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‘Family Guy’ colleague saw red flags in Nick Reiner years before parent murders

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Years before Nick Reiner was charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, several people in contact with the family noticed red flags in his behavior.

One of these people worked with Nick on the production of “Family Guy.” Nick joined the team in 2014 as an intern fresh out of rehab. He interned for several months on the long-running TV show, and a production assistant who also worked on the show spoke to Fox News Digital about his impression of Nick, whom he remembers as a “dark, twisted, kind of mean kid.”

Adam claimed Rob was the one who got Nick the job, saying: “Actually, the executive producers said, ‘Let him hang out. Like, he doesn’t need to have a lot of responsibility. Don’t let him touch anything. Let this kid hang out, it’s a favor to his dad, who we love so much, and he’s trying to get back on his feet.'”

TIMELINE OF ROB REINER AND HIS WIFE MURDER INVESTIGATION: POLICE SAY THE COUPLE WERE FOUND IN THEIR BEDROOM

Rob Reiner reportedly found Nick a job as an intern on “Family Guy” to help him get his life back together after rehab. (Rommel Demano/Getty Images)

She said she and Nick “got really close” because, as an intern, he would follow her around for about four hours every day.

“Nick Reiner really impressed me,” the man admitted. “It’s been stuck in my brain all these years.”

Her life was getting back on track when she met Nick. The man was sober, but the man said he felt like Nick was “struggling” with his sobriety. He claimed that Nick was homeless for a while before he started working on “Family Guy.”

“He felt like a really raw kid,” he recalled. “He had a very dark sense of humor… He was an introverted person, like he wasn’t too loud. But he was also funny and felt very human. I remember really liking him, like I thought he was a really good kid.”

Murdered Rob Reiner with his wife Michele in a photo taken with his family

Rob Reiner, Michele Reiner, Romy Reiner, Nick Reiner, Maria Gilfillan and Jake Reiner at the Los Angeles Premiere of “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues” held at The Egyptian Theater on September 9, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Variety via Michael Buckner/Getty Images)

She also admitted that Nick was “dark” when she met him and was “not very good with his mental health.”

“He was a really troubled kid,” he told Fox News Digital.

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He said he and several other team members encouraged Nick to pursue stand-up comedy when he expressed an interest in it, saying he could easily get his foot in the door with his sense of humor and Hollywood connections. He recalled Nick landing sets at famed Los Angeles venue The Comedy Store, but said he had never been to a show.

During their time working together on “Family Guy,” the man said Rob would drop off and pick up Nick every day.

Nick was arrested on suspicion of killing his parents hours after their bodies were found in their Brentwood home. (Getty Images; Jake Reiner Facebook)

“He felt like the family wanted him to be successful and that they were constantly trying to set him up for success,” he recalled. “And he was just this dark, twisted, mean kid.”

Although she and Nick worked closely together, their friendship did not last long outside of work. They did not remain in close contact when the internship ended, but remained friends on social media; She almost reached out to Rob on December 14th when she read the news that two people were found dead in his home.

“I went to send him a DM saying, ‘Oh my God, man, call me if you need anything,’” he said. “Then I kept reading and he was like, ‘My son was arrested at the scene.’ And I was like, ‘This is crazy… I’m not going to DM anyone today.'”

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Nick’s former co-worker admitted he was “not that surprised” when he heard about his arrest. (Laura Cavanaugh)

Although Nick was ultimately arrested and charged with murdering his parents, he was not arrested at the scene.

On Sunday, December 14, police found Rob and Michele’s bodies in the master bedroom of their home in Brentwood, California. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office later said they died from multiple sharp force injuries.

Nick was quickly named as a person of interest in the investigation and was arrested hours later, at around 9.15pm local time the same day.

On December 16, authorities charged Nick with the double murder of his parents. He was shot with two counts of first-degree murder with a special circumstance of multiple murders.

WATCH: NICK REINER SEEN ON SECURITY FOOTAGE AFTER HIS FAMILY WAS FOUND DEAD

“He also faces a special allegation of personal use of a dangerous and deadly weapon, such as a knife,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said at a news conference. “These charges carry a maximum penalty of life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.”

A decision has not yet been made on whether prosecutors will seek the death penalty.

Nick appeared in court for the first time in the case on December 17, where his attorney, renowned defense attorney Alan Jackson, requested a continuation of the case. He spoke only once: “Yes, Your Honor,” he said when the judge asked if he agreed to postpone the hearing.

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