December 15, 2025 • 31 mins
Los Angeles police investigate the deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner as a possible homicide after the couple was found dead in their home. Plus, the FBI foils a New Year’s Eve terror plot in Los Angeles. Guest Wendy Walsh joins the show to discuss adult mental health issues.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Gary and Shannon and you're listening to KFI
AM six forty, the Gary and Shannon Show on demand
on the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
It's nice, have two ten and four teams.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Bill's good.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
All right, that's it.
Speaker 4 (00:18):
I can go home now, welcome back, nice and cold
there on sidelines. I heard you mention that the the
difference between the shady side and the sunny side was
pretty significant.
Speaker 5 (00:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
I mean it was seventeen degrees, which I've never been in,
and it was not bad. Under the sun without wind,
you can do it. Definitely doable. It was very cool.
I loved it. I had a great time. Yeah, I
was cold, but I had heat up. I had electric
pants and electric vest on. I had three layers of
clothes top and bottom, so two pairs of socks toe warmers,
(00:54):
like I was. It's taken me seven years, but I
figured out how to stay warm in those cold weather games.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
But the sun was a big difference. I was telling.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Our engineer there Rich, I was like, I swear the
sun was the difference in that injury situation yesterday, and
the chiefs are dropping like flies and they were in
the shade the entire time, which in October September is
a blessing, but not in December. And the difference it
was a fifteen eighteen degree swing between the sunny side
(01:24):
and the shady side. And at least the Chargers were
able to the part of the field was in the shade,
were able to come over to the sideline that was
drenched in sun for the majority of the game and
thaw out, whereas the Chiefs were not, and they were numb.
They were stone, and they stayed stone, and the ball
stayed stone.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
And that's tough.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Chiefs are out, Patrick, what Holmes is out?
Speaker 6 (01:45):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (01:45):
That was awful to see him like limping where our
buses were parked. I was talking to Andy Reesemeyer yesterday
on his show because his show started right after the game,
and I was telling him right where our buses were
parked was right next to the Chiefs parking lot. And
you see Patrick and Brittany walking to their you know,
f one to fifty raptor and beautiful truck and.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
He's limping. And I don't care who you are.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
To see somebody who's so great at what they do
be taken out like that in that fashion is awful
And to see and to know the road ahead for
him where it kind of it not kind of it
ruins his whole off season as well in the Chiefs
off season for that matter, to rebound from a torn
acl like that and to see him kind of limping
and she's driving and it.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
Was just just it was awful.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
And Gardner Minho's parked next to him and he's driving
like a like an Accura from nineteen ninety six.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
He looks like a homeless.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Guy in the spare.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Oh yeah, I mean it was just.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
Like, oh, man, Well, we had friends over last night
and I had that we got some of the early
information about Rob Reiner and the what started out as
the death's at a house belonging to Rob Reiner. That
was kind of the first information that everybody got than
it was the descriptors that included the ages do match
(03:04):
the ages of Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
So I got the alert on the plane and I'm thinking, Okay,
two found dead in his home. It's going to be
him and his wife, especially when you saw the ages
of the deceased. And my first thought was awful, because
I'm seeped in news. My whole adult life is as
is a murder suicide. Having that, because that's where you go,
that's where my mind went. Sure, my mind did not
(03:28):
go to the more heartbreaking story which we just saw
last week in Los Angeles with the opera singer, that
a child would kill his parents or her parents. That's
even more heartbreaking than a murder suicide with a couple.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
We do know that Rob Reiner's son, Nick, has been
arrested booked into the La County Jail on suspicion of murder.
Jail records didn't show a whole lot of details. He's
being held on four million dollars four million dollars bail.
Was taken into custody last night at about nine o'clock
according to the booking records, and then was actually booked
(04:08):
just after five this morning, which would follow some of
the reporting that we saw late last night and into
this morning that they were questioning a family member.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Was basically the way that they put it.
Speaker 4 (04:19):
Now we're still waiting for There was an expectation that
they were going to hold a news conference. LPD was
going to hold a news conference at about seven this morning,
was the first information that we had.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
They've pushed that back a couple of Times.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
There's also a developing story about a terror plot that
was spoiled, that they were going to plant bombs around
LA during New Year's Eve. We'll get to that. That's
all coming up. That may have been part of the
reason why they pushed this thing back. But last night
LAPD Deputy Chief Allen Hamilton was asked about whether they
have a suspect a person of interest etsea.
Speaker 7 (04:52):
We've not identified a suspect at this time.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
Well, then shouldn't you be looking for one?
Speaker 8 (04:56):
In order to comply with.
Speaker 7 (04:57):
The legal process Before we do anything here, we have
to get a start wary because their issues regarding standing.
Speaker 8 (05:03):
At this residence.
Speaker 7 (05:04):
So as long as those legal requirements are met, we
could continue the investigation. Now, when I tell you that
we have not identified a suspect, it doesn't mean that
we're not working the case.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
Yeah, and I thought that was a dumb question, and
I'm surprised that it was kind of highlighted.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Well, shouldn't you be looking for one? Do you think
you think?
Speaker 4 (05:21):
You think a high profile murder, like the murder of
a Hollywood icon like Rob Reiner, they're not doing anything.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
It's just no, it's just it's.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
Arguing semantics with the with the chief of a deputy
chief of the LAPD.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
I'll defend that.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
What they're trying to get the police to say is
it wasn't random. If it was a random murder, they'd
be looking for a suspect in Brentwood, they'd be running around.
So they were trying to narrow it down to we
know who it is. It's a family member, because everybody knew.
By the time they held that press conference in the LAPD,
People magazine had already confirmed it was the Sun and
(05:58):
that the daughter had found the couple, and that with
stab wounds, and like the sources inside the department had
already run to TMZ and People and what have you.
So they're trying to get the police to narrow it so,
you know, in his defense, we shouldn't you be looking
for one. If it's a random murder, the police would
be looking for one, right.
Speaker 4 (06:16):
And that's I mean, that's Alan Hamilton also saying as
much as he can without saying anything really, I mean
to try to probably answer that question in a way
that is not legally jeopardizing anything. You know, they don't
they don't want to put anything.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
That press conference probably shouldn't have been shouldn't have happened.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
That's also a great point is probably.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Shouldn't have held that press conference at that point because.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
You can't say anything now.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
And if you can't say anything, then say that you
can't say anything. And that's all we're going to say
for tonight.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
All right.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
We do know about the sun. He has been arrested,
held on four million dollars bail. We know that he
is thirty two, cycled in and out of rehab centers
bouts of homelessness as a teenager. He recounted struggle and
interviews he had gotten clean by twenty fifteen. He worked
with his father on Hey Charlie, a film about addiction
(07:07):
and recovery.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Rob Reiner directed and his son co wrote.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
The film about a successful actor with political ambitions and
a son addicted to drugs. This is just the most
tragic because this is the case in point of you
can have everything, You can have all the success in
the world. You can have a wonderful marriage, a strong,
wonderful marriage, and all the success and all the accolades
(07:35):
and your kids. You have no power. Sometimes you just
have no power. You do what the best you can.
