The ‘Family Guy’ co-star saw red flags in Nick Reiner years before the parents were killed
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Years before Nick Reiner was charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, several people who contacted the family noticed red flags in his behavior.
One of those people worked with Nick on the production of “Family Guy.” In 2014, Nick joined the team as a freshman in rehab. He trained for the long-running TV show for several months, and a production assistant who also worked on the show at the same time spoke to Fox News Digital about his impression of Nick, whom he remembers as a “dark, twisted, kind kid.”
The man said that Rob was the one who got Nick the job, saying, “Really, the executive producers were like, ‘Just let him stay. Like, he doesn’t need to have a lot of responsibility. Don’t let him touch anything. Just let this kid stay, it’s a favor to his father, who we love, and he’s trying to get back on his feet.’
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Rob Reiner reportedly got Nick a job as an intern on “Family Guy” to help him get his life back on track after rehab. (Rommel Demano/Getty Images)
She said she and Nick were “very close” because, as an intern, she shadowed him for about four hours every day.
“I was really forced by Nick Reiner,” the man admitted. “You’ve stayed in my mind all these years.”
When she met Nick, she was just getting her life back on track. He was still sober, although the man said he felt Nick was “difficult” with his sobriety. She said Nick was homeless for a while before he started working on “Family Guy.”
“He felt like this really green kid,” he recalled. “He had a very dark sense of humor … He was very naive, like he didn’t talk much. But he was also funny, and he felt human. I remember really liking him, because I thought he was a really good kid.”
Rob Reiner, Michele Reiner, Romy Reiner, Nick Reiner, Maria Gilfillan and Jake Reiner at the “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues” Los Angeles Premiere held at the Egyptian Theater on September 9, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images)
At the same time, she admitted that Nick was “dark” and “not in the best place for mental health” when she knew him.
“He was a really troubled kid,” she told Fox News Digital.
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He said he and other team members encouraged Nick to do high-quality comedy when he expressed interest in it, telling them that with his sense of humor and his Hollywood connections, he would be able to get his foot in the door easily. He recalled Nick’s sets at the famous Los Angeles venue, the Comedy Store, but said he never went to a show.
When they worked together on “Family Guy,” the man said that Rob would drop Nick off to pick him up every day.
Nick was arrested on suspicion of murdering his parents hours after their bodies were found in their home in Brentwood. (Getty Images; Jake Reiner Facebook)
“It seemed like the family wanted him to succeed, and it felt like they were always trying to set him up to succeed,” he recalled. “And he was a dark, twisted, cruel child.”
Although she and Nick worked closely together, the friendship did not extend beyond work. When the training was over, they didn’t stay close, although they remained friends on social media – so much so that he almost did when he read the news that two people were found dead at Rob’s home on December 14.
“I went and sent him a DM that said, ‘Holy s—–, man, if you need anything, call me,'” he revealed. “Then I kept reading, and it was like, ‘Son got caught at the scene. And I was like, ‘This is crazy … I’m not going to DM anyone today.'”
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Nick’s co-worker admitted she was “not that shocked” to hear of his arrest. (Laura Cavanaugh)
When Nick was arrested and charged with murdering his parents, he was not caught at the scene.
On Sunday, December 14, police found the bodies of Rob and Michele in the first bedroom of their home in Brentwood, California. The Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office later said they died of multiple injuries.
Nick was soon named as a person of interest in the investigation, and hours later, around 9:15 pm local time that day, he was arrested.
On December 16, authorities charged Nick with the double murder of his parents. He was charged with two counts of first degree murder.
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“He also faces special allegations that he used a dangerous and deadly weapon which is a knife,” said Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman during a press conference. “These crimes carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.”
No decision has been made on whether prosecutors will seek the death penalty.
Nick made his first court appearance in the case on December 17, when his lawyer, celebrity attorney Alan Jackson, asked for a continuance. He spoke only once: when the judge asked if he agreed to delay his trial, he said, “Yes, Your Honor.”
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A court photo from Nick’s arraignment on December 17 shows him wearing a green suicide vest. (Mona Edwards)
His arraignment has now been postponed to January 7.
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Fox News Digital’s Lauryn Overhultz, Tracy Wright and Christina Dugan Ramirez contributed to this report.
