Rob Reiner's Son Addresses Parents' Murders in Podcast Return

Jake Reiner returned to his Dodgers podcast on Thursday, taking a moment to remember his slain parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner, as he shared just how special the baseball team was to him and his father.

The 35-year-old is the late couple's eldest son and hasn't appeared on his podcast, The Incline: Dodgers Podcast, since their horrific deaths in December 2025. Jake's brother, Nick Reiner, has been charged with their murders; he pleaded not guilty.

Jake's podcast return comes after he shared an emotional essay about his parents' deaths last month, something he said he had to do before he came back on his show to talk about baseball.

Inside Jake Reiner's Podcast Return

Jake's podcast co-host Kevin Klein welcomed him back at the top of the latest episode, which dropped Thursday, May 7.

"I'm honored to be back; it's been a long time coming," said Jake.

"I just want to thank everyone I've heard from, near and far, since everything's happened," he continued. "I've tried to get back to every one of you, and I will continue to try to respond to you. Just know I have seen all the love, all the support out there ... I really feel the love. I couldn't appreciate that more."

Though he felt like it was "time to come back" to the show, Jake explained that he "didn't want to just come onto the podcast and start talking about the Dodgers' offensive woes or bullpen woes without addressing some things first."

He explained he wanted to get his op-ed about his parents posted online before he returned.

"I just felt like, with everything going on, people saying a bunch of nice, wonderful things about my parents...I felt like I wanted to put my words out there and let people know what type of people they were at home," said Jake. "For those that really knew and loved them, I felt that important to share that."

"Also to connect with people that are going through their own grief," he added. "I know that not everybody's grief is the same. And even though everyone's grief is unique to them, I'm sure that there are aspects of everyone's grief we can all connect with."

He added that his time away made him realize just how much he missed being on the podcast.

"Especially when it comes to the Dodgers, you know, my first love, is something that I've always connected with my dad first and foremost, and it's something that I will continue to connect with him for the rest of my life," Jake explained. "I felt like it was a good time to come back. It's a good time to talk Dodgers baseball."

He then directed listeners to his Instagram and Substack, should they want to read his op-ed in full.

Jake Reiner's Essay About His Parents

Reiner previously wrote about his bond with his father over baseball in the emotional essay he shared in April.

"We loved the Dodgers more than anything. We went to so many damn games," he wrote in the piece. "I'll never go to Dodger Stadium again without feeling my dad's presence and hearing his voice tell me why Shohei Ohtani should never bat in the leadoff spot."

He also wrote about the moment he learned of their deaths.

"On the afternoon of December 14, I was in Union Station at a celebration of life for one of my best friends, Christian Anderson, who died in October," he revealed. "It was at that moment I received a call from my sister Romy telling me our father was dead. Minutes later, she called back telling me our mother was also dead."

"The 45-minute Lyft ride from downtown to the west side was unendurable. My world, as I knew it, had collapsed. I was in a trance," he added. "The only thing I could focus on was that I needed to get to my childhood home. I needed to get to my sister. I needed to figure out what the hell just happened."

"To me, my parents are at the center of my life. They are my guiding lights, the foundation of who I am as a human being, and the most giving people I have ever known," he shared, adding that it's "hard to wrap your head around just how horrific this has been" for Nick and his sister.

He concluded his post by writing, "What the hell do you say to someone who is living through this reality? The truth is, there is nothing to say. I just ask for love and compassion - the same principles my parents lived by."

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 7, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

2026 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.

This story was originally published May 7, 2026 at 11:24 AM.