The shocking deaths of Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, forced the world to look back at the troubled life of their son.

Long before tragedy struck, there were signs that something was deeply wrong.

Friends, family insiders, and Nick Reiner himself had openly revealed patterns of pain, volatility, and unresolved struggle that now read like unanswered warnings.

Those closest to the Reiner family say the earliest signs appeared when Nick was still a child.

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His emotional volatility stood out even among families accustomed to high-energy personalities.

Yoga instructor Alanna Zabel, who worked closely with the family for nearly a decade, described behavior that left a lasting impression.

“Nicky would barge in like the world was on fire, screaming, into our yoga sessions. It was disruptive,” she told the Daily Mail.

“He was really screaming. I have never seen a child like it,” Zabel added.

Her role eventually shifted from group sessions to focused one-on-one work. She revealed, “For about a year, I did private classes just with Nicky, really trying to regulate him and calm him down.”

According to Zabel, his behavior wasn’t simply mischief or defiance. It reflected deeper unmet needs. She shared, “His emotions were not being met on some level. He really needed attention, and needed it immediately when he needed it.”

She summarized the child she knew simply, noting, “He was just an intense kid.”

This intensity even inspired Zabel’s later children’s book. The opening line mirrored what she had witnessed firsthand.

It read, “Little Nicky was picky. He often threw a fit. He didn’t relax easy, and he never wanted to sit.”

As Nick entered adolescence, emotional struggles evolved into substance abuse.

Rehab became a recurring feature of his life, beginning around his 15th birthday. By his own admission, refusal to comply with treatment led to homelessness across multiple states.

“I was homeless in Maine. I was homeless in New Jersey. I was homeless in Texas,” he told PEOPLE Magazine in 2016. “I spent nights on the street. I spent weeks on the street. It was not fun.”

He explained the stark choices he faced, saying, “‘If I wanted to do it my way and not go to the programs they were suggesting, then I had to be homeless.'”

Despite moments of progress, Nick acknowledged the weight of those years. “I’ve been home for a really long time, and I’ve sort of gotten acclimated back to being in LA and being around my family. But there was a lot of dark years there.”

The family’s efforts to help were constant. Zabel confirmed they sought professional guidance early on.

“The fact that they were seeing a family therapist shows how much they cared. They were trying to figure it out,” she said.

Nick did not hide the destructive side of his addiction. In a 2018 episode of the “Dopey Podcast,” he described a disturbing episode involving drugs and violence at his parents’ property.

Host David Mannheim asked directly, “What about when you wrecked the guesthouse on meth?”

Nick answered candidly, “I got totally spun out on uppers. I think it was coke and something else.”

The behavior escalated rapidly. He revealed, “I was up for days on end. I started punching out different things in my guest house.”

He continued, “I started with the TV and then went over to the lamp.”

The damage was total. Nick added, “Everything in the guesthouse got wrecked.”

When Mannheim asked whether the destruction helped him release anger, Nick dismissed the idea, stating, “‘No, you’re crazy. No logic.'”

The exchange ended with Mannheim urging him to return to recovery, a plea that underscored how alarming Nick’s behavior appeared even to fellow addicts.

Despite Nick’s volatility, those who knew Rob and Michele Reiner insist they were deeply involved and loving parents.

Zabel described them as “passionate, hands-on parents, and loving.”

“I love Rob and Michele so much. They were just so passionate. Both of them were very intensely passionate about their family, life, justice, and creativity,” she said.

Michele, in particular, worked to shield her children from industry excess. “Michele was a New Yorker living in California. She was really mindful, trying to raise her kids out of the pressures of Los Angeles and Hollywood. It was challenging and full-time,” Zabel said.

The family even considered publishing Zabel’s book as part of their therapeutic process. “Rob and Michele loved the book; they brought it to their therapist because they were considering publishing it with me,” she explained.

That plan was ultimately abandoned for Nick’s sake. Zabel shared, “The therapist just didn’t want Nicky to know that there was a book written about him having this tantrum, and add more energy to his behavioral issues. So I just did it on my own, and they were fine with that.”

Zabel also acknowledged the unique strain fame can place on children, noting, “I think it’s really challenging for children of Hollywood stars to have a clear sense of reality. It’s really not easy. But it’s not an excuse.”

She added, “The sense of neglect can breed its own delusion in kids.”

The deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner stunned those who had spent years inside their home.

Zabel reflected on the unbearable contrast between past memories and the tragic end.

She said, “Just knowing how many times I’ve been in that house, and knowing these people, and just imagining that your destiny is that. This is unbelievable.”

She believes the family may have been preparing for a meaningful celebration when everything changed.

“Probably they were planning Hanukkah dinner and something happened,” she said.

Overcome with grief, Zabel spoke of the couple’s character and the loss felt by everyone who knew them.

She shared, “I’m really just gutted with sadness hearing their story tonight.”

Her final words painted a portrait of two people defined by intensity and generosity. She said, “They were passionate and wanted the best for everyone, so kind and generous, but also very, very intense people.”

In retrospect, the story of Nick Reiner reads as a long chain of visible struggles and unanswered cries for help.

The tragedy did not come without warning, but the warnings were scattered across years of pain, addiction, and fractured hope, signals that, only now, feel devastatingly clear.