Judd Apatow says Rob Reiner and Michele Singer’s deaths are “an unspeakable tragedy”.
Judd Apatow: Rob Reiner’s death is an ‘unspeakable tragedy’
Filmmaker Reiner and his wife Michele were found dead at their Los Angeles home in December and their son Nick has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the killings.
The couple’s close friend Judd told The Hollywood Reporter: “It’s just an unspeakable tragedy. Rob and Michele were the kindest people, amazing artists. They really worked hard to make life better for other people in this country. They walked the walk. They put in the time. There’s no way to exaggerate the effect they’ve had on the country. It’s heartbreaking… he was an incredibly warm, hilarious, giving person.”
Before his death, Judd interviewed Rob for his two-part HBO documentary, Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!, as the 99-year-old comic was close friends with Rob’s late father Carl Reiner.
Mel first met Rob when he was four years old and they remained close through Mel’s friendship with Carl.
Judd said: “I was always interested in why they [Carl and Mel] were so close. These are people who were friends for three quarters of a century. Their bond just seemed like no bond I’d ever heard of. And at one point I asked Rob about it and he said, ‘Carl’s a father figure to Mel.’ I asked Mel about it, he said, ‘He’s tall. He’s kind. He’s giving.’ Wow. I never would have thought that in a million years, that that’s what it was. Because Mel is so domineering and loud, but he really looked up to Carl. At one point – not in the documentary, but off camera – Mel said to me, ‘Can you imagine being as funny as me, but you’re such a kind person that you let me get all the laughs?’”