Actor, director and political activist Rob Reiner and his wife were found dead at their Los Angeles residence on Sunday, prompting a police investigation into what authorities have described as an apparent homicide.
While the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) initially declined to publicly identify the deceased, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom confirmed in separate statements that Rob Reiner, 78, and his wife Michele, 68, had died.
“This is a devastating loss for our city and our country,” Mayor Bass said in a statement. “Rob Reiner’s contributions reverberate throughout American culture and society, and he improved countless lives through his creative work and his advocacy for social and economic justice.”
LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton said patrol officers responding to a call at the residence late Sunday afternoon discovered two bodies inside the home. Detectives from the department’s robbery-homicide division were awaiting a search warrant to carry out a detailed examination of the property.
Earlier in the evening, the LAPD described the case on social media as an investigation into an “apparent homicide,” though Hamilton said no suspects had been identified as of Sunday night. The official cause of death will be determined by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Reiner rose to fame as an actor on the landmark television comedy All in the Family, where he portrayed Mike “Meathead” Stivic, the liberal son-in-law of the show’s central character, Archie Bunker. He later became one of Hollywood’s most successful directors, helming acclaimed films such as This Is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally…, Stand by Me, Misery, A Few Good Men and The American President. A sequel to This Is Spinal Tap was released earlier this year.
His wife, Michele, was a photographer earlier in her career and is known for taking the photograph of Donald Trump used on the cover of Trump: The Art of the Deal.
Born in New York City, Reiner was the son of legendary comedian and writer Carl Reiner. Beyond his film career, he was widely recognized for his political activism, openly supporting Democratic candidates including John Kerry, Al Gore and Hillary Clinton, and appearing in campaign advertisements.
Reiner was previously married to actor and filmmaker Penny Marshall. He later married Michele Singer, with whom he had three children.
