Is Rob Reiner’s Daughter Adopted?

Rob Reiner’s and his wife Michelle’s recent death was a shock to Hollywood and adoring fans alike. While the loss of the iconic filmmaker has been a sad one, it is also a time for reflection on his impressive life. Rob Reiner has been a household name since the 1970s, when he starred as Mike Stivic – referred to as Meathead by his father-in-law, Archie Bunker – in “All in the Family.”  Rob went on to direct beloved classic films including “When Harry Met Sally,” “A Few Good Men,” and “The American President.” He also appeared in many favorite films and television shows, such as “Sleepless in Seattle,” “The First Wives Club,” and “New Girl.”

Rob and his wife, Michelle Singer, met while he was working on “When Harry Met Sally.” Rob explained in recent interviews that he originally had the ending set as Harry and Sally remaining friends, never reuniting as a couple. The cynical ending was changed upon meeting Michelle.

Rob and Michelle wed in 1989. The couple stayed together until their sudden deaths in December 2025. They had three children together: sons Jake and Nick and daughter Romy. What many people may not realize, however, is that Rob Reiner has another child – a daughter he adopted during his first marriage to actress, Penny Marshall. If you have ever wondered about Rob Reiner’s daughter, Tracy Reiner, you have come to the right place. This is an adoption story that few of his fans know.

Who is Tracy Reiner?

In 1963, a 19-year-old student at the University of New Mexico learned she was pregnant. Her boyfriend, Michael Henry, was an 18-year-old college football player. The girl’s name was Penny Marshall.

In a 2012 interview with Newsweek, Penny opened up about her teen pregnancy, including her decision to keep the baby.

“This was 1963 – there were no legal abortions in the U.S., and I wasn’t going to go to Juárez [Mexico]…” she said. “…I was thinking I’d go and have the baby by myself. But instead Mickey said, ‘Let’s get married.”

The young couple divorced in 1967. Mickey later moved to Colorado, where he remarried and had another child.

When Tracy was 8 years old, she moved to California with her mom. Penny’s older brother was a comedy writer who just happened to be working with Carl Reiner – Rob Reiner’s father.

A Family Affair

When Penny and Rob got married in 1971, Rob began raising Penny’s daughter, Tracy as his daughter. She even took her new stepdad’s last name.

“Tracy came to stay with us – she said we had more TV channels,” Penny recalled.

“I did have to send her off to college while wearing a Playboy Bunny suit, because it was during the shooting of that episode of ‘Laverne & Shirley.’ Carrie Fisher was on the show and said, ‘Work hard and one day you’ll be as successful as your mother!’ And there I was in a Bunny suit with a tail, saying, ‘Bye-bye, honey, have a good time!’”

In an interview with the Hollywood Sentinel, Tracy shared her perspective on being a child in Hollywood.

“The times that I would visit here was always a holiday, so it was just a dreamland to me,” she shared. “There was a lot more television shows [in LA], and my mom was sort of a junk-food freak and she would get like Fritos and sodas for breakfast, and I would always go home completely sick, but I thought it was the greatest time here, so when I finally moved here, there was a whole new world here that I was never asked to participate in. Like, I didn’t know the personality rules that were going to show up.”

Tracy grew up and decided to follow in her parents’ footsteps. She spent much of her career acting and is best known for her role as Betty Spaghetti in the 1992 classic film “A League of Their Own” which was directed by her mother.

After some success in Hollywood, Tracy decided to retire from acting. She remained close with her parents, however, including the man who was a father figure nearly all her life – Rob Reiner.

After Rob’s death, Tracy shared the following:

“I came from the greatest family ever,” she told NBC News. “I don’t know what to say. I’m in shock.”

Learn More About The Benefits of Adoption

Adoption is a Positive Choice

While adoption is not the right path for everyone, it certainly proved to be a positive choice for Rob Reiner’s daughter, Tracy Reiner. After a teen pregnancy that was not planned, Tracy Reiner was raised by two of the most iconic filmmakers and actors of the 20^th century. If you would like to learn more about adoption, contact Adoptions With Love today. Call 800-722-7731, text us confidentially at 1-617-777-0072, or reach out online.