I mean how more of the best you can. Can
you say you were trying to get your kid, who
you knew struggled involved in the industry, that you were
such a titan in that you helped him work through
some of those things with a film about addiction and recovery.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
I mean, it's just awful in so many ways.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
We know a lot of people have dealt with this.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
We're going to talk about this throughout the day today,
just kind of what.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
How you deal with this?
Speaker 3 (08:06):
What do you have it?
Speaker 1 (08:06):
Even if you're not a Rob Reiner, you're just an
average person with a struggling adult kid with addiction issues
or with mental illness. You're you're so helpless, I would imagine,
and that's such an awful feeling when it comes to
your kids, especially.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
We'll talk also when we come back. Rob Reiner was
arguably one of the time. But yeah, shaped it's a
great way to put it, just in terms of the
movies that he was involved with.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
From we were just talking about Billy Crystal and when
Harry met Sally and that Pecan Pie pe Camp Pie.
That was an outtake that Rob Reiner chose to keep in.
He directed that movie. He directed Misery, a few good
men stand by me, spinal tap. There's just the list
goes on and on.
Speaker 8 (08:57):
You're listening to Gary and Shannon on demand from KFI
A six forty.
Speaker 4 (09:03):
The Turtle Island Liberation Front is the group that is
being tied to this bomb plot.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
The FBI held a news conference this morning.
Speaker 4 (09:13):
We'll talk about a little bit later, but there are
at least five people that were arrested accused of planning
to plant pipe bombs in backpacks in several areas around
Los Angeles on the upcoming New Year's Eve.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
I feel bad about the turtles nothing being dragged into this, Like,
is there going to be a backlash against Turtle Liberation?
Speaker 4 (09:38):
I hope not, because turtles are in danger, different different,
different philosophies. I would say, perhaps, so.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
They have nothing to do with saving turtles.
Speaker 8 (09:47):
Not.
Speaker 4 (09:47):
Actually, then why do they use the name Turtle Island
is I would you say a legend that North America
is built on the backs of turtles, ancient tradition kind
of thing.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Really? Yeah, this is a blind spot for me. I
thought this was a conservation group that went too far left.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
Well, I guess you they may get a deal with conservation.
I suppose mostly anti capitalism, anti government.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
Okay, that's yeah.
Speaker 4 (10:16):
But like you said, the turtles feedram out of it.
Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle found dead yesterday. Apparently
their son Nick was arrested this morning or taking into
custody last night, booked into jail this morning. Four million
dollars bail. We were talking about again. We had friends
over last night and I saw this and I was like, hey,
(10:37):
did you guys hear this.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
Thing about Rob Reiner's house.
Speaker 4 (10:39):
And this was before they were identified, And then I
didn't want to go any further. I didn't want to
say anything more because we're having a great time and
I want to bring the house down.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
He Rob Reiner started acting.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
There was some I knew him from all in the family.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
My dad loved all in the family, loved Archie Bunker
and Edith and the whole gang. And Meathead was the
one who he really he would just he would.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
Talk to the television dead. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
Meathead was a great foil, what a great character. And
that's kind of how I knew Rob Reiner. Just this
kind of and when you're a kid and you see
somebody in a role, they kind of become that.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Role in your head right that, and then you learn
you grew up and you learn to think.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
Rob Ryder went On directed all of these great movies.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
He wasn't meathead.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
He was this like mastermind when it came to pulling
out the best of the best of some of the
best actors.
Speaker 4 (11:36):
And wow, he did some very early stuff Wagon Train, Batman,
That Girl, Andy Griffith Show, Gomer Pyle, Beverly Hillbillies and
stuff like that. He actually was writing with Steve Martin
in the late sixties. He and he and Steve mart
were writing for the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. Of course,
All in the Family was when he really became a
(11:56):
household name and has done everything since then. The Hertridge Family,
the New Show, New Girl was Zoe Dashanel. But obviously
the big impacts that he had in the eighties and nineties,
and just some of those absolutely classic movies that we
think of, from Spinal Tap to one of my all
(12:17):
time favorite movies stand By Me, Princess Bride.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
Right, Don't sleep on his wife. His wife was well
accomplished as well. Rob Reiner was married to Penny Marshall
all Right from Lavernon Shirley from seventy one to eighty one.
He met photographer Michelle Singer on the set of When
Harry Met Sally that he directed, and the two met
that year. In nineteen eighty nine, she began producing films
(12:41):
over the last decade, Shock in naw Albert Brooks, Defending
My Life, Spinal Tap two. She produced God in Country.
So this was a very strong couple. As you can imagine.
It was a madhouse in Brentwood with law enforcement swarming
his estate. Crystal was there last night, among David was
(13:04):
there too.
Speaker 4 (13:07):
The most recent I think that I saw him in.
The most recent show I saw him in was The Bear.
He had kind of a bit part in the last season.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
Oh yeah, that's right, that's right.
Speaker 4 (13:19):
But but he'd been in everything, and in terms of
not just behind the camera as a director for some
of those incredible movies. Princess Bride is one I totally forgot.
Throw Mama from the Train. He was in, Sleepless in Seattle,
Primary Colors, The Wolf of Wall Street he was in,
and then of course this is Spinal Tap, where he
plays the direct fake director of the fake documentary The Numbers.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
I'll go to eleven.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
It's one of those things now.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
Listen, His politics obviously play into this. The President said
some ridiculously idiotic thing this morning that that Trump derangement
syndrome was to blame for his death or something stupid
like that. And he's been an act, very active politically
in California forever. And you know, I didn't agree with
(14:09):
his politics at all. But this is not a but
I love his movie.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
There's no room in the conversation for someone's politics when
they have gone and been stabbed to death with their wife,
by their son and their home.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Like I said, this is so.
Speaker 4 (14:27):
As so far away from politics as you could possibly get.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
This is someone who had everything, and I think it
highlights the point that so many people struggle with the
same thing. It doesn't have to be a child. It
makes it more heartbreaking, I would think when it is,
but somebody in the family. The holidays they heighten the
stress too, someone in the family who's dealing with things,
whether it's addiction or mental illness or what have you.
(14:52):
You've got everything and you can't pay your way out
of that situation. It does not discriminate. It hits the
porest of the poor and the rich of the rich.
And we're going to talk to someone coming up in
the program about you know, how prevalent is it for
people to suffer from this and the family unit and
(15:13):
what can you do. I'm not saying that there were
things that they could have done that they didn't. It
looks like they went the distance in terms of help
for their child.
Speaker 4 (15:23):
And had all the like you said, had all the
resources available to them to do that sort of.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
Oh, I want to play Good morning guys.
