Billy Crystal has broken his silence to honor his longtime friend Rob Reiner, just days after he was spotted visibly emotional outside the late director’s h
The veteran actor, who starred in Reiner’s beloved film When Harry Met Sally, joined friends and colleagues in releasing a joint statement celebrating the filmmaker as “a great comic actor” and “a master storyteller.”
Crystal’s tribute was shared alongside comments from comedy icons including Albert Brooks, Larry David, Martin Short, and director Barry Levinson. The statement praised Reiner’s extraordinary career and highlighted his 36-year marriage to Michele, his “perfect partner,” who tragically died alongside him. The couple shared three children.
The statement read: “Going to the movies in a dark theater filled with strangers having a common experience, laughing, crying, screaming in fear, or watching an intense drama unfold is still an unforgettable thrill.
“Rob Reiner absorbed all he learned from his father Carl and his mentor Norman Lear. Not only was he a great comic actor, he became a master storyteller. There is no other director with his range. From comedy to drama, from mockumentary to documentary, he was always at the top of his game. He charmed audiences. They trusted him. They lined up to see his films.”
The heartfelt tribute concluded with a poignant quote from one of Reiner’s favorite movies, It’s a Wonderful Life: “Each man’s life touches so many other lives, and when he isn’t around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he? You have no idea.”
Crystal and his wife Janice were seen at the Reiners’ Los Angeles home on Sunday, called there by the couple’s daughter Romy, who discovered her parents’ bodies. The actor was visibly emotional as he left the scene while law enforcement investigated.
Reiner and Crystal shared a friendship spanning decades, first meeting on the set of the classic sitcom All in the Family in 1975, where they were cast as best friends.
Tragically, the Reiners were found knifed to death in their home, believed to have been asleep at the time. Their 32-year-old son, Nick Reiner, has been formally charged with their murders, facing a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole or the death penalty.