Nick Reiner was diagnosed with schizophrenia, and in the weeks leading up to the murder of his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, the meds he was taking made him "erratic and dangerous" ... TMZ has learned.
Two sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Nick was under the care of a psychiatrist for mental illness. We're told in the month before the murders, Nick's behavior had gotten "alarming."
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He had recently received care at a Los Angeles-based rehab facility that specializes in mental illness and substance abuse. We're told the facility charges $70,000 a month ... and lots of rich, powerful parents send their troubled kids there.
Our sources say 3 to 4 weeks before the murders, doctors changed his meds and he became even more erratic. Our sources say doctors were trying to adjust the medications so Nick stabilized, but it wasn't working.
JB Smoove is reflecting on Rob Reiner's life and work ... saying they’d been planning to link up for a while, but now JB's left with a meetup that never happened, and a moment he’ll always regret.
TMZ caught up with JB at LAX Thursday, and he tells us Rob had veganism on the brain and was planning to hit him up for advice ... but sadly, that conversation never got the chance to happen in person.
You gotta catch the clip -- JB also reflects on how Rob basically saved "Seinfeld," which of course led to the later success of "Curb Your Enthusiasm." And JB reminds us about those rare moments we miss when we let our day-to-day busy lives get in the way of deeper connections.
William Rush, a British actor best known for the popular UK-based series "Waterloo Road," has died.
The tragic news was confirmed by William's mom, Debbie Rush, on IG Wednesday ... writing, "As a family, our hearts are completely broken, and there are no words that can truly capture the depth of our loss."
Debbie, who starred in the popular British soap "Coronation Street," also added that up until the very end, he was thinking about others as an organ donor.
Horrifying new video shows the precise moment a plane carrying NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and his family crashed and exploded in flames Thursday, killing everyone on board.
Security footage captured the corporate jet turning into a ball of fire as it crash-landed near a runway at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina. The aircraft was scheduled to fly to Florida, but not long after takeoff, it turned back to the airport before crashing.
As you can see from the clip, the plane was reduced to what looks like a burning oil slick with black smoke rising into the sky. All seven people on the plane died, including Biffle, his wife, Cristina and two children -- Emma, 14, and Ryder, 5.
Late NASCAR star Greg Biffle's wife, Cristina, sent her mom an alarming message minutes before they died in a plane crash.
Cristina Biffle texted her mother, "We're in trouble," according to PEOPLE.
Greg's mother-in-law, Cathy Grossu, told the outlet that's all she heard from her daughter before the plane crash ... and she says the family is "devastated" and "brokenhearted."
2:06 PM PT -- Greg Biffle and wife Cristina Biffle died, along with Greg's daughter Emma, and Greg and Cristina's 2-year-old son Ryder. Dennis Dutton, his son Jack Dutton, and Craig Wadsworth were also killed.
Their families released a joint statement, reading in part ...
"We are devastated by the loss of our loved ones. This tragedy has left all of our families heartbroken beyond words," the statement said. "Each of them meant everything to us, and their absence leaves an immeasurable void in our lives."
The statement continued ... "We ask for privacy, compassion and understanding as we grieve and begin to process this unimaginable loss. We are grateful for the kindness and support that has been extended to our families during this incredibly difficult time."
Legendary NASCAR driver Greg Biffle is among the dead after a fiery plane crash in North Carolina ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.
The Cessna C550, a light private jet registered to a company owned by the star driver, crash landed near a runway at Statesville Regional Airport on Thursday morning, 26 minutes after the aircraft took off from the same air strip, killing the 55-year-old and others onboard.
The plane was originally scheduled to travel to Florida, but the Cessna seemed to turn back towards the airport just minutes into the flight.
Garrett Mitchell, aka YouTuber Cleetus McFarland, says Biffle and his family were traveling to spend the day with him, but tragically never made it.
Late "Pulp Fiction" villain Peter Greene had injuries on his body when he was found dead in his New York City apartment last week ... and authorities are still trying to figure out what caused the injuries, and what led to his death.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the actor's body was found with "some injuries but it's undetermined what caused the injuries."
