Billy Crystal Has ‘Stepped Up Instinctively’ to Protect Rob Reiner’s Kids, Romy and Jake

The Dec. 14 deaths of Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, allegedly at the hands of their troubled son Nick, sent shockwaves through the couple’s group of friends.

Now, sources tell Star Billy Crystal, Rob’s pal of 50 years, has stepped up as a father figure for the couple’s other kids, Jake, 34, and Romy, 28, as 32-year-old Nick faces charges in the double murder. “Billy and his family are making sure that Jake and Romy have a robust support system and all the help they need as Nick makes his way through the criminal justice system,” says an insider. “Billy was Rob’s closest friend, and he is the leader of the effort to protect the kids.”

Before they knew each other, Billy and Rob were cast as best friends on the CBS sitcom All in the Family in 1975. “It worked out really well,” Billy, 77, later wrote. “And we said, ‘It feels right onstage, why don’t we just continue this in our lives?’” They went on to collaborate on such memorable projects as 1989’s When Harry Met Sally. But, says the insider, “He and Rob were more than just collaborators and neighbors, they were brothers, and now he’s stepped up instinctively, like only real family can.”