US director Rob Reiner and his wife, photographer and producer Michele Singer Reiner, have been found dead at their home in Los Angeles.
Police are investigating the deaths as an "apparent homicide". The Los Angeles Police Department has not publicly named the deceased, but the couple were identified in a family statement and were also named in statements from Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom.
The Los Angeles Fire Department said it responded to a medical aid request shortly after 3.30pm local time on Sunday and found a 78-year-old man and a 68-year-old woman dead inside the residence.
A law enforcement official briefed on the investigation told the Associated Press that investigators believe the couple suffered stab wounds and that a family member has been interviewed. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss details publicly.
Watch: Investigation under way following discovery of two bodies at LA home of director Rob Reiner
LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton told reporters that patrol officers who were called to the home late on Sunday afternoon discovered two bodies inside.
Detectives from the department's robbery-homicide unit were waiting for a search warrant before carrying out a full search of the premises, he said. Police have not identified a suspect and nobody has been detained, Hamilton added.
A cause of death will be made public by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office, he said.
Mr Reiner, who turned 78 in March, was one of Hollywood's most prolific directors, with films including This Is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally... and A Few Good Men.
As an actor, he was best remembered for his role as Mike 'Meathead’ Stivic in the TV comedy All in the Family, the son-in-law and liberal foil to Carroll O’Connor’s Archie Bunker.
He also appeared in front of the camera in Sleepless In Seattle, The Wolf Of Wall Street, TV series New Girl and most recently in season four of The Bear.
His wife, Michele Singer Reiner, was a photographer and producer who took the photograph of Donald Trump used on the cover of his book Trump: The Art of the Deal.
Tributes have begun to come in from public figures and colleagues.
Mayor Bass described the deaths as "a devastating loss for our city and our country". Governor Newsom said he and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, were "heartbroken", calling Mr Reiner the "big-hearted genius" behind classic films.
Former US president Barack Obama said Reiner's work gave audiences "cherished stories", driven by "a deep belief in the goodness of people", according to his post on X.
Mr Reiner was first married to Penny Marshall, who played Laverne in Laverne & Shirley and was also a producer and director.
He later married photographer and producer Michele Singer, with whom he had three children, Romy, Nick and Jake Reiner.
Source: AFP/Reuters/Associated Press
