Addiction Expert on Nick Reiner
Famous Family May Have Led to Lack of Self-Worth
Published
December 25, 2025
1:00 AM PST
TMZ.com
Richard Taite, an addiction-recovery expert, states that Nick Reiner‘s relationship with his famous father and grandfather may have contributed to issues of self-worth during his upbringing. He suggests that Nick’s struggles and extensive history in rehab could be a result of these factors.
As noted, Nick Reiner is charged with murdering his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner. He had previously been in and out of rehab for substance abuse and was diagnosed with schizophrenia prior to the tragedy.
Taite, the founder and executive chairman of Carrara Treatment, emphasizes that mental illness is often linked to drug addiction and alcoholism, stating that “they’re one and the same.”
Nick has been in rehab at least 18 times. Taite mentions that rehabilitation facilities vary in quality but all focus on mental illness as a common factor associated with substance abuse.
He also highlights the career and life pressures Nick may have faced, noting that his grandfather, Carl Reiner, was “a national treasure,” while his father Rob achieved similar or greater success, and his mother was well-known as a photographer and producer.
Richard notes that it is common for children of celebrities to feel this pressure and seek rehab treatment for substance abuse when they feel their achievements do not match those of their family members.
Regarding how Nick’s mental illness was treated during his time in rehab, Taite informs TMZ that there are “substandard treatment centers” that may not have provided Nick with the necessary care, stating, “that’s the way the world works.”
As we previously reported, Nick was a patient at Alina Lodge — an addiction treatment center in New Jersey — and discussed on the “Dopey” podcast in 2016 an incident where staff refused to give him drugs. This led him to throw a rock through a window to “show these mother f***ers that I’m crazy.”
Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman, former president of the American Psychiatric Association, stated to TMZ yesterday that after-care at rehabilitation programs is generally inadequate, resulting in a cycle of repeated treatment and release. He noted that many facilities failed Nick and his family.
