HRC Mourns Loss of Entertainment Icon and LGBTQ+ Activist Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner

WASHINGTON – The Human Rights Campaign is mourning the loss of legendary actor, director and LGBTQ+ activist Rob Reiner and his wife Michele. The Reiners have for years been dedicated supporters of the LGBTQ+ rights movement, co-founding the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) to fight back against Prop 8’s ban on same-sex marriage in California.

HRC President Kelley Robinson issued the following statement: 

“The entire HRC family is devastated by the loss of Rob and Michele Reiner. Rob is nothing short of a legend–his television shows and films are a part of our American history and will continue to bring joy to millions of people across the world. Yet for all his accomplishments in Hollywood, Rob and Michele will most be remembered for their gigantic hearts, and their fierce support for the causes they believed in–including LGBTQ+ equality. So many in our movement remember how Rob and Michele organized their peers, brought strategists and lawyers together, and helped power landmark Supreme Court decisions that made marriage equality the law of the land–and they remained committed to the cause until their final days. The world is a darker place this morning without Rob and Michele–may they rest in power.” 

Former HRC President Chad Griffin issued the following statement:

I am devastated by the loss of Rob and Michele Reiner, and I send every ounce of love I have to the Reiner and Singer families.

 I met Rob and Michele when I was 19 years old, working for President Clinton. They came to the White House doing research for “The American President,” and I was assigned to them for their visit. Later, they asked me to move to Los Angeles to help them build their foundation and from then on, they were more than just mentors and partners – they were my family. So much of who I am today is because of Rob and Michele. 

Rob and Michele led by example, with limitless generosity, passion, and love. Together, we took on some of the toughest fights of our time. They helped defeat Big Tobacco, unlocking billions of dollars for early childhood education in California and changing the lives of more than 20 million children and counting. They stood up after the passage of Proposition 8, providing the first resources in a federal court challenge they helped orchestrate, which ultimately reached the U.S. Supreme court, defeated Prop 8, and set the stage for nationwide marriage equality. They preserved thousands of acres of open space in California because they believed that the land itself deserves our protection. And when America’s democratic norms faced a constant threat in recent years, Rob and Michele understood that democracy does not defend itself, and they were relentless in the efforts to fight back against authoritarianism.

Many will speak about Rob’s creative genius, and they should. But Rob and Michele measured a life by impact – by whether you showed up and did what was required when it mattered most, without hesitation or fear. Rob was courage and conviction in human form. Michele was his compass, his partner, and his equal in every way. 

 The world is immeasurably better because Rob and Michele Reiner lived in it. May we all continue to be guided by a belief in the future they knew we could achieve.

Ambassador James Costos, HRC Board of Directors, issued the following statement:

We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of our dear friends Rob and Michele Reiner.

Michael and I were so fortunate to know them for a lifetime and to experience their generosity, spirit and the joy they brought to everyone around them. Above all, they were deeply loving, proud parents and their devotion to their children was always front and center, and they worked tirelessly to advance early childhood development, believing that investing in young children was essential.

Equally powerful was their unwavering commitment to equality, LGBTQ+ rights, and democracy. Rob’s leadership against Prop 8 helped pave the way for marriage equality, and together Rob and Michele stood fearlessly in defense of our rights and democratic values.

I will honor their legacy every day through my work with the Human Rights Campaign, an organization that reflects the values they lived by.

Rob’s creative legacy is immeasurable, his extraordinary talent and storytelling shaped our culture and brought people together in ways that will endure for generations. Michele was his constant partner and force, known for her bold voice, sharp sense of humor and her rare ability to hold a single conversation at a dinner party and make everyone around the table feel fully engaged.

This loss is simply devastating and my heart is with everyone who loved them.

Rob and Michele will live on in the values they stood for, the creativity they shared and the countless lives they touched.

The Reiners have been longtime allies of the Human Rights Campaign and the entire LGBTQ+ community. They were honored at the 2015 HRC Las Vegas Gala for their work to advance marriage equality. They were also special guests at the 2019 HRC Los Angeles Dinner,  where Rob said “We have to move past singling out transgender, LGBTQ, black, white, Jewish, Muslim, Latino. We have to get way past that and start accepting the idea that we're all human beings. We’re all human beings, we all share the same planet, and we should all have the same rights, period. It's no more complicated than that.”

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The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people, with 3.6 million members and supporters. The HRC Foundation (a 501(c)(3)) works to ensure LGBTQ+ people are safe, seen and supported where it matters most: at school, at work and in every community across the country. From the courtroom to the classroom, from Congress to corporate America, HRC and the HRC Foundation build power through partnerships, storytelling, and action—working to create a future rooted in equity, freedom and belonging for all LGBTQ+ people.