'He was struggling': Rob Reiner's son Nick Reiner moved back into the house few days ago, says report

Citing law enforcement sources and family friends, ABC News reported on Monday that Nick Reiner had recently returned to live at his parents' South Chadbourne Avenue home. The move was described as a temporary arrangement intended to help him stabilize. Sources told the outlet that Nick had been "struggling" in recent weeks, prompting his parents to intervene and offer him a place to stay, a decision that investigators now believe placed them in the direct path of the violence.

The report highlights the tragic irony of the Reiners' final act of parenting. Known for their decades of support for their son's battle with addiction, Rob and Michele reportedly opened their doors to Nick during a moment of crisis. The "guest house" mentioned in the 911 call was likely where he was staying. This detail suggests the murders were not the result of a break-in, but the catastrophic end to a family intervention.

While the report does not explicitly confirm a drug relapse, the phrase "struggling" carries heavy weight given Nick’s history. In 2016, Nick publicly detailed his cycle of heroin addiction and homelessness in interviews with People and Variety. Investigators are now probing whether a relapse or a mental health crisis precipitated the "struggle" that led him back to Brentwood.

This narrative, parents trying to save a spiralling son, was the exact plot of the 2015 film Being Charlie, which Nick and Rob co-wrote. In the film, the father (played by Cary Elwes) struggles to manage his son's rehab stints. The fact that real life has now mirrored their art in the darkest way possible is a key angle of the media coverage.

The ABC report notes Nick's previous aversion to living at home. In the past, he admitted to choosing homelessness in states like Texas and Maine over returning to court-mandated rehab or his parents' rules. His decision to voluntarily return to the Brentwood estate this week indicates a significant shift, either a genuine desire for help or a desperate lack of options.

The revelation that Nick was living at the property perfectly aligns with the forensic evidence found at the scene. LAPD detectives confirmed there were no signs of forced entry. If Nick had a key and was a current resident, he would have had unfettered access to the main house, explaining how the attack occurred without alerting neighbours or triggering alarms.

The surviving Reiner children, Jake and Romy, have not commented on the specific claims regarding Nick's living situation. However, the ABC report suggests that the family was aware of Nick's recent instability. Investigators are likely interviewing them to establish a timeline of Nick's behaviour since his return to the house earlier this week.