Crime

Donald Trump is doubling down on his jaw-dropping claim that Rob Reiner might still be alive if he'd been nicer about him -- branding the acclaimed director a bad influence on the United States.

Asked Monday in the Oval Office about Republicans blasting his earlier remarks following their tragic deaths, Trump vehemently declared he was no fan of Reiner and re-upped his earlier jab, insisting RR was suffering from "Trump Derangement Syndrome."

Trump went on to claim Reiner made false statements about him -- including accusations of being controlled by Russia -- making it clear he’s well aware Reiner has long been politically opposed to him and, in Trump’s view, undermining his leadership.

Soledad O'Brien stopped by "TMZ Live" Monday, still reeling from the loss of her collaborator Rob Reiner and his wife Michele ... and Soledad had some choice words for Donald Trump's disparaging post about the late actor-director.

Soledad got to know Rob well while co-hosting the 10-part true-crime podcast series, "Who Killed JFK?"

She tells TMZ, Rob was kind to everyone ... "The person who was taking in the audio, the person who was shooting, the person who was producing, the person who was helping the person who was producing, the assistants ... absolutely the kindest human being."

In fact, Soledad described Rob and his wife as "two really wonderful, kind people," making their gruesome deaths all the more heartbreaking.

"It's so horrific," Soledad said. "I honestly cannot believe it."

Rob Reiner, his wife Michele, and their son Nick attended Conan O'Brien's Christmas party Saturday night. At the party, Rob and Nick got into a "very loud argument," loud enough for many others to hear ... Reiner family sources tell TMZ. We're told Rob and Michele then left the party. We do not know if Nick left as well.

TMZ is the first to report the argument between Rob and Nick before the murders.

Our family sources add … Michele had been anguishing to friends over the last few months that she and Rob were at their wits' end over Nick's mental illness and alleged substance abuse issues, and did not know what to do with their son Nick … saying, "We've tried everything."

As you know ... the legendary actor-director and his wife were found in their L.A.-area house Sunday with their throats slit. Nick was arrested Monday morning and booked for murder ... he's held on $4 million bail.

11:16 AM PT -- Nick Reiner's original $4 million bond has been changed ... he's now being held without bail.

Rob and Michele Reiner's son Nick has been arrested and is being held on $4 million bail, TMZ has learned.

The 32-year-old is in the custody of the Los Angeles Police Department as of Monday morning, according to online records. He was booked at the LAPD jail.

As we reported ... the couple was found by one of their daughters Sunday with their throats slit inside their Los Angeles home. LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said Nick is a suspect in the case, and announced his arrest on suspicion of murder.

Rob Reiner and his wife Michele had their throats slit by a family member, possibly after an argument inside their Los Angeles home, leading to their tragic deaths ... TMZ has learned.

It's unclear what exactly triggered the violence, which went down Sunday afternoon in Brentwood ... but we're told one of Rob's daughters found her parents dead and told police a family member had killed them. PEOPLE reports the couple's son, Nick, was questioned in connection with the murders. Nick has since been arrested for murder.

Our sources also say the daughter told police the family member "should be a suspect" because they're "dangerous."

TMZ broke the story ... Rob and Michele suffered lacerations consistent with knife wounds, and LAPD's Robbery Homicide Division is investigating the case.

Rob Reiner and his son Nick were on rocky ground long before tragedy struck ... with both publicly hinting at a fractured father-son relationship years before the director and his wife were brutally killed ... crimes Nick is now allegedly linked to.

Back in a 2015 interview while plugging "Being Charlie" -- a film loosely inspired by Nick’s real-life struggles, directed by Rob and written by Nick -- Rob admitted the two butted heads during the writing process, but the clash actually helped him understand his son more ... and said it even made him a better father.

As Rob got emotional, Nick sat stone-faced ... before finally chiming in that their bond came from him watching his dad in his element, doing what Rob did best -- making movies -- adding he probably should’ve kept quiet and learned from him.

Many tributes have poured in following the loss of Rob Reiner and his wife Michele, mourning their passing by sharing condolences and fond memories ... but President Donald Trump took a whole other approach, suggesting Rob would still be alive if the director had been nicer to him.

POTUS took to Truth Social to politicize the ghastly event, calling Rob a "tortured and struggling" comedy star.

Trump claimed the homicides occurred "reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME, sometimes referred to as TDS."

Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were killed inside their Los Angeles home Sunday ... leading to an outpouring of tributes from across Hollywood and the world.

Ben Stiller called it "a huge loss," writing, "Rob Reiner was one of my favorite directors. He made some of the most formative movies for my generation. He came out from behind a huge comedic shadow of the great Carl Reiner, and being a TV actor to being a great director who made an incredible run of movies. 'Spinal Tap' is one of the best comedies ever made -- and the list goes on. He was a kind, caring person who was really, really funny."

