Michelle Obama has revealed that she and her husband Barack had plans to meet Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner on the day they were found dead.
The former U.S. First Lady has revealed that she and the former U.S. President were scheduled to see the When Harry Met Sally filmmaker and his photographer wife on Sunday evening, but later found out they'd been found dead in their Los Angeles home that afternoon.
"We've known them for many, many years, and we were supposed to be seeing them that night - last night - and we got the news," Michelle said on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Monday.
The 61-year-old then appeared to address President Donald Trump, who launched a scathing attack on Reiner on social media after his death, claiming he died from "a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME". He later doubled down on his comments in a press conference, calling the outspoken Trump critic "a deranged person" who was "very bad for our country".
Seemingly responding to the remarks, Michelle told Jimmy, "Unlike some people, Rob and Michele Reiner are some of the most decent, courageous people you ever want to know. They are 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, and they cared about fairness and equity, and that is the truth. I do know them."
Barack had posted a glowing tribute to the Reiners on social media earlier on Monday, writing that he and Michelle were "heartbroken".
In earlier tributes, Monty Python star Eric Idle revealed he spoke to Stand By Me director on the phone for "over an hour" on Saturday, and Jane Fonda shared that she saw the Reiners "looking healthy and happy" on Saturday night. The couple reportedly attended a star-studded Christmas party hosted by comedian Conan O'Brien.
In the opening monologue for Monday's episode, host Jimmy slammed Trump for his "hateful and vile" comments about Reiner.
"I have to say, I know from my personal interactions with Rob Reiner that he would want us to keep pointing out the loathsome atrocities that continue to ooze out of this sick and irresponsible man's mouth," he declared. "So we're going to do that over and over again until the rest of us wake up."
Rob, 78, and Michele, 68, were discovered with apparent stab wounds, and their deaths are being treated as a double homicide.
Their 32-year-old son Nick was arrested on Sunday night and booked on suspicion of his parents' murder. He remains in custody without bail.
