Mel Brooks, 99, says late friend Carl Reiner was 'spared' the heartbreak of son Rob's tragic killing
Mel Brooks made a heartbreaking admission about his late best friend Carl Reiner, saying he’s relieved Reiner didn’t live to see the tragedy that would later shatter his family.The 99-year-old comedy legend spoke candidly about the murder of Reiner’s son, Rob, while attending the Los Angeles premiere of HBO’s two-part documentary Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! on Tuesday.Rob and his wife Michele Singer Reiner were killed on December 14, 2025, with their son Nick named as the suspect in the shocking case. Following the screening at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Brooks took part in a Q&A moderated by Judd Apatow.When Apatow praised Brooks and Reiner’s iconic 2000 Year Old Man sketches for inspiring generations of comedians, Brooks responded emotionally.'Carl, with what’s happened, I’m glad that he passed away when he did,' Brooks said, adding that his friend 'never could have survived this terrible, terrible thing.' Mel Brooks said he’s relieved his late best friend Carl Reiner didn’t live to see the tragedy that later struck his family, after Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were killed on December 14, 2025, with their son Nick named as the suspect; (Brooks pictured on January 20, 2026) 'Carl, with what’s happened, I’m glad that he passed away when he did,' Brooks said, adding that his friend 'never could have survived this terrible, terrible thing'; (Brooks and Carl Reiner in 1998) Mel and Carl's friendship - and Carl’s final days - are revisited in The 99 Year Old Man!, which also features Rob Reiner, who sat for an interview before his death on December 14 at age 78; (Carl and Ron in 1999)Brooks went on to share more about his decades-long bond with Carl, who died in 2020 at age 98.‘I loved him. I loved Carl,’ Brooks said, recalling how effortlessly they made each other laugh. ‘And I used to really… There was no fake laughter. I used to really break him up. He’d grab his belly and sometimes he’d fall down.’Their friendship - and Carl’s final days - are revisited in The 99 Year Old Man!, which also features Rob Reiner, who sat for an interview before his death on December 14 at age 78.‘Mel was there when my dad died,’ Rob said, noting that Brooks spent nearly every evening at Carl’s home after both men lost their wives in the 2000s.‘He just collapsed in the bathroom,’ Rob recalled. ‘And Mel came back and realized, “Uh oh, something’s wrong.”’Brooks also relived the devastating moment in the documentary, admitting he clung to hope. ‘I was still hoping that they would put the stuff on him and boom, get him up. I kept yelling at them, “Keep it up, keep it up,” and they thought I was crazy after an hour of yelling.’‘I just didn’t want him to go. I just couldn’t - I wouldn’t accept it,’ Brooks added. ‘I loved him so much.’ ‘Mel was there when my dad died,’ Rob said in the film, noting that Brooks spent nearly every evening at Carl’s home after both men lost their wives in the 2000s; (Carl and Rob in 1999)Brooks’ remarks come amid disturbing new claims about Nick Reiner’s mental state following the killings. Sources have said the 32-year-old has appeared disoriented and ‘almost childlike’ while in custody since the deaths of his parents. Speaking on Fox & Friends on Monday, TMZ executive producer Harvey Levin claimed the suspect is currently ‘not competent to stand trial right now’.‘He is almost childlike in jail, we’re told,’ Levin said. ‘He can’t process the consequences of what he’s done. He knows what he did.‘He just can’t understand where he is right now, and I know that sounds crazy, but he is out of his head right now.’Levin also described the killings as ‘incredibly brutal’, adding: ‘We know people in the medical examiner’s office who are traumatised just by the pictures.’Nick, who has previously been diagnosed with schizophrenia, is expected to plead not guilty to the murders by reason of insanity. He was arrested on December 14 and charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Rob and his wife Michele Singer Reiner were killed on December 14, 2025, with their son Nick named as the suspect in the shocking case Nick, who has previously been diagnosed with schizophrenia, is expected to plead not guilty to the murders by reason of insanityProsecutors have also filed special circumstances, including multiple murders and the use of a deadly weapon - a knife - meaning Nick could face life in prison without parole or even the death penalty if convicted.Rob Reiner, 78, was the legendary filmmaker behind This Is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride and When Harry Met Sally, while Michele, 70, was a respected photographer, producer and outspoken LGBT rights activist.The Hollywood power couple, who married in 1989, shared three children - Jake, 34, Nick, 32, and Romy, 28 - with Romy discovering their bodies on the day they were killed.
