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What happened with Rob Reiner and Penny Marshall? Inside director’s relationship with first wife

Rob Reiner, who was recently found dead alongside his wife, Michele Singer, in their Los Angeles home, was previously married to actress and director Penny Marshall.
posted by Vaishnavi Sah
Monday 12/15/2025 at 5:35AM EST
  • Rob Reiner with Penny Marshall sitting on a sofa (Image via Getty)
    Rob Reiner with Penny Marshall sitting on a sofa (Image via Getty)

    American director and actor Rob Reiner was found dead alongside his wife, Michele Singer, on December 14, 2025, inside their Brentwood, California home.

    "It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner. We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time," the Reiner family confirmed in a statement to Variety.

    Rob was previously married to actress and director Penny Marshall, who passed away in 2018 from diabetes complications. The couple married in 1971, and Reiner later adopted Marshall's daughter, Tracy. She welcomed Tracy with her ex-husband, athlete Michael Henry, to whom she was married from 1961 to 1963.

    In a 2012 interview with People Magazine, Marshall shared that they "grew up across the street in the Bronx but didn't know each other," and that she "loved him dearly."

    "It was a very wide street," she added in My Mother Was Nuts, her 2014 memoir.

    Both Marshall and Reiner auditioned for All in the Family. While Rob landed the role of Michael Stivic, Marshall did not get the part of Gloria Buker, Michael's on-screen wife. They later worked together on 1978's More Than Friends before they split in 1979.

    According to MeTV, the couple were very close personally but were often physically apart due to their heavily demanding TV careers. Marshall starred in Laverne & Shirley, while Rob played Michael "Meathead" Stivic on All in the Family.

    In a 1976 interview with The Sacramento Bee, Marshall shared that "Rob and I made a date to see each other after the holidays," and he complained that she was "spending too much time on the show," adding, "He forgets what he was like in his first year with All in the Family."

    "I do feel sorry for Rob. On weekends I've been working on the album and he's been writing. It's been chaotic. Rob says it's just one of those years and there will come a time when we wish one of us was working," she added.

    There was no widely reported public feud between them after the divorce, and the two remain on friendly terms.

    In a 2012 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Marshall expressed sadness "that Rob and I didn’t work it out," acknowledging that at the time he was "happily married with three kids — my grandson went to school with his kids, two of his boys. And Artie Garfunkel came to the book party with his wife."

    She also clarified that their separation wasn't due to fighting, "it's just, things are going a different way, you know? I don't like confrontation much; I’m not a big arguer."

    Rob also paid tribute to his ex-wife when she passed away.

    "So sad about Penny," Rob tweeted at the time.

    Rob Reiner and Michele were allegedly killed by their son, Nick - Reports

    Rob Reiner and Michele Singer were found dead by their daughter, Romy. They were allegedly killed by their son, Nick, according to multiple sources cited by People Magazine in their December 14 report.

    Responding to a medical aid call around 3:30 p.m. local time, the Los Angeles Fire Department discovered the couple dead at their home.

    "On December 14th, at around 1540 hours, LAPD Officers assigned to West LA Division responded to a death investigation in the 200 block of South Chadbourne Avenue. Once inside the residence, officers discovered two decedents. The identity of the decedents has not yet been confirmed. Robbery Homicide Division (RHD) responded to the residence, which has been identified as the home of Rob Reiner," said the LAPD in a statement, as the couple's identity was not confirmed.

    Per the outlet, Nick is being questioned by the Los Angeles Police Department's Robbery-Homicide Division.

    The outlet also noted that Nick struggled with addiction from his teenage years that ultimately resulted in him becoming homeless.

    "Now, I've been home for a really long time, and I’ve sort of gotten acclimated back to being in L.A. and being around my family," he told the outlet in 2016.

    Stay tuned for more updates.

    TOPICS: Rob Reiner, Penny Marshall, Michele Singer


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