Speaker 6 (15:30):
Welcome back, Shannon. I'm glad you didn't freeze to death.
And the Rob Reiner thing. Shortly after that happened, they
posted a lot of pictures of the family in various
situations and the one son, which I didn't know who
they were in every picture is given them mom and
dad like the stink guy. So man, that's kind of
scary because obviously that's the guy I did it.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
Don't forget. Those are curated pictures.
Speaker 4 (15:54):
Those are pictures that people want to put up that
would show this guy and and influence the way that
you feel about him.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
Well, you don't feel any way about him, right, He's
somebody who suffers from mental illness. That is asked and answered.
Of course, you're going to find those pictures. Of course,
those pictures exist.
Speaker 8 (16:15):
So anyway, you're listening to Gary and Shannon on demand
from KFI Am six forty.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
There's just so much going on today.
Speaker 4 (16:28):
The update on the terror plot that was broken up
maybe the top of the hour we'll get to some
of this.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
But the FBI says.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
They broke up a terror plot to plant pipe bombs
around Los Angeles on New Year's Eve. Pam Bondi, Attorney General,
was the first to post about it this morning. Cash
Pttel then posted about it. Four arrested out in the
Lucerne Valley, a fifth person arrested in New Orleans. We
had the shooting yesterday in Australia, Fifteen people killed at
(16:59):
bond And Beach. Apparently the shooting was carried out by
a father and a son. The father ended up dying,
the son is in a coma and is likely the
one who's going to.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
Be charged with all of this.
Speaker 4 (17:12):
Then there was a shooting at Brown University as well,
and the FBI is now in trouble. Well, I mean,
catching heat is probably the better way to put it,
because they picked up somebody said that they had a
suspect in custody and then released them, and now everybody
in the Brown University investigation is saying that guy probably
had nothing to do with the shooting at.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
Brown University over the weekend.
Speaker 4 (17:33):
So a lot of these things that are going and
then three Americans killed in Syria. If you forgot that,
we still had people in Syria. So but we're obviously
locally talking most about the death of Rob Reiner and
his and his wife apparently at the hands of their son.
(17:54):
The reactions have obviously come in. We mentioned that people
who live in the Brentwood have visited the home. Reporters
apparently saw Billy Crystal and Larry David and a bunch
of others. Mayor Bass had come out with the statement
said that this is a devastating loss for our city
and our country. Former President Obama wrote that he was heartbroken.
(18:15):
Sean Aston is the president right now. A sag after
Us said that Reiner was one of the most significant
figures in the history of film and television and I
can't you can't argue with that.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
Here is what we know.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
Rob Reiner's wife, Michelle Singer Reiner, killed by their son.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
It was yesterday about three point thirty.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
LA Fire Department was called to the home to provide
medical aid there in Brentwood.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
Upon arrival, they find the two dead.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
We don't know where in the home they were found,
but they were stabbed to death. Both of them had
their throats slit. The son, thirty two, is alive, arrested,
being questioned, being held on four million dollars bond. There
are reports that it was the daughter that found the
bodies and call called the nine.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
To one one.
Speaker 4 (19:01):
And I don't know that whole situation is where Apparently
the daughter lives across the street or in that same neighborhood,
And I don't know if there was an argument. TMZ
was reporting that Nick the Sun and his parents got
into a big, loud argument Saturday night at Conan O'Brien's
(19:23):
Christmas party. I mean that part of it location doesn't matter,
but that's just to give you the context of where
it was, and that this was a loud enough argument
that other people at the party heard the whole thing.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Obviously, don't know if this was a continuation of that.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
In a twenty sixteen interview with People magazine, Nick the
Sun spoke about his year's long struggle with drug addiction.
He said it began in his early teens, eventually left
him living on the streets that he had cycled in
and out of rehab beginning around the age of fifteen fifteen.
(19:57):
As his addiction escalated, he drifted farther from home spent
several significant stretches as a homeless person in multiple states.
He told people Nick did that the chaotic period of addiction,
including nights and sometimes week sleeping outside, later became the
basis for that semi autobiographical film that we told you about,
(20:21):
calling Being Charlie, which he co wrote that Rob Reiner
put together. He told people at the time again this
was this was twenty sixteen, so about nine years ago now,
he said, and now I've been home for a really
long time, and I've sort of gotten acclimated back to
being in la and being around my family. That is
how powerful that is That addiction life is man. Twenty sixteen,
(20:49):
he had gone through all the periods of homelessness. He
seemed like he was getting back. He was in a
recovery state. And nine years later we're talking about him,
you know, stabbing and killing his parents.
Speaker 3 (21:03):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (21:06):
That movie Being Charlie. Carry always played his father. As
you mentioned, the whole plot of that is that there
is an actor who has political ambitions who's dealing with
this teenage son who's going through his addiction and mental
illness problems.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
And I mean, I know you're supposed to.
Speaker 4 (21:25):
Say semi autobiographical because obviously they use you know, different names,
but it sounds like it's just I mean, that would
almost be too it'd be too close to home.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
But maybe that's why it was. Maybe that's why they
took it on.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
All right, when we come back, we are going to
talk to our doctor Wendy Walsh about the prevalence people
that are dealing with a child that they have done
everything for, they're trying to do things for, and you're
so helpless and so powerless in so many cases in
that situation. Just about navigating, especially through difficult times of
(22:05):
the year, which I would imagine this is being the
holidays and emotions are heightened and things.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
So we'll do that when we come back.
Speaker 8 (22:13):
You're listening to Gary and Shannon on demand from kfi
AM six forty.
Speaker 4 (22:22):
Gary and Shannon kfi AM six forty Live Everywhere on
the iHeartRadio app. I mentioned this just briefly, but three
US troops, sorry, two US troops killed and injured in
an ambush attack in Syria have now been identified as
members of the Iowa National Guard and isis gunman apparently
(22:43):
that was hired to work security open fire with an
automatic weapon in the town of Palmyra there in central Syria.
Two Iowa National Guard soldiers and an American civilian translator
were killed. Three additional US soldiers were wounded in that attack.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
Over the weekend, we're talking about the tragedy that is
Rob Briner and his wife being stabbed and killed by
their son, a son who was out with his struggles.
Rob Bryder even put together a movie with his son
about his cycling through addiction and all of the hell
that that brings. Looks like the son has stabbed and
(23:19):
killed mom and dad. We wanted to get a professional
on to talk about. You know, this is a very
famous example, and unfortunately it proves that you can have
everything at your disposal and still be completely powerless over
addiction when it grabs hold of your child or any
family member. Doctor Wendy joins us. Now on the show,
(23:39):
Doctor Wendy.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
How are you.
Speaker 5 (23:42):
I'm good. How are you guys doing?
Speaker 3 (23:44):
Long time no talk?
