Former US President Donald Trump has ignited a firestorm of criticism with controversial remarks about the tragic deaths of acclaimed Hollywood director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele. Trump suggested the couple's passing was linked to what he mockingly called "Trump Derangement Syndrome".
Controversial Statement on Truth Social
On Monday, Trump posted a lengthy statement on his Truth Social platform responding to the news that Rob Reiner and his wife were found dead in their Los Angeles home on Sunday. Authorities are investigating the deaths as an apparent homicide.
In his post, Trump described Reiner as "a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star". He claimed the deaths were "reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding and incurable affliction with a mind-crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME". Trump abbreviated this as "TDS".
Deaths Investigated as Apparent Homicide
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's department confirmed the grim discovery at the Reiner family home. Police are treating the case as an apparent homicide. In a significant development, authorities announced on Monday that the couple's son, Nick Reiner, is in custody as a suspect. He has been arrested on homicide charges.
Rob Reiner, the son of comedian Carl Reiner, was married to photographer Michele Singer Reiner since 1989. The couple shared three children.
Swift Condemnation from Celebrities and Politicians
The reaction to Trump's post was immediate and overwhelmingly negative. Whoopi Goldberg declared on The View that Trump had reached a new low, while singer Sheryl Crow questioned the appropriateness of a US President making such statements.
"How is this OK? How is it acceptable to respond this way about anyone’s death, particularly coming from the President of the United States? Is THIS not deranged?" Crow wrote on Instagram.
Many highlighted the long-standing political feud between Trump and Reiner, who was a vocal critic. In a 2017 interview, Reiner had called Trump "mentally unfit" and "the single-most unqualified human being to ever assume the presidency".
Outpouring of Tributes for a Hollywood Legend
Amid the controversy, there has been a global wave of tributes honouring Reiner's cinematic legacy. Former President Barack Obama remembered Reiner for giving audiences "some of our most cherished stories".
Author Stephen King, who worked with Reiner on film adaptations of Stand By Me and Misery, said he was "horrified and saddened". He praised Reiner as a "wonderful friend, political ally and brilliant filmmaker".
Actress Zooey Deschanel, who starred with Reiner in New Girl, paid a heartfelt tribute to her on-screen father, calling him the "absolute warmest, funniest, most generous of spirits".
Rob Reiner's directorial credits include modern classics such as:
- Stand By Me (1986)
- The Princess Bride (1987)
- When Harry Met Sally (1989)
- Misery (1990)
- A Few Good Men (1992)
The investigation into the deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner continues as Hollywood mourns the loss of one of its most influential figures.
