Hollywood, along with the world of television and movie fans, was stunned when police announced Rob Reiner -- director of such hits as "When Harry Met Sally" and "Princess Bride" -- and his wife Michelle Singer were stabbed to death in their home outside Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Police have not identified a suspect, per Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton, the chief of detectives. Many media outlets are reporting the couple's adult son is being questioned.
“We are going to try to speak to every family member that we can to get to the facts of this investigation,” Hamilton said during a Sunday presser. While the world waits to hear what may have happened to the director with a sterling reputation for kindness and a dedication to liberal causes, let's look at what Reiner himself has said.
In a CNN interview in September, he expressed concerns about threats to free speech and democratic institutions, particularly in the context of speaking out against President Donald Trump and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr.
And he said something that now comes through as eerie:"This may be the last time you ever see me because ... there's only a couple of us that are speaking out in this hard way. And I, we, hope and we know that there will be others. And so I don't think you can destroy a whole industry."
In the interview, and many others, Reiner emphasized the importance of protecting First Amendment rights and condemned the suspension of comedian Jimmy Kimmel by ABC and Disney, calling it "unconscionable." Reiner described the current situation between media and Hollywood and the Trump Administration as a war for democracy, saying, "Trump has declared war on this democracy."
While Reiner's ominous prediction on CNN about the risks of speaking out against powerful figures took on a tragic significance following his and his wife's deaths, there is no evidence that his political beliefs contributed to his killing.
What we know so far is The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a medical aid request shortly after 3:30 p.m. and found Reiner, 78, and his wife, 68, dead inside. They later said they'd been stabbed, and the investigation was ongoing.
The AP reported that Reiner was "long one of the most prolific directors in Hollywood, and his work included some of the most memorable movies of the 1980s and ’90s, including “This is Spinal Tap,” “A Few Good Men,” “When Harry Met Sally” and “The Princess Bride.”
"His role as Meathead in Norman Lear’s 1970s TV classic “All in the Family,” as a liberal foil to O’Connor’s Archie Bunker, catapulted him to fame and won him two Emmy Awards."
Relatives of Lear, reacted, saying, “Norman often referred to Rob as a son, and their close relationship was extraordinary, to us and the world,” said a Lear family statement. “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.”