Nick Reiner is reportedly no longer on suicide watch as he awaits to be arraigned on murder charges.
Multiple outlets, including People and TMZ, reported on Monday, January 5, that Nick was taken off suicide watch after being arrested for the murder of his parents, Rob and Michele Singer Reiner. He now no longer has to wear a suicide prevention smock, which is standard practice following a two-week period.
Nick will remain in High Observation Housing until a judge rules otherwise. His arraignment has been scheduled for January 7 after he declined to enter a plea in his first court appearance. During the December hearing, Nick only spoke when asked whether he was waiving his right to a speedy arraignment, to which he replied, “Yes, your honor.”
News broke earlier that month that Rob and Michele were found dead in an apparent homicide. Nick was arrested and held without bail on a suspicion of murder charge. Rob and Michele’s other children — son Jake and daughter Romy — have since broken their silence on the couple’s tragic deaths and brother Nick’s arrest. (Rob also shared daughter Tracy with late ex-wife Penny Marshall.)
Rob Reiner and Wife Michele’s Deaths: Everything We Know So Far
“Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day. The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience,” read their statement. “They weren’t just our parents; they were our best friends.”
The statement continued: “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. 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.”
Before his arrest, Nick was candid about years of substance abuse issues, which led to a past falling out with his parents.
What Rob Reiner’s Son Nick Said About Addiction, Their Complex Relationship
“I think I’m lucky in the sense that I have parents that care about me,” Nick said on a 2015 episode of Paul Mecurio’s “2 Chairs and a Microphone” podcast. “Because of that, when I would go out and do things like drugs and stuff like that, I’d feel a tremendous amount of guilt.”
Nick continued: “I’d think, ‘They’re thinking about me right now. They want me to do good.’ … Some people don’t have parents that have any interest in them.”
Nick recalled how his experience of growing up in a famous family contributed to his issues.
“I don’t think this is any different than most people going through their teenage years, but I think that I had no identity and I had no passions,” he said. “I have a famous dad and a famous grandpa and that fame sort of informs who you are so I wanted to etch out my own identity with a more rebellious, angry, drug-addicted sort of persona.”
