“Death penalty is on the table!”: Perez Hilton reacts after formal charges against Rob Reiner’s son are revealed

Filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead on Sunday at their Brentwood, LA, residence. Knife lacerations were present on the couple's bodies. Law enforcement authorities apprehended the director's son, Nick Reiner, in connection with the murders. On Tuesday, the prosecutors filed charges against the 32-year-old screenwriter, who is being held without bail.

Perez Hilton discussed these charges in his December 16 blog post. The blogger reported that LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman shared at a press conference that Nick Reiner would face two counts of first-degree murder. Rob Reiner's murder suspect also faces a special allegation for using a dangerous and deadly weapon, that being a knife. Further in the blog, Hilton wrote:

"The attorney claimed the death penalty is on the table! If the screenwriter’s convicted, he’s facing a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole — or even the death penalty. It’s important to note that the D.A. clarified that they haven’t made a decision on if they’ll go after the death penalty, but still, he’s the one who mentioned it! So, it sounds like it’s certainly being considered at this time."

Hilton also outlined the developments that took place in the director's murder case so far. The social media personality reported that Nick Reiner's alleged motive has yet to be revealed. However, he wrote that Rob Reiner and his son were spotted "getting into a heated argument" at Conan O’Brien’s holiday celebration the night before the tragic murders.

The screenwriter went to the Santa Monica hotel early on December 14, after allegedly killing his parents. Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner's son was arrested near the University of Southern California later on Sunday evening. Perez Hilton claimed that Nick Reiner had been on a suicide watch since his arrest.

On Tuesday, he was expected to make his first court appearance. However, Nick Reiner did not receive medical clearance to appear.

---

Perez Hilton comments on Nick Reiner’s high-profile defense lawyer in the Rob Reiner murder case

In his Tuesday podcast, Perez Hilton stated that his "spidey senses" told him that Nick Reiner would skip his court appearance. He noted that Nick Reiner's lawyer announced that his client was not medically fit to appear in court. Hilton wondered about the choice of Rob Reiner’s murder suspect’s lawyer. The podcaster questioned who was paying for Nick Reiner's high-profile lawyer.

"Nick Reiner has retained high-profile defense attorney Alan Jackson. Some of you might know Alan Jackson for his work with Karen Read or Harvey Weinstein or Kevin Spacey. And now his new client, Nick Reiner, whom I want to know, how the hell is this guy paying for an expensive defense attorney? He doesn't have his own money, right? Who is paying for this and why?" Hilton commented.

In another podcast, Perez Hilton shared his reaction to newly released footage in which Rob Reiner's accused son was seen purchasing something at a convenience store on Sunday.

"He looks shockingly calm. Disturbingly so. Almost as if he dissociated. Are you getting that vibe as well? ... I can only hypothesize that he went there because he knew he could probably score drugs there," Hilton stated.

---

On Wednesday morning, Nick Reiner made his first appearance in court after being charged.

Edited by Anuj Singh Kushwaha