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Dick Van Dyke is heartbroken over the loss of his dear friends, Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele.
Their tragic deaths have led to their son, Nick Reiner, being charged with two counts of first-degree murder. The couple was found dead in their Los Angeles residence on Sunday.
The Mary Poppins star shared a deep bond with the All in the Family actor for over 60 years. Van Dyke’s wife, Arlene Silver, revealed in an emotional video that her husband had spoken with Rob just two weeks prior to the incident.
Silver also mentioned that Van Dyke has been struggling to sleep, deeply troubled by the news, which cast a shadow over his milestone 100th birthday celebration over the weekend.
Van Dyke’s birthday party took place on Saturday, with the tragic discovery of the murders occurring the following day.
‘Such a weird, wonderful, awful weekend,’ Silver, 54, said in the video. The former makeup artist was still wearing a ‘100’ button with an image of Van Dyke on her top that was made for his birthday.
‘You know Dick’s birthday was on [Saturday]… I can’t not talk about this horrible thing. I mean, Dick’s birthday was so amazing, so over-the-top beautiful, and then this. I was relieved and happy, and then this happened yesterday,’ she shared.
Dick Van Dyke is devastated by his longtime friend Rob Reiner and his wife Michele’s deaths; pictured this month
Reiner and Van Dyke at the 2008 Backlot Film Festival Tribute to Carl Reiner in 2008 in Culver City, California
The Mary Poppins actor was close to the All In The Family actor for decades and even spoke to him just two weeks ago, Van Dyke’s wife Arlene Silver shared in a tearful video
And Van Dyke’s wife said she and her husband had recently spoken to the Reiners.
‘We talked to Rob two weeks ago on the phone,’ Silver shared. ‘And Michele, I have so many messages from Dick’s birthday, it’s going to take me weeks to get over them, and Michele and Rob’s are in those messages.’
Silver added that the Reiners were among the first friends she met when she began dating Van Dyke nearly 20 years ago.
‘Dick has known Rob since he was a teenager from The Dick Van Dyke Show,’ she continued.
Rob Reiner’s father, Carl, was the creator of The Dick Van Dyke Show, which aired from 1961 to 1966.
‘And I’ve always been a fan of his work before I knew him. And then Rob and Carl [Reiner] were the first people I ever met with Dick. Rob and Michele were always together, like Dick and I. And I always felt part of the Reiner family, they always treated me like part of their family. And this is just like… unbelievable.’
She also noted that the Reiners ‘did everything they could’ for their son Nick who had a history of drug addiction and mental health issues.
Their son Nick Reiner was charged with two counts of first degree murder on Tuesday after the couple were found dead in their Los Angeles home on Sunday. Seen in 2011
Van Dyke worked with Rob’s father Carl Reiner on The Dick Van Dyke Show; seen in 1964
Here is Rob and Carl together on set in 1965
‘I can’t imagine if Norman Lear and Carl were alive for this,’ Silver added. ‘It’s terrible. … I want to celebrate Dick, I want to keep doing that, but I also want to acknowledge this horrible thing.’
Nick Reiner will be charged with two counts of first-degree murder. If convicted, the 32-year-old could face life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.
During a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said no decision has been made on whether prosecutors will seek the death penalty. ‘He also faces a special allegation that he personally used a dangerous weapon, that being a knife,’ Hochman said.
Silver threw a big 100th birthday party for Van Dyke on Saturday at their Malibu home.
‘It went so perfect — just everything,’ she said to People. ‘And he was so happy. His face, I love to make him have that face.’
On Saturday, Van Dyke was surprised by a flash mob led by his wife as they danced to a medley comprising of some of his most iconic songs.
Van Dyke marked his milestone 100th birthday with an extravagant celebration over the weekend; pictured in December 2023
On Saturday, he was surprised by a flash mob led by his wife as they danced to a medley comprising of some of his most iconic songs; pictured in May 2021
The silver screen star is known for his decades-spanning acting career including his roles in Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
In the weeks leading up to his 100th birthday, he candidly shared his feelings about reaching the milestone.
Though he previously admitted he gets sad thinking about how he has outlived many of his friends and older family members, he recently shared that he ‘feels really good for 100.’
‘Sometimes I have more energy than others, but I never wake up in a bad mood,’ he told People.
He admitted that sometimes he feels ‘diminished’ but tries to stay active and uplifted by ‘hitting the gym’ multiple times a week.
On his birthday, Van Dyke also released a book, 100 Rules for Living to 100, to commemorate the illustrious life he has had so far.
The silver screen star is known for his decades-spanning acting career including his roles in Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; pictured in 1964 portrait alongside Julie Andrews
Limited screenings of Dick Van Dyke: A 100th Celebration will also be shown at various spots throughout Los Angeles for the star’s entire birthday weekend.
He also has spoken about how he has lived so long.
During an interview with The Mirror, Van Dyke explained that he gave up drinking many years ago in 1972 — after alcohol had ‘ruined’ his life.
The star recalled doing a stint in rehab for ‘two weeks’ and reflected that it was ‘nothing like today.’ Afterwards, he said ‘did the whole AA 12-step thing’ to get sober.
Van Dyke also recalled how he gave up cigarettes after being a heavy smoker, admitting to the outlet that he is ‘very lucky I still have my lungs.’
‘I was a terrible smoker — smoking one cigarette after another,’ he explained.
‘I think all those years when I was dancing is probably what saved me. Either that, or genes,’ he added.
The actor continued: ‘But I never did any drugs. My generation, we smoked and drank.’