Michelle Obama says a planned social evening with Rob and Michele Reiner never took place for the worst possible reason. Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Monday, Obama said she and her husband had intended to see the couple on the same day they were later found dead, according to the Guardian. “We were supposed to be seeing them that night—last night,” she said, without providing further details.
Police say Rob and Michele Reiner were discovered with stab wounds in their Los Angeles home around 3:30 p.m. Sunday. The Los Angeles Police Department determined the deaths were homicides. Their son, 32-year-old Nick Reiner, was arrested roughly six hours later and is being held without bail on suspicion of murder.
During the interview, Michelle Obama also addressed a social media post from President Trump, who had described Rob Reiner as suffering from “Trump derangement syndrome.” Obama strongly rejected that characterization. “Unlike some people, Rob and Michele Reiner are some of the most decent, courageous people you ever want to know,” she said. “They are not deranged or crazed.” She described the couple as deeply committed to their beliefs and said they cared strongly about family, country, fairness, and equity.
Earlier, Barack Obama released his own tribute, writing that the Reiners “lived lives defined by purpose” and would be remembered for the values they championed and the many people they inspired.
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld also paid tribute, noting that Rob Reiner, through Castle Rock Entertainment, played a crucial role in keeping Seinfeld on the air when network executives were uncertain about its early episodes. “He saw something no one else could,” Seinfeld wrote on social media. He added that Rob and Michele Reiner’s relationship became his model for a marriage in which each partner helps the other grow. Their deaths together, he said, were “impossibly sad.”