We're told the medical examiner is still trying to determine a cause and manner of death ... and at this point it remains unclear if Peter's death is the result of homicide, suicide, drugs, or something else.
Peter Arnett, a renowned journalist whose coverage of multiple conflicts earned him a Pulitzer Prize, has died at 91.
Arnett died in Newport Beach, California, on Wednesday. His daughter, Elsa, confirmed the news to The New York Times ... she said the cause of death was prostate cancer.
Arnett was originally from New Zealand. He dropped out of high school before starting his work as a journalist, which eventually led him to a position with the Associated Press.
Arnett began his work in war zones in 1960, when he wrote about a coup in Laos and reportedly swam across the Mekong River to neighboring Thailand in order to get his story published.
Nick Reinerdid NOT get booted from his parents' house the night before Rob and Michele Reiner were murdered in the Brentwood home where they lived with their son ... TMZ has learned.
There has been speculation online Rob kicked Nick out of the house Saturday night after returning from Conan O'Brien's Christmas party.
A source with direct knowledge tells TMZ, Nick left on his own accord. We do not know the circumstances under which Nick decided to leave. TMZ broke the story he and Rob got into a heated argument at Conan's party ... but it’s unclear if the exchange continued back at the Reiner residence.
Our sources confirm … Nick was not mentally sound in the period of time leading up to the murders. A source with direct knowledge tells TMZ … Nick's mental instability went beyond consuming illegal substances. We're told prescription drugs "messed with his head."
The heartbreak over Rob Reiner and his wife Michele's tragic deaths is felt far and wide, as is the appreciation for his impact on the entertainment industry ... and Tisha Campbell tells us Rob played a huge role in helping push her career forward.
We caught up with Tisha in NYC Wednesday, and she told us Rob helped kick off her career, as the first person to cast her in a comedy.
The son and daughter of Rob and Michele Reiner have broken their silence ... days after their sibling Nick allegedly killed their beloved, iconic Hollywood parents in their Brentwood home.
Jake and Romy Reiner say in a statement first obtained by TMZ ... "Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day. The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience. They weren't just our parents; they were our best friends."
"We are grateful for the outpouring of condolences, kindness, and support we have received not only from family and friends but people from all walks of life."
"We now ask for respect and privacy, for speculation to be tempered with compassion and humanity, and for our parents to be remembered for the incredible lives they lived and the love they gave."
Tragedy in Brazil ... popular influencer Maria Katiane Gomes da Silva, just 25 years old, has died after falling from her 10th-floor apartment in São Paulo.
The 25-year-old’s husband -- businessman Alex Leandro Bispo dos Santos, 40 -- is suspected of pushing her from the condo they shared ... he's been arrested on a temporary order while cops probe a possible homicide.
Local reports say neighbors called police and emergency crews after hearing screams and a loud bang on Nov. 29 ... and when officers showed up, Santos was allegedly found holding his wife’s body.
TMZ has obtained concerning video of influencer Mary Magdalene weeks before she died ... showing her being carted away by law enforcement officers in Thailand as she yelled out in confusion.
You can see in the clip, Mary -- whose real name was Denise Jarvis -- seems unable to walk on her own and is lifted by Thai officers and loaded into a cart on November 21 near the popular Krabi walking street. She exclaims she doesn't know what's happening as multiple men push the cart. The video then shows her being walked through a building and finally, into what appears to be a hotel room so she can rest in bed. She also appears to be claiming she's "drugged."
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A second video shows her explaining she had been left on the street all by herself ... and says this is the price she pays for being "popular." She says she loves "the idea of being popular," but being left all alone and unable to help herself is not worth it, and "traumatizing." She even suggests people get pets for companionship instead and "isolate yourself from society."
Tragic story out of Macclesfield F.C. -- forward Ethan McLeod was killed in a car accident on his way home following the team's National League North game. He was only 21.
Northamptonshire police said the Tuesday crash happened at 10:40 PM near Junction 15, where McLeod crashed his Mercedes into a metal barrier.
No other vehicles were involved, and police are investigating the cause of the crash.
"Despite the efforts of members of the public and officers from Northamptonshire Police, the driver - a man in his 20s from the West Midlands – was pronounced dead at the scene," police said.
