Rob Reiner received a very heartfelt tribute at the 2026 Oscars ceremony, ahead of the In Memoriam segment.

Rob, who was murdered at 78, allegedly by his 32-year-old son Nick, along with his 70-year-old wife, Michele, in December 2025, was honored for his contribution to film, in front of and behind the camera. Former All in the Family co-star, collaborator, and friend Billy Crystal, 78, gave an earnest speech about the life the beloved filmmaker led on and off-screen at the 98th annual Academy Awards.

I first met Rob Reiner in 1975 when I was cast as his best friend in an episode of All in the Family,” Billy said. “It went so well, Rob was like, ‘You know, it was so fun playing your best friend, why don’t we keep it going?’ And it was a thrill to see him evolve from a great comic actor to a master storyteller.” It comes as an Oscars presenter came under fire for making a jaw-dropping Holocaust joke live on stage.

Social media exploded with many comments following the tribute dedicated to Rob at the 2026 Oscars, as one wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “That Rob Reiner tribute took me out [crying emoji] #oscars.”

Another shared, “Amazing tribute to Rob Reiner #oscars,” while one wrote, “Wow: Billy Crystal, who defined the modern Oscars, leads a tribute to Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner and brings Rob’s costars onstage.”

One other noted, “Beautiful tribute honoring Rob and Michele Reiner led by Billy Crystal,” and a fifth commented, “Awesome tribute by Billy Crystal to the incredible career and impact of Rob Reiner. Gone too soon. RIP.”

Throughout Billy’s speech, he recognized Rob for transforming Hollywood through his productions. Billy praised Rob for creating iconic movies, including This Is Spinal Tap, which he starred in, cult classic rom-coms The Sure Thing and When Harry Met Sally, starring Billy and Meg Ryan, and the beloved coming-of-age movie Stand By Me.

Billy, of course, also acknowledged Rob’s thrilling dramas that have gone down in pop culture history, such as Misery with Kathy Bates, and A Few Good Men, helmed by Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Kevin Bacon, and Demi Moore.

As a part of the tribute, the actors who starred in Rob’s film graced the stage, showing how many actors’ careers were positively affected by Rob.

Actors who stood on stage to honor Rob for his tribute worked with him, including Kathy, the star of Misery, and Stand By Me star Jerry O’Connell.

Fans on X were touched by the move, as one expressed, “omg this tribute to Rob and Michele Reiner at the Oscars was so touching, with all of Rob’s former movie casts appearing on stage to honor him.”

Rob and his wife, Michele, who was also honored during Rob’s tribute, were allegedly stabbed to death by their son Nick in December after an argument that ensued between them.

Nick is currently being held without bail in a Los Angeles jail in California, awaiting trial. Nick has pleaded not guilty to the murder charges he received for allegedly killing Rob and Michele.