The director of When Harry Met Sally, Rob Reiner, and his wife, Michele, have been found dead in their home in Los Angeles. 

Firefighters were called to the couple’s property and police are treating their deaths as an apparent homicide. 

In a statement, a family spokesperson said, “We are heartbroken by this sudden loss and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time."

No one has been arrested and police say they have not yet identified a person of interest. 

On Newstalk Breakfast, KNX journalist Steve Gregory said people initially thought they might have died in a robbery. 

“Brentwood is a very high end, a very wealthy neighborhood in West Los Angeles,” he said. 

“This is where a lot of celebrities live, a lot of bank officials and a lot of very high end people live there.

“So, this was a shock to the community, obviously, because that's typically a very well protected area. 

“Now, initially, we thought that this might have been as a result of a string of home invasion robberies that have been happening in wealthy neighborhoods and enclaves throughout Los Angeles. 

“But then the news started to leak out through sources that they were looking at someone that was close to the owners of the home.”

When Harry Met Sally. Picture by: Alamy.com.

Mr Gregory added that Mr Reiner’s father, Carl, was also a “legend” in the film industry and that the family were very much “Hollywood royalty”. 

“He's directed some of the most iconic films in American cinema; A Few Good Men with Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise,” he continued.  

“When Harry met Sally, one of the most well-known rom-coms, romantic comedies in film history. 

“For me, you know, one of the big ones that I realised when he was such a great director is Spinal Tap.

“He was also a great comedy writer, a very accomplished comedy writer, having written on some of the best shows going back decades.” 

Mr Reiner was 78 years old, while his wife, Michele Reiner, was 68.