1/23/2026 10:49 AM PT -- Trey Songz is now in the clear ... all charges in this case have been dropped, according to court records.

Trey Songz is back in trouble once again, charged over the weekend with allegedly destroying property at a hookah bar in New York City -- and assaulting a nightclub employee earlier this month, according to court records.

The latest incident involving the "Trigga" singer occurred in the wee hours Sunday at Mira NYC & Hookah Lounge in Midtown Manhattan. Court documents state Trey intentionally damaged more than $1500 worth of hookah set-ups, DJ equipment, and sofas.

After his arrest, police did a computer check and realized Trey was wanted for a second crime in which he allegedly assaulted an employee inside Dramma Night Club in Times Square on December 4.

Trey reportedly grew irritated when club workers instructed him and his crew to leave because it was closing time in the Dec. 4 incident. Our sources say one of the employees grabbed Trey's arm, prompting him to allegedly punch the worker in the face and cause him to suffer swelling and substantial pain.

Hollywood and fans are reeling over the killing of Rob Reiner and his wife Michele ... and the family is speechless, finding it difficult to comprehend the news.

TMZ broke the story ... the legendary actor-director and his wife were slain in their Brentwood home Sunday ... and we've learned the couple's son Nick was in law enforcement custody as of Monday morning, being questioned about their deaths.

Tracy Reiner -- Rob's adopted daughter from his marriage to ex-wife Penny Marshall -- told NBC News ... “I came from the greatest family ever. I don’t know what to say. I’m in shock.”

Billy Crystal and Larry David showed up Sunday night at the house of their longtime friend Rob Reiner, who was stabbed to death with his wife Michele, allegedly by a family member.

FOX News obtained video of Billy arriving at the Brentwood home of Rob and Michele after the couple's throats were slit by a family member, possibly after a heated argument, according to sources with direct knowledge of the case. PEOPLE reported their son, Nick, is being questioned by police. LAPD's elite Robbery Homicide Division is investigating the double homicide.

One neighbor told ABC7 that Billy looked as if he was about to cry.

Rob Reiner spent some of his final hours in conversation with actor and comedian Eric Idle ... speaking with him for more than an hour before Reiner and his wife, Michele, were tragically killed at their Los Angeles home.

The "Monty Python" star took to X on Sunday night ... writing, "Rob Reiner was a lovely man. I spoke to him last night for over an hour. I always enjoyed his company. I met him at his Dad's in 1975. He was telling me about filming at Stonehenge and his thoughts for the future."

He went on to say ... "This is so awful. I shall miss him. A clever, talented, and very thoughtful man. So awful."

Reiner and Idle were friends for 50 years.

8:40 PM PT -- In a major twist ... Authorities are releasing the person of interest in the Brown University mass shooting because they had "some degree of evidence" against him, but the "evidence now points in a different direction," according to Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha.

The person of interest taken into custody in connection to the Brown University shooting is reportedly a 24-year-old with U.S. Army training.

CNN -- citing multiple law enforcement sources -- has identified the person of interest as Benjamin Erickson ... a man from Wisconsin who served in the army from 2021 to 2024, according to his LinkedIn profile, which has been taken down.

Erickson reportedly passed sniper training, worked in firearms instruction and ultimately left the military after having attained the rank of Specialist.

Ex-NBA star Isaiah Rider is breaking his silence on his recent arrest ... telling TMZ Sports he had no idea he was violating a protective order -- because he claims he was never served!!

We broke the story earlier this week -- the 1994 Slam Dunk champion was arrested on December 4 in Arizona and charged with one count of interfering with judicial proceedings.

It all stemmed from a protective order his wife filed for in July 2025 -- his ex, Vanessa, said in the application Rider was aggressive with her and their son on numerous occasions.

"Selling The OC" star Alex Hall says she wouldn't sell Diddy a home in Orange County, California if he came calling after prison ... even if his budget was $30 million.

Alex was our guest host Friday on "TMZ on TV" and we asked her straight up if she would work for Diddy as a realtor when he's done serving his sentence in New Jersey.

Diddy's twin daughters are hobnobbing with Hollywood celebs, which has us wondering how Diddy will be received when he's out of the pen ... and it sounds like there will be a mixed bag.

Alex says she wouldn't sign on to be Diddy's realtor, but she does tell us how she would be able to squeeze some money out of the deal without touching it with a 10-foot pole.

Jeffrey Epstein was anything but squeaky clean ... but a new photo shows the late child sex predator taking a bubble bath ... and as with anything Epstein, it's heavy on the creep factor.

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee just released another batch of photos sent to them by Epstein's estate ... and the highlight -- or lowlight -- here is this creepy snap of Epstein peering around the shower curtain as he sits in a tub full of suds.

JE is looking into the camera with a glint in his eyes as he rests his head on a towel, and the curtain is hiding the rest of his body from the chest down ... so no money shot of his alleged egg-shaped penis.