Hollywood director and wife Michelle found dead at home in Los Angeles

Legendary Hollywood filmmaker and actor Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were found dead in their Los Angeles home, BBC News partner CBS reported.

Police and firefighters were called to the couple’s home in the upscale Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon, and authorities were investigating the incident as an apparent homicide.

Police said they found a 78-year-old man and 68-year-old woman, both of whom were pronounced dead at the home. Police said no suspects or persons of interest are currently wanted.

Renner is known for directing classic films such as “The Princess Bride,” “This Is a Spinal Tap,” “When Harry Met Sally,” “Misery” and “A Good Man.”

Authorities did not immediately confirm the identity of the couple or the circumstances of their deaths.

A spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department told the BBC that they received a call at around 15:38 local time (23:38 GMT) for medical assistance at a home in Brentwood, a Los Angeles neighborhood where many celebrities live.

Los Angeles Police Department robbery-homicide detectives also responded to the home and have launched a homicide investigation.

At a news conference Sunday night, police did not provide any details about the deaths or what they discovered when they responded. Deputy Commissioner Alan Hamilton said the two bodies were still inside the house more than six hours after police and firefighters were called.

He said no one was detained or arrested in connection with the incident.

Police also did not release details about the injuries sustained by the two men or whether any weapons were found or used. Hamilton said the cause of death will be determined by the Los Angeles Coroner’s Office.

California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a statement confirming the deaths of Lehner and his wife.

Newsom said he was “heartbroken” by the deaths and called Reiner “the big-hearted genius behind so many of our favorite classic stories.”

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called Lehner’s death “a devastating loss for our city and our country” and paid tribute to the couple’s philanthropic work for child development and LGBTQ+ advocacy.

Renner is one of Hollywood’s best-known film producers and co-founder of the successful Castle Rock Entertainment production company.

He began his career in the 1960s and rose to fame in the 1970s playing Meathead on the seminal comedy All in the Family, for which he won two Emmy Awards.

He was married to actress Penny Marshall from 1971 to 1981 and is the adoptive father of Marshall’s daughter, actress Tracy Reiner.

In 1989, he married actress and photographer Michele Reiner. The couple has three children.