Billy Crystal says a brutal year of loss changed something deeply personal for him: his relationship with God.
The comedian spoke candidly on “CBS Sunday Morning” about losing his Pacific Palisades home in the Los Angeles wildfires and later losing close friend Rob Reiner, who was killed with his wife, Michele Reiner, in December 2025.
The When Harry Met Sally Star, 78, said those events left him questioning the faith he once leaned on.
Asked whether he still talks to God, he replied, “No, ‘cause I — I don’t trust him.”
When correspondent Tracy Smith asked if he was serious, Crystal answered, “Yeah. Too many bad things have happened. The Earth is in bad shape, this is a weird, scary time. So no, not anymore.”
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Crystal said the loss of Reiner remains difficult to fully process. Speaking about the grief that helped shape his new Broadway show, “860,” Crystal said the Reiners’ deaths still feel “too big” and “insane” 10 months later.
He also explained that performing has helped him work through some of that pain.
“I’ve been doing it. If I didn’t get to perform it, even, I’m OK. I’ve absorbed the biggest pains that people can go through, the loss of home, dearest of friends, and I’m OK.”
Also read: Wholesome & Timeless: Inside Billy Crystal & Rob Reiner’s 5-Decade Friendship
What Did Billy Crystal Previously Say About Rob Reiner?
Crystal had spoken movingly about Reiner in the months after his death.
In April, while speaking with Stephen Colbert about his late friend, Crystal said, “It’s a profound loss for, I’m just gonna say, humanity, because he was the most human person that I ever met.”
Shortly after Rob and Michele were killed, Crystal joined Albert Brooks, Larry David and others in a statement remembering the couple.
“We were their friends, and we will miss them forever,” the joint statement read, shared with AP.
The group also described Rob and Michele as “a special force together-dynamic, unselfish and inspiring.”
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Crystal later helped organize a major tribute to Reiner at the 2026 Academy Awards. The onstage memorial brought together stars from several of Reiner’s films, including Meg Ryan, Kathy Bates, Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Demi Moore, and John Cusack.
For Crystal, honoring Reiner publicly became part of privately navigating the loss.
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Crystal’s new one-man show, “860,” draws on the past year’s upheaval, including the fire and the deaths of the Reiners.
He said humor remains one of his tools when life turns dark.
Elsewhere in the CBS Sunday Morning interview, he added, “That’s what I do. You have to, man. You’ve gotta. It’s a healer. It always has been that way. You know, we say when life gets tough, all you can do is laugh.”
Despite everything, Crystal said he still feels hopeful about what comes next. “I’m 78 now, and I feel really good, and I’m optimistic for what life is going to bring,” he said. “If we’ve gotten through this in the way that we’ve gotten through it, we’re doing OK.”
“860” is currently in previews and opens on Broadway on Wednesday, October 21.
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Billy Crystal Opens Up About Devastating Loss of Longtime Friend Rob Reiner