Rob Reiner confided in Michael Douglas about his troubled son Nick Reiner’s drug addiction before his “terrible” murder.
While speaking in the CBS News special “Rob Reiner — Scenes from a Life,” which aired Sunday night, the “Basic Instinct” actor recalled bonding with the director over their children’s issues with drugs.
Douglas — whose 47-year-old son, Cameron, also struggled with addiction — said, “With this terrible tragedy, we’re realising how much pressure he was dealing with in his personal life with his son.”
“I also had a son who had had drug issues. I’m happy to say he’s overcome them and living a prosperous life,” he added about Cameron.
The “Fatal Attraction” star said he and Rob chatted “a lot” about parenting kids with drug addictions.
“We did talk a lot about that and what you can do as a parent, what you can’t do,” he recalled.
“Knowing with all of that going on behind the scenes, this was a man who always gave it his best,” Douglas, 81, said.
Michael, who is the son of the late “Spartacus” actor Kirk Douglas, also revealed that he and the “All In the Family” alum, son of late comedy actor Carl Reiner, bonded over growing up with famous fathers.
“Well, my experience watching him was that I could never be the man that my father was. He can do everything,” he said.
“I mean, he was ‘Spartacus’ … Once you go into the same business, it stares you in the face,” Michael added.
“And in Rob’s case, are you as funny as your father? I think that also created his tenacity, his strength and that’s something that’s not really talked about enough with Rob about his endurance.”
As Page Six previously reported, Rob, 78, and his wife, Michele Reiner, 70, were found stabbed to death in their Brentwood, Calif., home on Dec. 14.
Nick, 32, was arrested and charged with murder for his parents’ deaths.
The “Being Charlie” writer had struggled with drug addiction and had a history of violent outbursts.
He was also diagnosed with schizophrenia in the weeks leading up to his parents’ deaths and the meds he was prescribed allegedly made Nick “erratic and dangerous.”
Due to the screenwriter’s diagnosis, TMZ reported that he will likely claim insanity.
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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