Celebrity News January 08, 2026
Did Rob Reiner’s Son Nick’s Medication Make Him Homicidal?
Getty Images
Did a change-up in Nick Reiner’s medication make him homicidal?
That’s one new theory about why Nick went into a spiral that allegedly led to the murders of his parents Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner.
Harvey Levin has the stunning details in “TMZ Investigates: The Reiner Murders,” airing Friday on FOX, stating in a preview, "Sources with direct knowledge tell us a month before the murders, doctors changed the meds Nick was taking for schizoaffective disorder.”
“Extra’s” Mona Kosar Abdi also spoke with Levin about their findings, and he explained why he believes Nick’s former lawyer Alan Jackson stated at a press conference on Wednesday that, according to California law, “Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder."
Harvey said, “When Alan Jackson was talking about why a jury would find him not guilty, what we're told is it has to do with changing those meds, which literally put him out of his head."
He continued, "Rob and Michele were alarmed. They saw the change in his behavior. They knew what was going on, but they're not doctors. They don't know how to solve this problem. So, Rob and Michele were watching their son spiral and there was nothing they knew to do that would abate it.”
Why were his meds allegedly changed? Levin said, "We are not told why the doctors changed the meds. The people we’re talking to know, they won't tell us, but what they would say is when you hear the reason, you're going to be shocked.”
Nick had confessed in the past that he'd been in and out of rehab nearly 20 times, beginning around the time he was 15. There have reportedly been multiple wellness and welfare checks at the Reiners' home over the years, and TMZ reports he was diagnosed around 2020.
Nick Reiner Speaks in Court in New Video amid Reports He Was on Verge of Tears
View StoryMona spoke with Dr. Domenick Sportelli, a psychiatrist who has not treated Nick.
He shared, “Schizoaffective disorder is a complex mental health illness. People can have delusions, hallucinations. They can't tell what’s real and what's not. That combined with severe depression, disruptive moods, mania like you might see in a bipolar disorder.”
Mona asked, "Can you explain what a change in medication can do to a patient with this disorder?”
Dr. Sportelli answered, “It is a challenging treatment because a lot of times you have to use more than one medicine. In short, if you change the medicines, you are risking a relapse and maybe a decompensation until you can get them stable again.”
Nick is facing two first-degree murder charges. His next court date is set for February 23, 2026.