Speaker 1 (23:45):
Yeah, well it's a hard day, but you know it
really does. Is this a more trying time of year
with the holidays when it comes to addictions and mental
illness and familial issues or is that just a cliche.
Speaker 5 (24:02):
Well, when we're talking about mental health in general, not
necessarily addiction. The holidays can bring up memories of childhood
or childhood trauma, et cetera that might be able to
trigger things. I think the important thing that we need
to talk here is not this. This isn't a story
about addiction as much as it's a story about mental
health problems. And so you know, addiction is usually where
(24:24):
people land when they're self medicating from internal psychic pain,
and that's where we need to begin. It's not about
the drugs, it's what prompted the person to use the drugs.
And that's why if you see the advertisements of most
addiction treatment centers, they'll say we do a dual diagnosis,
(24:45):
which means once you remove the chemical, whether it's alcohol,
we cocaine, whatever, math, then you actually get to see
what the problem was underneath it all. And so this
is really a story about mental health much as one
about addiction.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
He had cycled through a number of programs I just
read since he was fifteen years old, and you're right,
you know, you remove the substance and then you got
to kind of figure out what got you to abusing
the substance, right, But it seems like he had been
in programs where this was what this was done, removing
(25:21):
the substance.
Speaker 3 (25:22):
And then help.
Speaker 5 (25:24):
Yeah, and I don't know what prescription medications he was on.
I don't know if he had reverted back to whatever
drug of choice he was using. You know. For some reason,
I keep thinking about the example of Charlie Sheen and
Martin Sheen. If you have watched the documentary on Charlie Sheen,
even though he seems to be in recovery and pretty
relatively solid right now, his dad, Martin Sheen, who was
(25:47):
there doing all the worst of it, refused to participate
in the documentary, as did his brother.
Speaker 8 (25:54):
Right.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
That was telling to me as well, Yeah.
Speaker 5 (25:57):
It's not all it's not all cleaned up yet, like
they're stuff there. And you know, Rob Reiner and Michelle
such great parents to have him live in their home.
Apparently he was living with them and be constantly to
the end trying to help their son. It is just
it's heartbreaking, heartbreaking to think that this could happen.
Speaker 3 (26:18):
What kind of resources are there available?
Speaker 4 (26:21):
I mean, because you're dealing with legal issues now where
an adult son, you know, thirty years old whatever. Yeah,
you can't force them into treatment. You can only offer support.
Is there is there a way for the parents to
get support.
Speaker 5 (26:38):
The wisdom is generally that you're supposed to cut them
off so they can hit their rock bottom and go
and get on their feet and find help. Which it
sounds like they tried this back when he was a teenager.
I mean he was homeless, A very wealthy kid who
is homeless, right, So they probably tried all the They
probably had all the professionals around and tried all the interventions.
(27:02):
It's important to realize that as a parent in America,
after your child becomes eighteen, you have no legal rights.
There's nothing you can do. And it is a terrible
place for a parent to be in trying to convince
their young adults who's not thinking straight to get the
help they need. And you know, they generally don't do
(27:23):
it if it comes from nagging from the outside. They
do it when they get to a place of I
can't take this feeling anymore hitting rock bottom. So sadly,
you know, he got it together. They produced a movie
together back in twenty sixty. You know, he was only
like twenty three then and now he's thirty two, So
there was probably a slide back into something and they
(27:46):
were unable to control him and doing what so many
parents would do, providing shelter for their child so they
could sleep at night. It's hard to sleep when you
know your kids out there on the street somewhere. It's
just so so said.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
It just seems like an impossible situation as a parent,
no matter how much money you have.
Speaker 5 (28:06):
Trust me, it is. That's all I will say at
this point. But trust me it is. And I have
met so many parents who are just trying to figure
out what do I do with my twenty something kid.
You know, a few weeks ago, we had the head
researcher on cannabis on my show from UCLA, and he
(28:27):
said one of the reasons why, for instance, insurance companies
won't cover marijuana detox is because more than two million
young Americans are addicted to cannabis. That the amount of
THHC and this stuff they're selling at these cannabis shops
is much higher than they of us remember back in
the day, and it is highly addictive, and there are
(28:48):
physiological events that happen with withdrawal, but nobody wants to
pay attention to it because they're so happy that the
tax money that states are getting by selling it. And
more than two million young Americans are addicted to THHC now,
and parents are at wits end and they say, well,
you know, my son's just in the basement gaming and
(29:08):
looking at porn and crypto. But yeah, he's also taking
dummies and smoking weed all day and that's the real
problem here.
Speaker 1 (29:15):
Yeah. Yeah, it's a weird It is a weird slide,
isn't it when you think about how people just think pots.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
Oh, pot's not a big problem. It's a it is.
Speaker 5 (29:24):
Next time I hear somebody say it's just marijuana, yeah,
I want to throttle them.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
Yes, yeah, I don't even know what they do.
Speaker 5 (29:33):
It's not dangerous.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
It's like pot now to me is like pills where
I don't know what's in that. You know, it's not
like the weed you smoked in the nineties where it
was just you know, you packed your pipe or your
I'm sounding like a grandmother right now.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
But you know what I mean, Like, now.
Speaker 5 (29:46):
They's so gruid in your backyard if you leave.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
Yeah, exactly. Now it's so designer. It's like I don't
know what's in this, just like you don't know what's
in a pill.
Speaker 6 (29:54):
Yep.
Speaker 5 (29:55):
Anyway, all right, which is interesting. Alcohol is legal and
insurance companies will coverlcohol. De talks. Isn't that interesting? Yeah,
So anything that is a you know, a recreational drug,
some people are going to become addicted. So it's his heartbreaking.
Speaker 4 (30:14):
Well, it's unfortunately that we talked to you on a
day like today, but it is good to hear.
Speaker 5 (30:19):
I was covering it minute by minute during my show
last night, waiting for the press conference and waiting for
the news and trying to quell some of the rumors
that were circulating. We were trying to get Tim Conway
Junior on the show, but apparently his family are family
friends with the Reiners, so he was off consoling. Yeah,
I have got family members.
Speaker 3 (30:37):
Yeah, doctor Wendy, thank you for your time.
Speaker 5 (30:42):
Good to talk to you guys too.
Speaker 4 (30:44):
All Right, we come back. This is going to be
a story that continues throughout the day. We will if
they do hold this news conference that they've been talking about.
We'll definitely break in and bring it to you, but
we'll come back and talk more about this terror plot
that was busted up by the FBI that was supposed
to be target getting LA's New Year's Eve a.
Speaker 3 (31:02):
Bunch of pipe bombs. We're gonna be placed. It's all come.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
We had a New Year's Eve in La. Is there
a ball that dropped somewhere?
Speaker 3 (31:08):
I don't think so.
Speaker 4 (31:09):
Okay, you've been listening to The Gary and Shannon Show.
