Money and fame are not everything. Keanu Reeves has both and learned this lesson the hard way because of a life of loss and grief. This seems to have resulted in his humble and reclusive attitude.
56-year-old Canadian Hollywood star Keanu Reeves is different from most celebrities out there. He likes to keep to himself and does not attract unnecessary attention.
He has sadly experienced more tragedies in his life than anyone else in a full century. But despite the many obstacles that stood before him, he never gave up.
Keanu Reeves speaks about "Cyberpunk 2077" from developer CD Projekt Red during the Xbox E3 2019 Briefing on June 09, 2019, in Los Angeles | Source: Getty Images
KEANU REEVES' LIFE
Reeves' anti-celebrity behavior is now the stuff of legend among his fans for always showing a down-to-earth attitude despite having become one of the highest-paid actors ever for his role as “Neo” in “The Matrix” franchise.
Since his success is known in the film industry, few people imagine that Reeves has gone through several tragedies in his life that have shaped his character.
By 2000, when the first Matrix film peaked in popularity, making Reeves a world-famous action hero, he was about to start a family with his then-girlfriend Jennifer Syme when tragedy ended his plans abruptly.
In a matter of weeks, Reeves lost both his partner and his unborn child. First, Syme lost her baby at 8 months, an experience that was so devastating for the couple that it made the relationship impossible to survive.
The grief became fatal for 29-year-old Syme, who died in a car accident the day after the breakup.
While this episode would be enough for the world to understand how deeply wounded the “John Wick” star is to this day, it is far from the only time he has faced such upsetting events.
REEVES' EARLY LIFE AND FAMILY
One of Reeves' first heartbreaks came when his father abandoned his mother when he was a toddler, ending any form of contact with the actor by the time he reached 13.
The “Speed” actor once described his relationship with his father as “full of pain.” In 2001, Reeves’ father admitted that two decades of drug abuse and troubles with the law cost him the love of his son.
In 1993, when he was already making his way into movie stardom, he lost his best friend and fellow actor River Phoenix, who died from an overdose outside a famous nightclub at 23.
Reeves' sister Kim, an actress, fought more than a decade-long battle with leukemia. It is a little-known fact that the filming of “The Matrix” sequel was delayed because Reeves took some time to support his ill sister.
Kim’s ordeal inspired the actor to commit to the cause of funding cancer research and pediatric hospitals, creating his own charitable foundation, and supporting different other charities.
Surely, Reeves has won the affection of millennials for his personality that has hardly any equivalent in Hollywood. He avoids publicizing his good deeds even though he was once seen as a melancholic loner.
HIS CAREER
Following the last part of “The Matrix” trilogy, Reeves’ career seemed to be slowing down, but he came right back into the spotlight with the release of “John Wick” in 2014.
Before "John Wick," he made his directorial debut with "Man of Tai Chi" in 2013. This was successfully followed by "47 Ronin" in the same year.
In 2019, Reeves’ fans had a chance to enjoy their favorite star as he reprised his role of John Wick for “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.”
FINDING LOVE
In 2019, Reeves made his major red carpet debut with his artist girlfriend, Alexandra Grant, 46, as they attended the LACMA Art + Film Gala. However, they have been friends since 2011.
In 2011 and 2016, she illustrated his books "Ode to Happiness" and "Shadows." In 2017, they founded a publishing company together called X Artists' Books.
Keanu Reeves and Alexandra Grant decided to keep their relationship quiet, and Reeves is excited to have her in his life.
Alexandra Grant and Keanu Reeves at the 2019 LACMA 2019 Art + Film Gala on November 02, 2019, in Los Angeles | Source: Getty Images
OTHER CELEBS ON LOSING CHILDREN
There is nothing harder for a parent than losing a child. Whether it's stillbirth, a few days after birth, or years after, the pain is still the same, a terrible trauma that forever marks anyone.
Celebrities can also be affected by the tragic death of their children, and Reeves is not the only one to have experienced such heartaches.
Beyoncé experienced a miscarriage before having her daughter, Blue Ivy. One day she was feeling the heartbeat and the next, there was nothing!
She went into the studio and wrote the saddest song she had ever written to cope with the pain and the loss.
Pregnant with her first child in 2011, singer Lily Allen suffered from sepsis at six months of pregnancy. She was able to get treatment but lost her baby. Today, she is the mother of two children.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama also talked about her experience with miscarriages in her memoir, "Becoming." She is a mother to two daughters, Sasha and Malia, who she conceived with the help of IVF.
ncG1vNJzZmimlazAb63MqKSapZFjsLC5jmpqaXBmZnq0rcNmo6KelWK4pq3NrmSrnZWrsrR5y6iqrWWRYrGiwcahq56qXaG8b7TTpqM%3D