Conan O'Brien Speaks Out After Tragic Loss at Holiday Party

Several hours before film director icon Rob Reiner and his wife Michele werefound stabbed to deathin their Brentwood residence, theyattended a holiday party at Conan O'Brien's house.

Now, two months following the incident, the comedian has finally spoken out regarding the passing of his close friends.

To experience saying goodnight to someone and then having them leave, only to discover the next day that they're gone... I think I was in shock for a long time after that," O'Brien said in an interview forThe New Yorker Radio Hour"podcast." I mean, there's no other term for it. It's just really — it's so bad. It's just so terrible.

As the host of the December 13 gathering, O'Brien was one of the final individuals to see the Reiners alive. Their 32-year-old son, Nick, was taken into custody the next evening and faced charges of killing his parents. Two attendees at the event recounted witnessing a heated argument between Nick Reiner and his parents.

In an interviewreleased on Friday, O'Brien mentioned that he and his wife had a strong relationship with the couple, calling them "just such wonderful people."

O'Brien commended Rob Reiner's skills as a filmmaker and his unwavering support for various causes. The director of "When Harry Met Sally ..." was a significant Democratic contributor, a vocal opponent of President Trump, and an advocate for issues like early childhood education and same-sex marriage.

"I often reflect on how Rob perceived the events occurring in the country, how engaged he was, and how much he exposed himself — and having that voice suddenly disappear is still difficult for me to grasp," O'Brien said to The New Yorker.

O'Brien stated that he regards Reiner as "one of the top" due to his remarkable history of directing a string of successful films.

To create seven — within, say, a nine-year, 10-year, 11-year span — is madness," O'Brien said. "With 'Spinal Tap' alone, if that had been his only contribution, he greatly impacted my generation.

O'Brien remembered with affection his initial viewing of the rock documentary "This is Spinal Tap" during his college years, describing it as a "splitting-the-atom moment."

The two individuals were not just friends, but also worked together on projects. Reiner made an appearance on a 1999 episode of "Late Night with Conan O’Brien," and also joined episodes of O'Brien's podcast, "Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend," in 2023 and 2025.

Officials claim that Nick Reiner killed his 78-year-old father and 70-year-old mother at their Brentwood residence during the early morning hours of December 14. The couple's bodies were found in the master bedroom by their daughter approximately 12 hours later, and Nick Reiner was taken into custody that evening in South Los Angeles by Los Angeles police.

Nick Reiner was charged withTwo charges of first-degree murder on December 16, with no plea entered yet. In January, his arraignment was delayed until Monday following his lawyer, well-known defense attorney Alan Jackson,resigned and was succeeded by a public defender.

Nick Reiner has faced a background of challenges withmental well-being and drug use. It remains uncertain how significant those challenges will be in legal cases.

Staff writers James Queally and Richard Winton helped prepare this report.

This narrative first was published inLos Angeles Times.