You can always hear us live on KFI AM six
forty nine am to one pm every Monday through Friday,
and anytime on demand on the iHeartRadio app
This is Gary and Shannon and you're listening to KFI
AM six forty, the Gary and Shannon Show on demand
on the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
It's nice, have two ten and four teams.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Bill's good.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
All right, that's it.
Speaker 4 (00:18):
I can go home now, welcome back, nice and cold
there on sidelines. I heard you mention that the the
difference between the shady side and the sunny side was
pretty significant.
Speaker 5 (00:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
I mean it was seventeen degrees, which I've never been in,
and it was not bad. Under the sun without wind,
you can do it. Definitely doable. It was very cool.
I loved it. I had a great time. Yeah, I
was cold, but I had heat up. I had electric
pants and electric vest on. I had three layers of
clothes top and bottom, so two pairs of socks toe warmers,
(00:54):
like I was. It's taken me seven years, but I
figured out how to stay warm in those cold weather games.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
But the sun was a big difference. I was telling.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Our engineer there Rich, I was like, I swear the
sun was the difference in that injury situation yesterday, and
the chiefs are dropping like flies and they were in
the shade the entire time, which in October September is
a blessing, but not in December. And the difference it
was a fifteen eighteen degree swing between the sunny side
(01:24):
and the shady side. And at least the Chargers were
able to the part of the field was in the shade,
were able to come over to the sideline that was
drenched in sun for the majority of the game and
thaw out, whereas the Chiefs were not, and they were numb.
They were stone, and they stayed stone, and the ball
stayed stone.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
And that's tough.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Chiefs are out, Patrick, what Holmes is out?
Speaker 6 (01:45):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (01:45):
That was awful to see him like limping where our
buses were parked. I was talking to Andy Reesemeyer yesterday
on his show because his show started right after the game,
and I was telling him right where our buses were
parked was right next to the Chiefs parking lot. And
you see Patrick and Brittany walking to their you know,
f one to fifty raptor and beautiful truck and.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
He's limping. And I don't care who you are.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
To see somebody who's so great at what they do
be taken out like that in that fashion is awful
And to see and to know the road ahead for
him where it kind of it not kind of it
ruins his whole off season as well in the Chiefs
off season for that matter, to rebound from a torn
acl like that and to see him kind of limping
and she's driving and it.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
Was just just it was awful.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
And Gardner Minho's parked next to him and he's driving
like a like an Accura from nineteen ninety six.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
He looks like a homeless.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Guy in the spare.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Oh yeah, I mean it was just.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
Like, oh, man, Well, we had friends over last night
and I had that we got some of the early
information about Rob Reiner and the what started out as
the death's at a house belonging to Rob Reiner. That
was kind of the first information that everybody got than
it was the descriptors that included the ages do match
(03:04):
the ages of Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
So I got the alert on the plane and I'm thinking, Okay,
two found dead in his home. It's going to be
him and his wife, especially when you saw the ages
of the deceased. And my first thought was awful, because
I'm seeped in news. My whole adult life is as
is a murder suicide. Having that, because that's where you go,
that's where my mind went. Sure, my mind did not
(03:28):
go to the more heartbreaking story which we just saw
last week in Los Angeles with the opera singer, that
a child would kill his parents or her parents. That's
even more heartbreaking than a murder suicide with a couple.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
We do know that Rob Reiner's son, Nick, has been
arrested booked into the La County Jail on suspicion of murder.
Jail records didn't show a whole lot of details. He's
being held on four million dollars four million dollars bail.
Was taken into custody last night at about nine o'clock
according to the booking records, and then was actually booked
(04:08):
just after five this morning, which would follow some of
the reporting that we saw late last night and into
this morning that they were questioning a family member.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Was basically the way that they put it.
Speaker 4 (04:19):
Now we're still waiting for There was an expectation that
they were going to hold a news conference. LPD was
going to hold a news conference at about seven this morning,
was the first information that we had.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
They've pushed that back a couple of Times.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
There's also a developing story about a terror plot that
was spoiled, that they were going to plant bombs around
LA during New Year's Eve. We'll get to that. That's
all coming up. That may have been part of the
reason why they pushed this thing back. But last night
LAPD Deputy Chief Allen Hamilton was asked about whether they
have a suspect a person of interest etsea.
Speaker 7 (04:52):
We've not identified a suspect at this time.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
Well, then shouldn't you be looking for one?
Speaker 8 (04:56):
In order to comply with.
Speaker 7 (04:57):
The legal process Before we do anything here, we have
to get a start wary because their issues regarding standing.
Speaker 8 (05:03):
At this residence.
Speaker 7 (05:04):
So as long as those legal requirements are met, we
could continue the investigation. Now, when I tell you that
we have not identified a suspect, it doesn't mean that
we're not working the case.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
Yeah, and I thought that was a dumb question, and
I'm surprised that it was kind of highlighted.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Well, shouldn't you be looking for one? Do you think
you think?
Speaker 4 (05:21):
You think a high profile murder, like the murder of
a Hollywood icon like Rob Reiner, they're not doing anything.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
It's just no, it's just it's.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
Arguing semantics with the with the chief of a deputy
chief of the LAPD.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
I'll defend that.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
What they're trying to get the police to say is
it wasn't random. If it was a random murder, they'd
be looking for a suspect in Brentwood, they'd be running around.
So they were trying to narrow it down to we
know who it is. It's a family member, because everybody knew.
By the time they held that press conference in the LAPD,
People magazine had already confirmed it was the Sun and
(05:58):
that the daughter had found the couple, and that with
stab wounds, and like the sources inside the department had
already run to TMZ and People and what have you.
So they're trying to get the police to narrow it so,
you know, in his defense, we shouldn't you be looking
for one. If it's a random murder, the police would
be looking for one, right.
Speaker 4 (06:16):
And that's I mean, that's Alan Hamilton also saying as
much as he can without saying anything really, I mean
to try to probably answer that question in a way
that is not legally jeopardizing anything. You know, they don't
they don't want to put anything.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
That press conference probably shouldn't have been shouldn't have happened.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
That's also a great point is probably.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Shouldn't have held that press conference at that point because.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
You can't say anything now.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
And if you can't say anything, then say that you
can't say anything. And that's all we're going to say
for tonight.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
All right.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
We do know about the sun. He has been arrested,
held on four million dollars bail. We know that he
is thirty two, cycled in and out of rehab centers
bouts of homelessness as a teenager. He recounted struggle and
interviews he had gotten clean by twenty fifteen. He worked
with his father on Hey Charlie, a film about addiction
(07:07):
and recovery.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Rob Reiner directed and his son co wrote.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
The film about a successful actor with political ambitions and
a son addicted to drugs. This is just the most
tragic because this is the case in point of you
can have everything, You can have all the success in
the world. You can have a wonderful marriage, a strong,
wonderful marriage, and all the success and all the accolades
(07:35):
and your kids. You have no power. Sometimes you just
have no power. You do what the best you can.
