Megyn Kelly floats possibility Nick Reiner may use Menendez-style abuse defense in parents’ murders

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: As Nick Reiner prepares for his trial in the murder of his parents, commentator Megyn Kelly is already questioning what legal strategy his defense might pursue.

Speaking on her show on Wednesday, December 17, the former Fox News host raised the possibility that the 32-year-old could lean on a controversial tactic made infamous by the Menendez brothers decades ago.

Her comments came as Nick appeared in court for the first time after being formally charged with the first-degree murders of his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner.

Megyn Kelly raises a provocative possibility

On Wednesday’s episode of 'The Megyn Kelly Show', Kelly turned her attention to Nick's case shortly after it was confirmed that high-profile defense attorney Alan Jackson would be representing him. While she stressed that she did not believe such a defense would ultimately succeed, Kelly said the parallels to another notorious California case were difficult to ignore.

“It’s not going to work for Nick Reiner, it’s just not, but here’s what I think, this is like an out-of-left-field prediction, and it’s just because the Menendez case is on my mind, because that’s also California, and this is what triggered it,” Kelly said.

Kelly was careful to distance her speculation from any accusation against Rob, emphasizing that her comments were purely about legal strategy rather than personal belief.

“In no way am I impugning Rob Reiner, nor do I believe there’s anything untoward,” she added. “I think he seems, by all accounts, a loving father and an appropriate father.”

The Menendez defense and why it lingers

Kelly then laid out the scenario she believes Nick's legal team could attempt to present, referencing the defense strategy used by Erik and Lyle Menendez, who claimed they killed their parents after enduring years of abuse.

“My question is, is there a likelihood Nick Reiner pulls a card from the Menendez defense?” Kelly asked. “We’re in California, it’s going to be a California jury, and [he] says ‘he was molesting me my whole life. That’s why I was so messed up from the time I was 10, that’s why I got hooked on d**gs.’”

Kelly noted the inherent challenge prosecutors face when such claims are raised.

“There’s no way of disproving that, and plays the sympathy card with a California jury about why, from a very young age, he was all messed up,” she said.

The Menendez case, which captivated the nation in the 1990s, continues to loom large in California criminal law, particularly in cases involving family violence and abuse allegations.

Nick Reiner’s court appearance and legal stakes

Nick appeared in court on Wednesday after being formally charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Prosecutors allege that Rob and Michele were killed inside their Brentwood home, where they were later found in the master bedroom.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled that both deaths were caused by “multiple sharp force injuries.”

If convicted, Nick faces life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty. Prosecutors said a final determination on whether they will seek capital punishment will be made later. His arraignment has been postponed until January 7.

Nick Reiner’s defense attorney urges caution

Outside the courthouse, Nick's attorney Alan Jackson urged restraint, signaling that the defense intends to move carefully as the case unfolds.

“There are very, very complex and serious issues that are associated with this case,” Jackson told reporters. “Things need to be thoroughly but very carefully dealt with and examined and analyzed.”

His involvement alone has fueled speculation about the direction the defense might take, given his history representing clients in high-profile, emotionally charged cases.