Hollywood just lost one of its most beloved directors in the most horrific way imaginable.
Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were found stabbed to death in their Brentwood home on December 14.
And Sally Struthers revealed one lesson from Rob Reiner that changed her life forever.
Reiner's Co-Star Remembers Career-Defining Advice
Sally Struthers is looking back at the life-changing career advice Rob Reiner gave her while they starred together on "All In the Family."
The 78-year-old actress told Woman's World magazine that Reiner pulled her aside early in the show's run when she noticed her lines kept disappearing in rewrites.
"If you can make the show itself more important than your own part, you will wind up offering to give up some of your lines," Struthers recalled Reiner telling her.¹
The two played Gloria and Michael, a husband-and-wife pair playing the liberal counterparts to Struthers' conservative working-class parents, played by Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton.
That simple advice shaped how Struthers approached her entire career in Hollywood.
Both Struthers and Reiner left the sitcom following its eighth season when their characters moved to California with their son.
When Struthers returned to the role of Gloria in the short-lived spin-off show, it was revealed Michael had left her and their son off-camera.
"Gloria Bunker Stivic would have remarried," she told Woman's World. "Someone just as inspiring as her first husband, because Mike taught Gloria a lot."²
When news of Reiner's murder broke, Struthers told Deadline: "There are no words. This is beyond devastating and my heart is with their family."³
Hollywood Mourns As Tragedy Unfolds
Reiner and Struthers previously reunited on stage at the 2024 Emmy Awards for a tribute to Norman Lear, who created "All In the Family."
"Sally and I were part of a unique television family: not just the Bunkers, but Norman Lear's extended family," Reiner said during the tribute. "Over the decades, Norman brought us together, and he created groundbreaking television shows that depicted real people who made us laugh, made us think, made us feel."⁴
Following his time on "All In the Family," Reiner went on to direct some of Hollywood's most beloved films, including "When Harry Met Sally," "Stand By Me," "This Is Spinal Tap," and "The Princess Bride."
Reiner and his wife Michele were found dead in their Brentwood home on Sunday, December 14, with LAPD Assistant Police Chief Dominic Choi confirming their bodies were discovered in their bedroom.
Police arrested Nick Reiner the same day his parents' bodies were discovered.
He was booked Monday on suspicion of murder.
By Tuesday, prosecutors hit him with two counts of first-degree homicide.
Neighbors Saw This Coming Years Ago
Turns out Nick Reiner's violent behavior wasn't exactly a secret in the neighborhood.
"Years ago, when he was young, he was on heroin and cocaine, and he went to rehab and did well and was apparently back to normal," neighbor Maryanne Lewis told Fox News Digital. "But obviously, that wasn't the case."⁵
Another neighbor told the New York Post, "This is not the first time their son has been violent. I know of another incident a few years back with Nick, but I won't say more than that. I just never thought it would ever get to this point."⁶
"Rob was always heartbroken that his son couldn't beat his addiction," the neighbor continued. "I know they wanted him to get help, go to rehab, but he wanted to get help while at home — he did not want to get treatment at a facility."⁷
Nick Reiner had been living with his parents in a guesthouse at the time of the killings.
The night before the murders, the Reiners attended a holiday party at comedian Conan O'Brien's home where witnesses say Nick had a "very loud argument" with his father.⁸
Nick Reiner first entered rehab at age 15 and went through at least 17 treatment stays by 2016.
He co-wrote the 2015 film "Being Charlie," which was directed by his father and based on Nick's experiences with heroin addiction and homelessness.
"I am a spoiled, white, rich kid from a Hollywood family," Nick told NPR in 2016. "But I think it's even more of a testament to how powerful drugs can be that you don't care about any of that stuff."⁹
Rob Reiner once told reporters that making "Being Charlie" was "the most personal thing I've ever done."¹⁰
Nick Reiner faces two counts of first-degree murder with a special circumstance of multiple murders.
Prosecutors are still deciding whether to seek the death penalty.
His arraignment is set for January 7, 2026 and he's being held without bail at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility.
¹ Lori Bashian, "Rob Reiner taught Sally Struthers a valuable lesson she never forgot from 'All in the Family'," Fox News, December 23, 2025.
² Ibid.
³ Sally Struthers statement to Deadline, December 15, 2025.
⁴ Rob Reiner, 2024 Emmy Awards tribute to Norman Lear, January 2024.
⁵ Fox News Digital interview with Maryanne Lewis, December 2025.
⁶ "Rob Reiner and wife Michele's kids 'grateful for the outpouring of love,' announce future memorial service," New York Post, December 2025.
⁷ Ibid.
⁸ "What we know about Nick Reiner, son of Rob and Michele Reiner," CNN, December 18, 2025.
⁹ "Nick Reiner spoke openly about addiction before arrest," NPR, December 16, 2025.
¹⁰ "What Rob and Nick Reiner said about their film inspired by Nick's substance abuse issues," ABC News, December 2025.
