Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Reiner would want people to show kindness and understanding toward their son, Nick accordingly to producer Douglas Shaffer, who had previously worked with the late director.
Shaffer recently told People in a chat, “There’s lots and lots of healing that needs to be done” after the tragic death of Rob and Michele.
Nick has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with his parents’ deaths, who were found dead in their Los Angeles home on December 14. Nick has been dealing with mental health issues and drug addiction since his teens.
In the wake of Rob and Michele’s murder, Douglas expressed his opinions on how Nick’s parents would have reacted in this situation.
He said, “I think they would probably want people to feel empathy towards Nick’s struggles. And perhaps forgiveness down the road.”
Douglas further shared that the late Princess Bride director “was a proud father, a loving father, along with Michele — she was a loving mother… Nick had a good support system, as far as I knew.”
Looking back at how Rob has dealt with Nick’s addiction and mental health issues, Douglas noted that Rob “struggled to understand” Nick’s problems.
“I think he was trying to find the best way to help his son. He wasn’t sure if he should be more demanding on [things like] getting into rehab. [Rob] took more of a loving approach.”
Calling the incident “an absolute Hollywood tragedy,” Douglas added, “Rob just wanted Nick to be safe. He just wanted him to be safe and happy. … It’s just a shame, because all he wanted was the best for Nick.”
It is pertinent to mention that Rob’s 2015 movie Being Charlie, which Shaffer produced, was co-written by Nick.