I mean how more of the best you can. Can
you say you were trying to get your kid, who
you knew struggled involved in the industry, that you were
such a titan in that you helped him work through
some of those things with a film about addiction and recovery.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
I mean, it's just awful in so many ways.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
We know a lot of people have dealt with this.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
We're going to talk about this throughout the day today,
just kind of what.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
How you deal with this?
Speaker 3 (08:06):
What do you have it?
Speaker 1 (08:06):
Even if you're not a Rob Reiner, you're just an
average person with a struggling adult kid with addiction issues
or with mental illness. You're you're so helpless, I would imagine,
and that's such an awful feeling when it comes to
your kids, especially.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
We'll talk also when we come back. Rob Reiner was
arguably one of the time. But yeah, shaped it's a
great way to put it, just in terms of the
movies that he was involved with.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
From we were just talking about Billy Crystal and when
Harry met Sally and that Pecan Pie pe Camp Pie.
That was an outtake that Rob Reiner chose to keep in.
He directed that movie. He directed Misery, a few good
men stand by me, spinal tap. There's just the list
goes on and on.
Speaker 8 (08:57):
You're listening to Gary and Shannon on demand from KFI
A six forty.
Speaker 4 (09:03):
The Turtle Island Liberation Front is the group that is
being tied to this bomb plot.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
The FBI held a news conference this morning.
Speaker 4 (09:13):
We'll talk about a little bit later, but there are
at least five people that were arrested accused of planning
to plant pipe bombs in backpacks in several areas around
Los Angeles on the upcoming New Year's Eve.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
I feel bad about the turtles nothing being dragged into this, Like,
is there going to be a backlash against Turtle Liberation?
Speaker 4 (09:38):
I hope not, because turtles are in danger, different different,
different philosophies. I would say, perhaps, so.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
They have nothing to do with saving turtles.
Speaker 8 (09:47):
Not.
Speaker 4 (09:47):
Actually, then why do they use the name Turtle Island
is I would you say a legend that North America
is built on the backs of turtles, ancient tradition kind
of thing.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Really? Yeah, this is a blind spot for me. I
thought this was a conservation group that went too far left.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
Well, I guess you they may get a deal with conservation.
I suppose mostly anti capitalism, anti government.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
Okay, that's yeah.
Speaker 4 (10:16):
But like you said, the turtles feedram out of it.
Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle found dead yesterday. Apparently
their son Nick was arrested this morning or taking into
custody last night, booked into jail this morning. Four million
dollars bail. We were talking about again. We had friends
over last night and I saw this and I was like, hey,
(10:37):
did you guys hear this.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
Thing about Rob Reiner's house.
Speaker 4 (10:39):
And this was before they were identified, And then I
didn't want to go any further. I didn't want to
say anything more because we're having a great time and
I want to bring the house down.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
He Rob Reiner started acting.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
There was some I knew him from all in the family.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
My dad loved all in the family, loved Archie Bunker
and Edith and the whole gang. And Meathead was the
one who he really he would just he would.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
Talk to the television dead. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
Meathead was a great foil, what a great character. And
that's kind of how I knew Rob Reiner. Just this
kind of and when you're a kid and you see
somebody in a role, they kind of become that.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Role in your head right that, and then you learn
you grew up and you learn to think.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
Rob Ryder went On directed all of these great movies.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
He wasn't meathead.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
He was this like mastermind when it came to pulling
out the best of the best of some of the
best actors.
Speaker 4 (11:36):
And wow, he did some very early stuff Wagon Train, Batman,
That Girl, Andy Griffith Show, Gomer Pyle, Beverly Hillbillies and
stuff like that. He actually was writing with Steve Martin
in the late sixties. He and he and Steve mart
were writing for the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. Of course,
All in the Family was when he really became a
(11:56):
household name and has done everything since then. The Hertridge Family,
the New Show, New Girl was Zoe Dashanel. But obviously
the big impacts that he had in the eighties and nineties,
and just some of those absolutely classic movies that we
think of, from Spinal Tap to one of my all
(12:17):
time favorite movies stand By Me, Princess Bride.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
Right, Don't sleep on his wife. His wife was well
accomplished as well. Rob Reiner was married to Penny Marshall
all Right from Lavernon Shirley from seventy one to eighty one.
He met photographer Michelle Singer on the set of When
Harry Met Sally that he directed, and the two met
that year. In nineteen eighty nine, she began producing films
(12:41):
over the last decade, Shock in naw Albert Brooks, Defending
My Life, Spinal Tap two. She produced God in Country.
So this was a very strong couple. As you can imagine.
It was a madhouse in Brentwood with law enforcement swarming
his estate. Crystal was there last night, among David was
(13:04):
there too.
Speaker 4 (13:07):
The most recent I think that I saw him in.
The most recent show I saw him in was The Bear.
He had kind of a bit part in the last season.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
Oh yeah, that's right, that's right.
Speaker 4 (13:19):
But but he'd been in everything, and in terms of
not just behind the camera as a director for some
of those incredible movies. Princess Bride is one I totally forgot.
Throw Mama from the Train. He was in, Sleepless in Seattle,
Primary Colors, The Wolf of Wall Street he was in,
and then of course this is Spinal Tap, where he
plays the direct fake director of the fake documentary The Numbers.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
I'll go to eleven.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
It's one of those things now.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
Listen, His politics obviously play into this. The President said
some ridiculously idiotic thing this morning that that Trump derangement
syndrome was to blame for his death or something stupid
like that. And he's been an act, very active politically
in California forever. And you know, I didn't agree with
(14:09):
his politics at all. But this is not a but
I love his movie.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
There's no room in the conversation for someone's politics when
they have gone and been stabbed to death with their wife,
by their son and their home.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Like I said, this is so.
Speaker 4 (14:27):
As so far away from politics as you could possibly get.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
This is someone who had everything, and I think it
highlights the point that so many people struggle with the
same thing. It doesn't have to be a child. It
makes it more heartbreaking, I would think when it is,
but somebody in the family. The holidays they heighten the
stress too, someone in the family who's dealing with things,
whether it's addiction or mental illness or what have you.
(14:52):
You've got everything and you can't pay your way out
of that situation. It does not discriminate. It hits the
porest of the poor and the rich of the rich.
And we're going to talk to someone coming up in
the program about you know, how prevalent is it for
people to suffer from this and the family unit and
(15:13):
what can you do. I'm not saying that there were
things that they could have done that they didn't. It
looks like they went the distance in terms of help
for their child.
Speaker 4 (15:23):
And had all the like you said, had all the
resources available to them to do that sort of.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
Oh, I want to play Good morning guys.
Speaker 6 (15:30):
Welcome back, Shannon. I'm glad you didn't freeze to death.
