Tom Bergeron paid tribute to Rob Reiner hours after his death was announced. The former “Dancing with the Stars” host posted to Instagram to recall a happy night he spent with the legendary actor and director, who was found dead on Dec. 14 at age 78, alongside his wife, Michelle, at their Los Angeles-area home. An investigation into the couple’s tragic deaths is ongoing.
Bergeron posted photos from a ceremony at the TLC Chinese Theatre in 2016, where he posed with Rob Reiner and his father, fellow actor and director Carl Reiner.
“Heartbreaking news about the deaths of Rob Reiner and his wife. In April of 2017, Billy Crystal introduced Rob, and I introduced Rob’s dad, Carl Reiner, before the ceremony honoring them at the @chinesetheatres 😔,” Bergeron wrote.
According to a press release for the event, the Reiners’ hands and footprints were imprinted at the event during the TLC Classic Film festival. It marked the first time a father and son had been honored together in the theatre’s 90-year history.
Fans Reacted to Tom Bergeron’s Post About Rob Reiner
GettyCondolences poured in following Bergeron’s post. Fans called the Hollywood icon’s death “shocking’” and “heartbreaking.”
“So tragic. Prayers for peace and comfort as their family and friends grieve 🙏🏼,” one fan wrote.
“There are no words for this loss. 🙏🏾🙏🏾❤️,” another wrote.
“Carl adored Rob. Hugs in Heaven, man,” a third added.
“Tom I’m sorry prayers and hugs to you and his family and friends,” another fan wrote to the Dancing with the Stars alum.
Tom Bergeron Was Close Friends With Rob’s Father, Carl Reiner
GettyBergeron was close friends with Reiner’s father, who died in 2020 at age 98. The two met when Bergeron was a talk show host in Boston.
“There are people who became friends over the years,” Bergeron told Taking a Walk in an interview. “As a result of the Boston talk show, ‘People Are Talking,’ I met Carl Reiner, the late Carl Reiner, and we became good friends for like 25 years.”
Bergeron noted that his friendship with Reiner introduced him to the legendary Dick Van Dyke and others.
During the Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters luncheon in 2014, Bergeron teased that when he visited the home of “the man of so many amazing accomplishments,” he had to “move all his awards out of the way so we have a place to sit and talk,” per Entertainment Today.
Carl Reiner also spoke of his friendship with Bergeron, joking that he liked him “as much as a hot dog and sauerkraut.”
“And I really love hot dogs with sauerkraut,” Reiner said. “In fact, when I was a kid, and I loved going to school, when I was sick, I had to ask myself, ‘Am I too sick to eat a hot dog with sauerkraut?’ And if the answer was ‘Yes,’ I knew I was too sick to go to school. So that’s how much I love Tom Bergeron.”
