'Hated Being Under Someone's Thumb': Inside Nick Reiner’s Troubling Behavior After He Regained Control of His Life
Friends say Nick Reiner resisted control and sobriety programs before allegedly killing his parents.
Jan. 18 2026, Published 5:18 p.m. ET
Years before Nick Reiner was allegedly arrested for stabbing his parents to death, friends said his behavior became increasingly volatile after a court-ordered conservatorship was lifted, RadarOnline.com can report.
Nick was placed under a mental health conservatorship in 2020 as his schizophrenia worsened during the height of the COVID pandemic, stripping him of control over his medical care and finances.
'Couldn't Take Care of Himself'
Nick Reiner struggled with mental health issues before his parents’ deaths
At the time, insiders said he was unable to care for himself.
"Nick couldn't take care of himself. He was living on the streets, doing drugs, not eating and refusing rehab all in the height of Covid," a friend told the Daily Mail. "That's when he was placed under conservatorship."
For a period, those close to Nick believed the legal arrangement was helping.
"He seemed better, but that's because he was being drug-tested and taking his meds," the source said.
'Set Nick Off'
He was placed under a court-ordered conservatorship in 2020.
However, the conservatorship ended after a year when Nick was deemed stable and no longer met the legal standard of being "gravely disabled."
According to friends, that's when his behavior took a sharp turn.
"That all pretty much changed," the insider said. "He started back with his old ways. Smoking weed."
Sources say Nick deeply resented losing control of his life and reacted with anger whenever the possibility of reinstating the conservatorship was raised.
"Nick hated being under someone's thumb. He considered it beneath him. It was a huge blow to his ego, and embarrassing," the source said. "Any mention or talks about being placed under another conservatorship would have set Nick off. All h--- would have broken loose."
'His Freedom Came First'
The conservatorship ended after one year, deemed he was no longer 'gravely disabled.'
That hostility extended to sobriety efforts as well.
"Nick didn't want to be told what to do or how to live his life," the insider said. "That's why he bailed on the whole 12 Step program. Too many rules, he would say."
Friends claimed the testing, monitoring, and restrictions that came with court oversight only fueled his anger.
"His freedom came first, even though he created a self-imposed prison in his head," the source said. "He was never going to follow direction, never going to give up smoking weed."
Medication Changes
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Friends say his behavior declined after losing court oversight.
Nick was released from the conservatorship in 2021 and reportedly stabilized on schizophrenia medication, though TMZ reported he complained about side effects, including weight gain. About a month before the alleged killings, he switched medications.
The night before Rob and Michele Reiner were found with their throats cut inside their Brentwood home, Nick attended a holiday party hosted by Conan O'Brien alongside his parents, who were said to be concerned about his well-being and wanted to "keep an eye on him."
Nick was arrested within hours of the discovery and charged days later with two counts of first-degree murder. He has not yet entered a plea.
