Eric Idle has no sympathy for Nick Reiner as Reiner seeks access to family money to fund his defense against charges that he murdered his parents. For the Monty Python star, the issue is painfully personal: Idle says he may have been the last person to speak with Rob Reiner before his death.
Asked in New York City on Monday how he felt about Nick trying to use part of the family fortune to pay a private attorney, Idle gave a brief answer.
“I was the last man probably to talk to his father, so I have no sympathy,” he said.
What did Eric Idle discuss with Rob Reiner?
Idle spoke with Rob for more than an hour on the night before Rob and his wife, Michele Reiner, were killed in their home.
He later honored his longtime friend in a post on X, describing him as a “lovely man.” Idle said their final conversation covered filmmaking, the future and plans to meet again. Those plans, quite obviously and terribly, never happened.
The two men had been friends for 50 years. That history helps explain why Idle has little interest in separating the financial dispute from the criminal case, even while the courts must do exactly that.
Why is Nick Reiner seeking trust money?
Nick has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder in connection with his parents’ deaths. He is now fighting for access to money held in trust, arguing that he needs the funds to hire a private defense attorney.
His legal team recently claimed that he is entitled to $558,000. The lawyers said at least $325,000 of that amount came from his grandfather, actor and filmmaker Carl Reiner.
They argue that money inherited from Carl should not be frozen under California’s Slayer Statute. The law can prevent someone from inheriting from a person they unlawfully killed, but Nick’s attorneys contend that funds originating with his grandfather should fall outside that restriction.
The court will decide whether that legal distinction gives Nick access to the money. Idle, for his part, has already reached his own conclusion about sympathy.
