Conan O’Brien admits that the December 2025 murders of Rob and Michele Reiner left him feeling devastated for a long period, and it is still hard for him to comprehend.

The Reiners were allegedly murdered by their son, Nick, hours after the family attended a holiday party at O’Brien’s home.

In an interview with The New Yorker, the former talk show host admits that the “experience of saying good night to somebody and having them leave and then find out the next day that they’re gone” left him “in shock for quite a while afterward.”

“I mean, there’s no other word for it. It’s just very — it’s so awful. It’s just so awful,” he said, adding that he and his wife had recently gotten closer to the couple, who “were just such lovely people.”

The Reiners brought Nick Reiner to O’Brien’s party, where he reportedly interrupted guests, including comedian Bill Hader, with bizarre questions such as, “Are you famous?”

Rob Reiner reportedly argued with his son at the party, but it’s unclear what sparked the argument.

O’Brien didn’t discuss Nick at all during his interview, instead emphasizing Rob Reiner’s influence on his life.

“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 said.

O’Brien could have a chance to pay tribute to his friend next month, when he hosts the Academy Awards on March 15 on ABC.

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