Obamas planned to meet Reiners on night they were killed, former first lady reveals

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Criminal defense attorney reacts to gruesome murder of Rob Reiner, wife Michele

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The Obamas were scheduled to meet Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, on the night they were killed, former first lady Michelle Obama revealed on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on Monday.

Michelle Obama said she and her husband, former President Barack Obama, were close friends with the late couple and described them as "some of the most decent, courageous people you ever want to know."

"My God. We’ve known them for many, many years, and we were supposed to be seeing them that night — last night. And we got the news," she said.

"And let me just say this: unlike some people, Rob and Michele Reiner are some of the most decent, courageous people you ever want to know," she continued.

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"They are not — they’re not deranged or crazed," the former first lady added. "What they have always been are passionate people in a time when there’s not a lot of courage going on."

Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama, left, attend the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 20, 2024. Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, right, appear at a red carpet event. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds; Kent Nishimura / AFP)

Rob Reiner, 78, and Michele Reiner, 68, were discovered stabbed to death in their Los Angeles home on Sunday. Their son, Nick Reiner, was arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with their deaths, according to the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. He is being held without bail after it was previously set at $4 million.

Michelle Obama went on to say the Reiners "were the kind of people who were ready to put their actions behind what they cared about."

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A security guard stands outside Rob and Michele Reiner’s Brentwood home on Dec. 15, 2025, a day after the couple were found stabbed to death inside the residence. (Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)

"And they cared about their family, and they cared about this country, and they cared about fairness and equity," she said. "And that is the truth. I do know them."

Earlier Tuesday, former President Barack Obama released a statement expressing his condolences on the couple’s deaths.

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Rob Reiner, center, and wife, Michele Singer, left, and son, Nick Reiner, right, attend Teen Vogue's Back-to-School Saturday kick-off event at The Grove on Aug. 9, 2013, in Los Angeles, California. (Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Teen Vogue)

Obama wrote that he and Michelle are "heartbroken by the tragic passing of Rob Reiner and his beloved wife, Michele."

"Rob’s achievements in film and television gave us some of our most cherished stories on screen," he said. "But beneath all of the stories he produced was a deep belief in the goodness of people — and a lifelong commitment to putting that belief into action. Together, he and his wife lived lives defined by purpose. They will be remembered for the values they championed and the countless people they inspired. We send our deepest condolences to all who loved them."