Martin Scorsese penned a devastating Christmas Day essay in The New York Times, mourning his longtime friend Rob Reiner and wife Michele, brutally murdered on December 14, 2025, in their Brentwood home by their son Nick, who faces first-degree murder charges. At 83, Scorsese called the deaths “an obscenity, an abyss in lived reality,” shifting to past tense with “profound sadness” for the couple he cherished since the 1970s LA comedy scene.
Their bond sparked at comedian George Memmoli’s gatherings, where Reiner—son of Carl and Estelle Reiner—bonded with Scorsese and Penny Marshall over shared New York roots and uninhibited freedom. Scorsese hailed Reiner’s genius in This Is Spinal Tap (“immaculate creation”) and Misery (“very special film” with Kathy Bates and James Caan), praising his mastery of comedy and improv. In 2013’s The Wolf of Wall Street, Scorsese cast Reiner as Leonardo DiCaprio’s loving yet mystified father, capturing poignant hesitation: “You got all the money in the world. You need everybody else’s money?”
Scorsese replayed the tenderness of Reiner’s performance—delicate, open, eloquent—now heartbreaking in hindsight. He envisioned future dinners hearing Reiner’s laugh, beatific face, and comic timing, hoping time heals the void for family and friends. Hollywood echoed the grief: Billy Crystal, Larry David, and others lauded Reiner’s kindness and influence. Scorsese’s tribute underscores a friendship of mutual admiration, from When Harry Met Sally laughs to profound collaborations, forever altered by tragedy.
