We previously reported that the former All In The Family star Rob Reiner was found dead along with his wife Michelle on Sunday. They were allegedly murdered by their own son Nick, who has since been arrested.
Now, Billy Crystal has broken his silence about this horrific tragedy. Rob famously directed Crystal in the classic 1989 romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally, and they had been close friends ever since.
Crystal And Friends Honor Reiners
Crystal honored Rob in a joint statement that he issued with his wife Janice. Joining them in signing it were Albert and Kimberly Brooks, Martin Short, Alan and Robin Zweibel, Larry David and Ashley Underwood, Marc Shaiman and Lou Mirabal, Barry and Diana Levinson and Ambassador James Costos and Michael Smith.
“Going to the movies in a dark theater filled with strangers having a common experience, laughing, crying, screaming in fear, or watching an intense drama unfold is still an unforgettable thrill,” the group of mourners told The Associated Press. “Tell us a story audiences demand of us. Absorbing all he had learned from his father Carl and his mentor Norman Lear, Rob Reiner not only was a great comic actor, he became a master story teller. There is no other director who has his range. From comedy to drama to ‘mockumentary’ to documentary he was always at the top of his game. He charmed audiences. They trusted him. They lined up to see his films.”
“His comedic touch was beyond compare, his love of getting the music of the dialogue just right, and his sharpening of the edge of a drama was simply elegant,” Crystal and the others continued. “For the actors, he loved them. For the writers he made them better. His greatest gift was freedom. If you had an idea, he listened, he brought you into the process. They always felt they were working as a team. To be in his hands as a film maker was a privilege but that is only part of his legacy.”
‘We Will Miss Them Forever…’
The statement went on to talk about who Rob was as a person.
“Rob was also a passionate, brave citizen, who not only cared for this country he loved, he did everything he could to make it better and with his loving wife Michele, he had the perfect partner,” the statement read. “Strong and determined, Michele and Rob Reiner devoted a great deal of their lives for the betterment of our fellow citizens… They were a special force together-dynamic, unselfish and inspiring. We were their friends, and we will miss them forever.”
“There is a line from one of Rob’s favorite films, It’s a Wonderful Life, ‘Each man’s life touches so many other lives, and when he isn’t around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?’ You have no idea,” they concluded.
Rob met his wife Michelle on the set of 1989’s When Harry Met Sally, which Crystal starred in alongside Meg Ryan. Michelle was working as a photographer on the set of the movie, and Rob was directing it. Rob reportedly fell so in love with Michelle on set that he changed the ending so that Harry and Sally could end up together.
Relive that touching classic ending for yourself in the video below.
Rob And Michelle Found Dead
Rob, 78, and Michelle, 68, were found dead by their daughter Romy, 28, at around 3:30pm on Sunday. They had both been stabbed to death, with each of their throats being slit.
Romy immediately told police that her troubled older brother Nick, 32, “should be a suspect” because he is “dangerous.” Nick had long been open with his struggles with addiction and mental health. He was living in his parents’ guesthouse on their property at the time of their deaths.
Nick was arrested by police around six hours after his parents’ bodies were found. By then, he had checked into a nearby hotel, and his room was covered in blood. Nick has since been charged with the double murders. If convicted, he’s potentially facing the death penalty.
Footage obtained by Fox News from the night the bodies were found shows Crystal wiping away tears as he walked outside of Reiner’s home with a woman who appears to be his wife Janice. Indeed, it’s clear that the bond that Crystal shared with the Reiner family went way beyond the big screen.
This is obviously an unspeakably difficult time for all of Rob and Michelle Reiner’s loved ones. Please join us in saying a prayer for them as they grieve these unimaginable losses.