Although he insulted Rob Reiner just hours after his death, President Trump had actually worked with Michele.

Rob Reiner’s wife Michele had odd connection to Donald Trump dating back decades

Although he insulted Rob Reiner just hours after his death, President Trump had actually worked with Michele.

By Raechal Shewfelt

Raechal Shewfelt

Raechal Shewfelt is a writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2024. Her work has previously appeared on Yahoo and in American *Journalism Review* and *The Shreveport Times*.

EW's editorial guidelines

December 15, 2025 8:25 p.m. ET

Leave a Comment

Rob Reiner's wife Michele photographed Donald Trump for his book cover. Credit:

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty

Rob Reiner was no fan of President Donald Trump. Likewise, Trump didn't support the director of seminal movies such as *When Harry Met Sally*, *This Is Spinal Tap*, and *The Princess Bride*.

Just hours after Reiner's death alongside his wife Michele on Sunday at their Los Angeles home, Trump blasted the Democratic activist, saying that he died due to "the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME."

But the two did have a connection: Michele, whom Reiner married in 1989. She was the one behind the camera for the famous photo that Trump used for his 1987 book, *The Art of the Deal*.

Reiner mentioned the collaboration in 2017.**

“I'll give you a story," he said on Politico's *Off Message* podcast. "My wife, Michele, who is a professional photographer, she took the photo that’s on the cover of the book *The Art of the Deal*. And at one point, they were up on this high-rise that he was constructing, and they were going to take the pictures overlooking Central Park. And the wind was blowing, and he said, 'I got to get this hairspray,' you know, 'I need this special hairspray.'"

The filmmaker also mentioned Michele's work in a July 2018 interview with *The Guardian*, joking that she "has a lot to atone for."

The outlet noted that Reiner had become a guest on Fox News in order to reach Trump supporters with his views.

Donald Trump slammed Rob Reiner after the director's death.

ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty

"I try to have a real conversation that isn’t throwing propaganda around," Reiner said. "But no one wants to have that."

He was asked if he would ever take on Trump more directly by running for office.

"No, I don’t want to be an elected official. I want to get things done," said Reiner, who worked on legislation having to do with LGBTQ+ rights and early childhood education.

Rob Reiner's daughter speaks out after deaths of him and his wife: 'I'm in shock'

Rob Reiner's 6 most iconic films, from 'This Is Spinal Tap' to 'Stand By Me'

He wasn't worried about being called out as just another Hollywood elite who doesn't understand regular people.

"Oh sure, they call me that," Reiner said, "but I actually understand policy so I don't put myself in that category."

As of Monday afternoon, the Reiners' 32-year-old son, Nick Reiner, was being held without bail on suspicion of the murders.

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.*****

Meanwhile, celebrities including Kathy Bates, who worked with Reiner on the 1990 adaptation of Stephen King's *Misery*; Jerry O'Connell, a star of 1986's coming-of-age drama *Stand by Me*; and Mandy Patinkin, who costarred in *The Princess Bride* in 1987, paid tribute.

"How do we process this unthinkable tragedy? Loss after loss after loss," Patinkin said in a statement to* *. "What is happening to our world? What is happening to our human race?"

He lamented, "I can't breathe, but I'm breathing. I'm howling at the gods every moment, then I talk to a friend or myself and quiet down and I realize the gods are not to blame, the tsunami of tragedy is the responsibility of human beings."**

- Celebrities & Creators

- Celebrity Obituary

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Celebrity”