If Rob and Michele Reiner Hadn’t Met, This Beloved Rom-Com Would Have Ended Very Differently

The romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally… is famous for its hopeful final note, but that ending wasn’t always the plan. Behind the scenes, a real-life relationship helped push the story toward something warmer.

Reports say director Rob Reiner, 78, and his wife, producer and former photographer Michele Singer Reiner, 68, were found dead at their Los Angeles home on Sunday. Authorities are still investigating, and full official details have not yet been released.

In the early 1980s, Reiner met Michele while working on When Harry Met Sally…. As he later admitted in interviews, falling in love again changed the way he felt about the film’s message.

The movie was originally envisioned with a bleaker conclusion, one where Harry and Sally don’t end up together. Reiner has said he couldn’t fully believe in a happy ending onscreen until he found one in his own life.

When the film arrived in 1989, it became a massive hit and cemented itself as one of the most adored romantic comedies ever made. That same year, Rob and Michele married, beginning a partnership that lasted more than three decades.

Michele’s professional life started behind a still camera, where she built a reputation for handling high-profile assignments. One of her best-known early credits includes photographing Donald Trump for the cover of The Art of the Deal.

Over time, she shifted closer to filmmaking and took on producer roles. Her producing debut came with the 2017 drama Shock and Awe, directed by Reiner.

She went on to produce projects such as Albert Brooks: Defending My Life and God & Country. Her final credited producing work was Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, which is also described as Reiner’s last film.

Reiner’s directing résumé spans decades and genres, from This Is Spinal Tap to Stand by Me, The Princess Bride, Misery, A Few Good Men, and The American President. Before becoming a go-to filmmaker, he broke out as an actor on All in the Family, earning Emmy wins for his role as Mike “Meathead” Stivic.

His family connection to comedy ran deep: he was the son of Carl Reiner, and his mother, Estelle Reiner, even delivered an iconic line in When Harry Met Sally…. Together, Rob and Michele raised three children—Jake, Nick, and Romy—and he also had a daughter, Tracy, from his earlier marriage to Penny Marshall.

Beyond Hollywood, the couple put real energy into child-focused advocacy. They co-founded the I Am Your Child Foundation in 1997 and later helped launch Parents’ Action for Children, aiming to support early development and parent education.

What’s most striking is how their private story quietly rewrote a piece of pop culture that millions have returned to for comfort. If you’ve ever had your view of love changed by a movie, share your thoughts in the comments.