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In a recent interview, Conan O’Brien opened up about the tragic and unexpected passing of Rob and Michele Reiner, who died shortly after attending his December gathering.
LOS ANGELES — Renowned comedian and former TV host Conan O’Brien reminisced about the night Rob and Michele Reiner tragically lost their lives after departing from his party in December.
Speaking with The New Yorker, O’Brien, who is set to host the upcoming Oscars, shared how he and his wife, Liza Powel O’Brien, had been spending more time with the Reiners in the months leading up to their untimely death.
“They were genuinely wonderful people. To experience the moment of bidding someone goodnight, only to learn the next morning that they’re no longer with us… I was, quite frankly, in shock for a considerable time,” he reflected. “There’s simply no other way to describe it.”
O’Brien admitted that he continues to grapple with the reality of their passing.
“It’s just so awful,” he said. “I think about how Rob felt about things that are happening in the country, how involved he was, how much he put himself out there — and to have that voice go quiet in an instant is still hard for me to comprehend.”
Nick Reiner and his parents attended O’Brien’s party on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025.
According to multiple news sources, Nick was “disruptive” and made guests uncomfortable with his behavior. NBC News reported that Rob and Michelle had been upset about their son’s behavior and expressed worries about his health. ABC News reported that Rob and Nick had got into an argument at the holiday party.
Nick was later arrested near the University of Southern California hours after his parents’ bodies were found on Dec. 14, 2025. He was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and remains in the Twin Towers Correctional Facility without bail.
While O’Brien didn’t comment on the party itself, he praised Rob Reiner’s work and its impact on Hollywood and comedy as a whole.
“Now, if you can make one great movie, that’s impressive. It’s an almost impossible feat. To make two means that you’re one of the greats. To make seven — in, like, a nine-year, ten-year, eleven-year period — is insanity,” he said. “He influenced my generation enormously.”
He described Reiner’s popular movie “Spinal Tap” as a “splitting-the-atom moment” and something “truly remarkable.”