Rob Reiner was known for decades as a Hollywood luminary, finding early success as a sitcom star before going on to become one of the most prominent directors in the industry. But he also dedicated much of his life to political activism, with a long record of backing Democratic Party campaigns nationwide and supporting landmark policies for LGBTQ rights and childhood development in his home state of California.
In the wake of his death, that legacy is being remembered by some of the country’s leading political figures.
Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead Sunday in their Los Angeles home, and police said Monday that their son, Nick Reiner, 32, has been arrested for murder.
Former President Barack Obama said he and Michelle Obama were “heartbroken” by the news. Reiner, he wrote, displayed “a deep belief in the goodness of people — and a lifelong commitment to putting that belief into action. Together, he and his wife lived lives defined by purpose. They will be remembered for the values they championed and the countless people they inspired,.”
Similar sentiments were shared by former Vice President Kamala Harris, who previously represented California in the U.S. Senate, and House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, both of whom referred to the Reiners as “dear friends.”
“Rob loved our country, cared deeply about the future of our nation, and fought for America’s democracy,” Harris wrote on X.
Pelosi’s post highlighted Reiner’s deep history of activism in California, referencing his efforts to help secure marriage equality and a program supporting early childhood development in the state.
“Personally, Rob cared deeply about people and demonstrated that in his civic activities — whether by supporting the First 5 initiative or fighting against Prop 8 in California,” Pelosi wrote, adding that he was also “a champion for the First Amendment and the creative rights of artists.”
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Reiner led the campaign to pass California’s First 5 initiative in 1998. Also known as the California Children and Families Initiative, it’s “dedicated to improving the lives of California’s young children and their families through a comprehensive system of education, health services, childcare, and other crucial programs,” according to its mission statement. Funding for the initiative comes from a statewide tax on tobacco. Reiner chaired the organization from 1999 to 2006.
Later, Reiner joined the board of directors at the American Foundation for Equal Rights, a nonprofit organization that brought a crucial federal court challenge against Proposition 8, California’s now-defunct 2008 ban on same-sex marriage. He and his wife were among the organization’s founding board members, and Michele Reiner went on to serve as its treasurer. They were driving forces in its successful effort to pursue legal protection for marriage equality in California and several other states, before the Supreme Court finally upheld it nationwide.
Reiner was also an environmental advocate. He founded an environmental campaign in the early 2000s to protect California’s Ahmanson Ranch as a state park and wildlife preserve, and prevent it from becoming a site for real estate development, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Brian Vander Brug/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images 
Reiner lent his support to the campaigns of numerous Democratic candidates, including Al Gore during the 2000 presidential election and Hillary Clinton’s 2008 and 2016 presidential campaigns.
Former President Bill Clinton said in a post on X that Rob and Michele Reiner “inspired and uplifted millions through their work on film and television. And they were good, generous people who made everyone who knew them better through their active citizenship in defense of inclusive democracy, setting an example for us all to follow. Hillary and I will always be grateful for their friendship, unfailing kindness, and support.”
Former President Joe Biden praised the Reiners’ “extraordinary contributions” and wrote, “We take solace in knowing their work will live on for generations to come.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Gov. Gavin Newsom both shared their appreciation of Reiner’s political achievements in their state. Newsom described Reiner as a “big-hearted genius” with “boundless empathy,” who “made California a better place through his good works.” Bass called Reiner’s death “is a devastating loss” for Los Angeles and the nation.
“Rob Reiner’s contributions reverberate throughout American culture and society, and he has improved countless lives through his creative work and advocacy fighting for social and economic justice,” Bass wrote, adding that, as an activist, “he always used his gifts in service of others.”
Reiner was also an outspoken critic of President Trump, which drew the ire of the president. In social media posts and comments at the White House on Monday, Mr. Trump accused Reiner of “Trump derangement syndrome” and said, “I wasn’t a fan of his at all.” The president’s comments were condemned by a number of Republicans as well as Democrats.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rob-reiner-political-activism-democrats-marriage-equality/
