Nick Reiner arrived uninvited at one of Hollywood’s most exclusive holiday parties and unsettled some of the industry’s most recognizable figures by repeatedly asking the same three questions.
That behavior would later take on chilling significance after his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, were found dead only hours later.
The gathering, hosted by Conan O’Brien, was meant to be a private holiday celebration attended by long‑time friends and respected figures from film and television, yet Nick Reiner’s presence quickly altered the tone of the evening as he moved through the room engaging prominent guests in confrontational exchanges that left several attendees uncomfortable and unsure how to respond.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Nick – who was living with his parents – had not been invited but his parents had requested that he be allowed to attend the gathering alongside them.
The Reiners were reportedly reluctant to leave him alone, given concerns about his behavior in recent weeks and the instability that had once again begun to dominate their home life.
Addiction strained relationship
Nick’s personal history had long been public. He had struggled with drug addiction and periods of homelessness, which had severely strained his relationship with his family.
In 2015, he co-wrote the semi-autobiographical film Being Charlie, which was directed by his Hollywood heavyweight father.
The film detailed a young man’s battle with addiction and a complicated father-son dynamic that closely mirrored their own lives.
Despite their shared creative collaboration, the relationship had reportedly become strained again in recent years.
Nick’s erratic behavior at party
Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing approximately 230 pounds, Nick’s presence didn’t go unnoticed at O’Brien’s event.
Dressed in a hoodie that clashed with the formal attire of the event, he immediately drew attention, with some guests quietly wondering how the party crasher got into the party.
According to several reports, he stood out not only for his imposing size but also for his behavior, which many described as erratic.
Odd questions
Guests later recalled that “Nick was freaking everyone out, acting crazy, kept asking people if they were famous,” a source told People.
According to Page Six, Nick repeatedly approached attendees and asked each of them the same three questions: “What’s your name? What’s your last name? Are you famous?”
Those questions were directed at several well‑known figures, including Jane Fonda and Bill Hader, despite the fact that many of the people he confronted were globally recognizable.
Bill Hader, 47, who had earlier been introduced to Nick by his dad, was interrupted mid‑conversation and calmly explained that he was speaking privately, according to people familiar with the interaction.
He then reportedly stood staring at the Saturday Night Live star for an uncomfortably long period before walking away, a moment that guests later cited as emblematic of the tension Nick had brought into the room.
‘Very loud argument’
According to TMZ, before Nick was asked to leave the party, Reiner and his son had a “very loud argument.”
Shortly afterward, Reiner and Michele – visibly shaken by the confrontation and the disruption caused by their son – were seen apologizing to O’Brien before departing.
Shower ‘full of blood’
What followed would turn a disturbing social episode into the opening act of a criminal investigation.
At approximately 4 a.m., Nick Reiner checked into the Pierside Hotel in Santa Monica. Later that day, hotel staff discovered a shower “full of blood” inside his room, along with bedsheets hanging over the window, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
That same afternoon, at around 3:40 p.m., Rob and Michele were found dead inside their Brentwood home by their daughter, Romy, 28, who lives across the street.
Nick has been charged with two counts of murder in the deaths of his parents, and Variety reports the charges carry a maximum sentence of life without parole or the death penalty.
“Prosecuting these cases involving family members are some of the most challenging and most heart-wrenching cases that this office faces because of the intimate and often brutal nature of the crimes involved,” Nathan Hochman, the Los Angeles district attorney said at a press conference.
At the time, “no decision” had been made about the death penalty.
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