Nick Reiner appears during his arraignment in Los Angeles County Superior Court in Los Angeles, California, on Feb. 23. The son of actor-director Rob Reiner has pleaded not guilty to the fatal stabbing of both of his parents. (Chris Torres – pool – AFP / Getty Images)
By Nick Givas June 9, 2026 at 6:20pm
Nick Reiner, son of Hollywood director and actor Rob Reiner, is demanding access to his $1.5 million inheritance despite being accused of murdering his parents in cold blood.
Reiner filed court documents Monday requesting access to funds that his parents, Rob and Michele, placed in a trust for him, according to the U.K.’s Daily Mail.
In a petition obtained by the outlet, Reiner, 32, claimed he was supposed to receive half of the $1.5 million when he turned 30, and the other half when he turned 35.
The petition also stated that the current trustee, Paul Kanin, has “offered a shifting series of excuses and justifications” for refusing to provide the cash.
Kanin reportedly raised “concerns” about Nick’s competence and ability to manage such a trust. He also refused to pay for Nick’s attorney, Alan Jackson, who ultimately withdrew from the case and was replaced by a public defender.
Additionally, Kanin said he wouldn’t be able to access the funds until Reiner’s guilt or innocence was determined by the court.
The petition went on to accuse Kanin of attempting to pass the trust along to someone else, and now Reiner is seeking damages.
Nathan Hochman, the LA County district attorney, said the death penalty is on the table if he is convicted.
In December of 2025 Rob, 78, and his wife Michele, 68, were found dead in their Los Angeles home with multiple stab wounds.
Only hours after news of their deaths broke, multiple sources reportedly claimed they were murdered by their son.
The Reiners’ son had previously spoken out about his struggle with substance abuse and mental health issues.
The famed director’s son once said his parents had pressured him to go to rehab, and if he refused, he would become homeless.
Nick Reiner did, in fact, have periods of homelessness throughout his life.
“I was homeless in Maine. I was homeless in New Jersey. I was homeless in Texas,” he told People in a 2016 interview. “I spent nights on the street. I spent weeks on the street. It was not fun.”
“If I wanted to do it my way and not go to the programs they were suggesting, then I had to be homeless,” Nick added.
The New York Post also noted in 2025 that he had a “reputation for violence,” with people close to the family saying this wasn’t the first incident.
“This is not the first time their son has been violent,’’ a longtime neighbor of the victims said.
“I know of another incident a few years back with Nick, but I won’t say more than that,’’ the man added. “I just never thought it would ever get to this point.”
The source declined to give his name.
During a Christmas party at comedian Conan O’Brien’s house just hours before the murder, a source said there had been a nasty fight between Rob and Nick.
Conan insisted no one call the police, despite some guests suggesting that they get “this kid put into a mental-health hold.”
“They got in an argument, the father and son,” one source recalled. “It got so bad and loud someone wanted to call the police to report it.”
“But Conan stepped in and said, ‘It’s my house, my party, I’m not calling the police.’ He talked them out of calling the police.”
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Nick Givas has been a reporter for The Daily Caller, Fox News, and served as Managing Editor of the Newsroom at Project Veritas. He’s also hosted three different podcasts, served as a Congressional Communications Director, and had his work featured in The Federalist, Daily Signal, New York Post, and Real Clear Politics.
