Keanu Reeves is truly a class act!
It’s no surprise The Matrix star has made big bucks from his film career over the years, but you might be shocked to learn that he’s given away “a lot” of it, according to a longtime family friend!
The source explained to The Post that the 57-year-old — who is said to be worth around $315 million — is “somewhat embarrassed” about his wealth, and made it a mission to give back after he was hit by a series of tragedies years ago.
The family friend said:
“Keanu’s given away a lot of money and done a lot more for people than most will ever know. He knows how lucky he is. Unlike many Hollywood mega stars, he never takes any of this for granted.”
And he pays it forward!
The superstar has not only donated large sums to charities and gifted his family lavish presents, he’s been known to spread the wealth to co-workers and food-service employees as well.
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A Hollywood producer noted that Keanu is “infamous for his generosity,” citing the story that he gave a $20,000 bonus to a Matrix set builder after learning the crew member was having financial troubles. The actor also presented each of the 12 The Matrix Reloaded stuntmen with a Harley-Davidson bikes — and recently gifted the stunt guys on John Wick 4 Rolex Submariner watches, complete with personal inscriptions.
A Hollywood production source offered:
“Trust me, stunt guys are all dying to work with Keanu. Not just for the gifts. It’s because he takes them so seriously and credits them with helping contribute to his success. Stuntmen, fight trainers — these people rarely get that.”
Naturally, Keanu’s kindness and generosity has made everyone in the biz want to work with him.
One casting director and former colleague explained:
“The reason Keanu’s starred in 60 movies is that, on top of audiences, directors love him, co-stars love him, crews love him. He’s always prepared, he’s always on time. Considerate, communicative, caring — there’s no one whose name he doesn’t know or hasn’t had a conversation with.”
Innerestingly, though, all that light and positivity actually comes from a dark past, as insiders noted that a lot of Keanu’s yearning to spread the wealth comes from having lost so much himself.
As you may know, Reeves was devastated when his best friend and My Own Private Idaho co-star, River Phoenix, died of a drug overdose in 1993. He suffered another personal tragedy in 1999, when his daughter, Ava, with then-girlfriend Jennifer Syme was stillborn.
The grief put a strain on the couple’s relationship, and they broke up shortly after — before reuniting in 2001. That same year, however, Syme was reportedly battling depression the night she drove her Jeep into a line of parked cars in Los Angeles, killing her instantly. An investigation found she was intoxicated at the time of the wreck.
A co-worker of Keanu’s said:
“If Ava’s death wasn’t devastating enough, he’d considered Jennifer his soulmate. He had some seriously dark days after that.”
This string of tragedies didn’t just transform Reeves’ life; they influenced his art, too, inspiring him to take the role of the titular grieving assassin in the John Wick films. The casting director said:
“He really related to that character, passionately motivated by loss — of his father when he was a kid, of River, of his child, of a woman he spent several years with.”
River’s death wasn’t the first time Keanu experienced suffering, though. The actor’s father, Samuel, abandoned the family when Reeves was just a toddler. Before he passed away in 2018, Samuel served two years of a ten-year sentence in prison for possession of drugs; Keanu reportedly had little to do with his dad while he was still living.
The family friend explained:
“Keanu will always resent his late father. His young years were rough. He was always in the shadow of [his father’s] drug addiction — he’s always feared that. But that might be the thing that led him into acting, that lit his fuse, so to speak. It helped him from thinking too much, which is his tendency.”
For his mother, costume designer Patricia Taylor, Reeves feels anything but resentment. The star bought her a home in Los Angeles before purchasing one for himself — and his two sisters. (He reportedly doesn’t have a relationship with Emma, his half-sister by his father.)
The family friend said:
“Keanu and two of his sisters — Kim and Karina — are very close.”
Kim suffered a 20 year battle with leukemia, which reportedly inspired Keanu to donate millions to cancer charities — including auctioning a “date” with himself in 2020 for children’s cancer organization Camp Rainbow Gold — after he started to earn big paychecks.
The tragedies he suffered also affected Reeves’ love life. While he resisted settling down for years, friends say he’s now found love again in his low-key romance with 48-year-old artist Alexandra Grant. A source who knows them both explained:
“It’s the first relationship that’s really calmed him down. Not only that. Keanu’s mother loves Alexandra. Big fan. That makes Keanu a bigger one… The fact that Alexandra isn’t jealous of his movie stardom makes Keanu relieved. She clearly has her own life, her own successful art career. She’s elegant and dignified — a total class act.”
The pair also share a passion for keeping their life together private. The mutual friend said:
“If someone [speaks out on the record about the couple], they will find themselves admonished or extricated from their lives. They’ve made a pact. They’ve read some friends the riot act for speaking out about their relationship. While things are going well, they’re both hung up on the idea that publicity of any kind will harm their relationship. It’s a superstition they both believe.”
Um… RIP whoever this source is we guess?
But we’re glad to hear Keanu has finally found happiness! If anyone deserves it, it’s him!
[Image via Harley-Davidson/Rolex/MEGA/WENN]
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