Eric Idle says he has no sympathy for Nick Reiner, who remains in custody while awaiting trial on charges that he murdered his parents, director Rob Reiner and photographer Michele Reiner.
Nick has pleaded not guilty. He is also trying to access money from a trust established by his parents, arguing that the funds should be available to help pay for his defense. Idle, a longtime friend of Rob, offered a rather direct assessment of that effort.
“I was the last man probably to talk to his father,” the Monty Python star told TMZ in a video posted Sept. 29, “so I have no sympathy.”
Idle spoke with Rob Reiner hours before his death
Idle said he had a lengthy conversation with Rob on the evening before Rob and Michele were found dead Dec. 14 at their home in Brentwood, California.
The Reiners and their son Nick had attended Conan O’Brien’s Christmas party that night. After news of the deaths emerged, Idle posted a tribute to his friend on X.
“Rob Reiner was a lovely man. I spoke to him last night for over an hour,” he wrote Dec. 14. “I always enjoyed his company.”
Idle, 83, said he first met Rob at the home of Rob’s father, comedy legend Carl Reiner, in 1975. During that meeting, Rob spoke about filming at Stonehenge and discussed his plans for the future.
“This is so awful,” Idle added in his tribute. “I shall miss him. A clever, talented and very thoughtful man. So awful.”
The actor’s comments now carry an especially grim context. A conversation at a holiday party became what Idle believes may have been one of Rob’s final extended discussions. There is, understandably, little room for festive nostalgia.
Why Nick Reiner cannot access the trust
Police took Nick into custody after his parents’ deaths. Attorney Alan Jackson initially planned to represent him, but later withdrew because the trustee controlling Nick’s funds could not pay his legal fees, according to court documents obtained by E! News in June.
Nick then petitioned for access to part of the million-dollar trust. His filing claimed that Rob and Michele left “unambiguous instructions” requiring a portion of the money to be distributed once he turned 30.
The documents said Nick’s siblings, Jake Reiner, 35, and Romy Reiner, 28, had initially agreed to cover Jackson’s fees. That arrangement did not last. The “anticipated funding did not materialize,” and Jackson left the case.
Nick’s petition emphasized that the trust dispute should remain separate from the criminal allegations against him.
“Nick loved his parents, and he is devastated by their deaths,” the filing said. “But the facts about what did and did not happen to them are not at issue in this Trust litigation. Like anyone accused of a crime, Nick is presumed innocent, and he is entitled to mount his defense with the resources that are lawfully his own.”
That presumption remains in place despite Idle’s plainly stated personal view. Sympathy, unlike a criminal verdict, does not require a court hearing.
Prosecutors will not seek the death penalty
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman confirmed that prosecutors will not pursue the death penalty against Nick. The decision followed a review of the case and a conversation with Jake and Romy.
“After a careful and thorough review of all these factors, the district attorney’s office will not be seeking the death penalty in this case,” Hochman told reporters outside the courthouse Sept. 15, according to NBC News.
Hochman said the most severe punishment Nick could receive if convicted would instead be life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The siblings’ views therefore played a role in the prosecution’s decision on punishment, even as the separate dispute over Nick’s legal funding remained unresolved. Nick continues to deny the murder charges and is entitled to present a defense at trial.
