The person in control of Nick Reiner’s trust initially refused to pay out money until an investigation was complete, according to Nick’s lawyer.
TMZ obtained a letter written by Nick’s lawyer on May 11 that was sent to the trustee of Nick’s trust, which was set up by Rob and Michele Reiner.
The trust holds around $1.7 million, per the docs. In his petition, Nick’s lawyer demanded the money to distribute the cut he was owed when he turned 30, two years before he allegedly murdered his parents in their L.A. home.
Nick’s lawyer claimed the trustee could not even confirm whether the payment was made … “There is no reason … the trustee should not yet know whether half the trust was distributed two years ago.”
In addition, Nick’s lawyer claimed the trustee told her that an investigation needed to be done to determine whether the “Trust requires or leaves to the trustee the discretion to make a distribution at age 30.”
“We are not sure what you are investigating,” the letter read. Nick’s lawyer said the trust was set up with clear instructions … and said Nick’s money needed to be turned over ASAP to help him hire a criminal defense lawyer. Nick told the court he wanted to re-hire Alan Jackson to defend him in court.
Nick’s lawyer also asked the trustee to explain if they were withholding the money due to “incompetence” … which his lawyer said was BS … because there was no written statement of incompetence by two licensed physicians, which was required by the trust if the trustee was going to rely on that argument.

Gene Shalit, the longtime film critic for Today, known for his quirky puns and signature walrus mustache, has died. He was 100.
His family tells NBC News in a statement that Shalit passed away peacefully on Friday “after 100 years of an amazing life.”
Shalit began his long career at The Today Show in 1970, where he began part-time and became a contributor three years later.
Known for his frequent use of puns and his comical “absent-minded professor” appearance, which included a handlebar mustache, fuzzy hair, large glasses and colorful bow ties, Shalit became one of the most recognizable faces on television.
During his four-decade tenure at Today as film and book critic, Shalit reviewed thousands of films, many of which were generally positive assessments, which frequently drew criticism from his peers for his lack of rigor, evidenced in parodies by rival film critics such as Siskel & Ebert.
His review of the 1980 horror film The Shining is considered by many to be his most notable. Veering away from the consensus, he panned the film shortly after its release, criticizing it for lacking the depth and scariness expected from a major Stephen King adaptation and failing to live up to its hype.
Shalit announced that he would leave The Today Show after 40 years, effective Nov. 11, 2010. He was quoted at the time as saying “it’s enough already” about his retirement.
Born March 25, 1926 in New York City to parents of Jewish descent, Shalit and his mother briefly moved later that year to Newark, New Jersey, before the family permanently relocated to Morristown, New Jersey, in 1932.
He discovered his passion for writing while attending Morristown High School, where he penned a humor column for the student newspaper, a style which eventually morphed into his pun-heavy, comedic styling that would define his career in later years.
Prior to his long stint on Today, Shalit began writing for print publications in the 1960s, such as Look magazine, a 12-year stint at Ladies’ Home Journal, as well as Cosmopolitan, TV Guide, Seventeen, Glamour, McCall’s and The New York Times.
Over the years, Shalit became synonymous with pop culture. He guest-starred as the voice, and was portrayed in the form of a fish food critic named ‘Gene Scallop’ in the SpongeBob SquarePants episode ‘The Krusty Sponge’. He also was parodied in several episodes of Family Guy, including ‘Family Guy Viewer Mail #1’, ‘Brian Sings and Swings’, ‘The Book of Joe’ and ‘Big Man on Hippocampus’, although he was not a voice actor for the series.
Shalit also voiced a character inspired by himself in three episodes of the animated series The Critic. Additionally, he was portrayed several times on Second City Television by cast member Eugene Levy.
Shalit turned 100 on March 25, 2026, a milestone that was commemorated on Today in a special segment, in which Al Roker sent birthday wishes using a personalized Smucker’s jar, a reference to Shalit’s association with the brand through earlier promotions. Shalit was surrounded by his family for the occasion and said he looked forward to watching his favorite baseball team, the New York Mets.

Gene Shalit, the longtime film critic for NBC’s “TODAY” show whose walrus mustache and exuberant wordplay made him one of television’s most recognizable reviewers, died Friday, his family said. He was a fixture on the program for four decades.
Shalit “passed away peacefully today after 100 years of an amazing life,” his family told NBC News in a statement.
Shalit started as a part-time “TODAY” show contributor in 1970 before moving to a full-time role three years later. He earned national fame as the program’s go-to movie reviewer, offering his take on summer blockbusters, awards contenders and other big-screen projects until his retirement in 2010.
“The ‘TODAY’ show was an extraordinary era for him,” his family said in its statement.
He stood out from the broadcast television pack with his colorful bowties and bushy mustache. He often studded his reviews in the “TODAY” show “Critics Corner” with puns and other cheeky turns of phrase, endearing him to millions of viewers.
“‘The Silence of the Lambs’ may be all wool and a yard wide, but it makes a terrific yarn,” he said in his review of the 1991 horror classic, which won best picture at the Academy Awards the following year.
