Rob Reiner's son Nick Reiner allegedly "stormed off" following a tense conversation with comedian Bill Hader at Conan O'Brien's Christmas party on Saturday, just hours before the double murder of his parents.
The famed director, 78, and his wife, Michele, 70, were found dead in their Los Angeles mansion on Sunday with their throats slit.
Nick, 32, was arrested in connection with the murders later that day and has since been charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
If convicted, he could face life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty. TMZ previously reported that Reiner had a "very loud argument" with Nick at the party, with witnesses recalling Nick acting erratically.
A source told NBC News that Nick "interrupted Hader" at the party and was allegedly left annoyed when the SNL comic told him he was "in the middle of a private conversation." The source claimed, "Nick just stood there and stared before storming off." The unsettling interaction reportedly concerned other partygoers.
Rob reportedly brought Nick to O'Brien's holiday party to "keep an eye on him." Guests at the A-list packed event said Nick displayed "antisocial behavior," including staring at attendees and "acting crazy," repeatedly asking people if they were famous.
The couple's daughter Romy, 28, who lives across the street from their home in LA's ritzy Brentwood neighborhood, made the grim discovery of their dead bodies the following afternoon. Nick, who lived in his parents' guest house, was arrested for allegedly fatally stabbing them in their bed on Sunday night after he checked into a motel close to Santa Monica's pier.
Police reportedly raided the hotel room and found a shower "full of blood," blood all over the bed, and the windows blacked out with the bedsheets. Nick's first court hearing was set for Tuesday morning but was delayed because he was not medically cleared to be transferred from the jail to the courthouse.
The couple were found in bed with their throats cut and may have been asleep when they were murdered, a source close to the investigation claimed to the Daily Mail. The gruesome detail could help establish a timeline of the killings, although investigators have not yet offered any potential motive for the murders.
Nick's attorney, Alan Jackson, has made a career of representing high-profile clients, including CEOs, celebrities, NBA players, and foreign royals. Among his most famous clients were Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey, both of whom faced sexual assault charges.
Rob Reiner was the Emmy-winning star of the sitcom All in the Family who went on to direct films including When Harry Met Sally... and The Princess Bride. He was an outspoken liberal activist for decades. Michele Singer Reiner was a photographer, movie producer, and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. They had been married for 36 years.
Nick had spoken publicly of his struggles with addiction, cycling in and out of treatment facilities with bouts of homelessness in between through his teen years. The father and son explored and seemed to improve their relationship through the making of the 2016 film, Being Charlie, which Reiner co-wrote and his father directed.
