Corey Feldman is speaking candidly about his notable absence from the 2026 Academy Awards tribute honoring late visionary director Rob Reiner.
During the March 15 ceremony, Hollywood heavyweights gathered to celebrate the lives and enduring legacy of Rob and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, who were tragically killed in December. However, Feldman—who famously starred in Reiner’s beloved 1986 coming-of-age classic Stand By Me—was noticeably missing from the stage, even as his former costars Jerry O’Connell and Wil Wheaton participated in the memorial.
“Personally, it felt a little bit like a family reunion I wasn’t invited to,” the 54-year-old actor confessed in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly. “But we’re not going to use this time to get into my feelings about that.”
Instead, Feldman emphasized his profound grief alongside the rest of the Stand By Me cast, who are currently honoring the film's 40th anniversary with a theatrical re-release tour.
“I just want to say that I’m with the rest of us, we’re all very destroyed that things went down the way they did,” Feldman shared, adding that the cast had originally hoped Reiner would join them on the road. “We all would’ve loved to be able to say goodbye in our own ways. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. The best way we can say goodbye is honoring him and his work and his film through these tours... and hopefully going out there to celebrate him one last time on a big screen where it deserves to be seen.”
The emotional Oscars In Memoriam segment was spearheaded by Billy Crystal, whose decades-long friendship with Reiner dates back to All in the Family and famously culminated in the 1989 romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally. Crystal was joined on stage by a staggering roster of Reiner's former colleagues, including Meg Ryan, Demi Moore, Kathy Bates, Kiefer Sutherland, Annette Bening, Cary Elwes, and John Cusack, among others.
Reflecting on his late friend, Crystal delivered a heartfelt speech, acknowledging the immeasurable loss felt by both Reiner's loved ones and millions of moviegoers.
"All we can say is, Buddy, what fun we had storming the castle," Crystal told the audience.
The tribute followed a horrific family tragedy that shocked the entertainment world. On December 14, Rob and Michele Reiner were found dead from fatal stab wounds in their Los Angeles home. Their 32-year-old son, Nick Reiner, was subsequently arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In the wake of their unexpected passing, countless Hollywood stars have poured out their condolences. The Princess Bride star Robin Wright remembered the director as "one of the most loving, compassionate, and kind people," while Kate Hudson praised his unmatched ability to craft humorous, inspiring, and globally resonant stories.