He rarely minced words when a movie left him cold. In panning “X-Men,” he said the first entry in the hit superhero franchise “should not be taken seriously. In fact, it should be taken with two aspirin.” Judd Apatow’s “Funny People” is “passable,” he said — “speaking colonically.”
In addition to reviewing Hollywood releases, Shalit interviewed some of the biggest stars of the day, from Oprah Winfrey to Harrison Ford. His questions ranged from the serious to the silly, such as when he asked Kermit the Frog whether he planned to marry Miss Piggy.
Shalit started his career as a print journalist. He was the senior film critic for Look Magazine and wrote the “What’s Happening?” page for Ladies Home Journal for a dozen years. He published articles in The New York Times, Cosmopolitan, TV Guide, Seventeen, Glamour and McCall’s.
He composed and broadcast a daily “Man About Anything” essay on NBC’s coast-to-coast radio network from 1969 to 1982, according to his profile on the “TODAY” show website. He was also a regular panelist on the game shows “What’s My Line?” and “To Tell The Truth.”
Eugene Shalit was born on March 25, 1926, in New York. He was raised in New Jersey, where his father purchased a drug store. When the younger Shalit was in elementary school, he created the school’s first newspaper, The Spotlight, and bought a fedora so he looked the part, according to his “TODAY” profile. He later wrote his high school newspaper’s humor column.
He graduated in 1949 from the University of Illinois, where he proved his journalistic bona fides as a sports editor, columnist and humor writer for The Daily Illini.
He later became a reporter and writer for the Twin Cities’ daily newspaper and filed dispatches on Big Ten sporting events as a freelancer for The Associated Press in Chicago.
Shalit reached national fame as an on-air personality for the “TODAY” show, where he interspersed his entertainment coverage with offbeat in-the-field reports and improvisational hijinks on set.
He said farewell to viewers in 2010. In a tribute, former co-host Meredith Vieira said: “It’s hard to imagine not having him here. He is the ‘TODAY’ show.”
In more recent years, Shalit largely retreated from the public eye.
Shalit was married to Nancy Lewis for 28 years, from 1950 until her death in 1978.

NEW YORK (WABC) — Longtime Eyewitness News anchor Bill Ritter announced on Friday he is stepping away from anchoring after he was diagnosed with early stage Alzheimer’s.
Ritter, who has anchored the 6 p.m. newscast since 2001, said Friday’s broadcast would be his last as an anchor at WABC-TV.
“After a series of tests, my doctors have told me I have Alzheimer’s,” Ritter revealed during Friday’s Eyewitness News at 6. “It’s ‘early stage’ Alzheimer’s, and they say the treatments I’m getting are keeping it at bay. For now. But there is no guarantee, because there’s no cure yet for Alzheimer’s. So, unless someone finds an amazing cure, and soon, tonight (Friday) will be the last newscast I anchor.”
Ritter joined WABC-TV in 1998 after a long journalism career that spanned print, including the Los Angeles Times, and local television in California and network programs at ABC News. He started anchoring the 11 p.m. newscast on Eyewitness News in October 1999, succeeding Bill Beutel, and then added the 6 p.m. newscast in February 2001. He also anchored the 5 p.m. news for several years.
Ritter said he will remain with Eyewitness News in a new role, covering “the rising tide of Alzheimer’s, and other similar diseases, including how it’s affecting patients and their families, how the price of treatment and the price of caring for patients is simply unaffordable and how this country might begin to change that.”
Marilu Galvez, the general manager of WABC-TV, praised Ritter’s many years of contributions to the station.
“For decades, Bill Ritter has covered and led New Yorkers through the stories that matter most. A defining presence at ABC7, he has done so with exceptional insight, integrity, and, most of all – heart, earning the love and respect of viewers and colleagues alike. While he is stepping away from daily anchoring, he will continue to be an integral part of our ABC7 family, including sharing personal updates and providing resources to help others impacted by Alzheimer’s better understand the disease and the resources available to them. Bill is strong, brilliant, and resourceful, and we look forward to his continued reporting on Eyewitness News.”
Ritter said he is deeply familiar with the disease, having lost his father to Alzheimer’s in 1998. Ritter has been active in the fight against the disease for many years.
In his own words, below, as well as in the embedded video, Ritter shares a very personal message.
Last year I turned 75 years old, and I thought it was time to cut back a bit.
After so many years, I stopped anchoring the 11 o’clock news, and then later, the 5 o’clock news. My goal was to spend more time with my family.
A year ago, I became a grandfather thanks to my oldest daughter, and later this summer, I’ll have a second grandchild thanks to my son.
In a year, my youngest daughter will graduate high school, but spending more time with my family has now become even more important, because my life has taken a turn.
After a series of tests, my doctors have told me I have Alzheimer’s.
It’s “early stage” Alzheimer’s, and they say the treatments I’m getting are keeping it at bay. For now. But there is no guarantee, because there’s no cure yet for Alzheimer’s.
