Meg Ryan has paid tribute to Rob and Michele Reiner in a touching Instagram post.
The couple were found dead on Sunday (December 14), reportedly by their daughter Romy. Their son, Nick, was charged on suspicion of murder, and appeared in court on Wednesday (17).
Ryan played Sally Albright in Rob’s 1989 romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally, which proved to be her breakout role, and shared a photo of the two of them dancing on set.
“Oh how we will miss this man,” she began. “Thank you, Rob and Michele, for the way you believe in true love, in fairy tales, and in laughter. Thank you for your faith in the best in people, and for your profound love of our country.”
She continued, “I have to believe that their story will not end with this impossible tragedy, that some good may come, some awareness raised … I don’t know, but my guess is that they would want that to be hopeful and humane, to be something that brings us all to a greater understanding of one another and to some peace.”
Director Rob and photographer Michele met each other on the set of When Harry Met Sally, too, with their meeting influencing Rob’s decision to change the ending of the film. He said last year that it was originally going to be more downbeat, reflecting his own relationship status at the time. But then, “I met her while we were making the film, and I changed the ending,” he explained.
Ryan’s co-star in the rom-com, Billy Crystal, also paid tribute to the Reiners in a joint statement with other famous friends. “Rob Reiner not only was a great comic actor, he became a master storyteller. There is no other director who has his range,” read the statement, from Billy and Janice Crystal, Albert and Kimberly Brooks, Martin Short, Alan and Robin Zweibel, Larry David and Ashley Underwood, Marc Shaiman and Lou Mirabal, Barry and Diana Levinson, and Ambassador James Costos and Michael Smith.
“He charmed audiences. They trusted him. They lined up to see his films,” the statement continued. “His comedic touch was beyond compare, his love of getting the music of the dialogue just right, and his sharpening of the edge of a drama was simply elegant. For the actors, he loved them. For the writers he made them better.”
Siblings Romy and Jake Reiner also expressed thanks for the “outpouring of condolences, kindness, and support” following the deaths of their parents. They said in a statement, via People: “Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day. The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience. They weren’t just our parents; they were our best friends.”
Numerous famous friends and celebrities have reached out to pay tribute, too, including Stephen King, Paul McCartney, Barack and Michelle Obama and Jane Fonda.
US president Donald Trump, however, took to Truth Social to imply a link between Reiner’s death and his criticism of the Trump Administration.
The post has been condemned by a number of names in entertainment, including Jack White, Jimmy Kimmel, Josh Gad, Whoopi Goldberg and Gracie Abrams.
Trump later doubled down on his comments, describing Reiner as “very bad for our country,” and a “deranged person” who was partly “behind” previous claims of collusion between Russia and Trump’s team. “I was not a fan of Rob Reiner at all, in any way, shape or form,” he finished.
The post Meg Ryan pays tribute to Rob and Michele Reiner after “impossible tragedy”: “Thank you for your faith in the best in people” appeared first on NME.
