TV host Conan O’Brien paid tribute to his friends Rob and Michele Reiner on November 8 at a Children’s Institute gala, where he spoke about grieving the couple and continuing their charitable work. They were found dead at their Los Angeles home in December 2025, the day after attending his holiday party.
Speaking at the organization’s 2026 Cape and Gown Gala at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles, O’Brien urged those gathered to stay involved with a cause the Reiners had supported. “They started something, and we keep them with us. We keep them close if we join in and do the work because that’s what they were all about,” he said.
Actress and family friend Jamie Lee Curtis received the inaugural Michele and Rob Reiner Champion for Change Award from Jake and Romy Reiner, who presented it to honor their parents, Rob and Michele.
Chelsea Handler also spoke about the couple’s charitable work, telling the gathering: “Rob and Michele have brought so many of us together. They are with us, and they will remain with us.”
O’Brien had previously described growing closer to the couple and struggling with the abruptness of their deaths after spending that evening together. “And to have that experience of saying good night to somebody and having them leave and then find out the next day that they’re gone … I think I was in shock for quite a while afterward,” he said.
A not-guilty plea to 2 counts of first-degree murder has been entered by their son Nick Reiner, 33, who’d also attended the party. The charges include a special circumstance alleging multiple murders. He remains in custody, with his trial expected in 2027.