Nick Reiner has attempted to claim “crazy” before.
The troubled son of Rob and Michele Reiner, who were stabbed to death last weekend, previously admitted that he once concocted a plan to make himself appear mentally unstable so he could score meds at a rehab facility.
Nick told the “really funny” story on the “Dopey” podcast while promoting his and Rob’s semi-autobiographical movie, “Being Charlie,” which came out in 2015.
“They refused to give me meds … because they were like, ‘You don’t need any meds,’ and I was freaking out,” Nick — who has been to rehab for drug addiction almost 20 times — told host Dave Manheim, explaining that he then set out to “prove [he] was crazy.”
According to Nick, the medical staff at Alina Lodge in New Jersey thought his insistence on needing medication was an “act,” calling his claims “fake.”
“I was like, ‘How do I show these motherf–kers that I’m crazy?’” he recalled thinking. “So I was like, ‘I’ll throw a rock through a window.’”
The 32-year-old decided to target a beloved “meeting room” of sorts that had “big glass windows.” He admittedly “hated” how special the room was to the staff.
“So I took a rock, and I started on the path, and I was going up this hill … and I went, and I threw the rock through the window, and some woman saw me, and she ratted on me and then they put me on Wellbutrin,” he said with a laugh.
Wellbutrin is a prescription antidepressant medication.
On Dec. 17, Rob, who was 78, and Michele, who was 70, were found stabbed to death in their Los Angeles home in the neighborhood of Brentwood.
The LA County Medical Examiner’s Office has confirmed that the couple died from “multiple sharp force injuries,” ruling that the manner was homicide.
Nick — who was reportedly diagnosed with schizophrenia before the killings — was subsequently arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder with a special circumstance of multiple murders.
The 32-year-old — who is currently locked away in solitary confinement at Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles — is facing a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.
He is reportedly expected to plead not guilty by reason of insanity during his Jan. 7 arraignment.
His lawyer — famed criminal defense attorney Alan Jackson — has asked the public not rush to judgment or jump to conclusions in the “very, very complex and serious” case.
The night before the murders, Rob and Michele brought Nick to a Christmas party at Conan O’Brien’s house.
They were reportedly “reluctant to leave him home alone” because his “extreme and stressful behavior” had escalated and “grown degrees even more concerning in recent weeks.”
During the bash, where Nick was observed behaving strangely and getting into an argument with his parents, Rob reportedly said he was “petrified” that Nick could one day “hurt” him.
Nick has reportedly “always” had a “hostile” and “volatile” dynamic with his family, but his “anger” was mostly “directed at his parents.”
An insider elaborated to Page Six that Nick “really resented his dad” and “hated himself for not being as talented, prolific or beloved” as the award-winning actor-director.
Another source described Nick as a “spoiled” and “unappreciative” nepo baby.
Someone who knew Nick as a child described him to Page Six as “intense” and “egocentric,” explaining that he had “inexhaustible” energy and serious “behavioral issues.”
That person wondered whether attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder was ever at play, as children and teens with ADHD are more likely to abuse substances, according to the Child Mind Institute.
If you or someone you care about is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
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