After having an unfiltered look into Nick Reiner‘s rocky sobriety journey over the years, addiction podcast host Dave Manheim is shedding light on his public decline — and their surprising falling out over Rob Reiner.
The “Dopey” podcast host spoke out after recording numerous episodes with Nick since 2016.
“He was young and smart and handsome and new in recovery, and I was very excited to have him on our show because I was such a fan of Rob Reiner,” Manheim told The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday, December 16. “I could relate to his stories.”
While they initially connected over their addiction struggles, Manheim recalled Nick, 32, admitting to relapses, adding, “I don’t remember that he was particularly interested in 12-step work.”
Manheim acknowledged that Nick was at a young age to be expected to focus on recovery. “I know he had been to treatment,” he noted. “I know he was involved in writing. I know he loved to play pick-up basketball in New York City. I think he was interested in spirituality.”
He continued: “He demonstrated a young love of life, to be honest with you, and hopefulness. He wanted to be a part of what me and Chris were doing [with the podcast]. He wanted to have fun in recovery, and he wanted to be a successful entertainment writer.”
Manheim and Nick had over 10 conversations before things took a turn.
“In the little picture, when he was actually making things — when he wrote Being Charlie, or he had an idea — I think he was just another person with an idea,” he recalled. “[But] I think big-picture, when you’re up against Rob Reiner and Carl Reiner, and you’re a struggling drug addict, the pressure is immense because how accomplished is anybody at age 24?”
According to Manheim, he initially declined Nick’s offer to call his father while recording the podcast. Manheim changed his mind after his cohost O’Connor died in 2018, which is when Nick cut off communication.
“I wish I hadn’t asked him to have Rob Reiner come on the show, or at least not when I did, because it pushed him away,” Manheim admitted before revealing he sent roughly 150 texts to Nick over the next seven years that went unanswered.
Manheim went on to speculate about Nick’s personal battles, adding, “This is probably not a fair thing to say, but I’ll say it: If he was pursuing serious recovery, I think he would have been more apt to contribute to the show as time went on because that’s something people in recovery want to do. They want to preserve friendships and carry the message and all those things.”
Us Weekly confirmed on Monday, December 15, that Nick was taken in by the Los Angeles Police Department after his parents — Rob and Michele — were found dead “from apparent stab wounds.” Nick is being held without bail on a suspicion of murder charge as authorities investigate Rob and Michele’s deaths.
Before his arrest, Nick spoke out about his struggles with addiction.
“I was homeless in Maine. I was homeless in New Jersey. I was homeless in Texas,” Nick told People in 2016. “I spent nights on the street. I spent weeks on the street. It was not fun. If I wanted to do it my way and not go to the programs they were suggesting, then I had to be homeless.”
Nick went through 17 visits to rehab before he was able to get clean.
“That made me who I am now, having to deal with that stuff,” he told the outlet. “I met crazy great people there, so out of my element. Now, I’ve been home for a really long time, and I’ve sort of gotten acclimated back to being in L.A. and being around my family.”
Before Rob and Michele’s deaths, they had a public argument with Nick at Conan O’Brien’s Christmas party on Saturday, December 13.
A source exclusively told Us that Nick allegedly acted “creepily” at the celebration and asked people “if they were famous” before leaving.
