Rob Reiner. I just interviewed him. Oh god. Did you just interview? Just did him on for uh for the sequel to Spinal Tap. We had a great interview because I’m obsessed with Spinal Tap. I just sat there screaming Spinal Tap lines to like it’s enough already, right? Yeah. Oh god, what a great guy. He was incredible. So sad. Everyone loves Cleo. He’s Everyone here at the show are devastated by this. It’s not It’s just not fair. We’re all very sad at the Tonight Show to hear about the passing of our friend and entertainment legend Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle Reiner.

Shock. Rob was like a father to me. I worked with him when I was 11. Oh man, you guys are not going to believe this. Everything I have is because of Rob Reiner. Rob Reiner. He was the one who gave me my big break when I was a kid for the soundtrack to When Harry Met Sally. His kindness and words of wisdom have stayed with me to this day. I wasn’t that scared. Rob changed the course of my life.

And if he hadn’t, I wouldn’t be sitting here in front of you now. As questions mount surrounding Rob and Michelle’s murder, his inner circle of comedy legends are left gutted. Well, Larry, what happened with that lunch? Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Larry David was reportedly spotted outside the home separate from Billy who told ET about the moment he first met Rob back in 1976 on the set of All in the Family. When I look back over the last 35 years since we made misery, I realize that if I hadn’t done Misery, it would be like George Bailey going back and seeing what his life would have been like if he had never been there.

Rob was my oldest friend. It’s it’s that simple. He’s the person that I’ve known the longest. Met him when I was 14 years old. So, I’m still in that uh not believing it stage. I know what happened, but you know, I’m driving around and all of a sudden I I actually two days ago I called his number The killing of Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle and their family home has shocked people around the world. But for a moment, I just want you to see Rob Reiner as he was in life.

In September, I sat down with him as he was out promoting a sequel to his groundbreaking mockumentary, This is Spinal Tap. What he didn’t know when he sat down with me is that in 1984 when the film came out, I went to see it in theaters and I have seen it dozens of times since then. I’m a huge Final T fan and that’s what I talked to Rob about. tremendous loss of Rob and Michelle Riner. Patty, you worked with Rob on the series Hollywood in 2020.

And Mandy, you and Rob go way back when you he directed. Here’s a crazy one. Here’s a line that that that Nigel says, “No one knows who they were or what they were doing.” Okay. So if you go to Stonehenge, there’s an educational center and they have quotes up there, philosophers, poets, scientists, and up there it says no one knows who they were or what they were doing. Nigel Tuffnel, rock musician. It’s right up there. It’s amazing.

It’s so nice to see Rob Reiner smiling and laughing and having a good time. And that’s how I want to remember him. not how his life ended, but how he lived his life. This has been a strange year. It’s been a hard year. We’ve had some lows. We’ve had some highs for me. Uh maybe more than any year of my life, but on behalf of all of us, I’m crying already. I’m sorry. You know, he loved being an audience and he loved making things for an audience and he was just a person who was so full of love.

Uh Rob was a frequent guest here on the show and everyone here would line up around his dress room to say hi or tell him something that they loved. I mean what he’s given to the world through his art from uh all in the family uh to going to direct some great movies like Stand by Me, The Princess Bride, A Few Good Men, When Harry Met Sally, Spinal Tap, producing Seinfeld. Everyone felt like they had a personal connection to Rob Reiner and his work.

Um, I personally remember the last time he was on our show and he came out from the curtain and I was so happy to see him that I hugged him and then we didn’t let go hugging all the way to the all the way to the g guest chair and and we didn’t plan it. Uh, we were just doing a bit and he knew I was doing a bit and just went along with it. Last night uh we all got the news uh that Rob and Michelle Reiner had been murdered in their homes.

I did not know Rob and Michelle very well, but I’ve been lucky enough to spend time with them, and they were delightful people uh to be in a room with. I had Rob here on this show for the first time a couple months ago, and I could have talked to him for hours about uh his work, about his career. You know, he loved being an audience, and he loved making things for an audience, and he was just a person who was so full of love.

Uh he’s one of the smartest and funniest people I’ve ever met. What a tremendous loss. And he leaves behind such a legacy. Thank you for all the great work on and offcreen and continuing to be an inspiration to me and millions of people around the world. In the end, I’m going to remember all the laughs that you’ve given us. We’ll be right back. And if it wasn’t for Rob, I don’t think I would have ever been able to make that dream come true in such a dramatic and incredible way.

We are all still processing the tragedy of Rob Reiner. I mean I I know it’s it’s awful. It’s been a very emotional day and along with what happened in Australia, Brown University, Rob and his family, lovely wife. Um I it’s it’s hard to be happy and energetic. All we can do is look back and lift all those people up and say thanks for being here with us the time you were and we learned from you and we were so blessed to have you in our lives.

Republicans have denounced your statement on social after the murder of Rob Reiner. Do you stand by that post? Well, I wasn’t a fan of his at all. He was a deranged person as far as Trump is concerned. He said he like he knew it was false. In fact, it’s the exact opposite that I was uh a friend of Russia controlled by Russia. You know, was the Russia hoax. He was one of the people behind it. I think he hurt himself in career-wise.

He became like a deranged person. Trump derangement syndrome. So, I was not a fan of Rob Reiner at all in any way, shape, or form. I thought he was very bad for our country. Have you no shame? No shame at all. This is as Can you get any lower? Let me just say this. Unlike some people, uh, Rob and Michelle Reiner are some of the most decent, courageous people you ever want to know. Um, they are not they’re not deranged or praised.

What they what they have always been are passionate people in a time when there are not there’s not a lot of courage going on. And I hate to put a downer on it and make it political, but President Trump uh texted yesterday and said um you know a very Don’t read it. Just tell him that it’s there. He Yeah, he he he he talked about Trump that he died because of Trump derangement syndrome. And I just don’t think that that’s something that we should be hearing about.

I think we should be um saddened by the gun violence that we’re seeing. You’re a nut boy. Tell me again. Oh, you’re a nut boy. I love him. I love this that you did with Rob Winer. We lost him over the weekend. What what’s going through your heart and mind after his passing? Oh, it’s it’s too much to discuss on television, but he was the best man and we are going to miss him. I never met Rob before.

First reading, Norman introduces me to the cast. He says, “This is our He’s going to be our guest star this week.” and we hit it off. We played best friends and we became best friends. So, it hits close. But this is something that we are seeing all over the world. My heart is breaking about it and and I just feel for particular those families and those closely affected, but just the community that’s, you know, that’s my community.

But, you know, I went to bed reading about Brown University and I woke up reading about Bondi and and I just feel heartbroken. All right. Based on the information we now have, Nick Reiner is not going to plead guilty to these murders. He is going to plead not guilty by reason of insanity. And here’s why. We have learned that Nick Reiner was diagnosed with schizophrenia and he was under the care of a psychiatrist and receiving meds. His behavior in the month before the murders uh and this is a quote from sources with direct knowledge was erratic and dangerous.