Michael Douglas reflected on connecting with the late Rob Reiner over their families, including children who suffered from addiction.
“With this terrible tragedy we’re realizing how much pressure he was dealing with in his personal life with his son,” Douglas, 81, said in CBS News: Rob Reiner — Scenes From a Life, which aired on Sunday, December 21.
Michael went on to refer to son Cameron Douglas, who he said “had drug issues,” while also referencing Rob’s son Nick Reiner’s past struggles. (Michael welcomed Cameron with ex-wife Diandra Luker in 1978. He’s also dad to son Dylan, 25, and daughter Carys, 22, whom he shares with wife Catherine Zeta-Jones.)
“I also had a son who had had drug issues. I’m happy to say he’s overcome them and living a prosperous life,” Michael continued. “We did talk a lot about that and what you can do as a parent, what you can’t do. Knowing with all of that going on behind the scenes, this was a man who always gave it his best.”
Cameron, for his part, was candid about his struggles with addiction in his 2019 memoir, Long Way Home. While reflecting on his decision to stop using drugs, Cameron told Variety at the time, “I reached a point where literally I felt there were two paths left open to me. One path would have been destructive, which I would not have returned from and never would have made it home from prison. The other path was to put myself in the best possible position when I was released from prison to make a life for myself. I wanted to redeem myself and ultimately to feel useful.”
Rob and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead at their home in Brentwood, California, on Sunday, December 14. Rob and Michele were 78 and 70, respectively. Their official cause of death was “multiple sharp force injuries,” and their deaths were ruled as a homicide. Rob and Michele are survived by children Jake, 34, Romy, 27, and Nick, 32.
“It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner,” a statement from the couple’s family read at the time. “We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time.”
Rob and Michele’s son Nick was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder. He is facing life in prison without parole or the death penalty if convicted. Nick’s arraignment is set for January 7, 2026.
Elsewhere in CBS News: Rob Reiner — Scenes From a Life, Michael recalled his bond with Rob over having famous fathers. (Michael is the son of late actor Kirk Douglas, while Rob’s father was late actor Carl Reiner.)
“Well, my experience watching him was that I could never be the man that my father was. He can do everything. I mean, he was Spartacus … Once you go into the same business, it stares you in the face,” Douglas said of growing up with his dad. “And in Rob’s case, are you as funny as your father? I think that also created his tenacity, his strength and that’s something that’s not really talked about enough with Rob about his endurance.”
Albert Brooks, who had known Rob for 60 years, also recalled the late director crafting his own legacy that was different from his father’s. (Brooks met Rob in high school, later collaborating on 2023’s Albert Brooks: Defending My Life.)
Brooks added, “I think Rob said himself that it wasn’t till after Stand by Me where his father said, ‘OK, you’re the real thing; you got it, you might be better than I ever was.’”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
