Rob Reiner's death, Trump's reaction and Hollywood politics
The Story
The Times
3.9 • 1.6K Ratings
🗓️ 19 December 2025
⏱️ 25 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Hollywood director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were found dead last Sunday. His son has been charged with their murder. It’s seen an outpouring of emotion from Hollywood and across the world, but one person’s response was less than complimentary: Donald Trump. So what does the President’s latest incursion into Hollywood politics mean for the movie industry?
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Guests:
- Hadley Freeman, columnist and features writer, The Times.
- Kevin Maher, chief film critic, The Times.
Host: Rosie Wright.
Producers: Harry Sott, Olivia Case.
Read more: Rob Reiner just wanted a happy home
Rob Reiner’s five best movies ranked, from Spinal Tap to Misery
Clips: When Harry Met Sally / Rob Reiner / Columbia Pictures; This is Spinal Tap / Rob Reiner / Embassy Pictures; A Few Good Men / Rob Reiner / Columbia Pictures; Being Charlie / Rob Reiner / Paladin; Build Series / Youtube, Film Courage / Youtube; PBS Newshour.
Photo: Getty Images.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | From The Times and the Sunday Times, this is The Story. I'm Rosie Wright. |
| 0:09.5 | You might not have immediately recognized his name, but you will know his films. |
| 0:14.6 | I'm sorry, Harry. I know it's New Year's Eve. I know you're feeling lonely, but you just can't show up here. |
| 0:23.6 | Tell me you love me and expect that to make everything all right. It doesn't work this way. |
| 0:25.6 | Well, how does it work? |
| 0:26.6 | I don't know, but not this way. |
| 0:29.6 | It's very, very special because if you can see, yeah, the numbers all go to 11. |
| 0:36.6 | You want answers. |
| 0:38.3 | I want the truth. |
| 0:39.5 | You can't handle the truth. |
| 0:46.6 | When Harry met Sally, a few good men, this is Spinal Tap. |
| 0:51.6 | Just some of the masterpieces from the Hollywood Titan, Rob Reiner, |
| 0:56.2 | who was found dead last Sunday alongside his wife. His son has been charged with their murder. |
| 1:02.2 | He appeared in court on Wednesday in a suicide prevention vest. |
| 1:08.4 | One woman who knew Rob Reiner was our writer Hadley Freeman. |
| 1:14.2 | It's just the incongruence of someone who made the sweetest of films |
| 1:20.2 | and who himself embodied such goodness to be killed in this most inexplicably evil way. |
| 1:36.4 | This case has shocked Hollywood to its core. |
| 1:39.6 | But how did this man become not just a movie icon, but a political activist? |
| 1:45.9 | And why is President Trump wading in? The story today, Rob Reiner, Donald Trump and Hollywood politics. |
| 1:58.0 | I was in bed. I woke up and picked up the phone, see what time it was, and saw all these messages from friends. |
| 2:08.5 | In the early hours of Monday morning, Hadley was at home when the news started filtering through. |
... |
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