Rob Reiner’s son Nick removed from suicide watch (Exclusive)

Nick Reiner is currently not on suicide watch at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s sources can exclusively confirm to People.

Nick entered the prison on the morning of December 15th and was immediately placed under close surveillance.

The 32-year-old is currently being held in solitary confinement and is required to wear a prison-issued yellow shirt and blue pants, the same source said. The prison has since removed the suicide prevention smock he was required to wear at all times.

Sheriff’s sources say Nick will not be released from High Observation Housing (HOH) unless a judge or court decides otherwise, and will continue to be supervised and housed alone.

Nick’s attorney did not respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

Nick currently faces two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of his parents, director Rob Reiner, 78, and photographer Michelle Singer Reiner, 70. Prosecutors also filed a special complaint alleging that a knife was used in the killing. The couple was found dead inside their home in Brentwood, Los Angeles, on December 14th.

According to the New York Times, the couple’s daughter Romy went to their home in Los Angeles after receiving a call from a massage therapist, but was unable to enter the premises. After arriving and discovering his father’s body, Romy fled the house, the newspaper reported. Paramedics later informed him that his mother, Michele, had also been found dead inside.

There were signs of concern at the Reiners’ home in the years leading up to their deaths. Police previously responded to a call for a welfare check at a Los Angeles residence, according to records obtained by PEOPLE on Jan. 2. Police visited the home twice in 2019 while her son Nick lived there. One call was classified as a welfare check, and the other call was classified as mental health-related.

For this reason, Nick was reportedly receiving treatment for schizophrenia before his parents passed away. The Los Angeles Times and KNBC both reported, citing sources, that Nick is receiving medication for mental illness. Schizophrenia is a widely misunderstood but treatable illness characterized by psychotic symptoms, psychiatrist Dr. Molly “Mary” Conlon tells PEOPLE. Mr. Conlon oversees the inpatient program at Northwell Health’s Zucker Hillside Hospital and has no connection to Nick Reiner, his treatment or the case.

The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office confirmed to PEOPLE that the couple died from “multiple sharp force injuries.”

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On December 19, their bodies were returned to the Reiner family after it was deemed a homicide. The coroner confirmed to officials that autopsies have been performed on Rob and Michelle, but it is expected to take up to 90 days for the coroner to provide a complete and detailed medical report.

Another law enforcement source previously confirmed to PEOPLE that Nick is not allowed to have contact with anyone other than his attorney and authorized prison staff and is only allowed to leave his cell for court appearances or for medical reasons. In addition, police sources say Nick must be accompanied by a sergeant at all times and is monitored by a video camera attached to the accompanying officer.

“This is important to ensure that no one compromises this high-profile case and that civilians and inmates cannot ask questions such as why they killed their parents,” the same law enforcement official told PEOPLE at the time.

Police sources say Nick is kept alone in his cell at all times and is provided with three meals a day during his confinement. Doctors and mental health professionals have determined that Nick has a “mental disorder,” the source added.

“Nick is still being held alone and monitored every 15 minutes and is still believed to have mental health issues,” sheriff’s officials said. “Reiner is currently off suicide watch, but remains in the HOH (Mental Health) camp. He is in one of the two towers for his mental health. He is escorted by a deputy when he leaves his cell, and records are still available…As far as I know, he has no major problems eating or sleeping, but he continues to eat alone in his cell.”

On Wednesday, December 17th, Reiner made his first appearance in Los Angeles Superior Court. Wearing a blue suicide prevention smock and shackles, he sat behind plexiglass just to the left of Judge Theresa McGonigle and looked straight ahead as his lawyer, Alan Jackson, refused to plead on his behalf.

When the judge asked Nick if he was okay with waiving his right to speedy arraignment, Nick replied, “Yes, sir,” and was led out of the room through a side door by security.

After the hearing, which lasted about five minutes, Jackson addressed television cameras lined up outside the courtroom and explained the rescheduling, saying there were “very complex and serious issues in this case” and that he needed time to consider them. He asked the media and the public not to “jump to judgment” and then left without taking any questions.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hockman is also pursuing a “special circumstances” murder conviction, which could make Nick eligible for the death penalty or life in prison without parole.

Long before the case against Nick took shape, he spoke publicly about a life marked by instability and drug addiction. In a 2016 interview with PEOPLE, Nick spoke candidly about his years-long struggle that began in his early teens and ended up on the streets. He said he began riding his bike to and from rehab programs when he was 15, but as his addiction worsened, he became increasingly cut off from home, leading to long periods of homelessness in multiple states.

Nick claimed that his tumultuous years of addiction, which included spending nights and sometimes weeks sleeping outside, inspired the semi-autobiographical film Being Charlie, which he later co-wrote.

“Right now, I’ve been home for a really long time and I’m kind of getting used to being back in Los Angeles and being with my family,” Nick told PEOPLE at the time.

His arraignment is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, January 7, 2026, in the Stanley Mosque courtroom of Los Angeles Superior Court.

If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line (741-741). Connect with a certified crisis counselor.