Dick Van Dyke and his wife, Arlene Silver, are mourning the shocking deaths of longtime friends Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner, a tragedy that happened just one day after the legendary actor celebrated his 100th birthday.
Dick Van Dyke’s wife shares reaction to Rob Reiner’s death
According to Dick Van Dyke’s wife, the devastating news of Rob Reiner’s death affected him to the point he wasn’t able to sleep as he tried to understand what had happened. The couple learned that Rob and Michele Reiner were found dead at their Brentwood, California, home on December 14.
Silver addressed the tragedy in an Instagram video shared on December 15, describing the emotional whiplash of the weekend. She said Van Dyke “didn’t sleep,” explaining that he “wanted to stay up” as early reports about the deaths came up. “We didn’t know what happened. It just said, the first reports are two people found in the house,” she said.
The deaths came just one day after Van Dyke had his milestone birthday, a moment Silver described as joyful before it was overshadowed by the grim news. “Such a weird, wonderful, awful weekend,” she said. “I can’t not talk about this horrible thing… I was relieved and happy, and then this happened yesterday.”
Dick Van Dyke’s wife reflected on the deep personal connection between the two families, sharing that Rob Reiner met Van Dyke as a teenager. Rob’s father, the late Carl Reiner, created The Dick Van Dyke Show, which aired from 1961 to 1966 and helped define Van Dyke’s career.
She also shared her own bond with the Reiners, saying she admired Rob’s work long before meeting him. “It’s terrible,” she added. “I want to celebrate Dick… but I also want to acknowledge this horrible thing.”
Originally reported by Devanshi Basu on Mandatory.