And the Rob Reiner thing. Shortly after that happened, they
posted a lot of pictures of the family in various
situations and the one son, which I didn't know who
they were in every picture is given them mom and
dad like the stink guy. So man, that's kind of
scary because obviously that's the guy I did it.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
Don't forget. Those are curated pictures.
Speaker 4 (15:54):
Those are pictures that people want to put up that
would show this guy and and influence the way that
you feel about him.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
Well, you don't feel any way about him, right, He's
somebody who suffers from mental illness. That is asked and answered.
Of course, you're going to find those pictures. Of course,
those pictures exist.
Speaker 8 (16:15):
So anyway, you're listening to Gary and Shannon on demand
from KFI Am six forty.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
There's just so much going on today.
Speaker 4 (16:28):
The update on the terror plot that was broken up
maybe the top of the hour we'll get to some
of this.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
But the FBI says.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
They broke up a terror plot to plant pipe bombs
around Los Angeles on New Year's Eve. Pam Bondi, Attorney General,
was the first to post about it this morning. Cash
Pttel then posted about it. Four arrested out in the
Lucerne Valley, a fifth person arrested in New Orleans. We
had the shooting yesterday in Australia, Fifteen people killed at
(16:59):
bond And Beach. Apparently the shooting was carried out by
a father and a son. The father ended up dying,
the son is in a coma and is likely the
one who's going to.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
Be charged with all of this.
Speaker 4 (17:12):
Then there was a shooting at Brown University as well,
and the FBI is now in trouble. Well, I mean,
catching heat is probably the better way to put it,
because they picked up somebody said that they had a
suspect in custody and then released them, and now everybody
in the Brown University investigation is saying that guy probably
had nothing to do with the shooting at.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
Brown University over the weekend.
Speaker 4 (17:33):
So a lot of these things that are going and
then three Americans killed in Syria. If you forgot that,
we still had people in Syria. So but we're obviously
locally talking most about the death of Rob Reiner and
his and his wife apparently at the hands of their son.
(17:54):
The reactions have obviously come in. We mentioned that people
who live in the Brentwood have visited the home. Reporters
apparently saw Billy Crystal and Larry David and a bunch
of others. Mayor Bass had come out with the statement
said that this is a devastating loss for our city
and our country. Former President Obama wrote that he was heartbroken.
(18:15):
Sean Aston is the president right now. A sag after
Us said that Reiner was one of the most significant
figures in the history of film and television and I
can't you can't argue with that.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
Here is what we know.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
Rob Reiner's wife, Michelle Singer Reiner, killed by their son.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
It was yesterday about three point thirty.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
LA Fire Department was called to the home to provide
medical aid there in Brentwood.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
Upon arrival, they find the two dead.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
We don't know where in the home they were found,
but they were stabbed to death. Both of them had
their throats slit. The son, thirty two, is alive, arrested,
being questioned, being held on four million dollars bond. There
are reports that it was the daughter that found the
bodies and call called the nine.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
To one one.
Speaker 4 (19:01):
And I don't know that whole situation is where Apparently
the daughter lives across the street or in that same neighborhood,
And I don't know if there was an argument. TMZ
was reporting that Nick the Sun and his parents got
into a big, loud argument Saturday night at Conan O'Brien's
(19:23):
Christmas party. I mean that part of it location doesn't matter,
but that's just to give you the context of where
it was, and that this was a loud enough argument
that other people at the party heard the whole thing.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Obviously, don't know if this was a continuation of that.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
In a twenty sixteen interview with People magazine, Nick the
Sun spoke about his year's long struggle with drug addiction.
He said it began in his early teens, eventually left
him living on the streets that he had cycled in
and out of rehab beginning around the age of fifteen fifteen.
(19:57):
As his addiction escalated, he drifted farther from home spent
several significant stretches as a homeless person in multiple states.
He told people Nick did that the chaotic period of addiction,
including nights and sometimes week sleeping outside, later became the
basis for that semi autobiographical film that we told you about,
(20:21):
calling Being Charlie, which he co wrote that Rob Reiner
put together. He told people at the time again this
was this was twenty sixteen, so about nine years ago now,
he said, and now I've been home for a really
long time, and I've sort of gotten acclimated back to
being in la and being around my family. That is
how powerful that is That addiction life is man. Twenty sixteen,
(20:49):
he had gone through all the periods of homelessness. He
seemed like he was getting back. He was in a
recovery state. And nine years later we're talking about him,
you know, stabbing and killing his parents.
Speaker 3 (21:03):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (21:06):
That movie Being Charlie. Carry always played his father. As
you mentioned, the whole plot of that is that there
is an actor who has political ambitions who's dealing with
this teenage son who's going through his addiction and mental
illness problems.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
And I mean, I know you're supposed to.
Speaker 4 (21:25):
Say semi autobiographical because obviously they use you know, different names,
but it sounds like it's just I mean, that would
almost be too it'd be too close to home.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
But maybe that's why it was. Maybe that's why they
took it on.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
All right, when we come back, we are going to
talk to our doctor Wendy Walsh about the prevalence people
that are dealing with a child that they have done
everything for, they're trying to do things for, and you're
so helpless and so powerless in so many cases in
that situation. Just about navigating, especially through difficult times of
(22:05):
the year, which I would imagine this is being the
holidays and emotions are heightened and things.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
So we'll do that when we come back.
Speaker 8 (22:13):
You're listening to Gary and Shannon on demand from kfi
AM six forty.
Speaker 4 (22:22):
Gary and Shannon kfi AM six forty Live Everywhere on
the iHeartRadio app. I mentioned this just briefly, but three
US troops, sorry, two US troops killed and injured in
an ambush attack in Syria have now been identified as
members of the Iowa National Guard and isis gunman apparently
(22:43):
that was hired to work security open fire with an
automatic weapon in the town of Palmyra there in central Syria.
Two Iowa National Guard soldiers and an American civilian translator
were killed. Three additional US soldiers were wounded in that attack.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
Over the weekend, we're talking about the tragedy that is
Rob Briner and his wife being stabbed and killed by
their son, a son who was out with his struggles.
Rob Bryder even put together a movie with his son
about his cycling through addiction and all of the hell
that that brings. Looks like the son has stabbed and
(23:19):
killed mom and dad. We wanted to get a professional
on to talk about. You know, this is a very
famous example, and unfortunately it proves that you can have
everything at your disposal and still be completely powerless over
addiction when it grabs hold of your child or any
family member. Doctor Wendy joins us. Now on the show,
(23:39):
Doctor Wendy.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
How are you.
Speaker 5 (23:42):
I'm good. How are you guys doing?
Speaker 3 (23:44):
Long time no talk?
Speaker 1 (23:45):
Yeah, well it's a hard day, but you know it
really does. Is this a more trying time of year
with the holidays when it comes to addictions and mental
illness and familial issues or is that just a cliche.
