Conan O'Brien reveals he is still 'devastated' by the murders of Rob and Michele Reiner: 'It leaves you feeling very hollow'

Conan O'Brien paid a touching tribute to Rob and Michele Reiner at a gala on Sunday, revealing he is still coming to terms with their loss.

O'Brien, 63, saw the Hollywood director and his wife at his Christmas party, which they attended with their son Nick, 32, just hours before he allegedly murdered them on December 14, 2025. Nick has since pled not guilty and is being held in solitary confinement as he awaits trial.

Over the weekend, the comedian attended the Children's Institute's 8th Annual Cape & Gown Gala, held at the Beverly Wilshire hotel in Los Angeles, with the late couple's other two children, Jake, 35, and Romy, 28.

He honored their legacy and reflected on their deaths at the event, stating, 'It’s so devastating and surreal that Rob and Michele are not with us anymore,' as per People.

'I think multiple times a week, it will hit me that they’re not here. It leaves you feeling very hollow.'

He also spoke about the importance of continuing the work Rob and Michele were passionate about. 

'This event, something that they cared about so much, the Children's Institute, is just a way to imagine and realize that they’re here and they’re working,' he went on.

'They started something, and we keep them with us. We keep them close if we join in and do the work because that's what they were all about.' 

Jake and Romy presented Jamie Lee Curtis, a longtime friend of the Reiner family, with the inaugural Michele & Rob Reiner Champion for Change Award at the event.

It marked one of the few joint public appearances for the siblings since their parents' murders. 

Other attendees at the star-studded gala included O'Brien's wife Liza Powel and comedian Chelsea Handler, while singer John Mayer provided the evening's entertainment with a live performance.

The Cape & Gown Gala is an annual fundraising event hosted by Children's Institute (CII), which this year introduced the Michele and Rob Reiner Champion for Change Award, recognizing the late couple's 'lifelong commitment to improving the lives of children and families and strengthening communities across Los Angeles, throughout California, and beyond.'

'I can't think of a more meaningful way to honor the legacy of my sister Michele and my brother-in-law Rob,' Martine Singer, President and CEO of Children's Institute, said in a statement in August.

'I had the privilege of watching them devote their lives to creating a more just and compassionate world for children and families. Their work was never about recognition—it was about making a lasting difference. Michele and Rob embody what Children's Institute has believed for 120 years: that strengthening families and advancing equity go hand in hand.'

The award was created in partnership with Jake and Romy.

'Our parents taught us what it means to be good, decent human beings. And they didn't just talk about it; they led by example. They took the unconditional love they had for us and applied it to all their advocacy work, that includes their support for Children's Institute and our aunt Martine,' Jake said in a press release.

Romy added: 'Not only were they incredibly proud of Martine for the way that she has led the organization, but they believed so much in the goal of CII. When Martine asked us if they could name the award after them, it was not only an honor but made complete sense. To have our parents' names connected to CII's work on behalf of children and families is a meaningful continuation of what they stood for.'

O'Brien broke his silence on their murders in February, telling The New Yorker, 'It's just so awful.'

'I knew Rob and Michele, and then increasingly got closer and closer to them,' he said, adding that he and his wife 'were seeing them a lot.'

'They were just such lovely people. And to have that experience of saying goodnight to somebody and having them leave and then find out the next day that they’re gone. I think I was in shock for quite a while afterward. I mean, there's no other word for it.'

'And I think about how Rob felt about things that are happening in the country, how involved he was, how much he put himself out there — and to have that voice go quiet in an instant is still hard for me to comprehend,' O'Brien added.

Rob, 78, and Michele, 70, who had been married for 36 years, were found stabbed to death at their $13.5 million estate in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles on December 14. 

Later that night, their son Nick was arrested and held without bail. He was charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the days that followed.

Afterwards, it was reported that all three Reiners attended O'Brien's December 13 holiday party, where the filmmaker and his son were involved in a 'very loud argument.'

In December, the Daily Mail reported exclusively that O'Brien stopped a friend from calling 911 during an explosive fight between Reiner and Nick at the comedian's bash.

Nick is said to have been behaving erratically all evening, but one source familiar with the party told the Daily Mail the spat grew so intense that at least one guest suggested calling the cops to intervene.

'They got in an argument, the father and son. It got so bad and loud someone wanted to call the police to report it,' the insider claimed.

'But Conan stepped in and said, "It's my house, my party, I'm not calling the police." He talked them out of calling the police.'

A source close to the Los Angeles Police Department said there were no 911 calls from O'Brien's house that night.

The Reiners had reportedly brought Nick to the star-studded event to 'keep an eye on him.'

Nick had been living in the Reiners' guesthouse at their Brentwood mansion, after years of substance abuse issues, at least 18 stints in rehab and some periods of homelessness.

Sources told TMZ that he was suffering with worsening schizophrenia and became 'erratic and dangerous' when doctors changed his medication weeks before the tragedy.

Guests at the A-list packed party say Nick displayed 'antisocial behavior', such as staring at attendees and repeatedly 'asking people if they were famous,' according to reports.

A source told NBC News that at one point Nick 'interrupted' comedian Bill Hader, who then told Reiner's son that he was 'in the middle of a private conversation' – prompting an angry outburst.

'Nick just stood there and stared before storming off,' the witness said.

Hours later, Reiner and his wife were found dead at their home. Their bodies were discovered around 3.30pm on Sunday afternoon by their daughter Romy, who lives across the street from her parents' property. 

Nick was arrested around 9pm Sunday night 15 miles away.

A source close to the Reiner family recently informed the Daily Mail that he has been 'rapidly deteriorating' in custody and has become 'like a babbling child, totally out of it,' to the extent that 'his lawyers have a hard time talking to him.'

Nick's next court date is scheduled for January 13, 2027.