Nick Reiner Blocked From $1.5 Million Trust Fund as Murder Case Unfolds

Nick Reiner will not be able to access a $1.5 million trust fund his parents established for him while he faces murder charges in connection with their deaths.

The 32-year-old son of filmmaker Rob Reiner and photographer Michele Singer Reiner asked a Los Angeles probate court to release the money so he could pay for his legal defense and other expenses. However, the trust’s fiduciary rejected the request and cited California’s “slayer statute,” a law that can prevent someone who intentionally kills another person from benefiting from that person’s estate.

Court documents state that the trustee has blocked Reiner’s access to the trust based on California’s slayer statute. The law generally prevents a person from inheriting or receiving financial benefits connected to someone they intentionally and unlawfully killed.

Reiner’s attorney, Anita P. Wu, has challenged the decision. She argues that the trust should not be withheld simply because her client faces criminal accusations.

Reiner has not been convicted of the charges. His defense maintains that he remains presumed innocent unless prosecutors prove the allegations against him in court.

Trustee Jodi Pais Montgomery, however, has argued that releasing the money now could create a problem if Reiner is eventually convicted. Once distributed, the funds could be difficult or impossible to recover.

The $1.5 million was part of an estate plan that established separate trusts for Reiner and his siblings, Romy and Jake.

The dispute over the money now adds another legal battle to Reiner’s ongoing criminal case. While his attorneys fight to secure access to the trust, prosecutors continue to pursue the murder charges against him.

A Los Angeles County grand jury has indicted Reiner on two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the December 2025 deaths of his parents.

The indictment also includes special-circumstance allegations involving multiple murders, lying in wait and the use of a knife.

Rob Reiner, 78, was a celebrated filmmaker whose credits included The Princess Bride and When Harry Met Sally… Michele Reiner was a photographer, and the couple had been married for more than three decades.

Authorities found the couple dead at their Brentwood home on Dec. 14, 2025. Police arrested Nick Reiner shortly afterward, and he has remained in custody without bail. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Reiner’s next pretrial hearing is scheduled for Sept. 15. If he is convicted of the murder charges and the special-circumstance allegations, he could face life in prison without parole or potentially the death penalty. Prosecutors have not indicated whether they will seek capital punishment.

The future of the $1.5 million trust could also depend on the outcome of the criminal case. If Reiner is convicted, California’s slayer statute could prevent him from benefiting from the trust. Depending on the trust’s terms and future court decisions, the money could instead pass to his siblings.

For now, Reiner remains in custody, while his request to access the trust remains unresolved.