Speaker 5 (24:02):
Well, when we're talking about mental health in general, not
necessarily addiction. The holidays can bring up memories of childhood
or childhood trauma, et cetera that might be able to
trigger things. I think the important thing that we need
to talk here is not this. This isn't a story
about addiction as much as it's a story about mental
health problems. And so you know, addiction is usually where
(24:24):
people land when they're self medicating from internal psychic pain,
and that's where we need to begin. It's not about
the drugs, it's what prompted the person to use the drugs.
And that's why if you see the advertisements of most
addiction treatment centers, they'll say we do a dual diagnosis,
(24:45):
which means once you remove the chemical, whether it's alcohol,
we cocaine, whatever, math, then you actually get to see
what the problem was underneath it all. And so this
is really a story about mental health much as one
about addiction.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
He had cycled through a number of programs I just
read since he was fifteen years old, and you're right,
you know, you remove the substance and then you got
to kind of figure out what got you to abusing
the substance, right, But it seems like he had been
in programs where this was what this was done, removing
(25:21):
the substance.
Speaker 3 (25:22):
And then help.
Speaker 5 (25:24):
Yeah, and I don't know what prescription medications he was on.
I don't know if he had reverted back to whatever
drug of choice he was using. You know. For some reason,
I keep thinking about the example of Charlie Sheen and
Martin Sheen. If you have watched the documentary on Charlie Sheen,
even though he seems to be in recovery and pretty
relatively solid right now, his dad, Martin Sheen, who was
(25:47):
there doing all the worst of it, refused to participate
in the documentary, as did his brother.
Speaker 8 (25:54):
Right.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
That was telling to me as well, Yeah.
Speaker 5 (25:57):
It's not all it's not all cleaned up yet, like
they're stuff there. And you know, Rob Reiner and Michelle
such great parents to have him live in their home.
Apparently he was living with them and be constantly to
the end trying to help their son. It is just
it's heartbreaking, heartbreaking to think that this could happen.
Speaker 3 (26:18):
What kind of resources are there available?
Speaker 4 (26:21):
I mean, because you're dealing with legal issues now where
an adult son, you know, thirty years old whatever. Yeah,
you can't force them into treatment. You can only offer support.
Is there is there a way for the parents to
get support.
Speaker 5 (26:38):
The wisdom is generally that you're supposed to cut them
off so they can hit their rock bottom and go
and get on their feet and find help. Which it
sounds like they tried this back when he was a teenager.
I mean he was homeless, A very wealthy kid who
is homeless, right, So they probably tried all the They
probably had all the professionals around and tried all the interventions.
(27:02):
It's important to realize that as a parent in America,
after your child becomes eighteen, you have no legal rights.
There's nothing you can do. And it is a terrible
place for a parent to be in trying to convince
their young adults who's not thinking straight to get the
help they need. And you know, they generally don't do
(27:23):
it if it comes from nagging from the outside. They
do it when they get to a place of I
can't take this feeling anymore hitting rock bottom. So sadly,
you know, he got it together. They produced a movie
together back in twenty sixty. You know, he was only
like twenty three then and now he's thirty two, So
there was probably a slide back into something and they
(27:46):
were unable to control him and doing what so many
parents would do, providing shelter for their child so they
could sleep at night. It's hard to sleep when you
know your kids out there on the street somewhere. It's
just so so said.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
It just seems like an impossible situation as a parent,
no matter how much money you have.
Speaker 5 (28:06):
Trust me, it is. That's all I will say at
this point. But trust me it is. And I have
met so many parents who are just trying to figure
out what do I do with my twenty something kid.
You know, a few weeks ago, we had the head
researcher on cannabis on my show from UCLA, and he
(28:27):
said one of the reasons why, for instance, insurance companies
won't cover marijuana detox is because more than two million
young Americans are addicted to cannabis. That the amount of
THHC and this stuff they're selling at these cannabis shops
is much higher than they of us remember back in
the day, and it is highly addictive, and there are
(28:48):
physiological events that happen with withdrawal, but nobody wants to
pay attention to it because they're so happy that the
tax money that states are getting by selling it. And
more than two million young Americans are addicted to THHC now,
and parents are at wits end and they say, well,
you know, my son's just in the basement gaming and
(29:08):
looking at porn and crypto. But yeah, he's also taking
dummies and smoking weed all day and that's the real
problem here.
Speaker 1 (29:15):
Yeah. Yeah, it's a weird It is a weird slide,
isn't it when you think about how people just think pots.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
Oh, pot's not a big problem. It's a it is.
Speaker 5 (29:24):
Next time I hear somebody say it's just marijuana, yeah,
I want to throttle them.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
Yes, yeah, I don't even know what they do.
Speaker 5 (29:33):
It's not dangerous.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
It's like pot now to me is like pills where
I don't know what's in that. You know, it's not
like the weed you smoked in the nineties where it
was just you know, you packed your pipe or your
I'm sounding like a grandmother right now.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
But you know what I mean, Like, now.
Speaker 5 (29:46):
They's so gruid in your backyard if you leave.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
Yeah, exactly. Now it's so designer. It's like I don't
know what's in this, just like you don't know what's
in a pill.
Speaker 6 (29:54):
Yep.
Speaker 5 (29:55):
Anyway, all right, which is interesting. Alcohol is legal and
insurance companies will coverlcohol. De talks. Isn't that interesting? Yeah,
So anything that is a you know, a recreational drug,
some people are going to become addicted. So it's his heartbreaking.
Speaker 4 (30:14):
Well, it's unfortunately that we talked to you on a
day like today, but it is good to hear.
Speaker 5 (30:19):
I was covering it minute by minute during my show
last night, waiting for the press conference and waiting for
the news and trying to quell some of the rumors
that were circulating. We were trying to get Tim Conway
Junior on the show, but apparently his family are family
friends with the Reiners, so he was off consoling. Yeah,
I have got family members.
Speaker 3 (30:37):
Yeah, doctor Wendy, thank you for your time.
Speaker 5 (30:42):
Good to talk to you guys too.
Speaker 4 (30:44):
All Right, we come back. This is going to be
a story that continues throughout the day. We will if
they do hold this news conference that they've been talking about.
We'll definitely break in and bring it to you, but
we'll come back and talk more about this terror plot
that was busted up by the FBI that was supposed
to be target getting LA's New Year's Eve a.
Speaker 3 (31:02):
Bunch of pipe bombs. We're gonna be placed. It's all come.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
We had a New Year's Eve in La. Is there
a ball that dropped somewhere?
Speaker 3 (31:08):
I don't think so.
Speaker 4 (31:09):
Okay, you've been listening to The Gary and Shannon Show.
You can always hear us live on KFI AM six
forty nine am to one pm every Monday through Friday,
and anytime on demand on the iHeartRadio app
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