Nick Reiner pleads not guilty to murdering Rob Reiner and Michelle Reiner
Nick Reiner appeared in court with his public defender, Kimberly Greene, as he entered a not guilty plea to murder charges in the deaths of his parents.
- Nick Reiner, son of late director Rob Reiner, is petitioning for access to a trust fund to pay for his legal fees.
- Reiner is currently in prison and has pleaded not guilty to murdering his parents, Rob Reiner and Michelle Singer Reiner.
Amid Nick Reiner’s legal battle over the death of his parents, his request to access the trust fund they set up for him may be more complicated than he thinks.
The 32-year-old son of famed Hollywood director Rob Reiner and producer Michelle Singer Reiner is behind bars for allegedly stabbing his parents to death in December. Nick Reiner, who is facing a first-degree murder trial and maintains his innocence, filed a motion on Monday, June 8, to receive funds from a trust fund to fight the charges.
Experts say the outcome of the dispute could depend on the specific terms of the trust and California’s murderer law, which prohibits beneficiaries from inheriting from someone convicted of or proven to have killed.
Questions continue to swirl about the death of the beloved “Princess Bride” director and producer’s wife and what their son’s defense will be like.
How California’s murderer law applies to Nick Reiner’s $1.5 million trust fund
A copy of Nick Reiner’s trust, which contains at least $1.5 million, reveals that he was supposed to receive half when he turned 30 and the rest when he turned 35. But the first payment was never distributed, he said in court documents. That may give Reiner a basis to collect some money, estate attorney Sean Weisbart told USA TODAY.
“When Nick turned 30, which was about two years before (the arrest), 50% of the trust was actually given to him and should have been distributed,” Weisbart says. However, if Reiner is ultimately convicted, the second payment would be affected by California law.
Nick Reiner’s petition states that the current trustee, estate attorney Paul Kanin, continues to refuse to accept the funds due to “‘concerns’ about Mr. Nick’s so-called ‘trust administration’ abilities,” but Reiner’s attorneys argue that a distribution date is required and that the “subjective opinion of the trustee” is not a valid reason to withhold the funds.
Mr. Weisbart, who is not a party or involved in the lawsuit, said that from Mr. Reiner’s trust and his understanding of the petition, there is an “injunction clause” that allows the trustee to exercise discretion and refuse distribution until “there is a possibility that the matter may be resolved,” “if there are certain extenuating circumstances.”
It remains unclear why Reiner was not given the money when he turned 30, but Weisbart added that the trustee had full control. That means even Rob and Michelle Reiner would not have had decision-making power, even though they were alive at the time.
If convicted, Nick Reiner would inherit everything he was supposed to receive after his parents’ deaths, and would be prohibited from receiving the funds he was due to receive at age 35 because he would fall under the Murderer Act. Instead, Reiner will be “treated as if he predeceased his parents,” and the remainder of the trust and the entire estate will be distributed “as if Nick were not alive at the time of Rob and Michelle’s death,” Weisbart said.
“The murderer’s law is absolute; it doesn’t give you potential rights for any particular reason, such as a legal defense,” Weisbart said. “If you kill that person, you are completely cut off from any kind of inheritance.”
Rob Reiner’s death shocked the entertainment industry, with some of Hollywood’s biggest names, including Martin Scorsese and Conan O’Brien, leaving behind memorable achievements. At the Oscars ceremony in March, Billy Crystal called Rob Reiner his “best friend” in a moving tribute speech.
In addition to Nick Reiner, Rob Reiner and Michelle Reiner, who were married for 36 years, have a son, Jake Reiner, a daughter, Romy Reiner, and Rob Reiner’s adopted daughter, Tracy Reiner. Jake Reiner wrote an emotional essay for Substack in April titled “Mom and Dad,” in which he said his parents’ deaths were “too shocking to understand.”
“They were the last people in the world who deserved what happened to them,” Jake Reiner wrote.
Jake Reiner called his mother the “center of our entire family” and his father a “hero.” “We lost more than half of our family that night,” he said, referring to his alleged role in his brother’s death. “Losing a parent is devastating, sure, but nothing compares to losing both of your parents at the same time, and having a younger brother at the center of it all. It’s almost impossible to process.”
How to use the Nick Reiner trust fund – and why Alan Jackson is speaking out
Reiner’s petition says he needs the money to pay for his attorney’s fees and “basic necessities while incarcerated,” and notes that his trust fund is completely separate from the “larger Reiner Family Trust” and is intended for “his personal benefit.”
Reiner also said he hopes to rehire celebrity defense attorney Alan Jackson, who resigned in January citing “circumstances beyond our control.” Mr. Jackson said Mr. Reiner’s brother initially filed a declaration that he had agreed to “act as a third-party payor” to retain Mr. Reiner’s representation and provide funds, but in late December he was “informed by a representative of the family that no planned third-party funding would be provided.”
Mr. Jackson wrote that his “firm is ready, willing and able to resume representation of Mr. Reiner” if funds become available.
Seth Zuckerman, a prominent criminal defense attorney and former New York City prosecutor, said Reiner’s case could quickly become expensive, especially if he pleads not guilty by reason of insanity.
“[Reiner]is likely trying to access these funds to pay not just his attorney’s fees, but his defense costs, because getting an expert on his mental state is probably very important,” Zuckerman told USA TODAY. “I think it was to pay for a very qualified expert who could testify that he was not criminally responsible because he was legally insane at the time of the crime.”
According to NBC News, Reiner was diagnosed with schizophrenia several years ago and was reportedly receiving treatment for severe mental illness at the time of the crime. The New York Times later reported that Reiner served as a mental health conservator from 2020 to 2021, confirming confirmation from a Los Angeles Superior Court clerk.
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For Reiner to qualify for an insanity claim, Zuckerman said, his attorneys would need to prove that “Mr. Reiner suffers from a mental illness or defect that renders him unable to understand the nature and quality of his actions and to distinguish between right and wrong.”
Reiner has been open about his drug abuse, telling People in a 2016 interview that he has been to rehab 17 times since he was 15. At one point, he said he became homeless because he refused to return to treatment. In 2015, he and his father Rob Reiner worked together on Being Charlie, a romantic drama loosely inspired by Nick Reiner’s own struggles with addiction.
If Mr. Reiner is unsuccessful in his efforts to access the trust fund, he will still be represented by a public defender, as he currently is. But Zuckerman said there are fewer options when it comes to experts, and “public defenders are paid by local governments, so they’ll work with you for a lower fee.”
“If you’re looking for the most experienced people, both experts and lawyers, it’s going to cost you money,” Zacherman said.
Contributors: Edward Segarra, David Oliver, Anthony Robledo, Taijuan Moorman, Ralphie Aversa, USA TODAY
