- - Rob Reiner's Close Friends Billy Crystal, Albert Brooks, More 'Fiercely' Protecting His Kids After Murders (Exclusive Source)

Benjamin VanHooseDecember 18, 2025 at 11:51 PM

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Billy Crystal; Rob and Michele Reiner; Albert Brooks -

Rob and Michele Reiner's closest friends, including Billy Crystal and Albert Brooks, are "fiercely" protecting the couple's kids after their shocking deaths, a source tells PEOPLE

Their children Jake and Romy expressed they were grateful for the "support we have received not only from family and friends but people from all walks of life"

The late couple's inner circle said in a joint statement, "We were their friends, and we will miss them forever"

After Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were killed and their son Nick was charged with murder, their closest friends are rallying to support the late couple's children, Jake and Romy.

"Rob and Michele were beloved in Hollywood and their friends like Billy Crystal and Albert Brooks are truly like family and fiercely protective," a source tells PEOPLE.

Jake, 34, and Romy, 28, "will never be alone as they try to face this," adds the source. "They are being incredibly strong and have a huge support system they can lean on."

Rob also had daughter Tracy, 61, from his first marriage to late actor-director Penny Marshall

Rob, 78, and Michele, 70, were found dead of multiple sharp force injuries inside their bedroom on Sunday, Dec. 14. Their 32-year-old son Nick, who has struggled with addiction since his teen years, was arrested later that night and has since been charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Nick appeared in court Dec. 17, and his lawyer Alan Jackson declined to enter a plea for his client. His arraignment will continue on Jan. 7.

The source adds of how Jake and Romy are handling the tragedy, "It's of course been a huge shock to the system. This nightmare came out of nowhere for them, but they've been surrounded with support since the second they found out."

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Jake Reiner, Romy Reiner, Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner on Jan. 15, 2024

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When Jake and Romy spoke out about the "horrific and devastating loss" of their parents in a statement Dec. 17, they mentioned the support they've received in the aftermath.

"Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day," the siblings said, adding that it is "something that no one should ever experience. They weren't just our parents; they were our best friends."

"We are grateful for the outpouring of condolences, kindness, and support we have received not only from family and friends but people from all walks of life," the statement continued.

"We now ask for respect and privacy, for speculation to be tempered with compassion and humanity, and for our parents to be remembered for the incredible lives they lived and the love they gave."

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Billy Crystal and Rob Reiner on Oct. 3, 2007

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Rob and Michele's close friends shared a joint statement honoring their memory on Dec. 16.

Crystal, 77, and his wife Janice signed the statement along with Brooks, 78, and his wife Kimberly, plus Martin Short, Alan and Robin Zweibel, Larry David and Ashley Underwood, Marc Shaiman and Lou Mirabal, Barry and Diana Levinson, and James Costos and Michael Smith.

After highlighting Rob's prowess as a director, the friends said in their statement that he "was also a passionate, brave citizen who not only cared for this country he loved, he did everything he could to make it better, and with his loving wife Michele he had the perfect partner."

"Strong and determined, Michele and Rob Reiner devoted a great deal of their lives for the betterment of our fellow citizens," they added. "They were a special force together-dynamic, unselfish and inspiring. We were their friends, and we will miss them forever."

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