Rob Reiner and his wife found dead in Los Angeles home

Director-actor Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were the two people found dead Sunday at a Los Angeles home owned by Reiner, according to a law enforcement official.

The official could not publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Investigators believe they suffered stab wounds and a family member is being questioned, the official said.

The Los Angeles Fire Department says it responded to a medical aid request shortly after 3.30pm on Sunday and found a 78-year-old man and 68-year-old woman dead inside.

Detectives with the Robbery Homicide Division were investigating an “apparent homicide” at Reiner’s home, said Captain Mike Bland with the Los Angeles Police Department.

Authorities have not confirmed the identities of the people found dead at the residence in the upscale Brentwood neighbourhood on the city’s west side that is home to many celebrities.

Reiner, who turned 78 in March, has long been one of the most prolific directors in Hollywood and his work includes some of the most memorable movies of the 1980s and ’90s, including This is Spinal Tap, A Few Good Men, When Harry Met Sally and The Princess Bride.

Messages to his representatives were not immediately returned on Sunday night.

Former president Barack Obama posted on X that “beneath all of the stories he produced was a deep belief in the goodness of people—and a lifelong commitment to putting that belief into action”.

California Governor Gavin Newsom described him in a statement as a “big-hearted genius” while fellow director Joe Russo said on X: “I can’t handle the truth that one of the greatest filmmakers to ever live is gone. We lost one of the few good men.”

Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass called Reiner’s death a devastating loss for the city.

“Rob Reiner’s contributions reverberate throughout American culture and society, and he has improved countless lives through his creative work and advocacy fighting for social and economic justice,” she said in a statement.

“An acclaimed actor, director, producer, writer, and engaged political activist, he always used his gifts in service of others.”

His role as Meathead in the 1970s TV classic All in the Family catapulted him to fame.

The family of the show’s late director Norman Lear said in a statement: “Norman often referred to Rob as a son, and their close relationship was extraordinary, to us and the world.

“Norman would have wanted to remind us that Rob and Michele spent every breath trying to make this country a better place, and they pursued that through their art, their activism, their philanthropy, and their love for family and friends.”

The son of comedy legend Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner has been married to photographer Michele Singer Reiner since 1989. The two met while he was directing When Harry Met Sally and have three children together.

Reiner was previously married to actor-director Penny Marshall from 1971 to 1981. He adopted her daughter, Tracy Reiner. Carl Reiner died in 2020 at age 98 and Marshall died in 2018.