wrenching we face because of the intimate and often brutal nature of the crimes,” Hochman said at the time. “Rob Reiner was one of the greatest filmmakers of his generation. His murder and his wife of more than 35 years, Michele Singer Reiner’s murder, are shocking and tragic. We owe it to their memory to pursue justice and accountability for the lives that were taken.”
Rob and Michele’s children, Jake and Romy, broke their silence on their parents’ deaths and their brother’s arrest in a December 17 statement.
“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,” the siblings said. “They weren’t just our parents; they were our best friends.”
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