So, unless someone finds an amazing cure, and soon, tonight (Friday) will be the last newscast I anchor.
It is not easy to say that, to all of you, our viewers, and to the people I work with, like the man I’ve worked with for 25 and a half years, our producer, and my friend, Zahir Sachedina.
I believe we are the longest-running, behind-the-scenes newscast team ever, here, and maybe anywhere — a Muslim producer, and a Jewish anchor – for 25 and a half years.
It’s what the melting pot of New York and the Tri-State – and I would hope the country – is all about.
For 23 of these years, I anchored next to my remarkable partner and friend Liz Cho. We are the longest-running, on-air team in the history of Channel 7.
And for 20 years, another Eyewitness News record, with Lee Goldberg, the best meteorologist in the country, and who is also my great friend.
And our oh-so-talented, as we’ve seen these past few weeks, sports anchor Ryan Field, who makes me laugh every day, and who also likes to laugh at me just about every day.
And sitting with me for 14 years on the 11o’clock news and then later on the 5 o’clock news, I sat next to the amazing Sade Baderinwa. We remain the longest-running 11 o’clock team on Eyewitness News.
I also want to say “thanks” to my bosses at WABC. They have treated me and my family with compassion and humanity, and love.
As for my family, my kids say, “dad – you’re being so brave in all this.” But no – it’s not me, it’s them who are being brave. As is my wife Kathleen.
So, what will I do now? Well, I’m going to continue working. Right here at ABC 7.
I will continue helping the younger journalists here at Eyewitness News.
Hey, I’m now 76. So, for me, everyone in the newsroom is younger than I am.
I’m also going to remain a journalist here at Eyewitness News, and so, you will still see me on air and online. One reason? Because this station wants to dig deeper into the rising tide of Alzheimer’s, and other similar diseases, including how it’s affecting patients and their families, how the price of treatment and the price of caring for patients is simply unaffordable and how this country might begin to change that.
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I am not a stranger to this disease. My dad died with it in June 1998. I have since been active in the fight to stop Alzheimer’s, and I will continue that, along with my friend Mike Marza, who took my place last year on Eyewitness News at 5 and 11.
Mike’s grandfather died from this disease, and we have emceed together many Alzheimer’s awareness events to spread the word.
I am going to so miss reporting the news to you. With the truth, and with facts, no matter where they fall.
It has been my honor to do that.
For now, I wish you health and peace, and let’s take care of each other.
Sincerely,
Bill Ritter
You can find more information about the disease online at the Alzheimer’s Association website.

Selena Gomez said her phone was buzzing after she commented “lol” underneath a photo of Taylor Swift and Mariska Hargitay supporting the Knicks at Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals.
Gomez, a Spurs fan and a Texas native, explained that she wasn’t insulting her best friend, Swift, and Hargitay, who wore matching blue-and-orange shirts while on celebrity row at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.
“Woke up and was sent so many texts. I would never insult my friends nor was it an insult. The comment was a reaction to the first slide on the page,” Gomez wrote in an Instagram Story post, referring to the photo of a smiling Swift smiling and Hargitay with her head on Swift’s shoulder that was posted by the MTV Instagram.
“Second I bet my friends on the game. The friends in the text chain I posted,” she continued, referencing a screenshot she shared on her Instagram Stories on Wednesday about fair-weather fans. “I lost but was poking at my opponents, my friends. Believe it or not I do have other friends in my life.
“But quickly forget that most assume otherwise. Also.. it’s a basketball game.”
Some believed Gomez was shading Swift with her “lol” comment on social media after the Knicks rallied from being down by 29 for a 107-106 win over the Spurs.
“Mad respect for the game!! Congrats to the peeps that represent! What a come back,” Gomez wrote over a screenshot of an NBA article of the New York’s historic comeback. “So funny how some are all the sudden fans though lol.”
Gomez shared a throwback photo of her in Spurs jersey while at a NBA game at the Staples Center, now Crypto.com Arena, in Los Angeles.
“Happy for NY but my heart breaks just a lil lol,” the “Only Murders in the Building” actress wrote.
“It’s ok. I’m happy for the teams! Thank you for giving us some great games @nba,” Gomez added.
Swift, who owns multiple properties in New York, attended Game 4 with friends, sisters and musical artists Este and Alana Haim, and was seen cheering and jumping up and down on celebrity row.
“She’s a huge fan of the Knicks and really wants to be there to support them,” an insider told Page Six ahead of Game 4.
Some questioned Swift’s Knicks fandom as it was the first home game she attended this season.
Knicks radio analyst Monica McNutt issued an apology and she “misspoke” after she questioned Swift’s Knicks loyalty while on the air during Game 4.
McNutt ruffled some feathers after she told her broadcast partner, Tyler Murray, that Swift was in the building and he pulled out his phone to take a photo.
“She’s not a Knicks fan. Get out of here, girl,” McNutt said, which set off Swifties online.