Nick Reiner Reportedly Considered a Conservatorship ‘Beneath’ Him: ‘His Freedom Came First’

New details regarding the conservatorship Nick Reiner was allegedly placed under before the deaths of his parents Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner are coming to light.

The 32-year-old was reportedly placed into a yearlong mental health conservatorship in 2020, with a clerk at the Los Angeles Superior Court confirming to the New York Times that it concluded in 2021.

“It ended after a year because Nick was considered stable, and didn’t fit the criteria of being gravely disabled,” a family friend told the Daily Mail in an article published Sunday, January 18.

However, Nick — who has openly discussed past struggles with substance abuse and homelessness — began to rapidly decline.

“He started back with his old ways. Smoking weed,” the Mail’s source claimed. “Nick hated being under someone’s thumb. He considered it beneath him. It was a huge blow to his ego, and embarrassing. Any mention or talks about being placed under another conservatorship would have set Nick off. All hell would have broken loose.”

“Nick didn’t want to be told what to do or how to live his life,” the source added. “That’s why he bailed on the whole 12 Step program. Too many rules, he would say.”

The source said that Nick felt “his freedom came first,” adding that he was “never going to follow direction” and “never going to give up smoking weed.”

The legendary Hollywood director, 78, and his wife, 70, were found with fatal stab wounds in their Los Angeles home on December 14. Prior to their killings, the Reiners reportedly attended a holiday party at the home of Conan O’Brien, and it is believed Rob engaged in an argument with his son.

After the Reiners were found dead in their home, Nick was located and arrested by police hours later at approximately 9:15 p.m. local time near the University of Southern California campus.

He was initially represented by high-profile attorney Alan Jackson, but during a Wednesday, January 7, court appearance, Jackson withdrew from the case. Nick was then appointed a public defender, and his arraignment was postponed to February 23.

Nick has not yet entered a plea.

On January 7, Jackson reiterated his belief in his former client’s innocence. “What we’ve learned and you can take this to the bank, is that pursuant to the laws of this state, Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder,” he said. “Print that. We wish him the very very best moving forward.”