Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Reiner, were discovered de:ad at their Los Angeles residence on Sunday, with authorities treating the case as a possible ho:mic:ide. Police have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding their de:a:ths.

Throughout his life, Reiner was outspoken in his political views and publicly supported multiple presidential candidates. Just months before his tragic passing, he openly shared his candid opinions about former President Donald Trump.

The Academy Award–nominated director and actor and his wife were found Sunday afternoon in their Brentwood home, prompting Los Angeles Police Department detectives to open a full homicide investigation.

“It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner,” a family spokesperson said. “We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time.”

Rob Reiner became a superstar as a director, with credits including The Princess Bride, This Is Spinal Tap, and When Harry Met Sally. Also, in 1993, he was nominated for an Academy Award for A Few Good Men in the Best Picture category.

Though his passion for films was profound, Reiner was also engaged in politics. Per the LA Times, he was seen as a “political force” and a “Democratic Party activist who went beyond the typical role of celebrities who host glitzy fundraisers.”

He was very much involved in, especially, the legalization of gay marriage and early childhood education. Reiner co-founded the American Foundation for Equal Rights, an organization that successfully led the fight to overturn Proposition 8, the 2008 ballot measure that banned same-sex marriage.

Rob Reiner shared his true feelings about Donald Trump

Speaking with the LA Times, Ace Smith, a Democratic strategist to former Vice President Kamala Harris, Gov. Gavin Newsom, and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, told that Reiner had a very different approach to politics than most celebrities.

“Here’s this unique human being who really did make the leap between entertainment and politics,” Smith, who had known Reiner for years, said. “And he really spent the time to understand policy, really, in its true depth, and to make a huge impact in California.”

Reiner’s Democratic views don’t align with President Donald Trump’s approach to running the country, to say the least. The late actor, who was 78 at the time of his d:ea:th, had spoken out many times about the former real estate mogul, who now sits in the Oval Office.

Back in 2017, during an appearance at the Dubai International Film Festival, Rob Reiner said to Variety that he thought Donald Trump was “mentally unfit” to be president.

“Donald Trump is the single most unqualified human being to ever assume the presidency of the United States. He is mentally unfit. Not only does he not understand how government works, he has no interest in trying to find out how it works,” Reiner said when asked to compare Trump with President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Called the president a “criminal”

Last year, Reiner and his wife, Michele, produced a documentary titled God and Country about the rise of Christian nationalism in America. While doing press for the documentary, he said to The Guardian that Donald Trump, who often promotes Christian values, is the least Christian guy you could meet.

“I think he can probably spell the word ‘bible’,” Reiner said. “I don’t think he’s ever read it and I don’t think he has any idea what’s in it. But they excuse all that by saying God works in mysterious ways, and that he sent us this flawed vessel by which we can achieve the goals that we want to achieve.”

Rob Reiner supported Biden in the 2020 election. In an interview with The Guardian in early 2024, when it at the time looked as if Biden would be challenging Trump in the 2024 Presidential Election, he backed the Democratic candidate despite many criticizing him for being too old.

In Reiner’s view, it was better to have an old guy in the Oval Office than a “criminal,” meaning Trump.

“Look, he’s old!” Reiner told the Guardian.”But you have one guy who stumbles around, whatever. And another guy who’s a criminal, basically lies every minute of his life, has been indicted 91 times!”