Claim:
A TikTok video authentically shows former U.S. President Barack Obama announcing that he was paying for the funeral expenses of Rob and Michelle Reiner who were found fatally stabbed in their L.A. home in December 2025.
Rating:
In December 2025, a TikTok video claimed former U.S. President Barack Obama had offered to pay for the funeral expenses of famed director and Democratic donor Rob Reiner and his wife, Michelle Reiner.
The rumor spread after the couple was found fatally stabbed in their mansion in Los Angeles on Dec. 14, 2025. Soon after, the Los Angeles Police Department announced authorities had arrested Nick Reiner, the couple’s 32-year-old son. Prosecutors have charged him with two counts of first-degree murder. The Obamas had planned to visit the Reiners on the day they were found dead.
The video post had a voiceover purportedly by Obama with clips of the former president interspersed with footage of Reiner. Obama appeared to be referring to U.S. President Donald Trump’s response to the Reiners’ slaying, in which the latter said they died because of “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
Per the TikTok post, Obama allegedly said:
I’ve decided to cover all the funeral expenses for Rob Reiner and his wife. I owe him this from 2008. Back then, when my presidential campaign was at a critical point, Rob Reiner stepped up for me. He didn’t hide, he went on multiple media platforms and spoke out publicly, saying straight up that Obama has the vision and the ability to lead America toward change. I’ve never forgotten that. Rob and Michelle spent their lives standing up for what was right, and yet they were killed in the most brutal way by the people closest to them. Their throats cut, left lying in pools of blood and still that cold hearted man in power wouldn’t even let them rest in peace. He made up a ridiculous illness to pin on Rob, hinting that Rob’s death was the price for opposing him. He even twisted a family tragedy, one caused by Nick’s long term addiction into a poisonous story that says if you stand against him, you deserve what you get. I’m paying this money so people see the difference clearly. Some of us are protecting the dignity of the dead, while others are using death for their own gain. In 2008, he helped protect my chance. Now I just want to protect the last bit of dignity for Rob and his wife. May they rest in peace.
The above post is not a factual quote from Obama, nor are the Obamas paying for the funeral arrangements. The creator labeled the original TikTok post as generated by artificial intelligence (AI). As such, we’ve labeled the claim as fake.
The above TikTok footage was suspicious for a few reasons. Firstly, Obama is not seen saying the actual words, and the purported quote is entirely in voiceover. Secondly, Obama likely would not publicly describe the Reiners’ slaying in such gruesome terms, detailing how they were lying in “pools of blood.” We found no video evidence of Obama making the above statement.
We also searched for segments of the above quote online and found no authentic news sources reporting that Obama ever said those words.
Finally, the TikTok video was categorized as “Creator labelled as AI-generated.” TikTok notes that this label applies to content that the creator indicates is either completely generated by AI or significantly generated by AI.
The Obamas did release a statement mourning the Reiners on X:
Michelle and I are heartbroken by the tragic passing of Rob Reiner and his beloved wife, Michele. Rob’s achievements in film and television gave us some of our most cherished stories on screen. But beneath all of the stories he produced was 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. We send our deepest condolences to all who loved them.
Michelle Obama appeared on the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” talk show soon after news broke of the Reiners’ slaying, and said they had plans to see the Reiners on the same day they were found dead. She also pushed back on Trump’s Truth Social post about the Reiners in which he said they died from “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” She said:
Let me just say this, unlike some people: Rob and Michele Reiner are some of the most decent, courageous people you ever want to know. They’re not deranged or crazed. What they have always been are passionate people. In a time when there’s not a lot of courage going on, they were the kind of people who were ready to put their actions behind what they cared about. And they cared about their family. And they cared about this country.
We also have little to no publicly available information on the Reiners’ funeral, with some unverified reports claiming it will be small and private and will include the Obamas. As a wealthy family from the entertainment industry, it is highly unlikely that the Reiners would need help paying for funeral expenses.
Such posts that are likely AI-generated can be characterized as “AI slop,” or just “slop” — low-quality content that’s easy to create thanks to artificial intelligence tools. For further reading, Snopes wrote a detailed explanation of AI slop.
We have covered numerous rumors about the Reiners, which can be found here.
