JUST IN: Nick Reiner To Plead “Not Guilty” — Here’s Why

The son of famous Hollywood Director Rob Reiner, Nick, has been charged with first-degree murder for allegedly killing his father and mother.

So far, the case appears pretty clear-cut.

Nick Reiner was found with all the bloody evidence of the horrendous double-murder at a Santa Monica hotel.

However, it looks like he is planning to plead ‘not guilty’ by reason of insanity.

Reportedly, Nick was diagnosed with schizophrenia prior to the murder.

This clip from TMZ explained further:

🚨 Nick Reiner will plead not guilty to murdering his parents—and here's the exact reason why. pic.twitter.com/7zDOB4aBR7

— TMZ (@TMZ) December 19, 2025

In addition to an apparent struggle with schizophrenia, Nick Reiner also has a long history of drug addiction.

Page Six has more details on how his mental health is expected to impact the case:

Schizophrenia is a chronic brain disorder characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, trouble with thinking and lack of motivation, according to the American Psychiatric Association.

Nick was reportedly diagnosed with schizophrenia before his parents’ stabbing deaths, and the medications he was taking were allegedly making him act “erratic and dangerous.”

Sources told TMZ that Nick was under the care of a psychiatrist for mental illness, claiming that his behavior had become “alarming” in the weeks leading up to the killings.

About a month ago, doctors reportedly changed Nick’s meds, at which point he became “out of his head.”

They were reportedly in the process of adjusting his medication to stabilize him when tragedy struck.

ADVERTISEMENT

Nick had recently received care at a Los Angeles-based rehab facility that specializes in mental illness and substance abuse, per the outlet, which noted that Nick’s substance abuse worsened the schizophrenia.

Nick’s lawyer, famed criminal defense attorney Alan Jackson, did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment.

Nick, who lived in his parents’ guesthouse in Brentwood, has a history of violence and drug addiction. He has been to rehab almost 20 times and experienced bouts of homelessness.

Drugs and mental health issues are never a good mixture, and it appears that his violent tendencies has been coming out more and more over the year.

Here’s Nick Reiner in a resurfaced interview, admitting that he was “crazy”:

Nick Reiner in resurfaced interview:

“I was a real like nutcase. I was crazy.”

He has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder over the death of his parents Rob and Michele. pic.twitter.com/N94KgnfFJu

— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) December 17, 2025

He very well may be criminally insane.

However, there’s another reason that he might be pleading the insanity case…

Very notably, under California law, Nick Reiner can still inherit his parents’ money if he is found to be insane and guilty.

But if he is found to be guilty and sane, then he would lose his right to an inheritance.

Grok confirmed this detail:

Under California’s slayer statute (Probate Code Section 250), a person who intentionally kills someone cannot inherit from that person’s estate, whether through a will, trust, or intestate succession. Legal experts confirm that if Nick is convicted, he would be disqualified from receiving any inheritance, regardless of how the estate is structured.

The estate would likely be redistributed among the other surviving children: Jake (34), Romy (28), and Tracy (61, adopted from Rob’s first marriage to Penny Marshall), or directed to charitable causes as reportedly planned by the Reiners.

A potential exception exists: if Nick is found not guilty by reason of insanity, the slayer statute might not apply, as it requires intentional killing. Some sources note that even in such cases, probate courts have discretion, and it’s not guaranteed he would inherit.

What are your thoughts?