Reactions are pouring in after director and actor Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer were found dead Sunday in their Los Angeles home.
The family of the late TV great Norman Lear shared their reaction.
“The Lear Family is devastated by the deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner,” the statement shared with ABC News began.
“Norman often referred to Rob as a son, and their close relationship was extraordinary, to us and the world,” the family’s statement said. “Norman would have wanted to remind us that Rob and Michele spent every breath trying to make this country a better place, and they pursued that through their art, their activism, their philanthropy, and their love for family and friends.”
“Lyn Lear had remained very close with them and said, ‘The world is unmistakably darker tonight, and we are left bereft,’” the Lear family statement added. Lyn Lear is Norman Lear’s widow.
Reiner starred as Michael “Meathead” Stivic in Lear’s hit sitcom All in the Family, which ran for nine seasons between 1971 and 1978.
In a statement to ABC News, Jamie Lee Curtis and her husband Christopher Guest, who starred in the Reiner directed rock mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, said that they’re “numb and sad and shocked about the violent, tragic deaths of our dear friends Rob and Michelle Singer Reiner.”
“Our ONLY focus and care right now is for their children and immediate families and we will offer all support possible to help them,” they added. “There will be plenty of time later to discuss the creative lives we shared a[nd] the great political and social impact they both had on the entertainment industry, early childhood development, the fight for gay marriage and their global care for a world in crisis. We have lost great friends. Please give us time to grieve.”
Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama mourned Reiner and Singer’s death in a statement shared on X.
“Michelle and I are heartbroken by the tragic passing of Rob Reiner and his beloved wife, Michele,” the Obamas said. “Rob’s achievements in film and television gave us some of our most cherished stories on screen.”
“But beneath all of the stories he produced was a deep belief in the goodness of people—and a lifelong commitment to putting that belief into action,” the Obamas continued. “Together, he and his wife lived lives defined by purpose. They will be remembered for the values they championed and the countless people they inspired. We send our deepest condolences to all who loved them.”
Fellow director and producer Ron Howard remembered Reiner as “a superlative filmmaker, a supporting colleague and at all times a dedicated citizen” in an X post.
“Our careers and lives intersected often over the decades from Rob writing the pilot script for Happy Days and then as we each shifted from acting careers into directing and producing,” Howard wrote.”He proved to be a superlative filmmaker, a supportive colleague and at all times a dedicated citizen. Rob will be missed on so many levels. My heart goes out to his family and his many close friends.”
Director Paul Feig also called Reiner his “true hero” in a post on X.
“One of my most cherished pictures,” Feig wrote next to a photo of the two of them at a San Diego Comic-Con event. “Rob was my true hero. A true visionary titan and a lovely lovely person. One never knows if it’s proper to post during something as tragic as this. But I just want the world to know what so many of us know in the industry. Rob was the best.”
John Cusack, who starred in Reiner’s 1985 film The Sure Thing, reacted to Reiner and Singer’s death in an X post, saying he was “shocked by the death of Rob Reiner -a great man.”
Actor Josh Gad called Reiner “one of the greatest directors of our time” in a tribute shared on Instagram.
“He was one of the greatest directors of our time. He was a friend. He was simply a beautiful person,” Gad wrote alongside a photo of Reiner.
“Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle were two of the most kind and caring souls you could ever imagine. He cared so much for those who had no voices,” Gad continued. “This loss is devastating. I cannot express how much this hurts. Love you Rob and Michelle. Thank you for all you gave us.”
Reiner directed films Misery and Stand By Me based on material by Stephen King, who remembered the director on X.
“I’m horrified and saddened by the death of Rob Reiner and Michele,” he wrote. “Wonderful friend, political ally, and brilliant filmmaker (including 2 of mine). Rest in peace, Rob. You always stood by me.”
Carey Elwes, who starred in Reiner’s movie The Princess Bride, shared a photo on Instagram of two directors chairs with swords from the movie, captioning the post, “No words…”
The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating the deaths of Reiner and Singer.
Reiner and Singer’s family confirmed their deaths in a statement, writing, “It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner. We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time.”
The couple married in 1989 and had three children: Jake, Nick and Romy Reiner.
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