Nick Reiner in mental health conservatorship years before parents’ murders: report

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New details have emerged regarding the mental health history of Nick Reiner, the son of director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner, who is accused of fatally stabbing his parents in December 2025. 

What we know:

According to a report by the New York Times, Nick Reiner was placed under a yearlong conservatorship in 2020. 

This specific legal restraint, known in California as a Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) conservatorship, is reserved for adults deemed to have a "grave disability." This status indicates an individual is unable to provide for their own food, clothing, or shelter due to a mental health disorder.

Steven Baer, a licensed fiduciary in Los Angeles County, served as the conservator. 

SUGGESTED: Nick Reiner's ex-lawyer Alan Jackson breaks silence on why he withdrew from case

The arrangement, which allowed a guardian to make medical and medication decisions against a patient's will, expired in 2021, according to the Times. 

Reiner is currently facing two counts of first-degree murder following the deaths of his father, 78, and mother, 70, at their Brentwood home.

The backstory:

Reiner’s struggles with mental health and addiction began in his teenage years. 

Sources indicate he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder at different times. 

While he had been taking medication that was reportedly effective, adverse side effects led to a change in his treatment approximately one month before the incident.

SUGGESTED: 

The Reiner family has a history of addressing these struggles publicly. 

In 2016, Rob and Nick Reiner collaborated on the film "Being Charlie," which was loosely based on Nick's experiences with addiction and his relationship with his famous father.

What's next:

Reiner is currently being held in a mental health housing unit at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility. 

He was initially placed on suicide watch, though he has since been moved to a high-observation unit.

SUGGESTED: Nick Reiner's attorney withdraws from double murder case

His arraignment, which has been postponed multiple times, is now scheduled for Feb. 23.

Following the withdrawal of his private counsel, Reiner will be represented by Deputy Public Defender Kimberly Greene.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney is pursuing the case with special circumstances, though they have not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty.

The Source: This report is based on a primary investigation by the New York Times, which corroborated Nick Reiner’s legal history through Los Angeles Superior Court records and direct confirmation from his former court-appointed conservator, and previous FOX 11 reports. Information regarding his medical diagnoses and recent treatment changes was obtained through interviews with sources familiar with his health and the Reiner family’s public history of addressing addiction. Additional details on his current legal status and housing were gathered from official updates provided by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office and the Sheriff’s Department.

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