Rob Reiner's son Nick Reiner seeks trust funds for legal defence in parents’ murder case: 'He loved them’

Nick Reiner, the son of director Rob Reiner, is asking a Los Angeles court to release funds from a family trust set up by his late parents, arguing the money is essential for his legal defence in the case accusing him of their killings.

In a petition filed Monday, as reported by Associated Press, by his civil attorneys, the 32-year-old claims trustees managing the account have refused to disburse payments he is entitled to, without what his lawyers describe as valid legal grounds. The filing says the money was intended for him at specific ages and is now urgently needed.

“Nick loved his parents, and he is devastated by their deaths,” the petition states. “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.”

Rob Reiner, the acclaimed filmmaker behind classics including This Is Spinal Tap, Stand By Me, A Few Good Men and When Harry Met Sally…, and his wife Michele Singer Reiner, a photographer and producer, were found stabbed to death at their Brentwood home on December 14. Their son was arrested hours later and has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder.

According to the Associated Press, the filing says Reiner was initially represented by high-profile attorney Alan Jackson, who later withdrew from the case. It also states that his siblings, Jake and Romy Reiner, had originally agreed to cover Jackson’s fees before later reversing that decision.

In a declaration included with the petition, Jackson said his firm would be willing to resume representing Reiner if funding is restored.

According to the court documents, Rob and Michele Reiner had established individual trusts for their children, with instructions that Nick Reiner receive portions of his share at ages 30 and 35. His lawyers argue those payments were never made on schedule, and that he is now entitled to the full remaining amount.

The petition further alleges that the current trustee, attorney Paul R. Kanin, has offered shifting explanations for withholding the funds, including concerns about Reiner’s capacity, claims the filing says are irrelevant to mandatory distributions.

Lawyers estimate the trust holds at least $1.5 million, though the exact valuation has not been disclosed. Kanin did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Meanwhile, the criminal case continues to move forward slowly. Reiner is due back in court for a pretrial hearing in September, and prosecutors have not yet said whether they will seek the death penalty. Authorities have released few details publicly, with much of the case, including autopsy records, kept under court seal.

The broader Reiner family has largely stayed out of public comment, though Jake Reiner previously described the aftermath of the killings as “a living nightmare,” underscoring the deep fracture left by the case.

With inputs from the Associated Press