Why Keanu Reeves Will Never Get Married
Keanu Reeves is endearing to countless fans. Being dubbed the "Internet's boyfriend," it's his infinite acts of kindness that make him so loveable to the masses. Perhaps it has something to do with the time he chivalrously gave up his seat on the subway, or maybe it was the night he patiently waited in line for the wrap party for his own flick, Exposed. As onlooker Ronny Sunshine told Page Six about the incident, "I don't think he said anything to the bouncer, like, 'I'm Keanu.'" Sunshine then noted, "He didn't act like he had money." That's right, we are all internally swooning.
Since both his fans and even co-stars boast about the actor's endless goodwill, they've also started wondering if he'll ever decide to say "I do." While some might see the Lebanon-born actor as a bit lonely, there may also be some factors as to why he doesn't ever want to get married, either. Let's look at some reasons as to why this good-natured celeb would rather walk the road less travelled than walk down the aisle.
Keanu Reeves is in the middle of the Keanaissance
Keanu Reeves has proved he's had a lasting career in Tinseltown. While some have dubbed his acting one-dimensional (such as Entertainment Weekly sourly calling his chops a "placid Keanu mask"), the actor has fared quite well, even making franchises out of his blockbuster hits such as The Matrix and John Wick. Even though he hasn't been making as many big-budget spectacles anymore, one peek at his IMDb page sees countless indie flicks, instead.
Speaking to IndieWire, Reeves' noted it "sucks" that he's not doing as many big-name Hollywood movies, but he's still happy just where he is. "Even when I was working on studio movies more often, I was always doing independent movies. So for me, that was just not happening, but I want to keep going, making things, and telling stories," he explained. "I want to be able to do that — to be an actor, a director, to produce, you know? If we're going to do a delineation between studio and independent [films], I was always hoping to do both."
It's 2019, however, that saw a spike in the actor's popularity yet again, thanks to the success of John Wick 3 and Toy Story 4. With the public dubbing the increase in adoration "the Keanaissance," who knows if the loveable Reeves would even have time for a romance in his personal life.
Keanu Reeves suffered two tremendous losses
Perhaps Reeves doesn't want to get married as the thought of starting a family may bring back some tragic memories. The actor was in love once, even en route to start a beautiful family of three. According to PAPER, Reeves met David Lynch's assistant, Jennifer Syme in 1998 at a party for Reeves' band, Dogstar. Immediately hitting it off, the two got pregnant, deciding to name their little girl, Ava. In late 1999, a month before she was due, Syme's pregnancy resulted in a stillborn. Per People, the couple couldn't deal with the loss, breaking up only a few short weeks later.
The two remained close friends, until April 2000, when Syme tragically passed away at the wheel of her car. As noted by People, she "sideswiped three parked cars, rolled over several times and was thrown from the car." With the police finding prescribed antidepressants and a "white powdery substance" on her, it seems that the tragedy that struck Syme's family stayed with her.
A friend told People that The Matrix star found it "very, very difficult to cope with her death." Giving a somber interview to Parade magazine in 2006 (via PAPER), Reeves soberly admitted, "Grief changes shape, but it never ends. People have a misconception that you can deal with it and say, 'It's gone, and I'm better.' They're wrong. When the people you love are gone, you're alone."
Keanu Reeves is a vagabond
Keanu Reeves has lived through the ebbs and flows of life from an early age. Born in Lebanon to an English mother and a Hawaiian father of Portuguese and Chinese descent, Reeves had a troubled home life, thanks to his father's struggling drug addiction.
Leaving the traumas and her husband behind, his mother moved the brood to Sydney while Reeves was still a toddler. From there, it was on to New York, where she remarried Hollywood director Paul Aaron, before making the final trek to Toronto — where the to-be celeb grew up.
Certainly getting a taste of the vagabond lifestyle, Reeves has carried on that gypsy way of living well into his adult life — especially after the loss of his ex-girlfriend and daughter. In an issue of Parade magazine (via Today), the actor opened up about his day to day. "I'm trying not to be alone so much," Reeves said. "And man, it's a struggle. I want to get married. I want to have kids. That's at the top of the mountain. I've got to climb the mountain first. I'll do it. Just give me some time." Musing, he then added, "I've had a vagabond life. There is a bit of the gypsy in me, and living that way seemed to make sense. I couldn't settle down. ...Then I turned 40. That birthday is hard, perhaps because you know you're grown-up."
Keanu Reeves comes from a broken home
Keanu Reeves' grief didn't start with the loss of his ex-wife and child — it sadly dates back to his childhood. Getting a taste of the harsh realities of the world, Keanu had to watch his father, Samuel, struggle with a heroin addiction while he was still just a young boy, leaving his son, daughter, and wife behind. Since becoming a big name in Hollywood, Keanu has returned the favor — refusing to talk to his father.
At the peak of Matrix-mania in 2001, Samuel spoke to the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, admitting that two decades of substance abuse are probably why he doesn't hear from his son anymore. "He's made it clear that he wants nothing to do with me," he began. "My feeling was so intense that it told me how much I missed the kid." Getting teary-eyed, Samuel added, "It's been so long for everything."
A contributing factor to the estrangement happened in 1992, during Samuel's arrest at Hilo Airport for attempting to sell heroin. Since then, he's moved back to his mother's home in Honolulu, and hasn't even heard from Keanu when he comes to visit. During Samuel's interview with the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, the newspaper tried to egg on the situation by hinting that his A-list son could help him out with his hard-earned dollars. Perhaps showcasing a bit of that Reeves humble persona, Samuel snapped back, "This is not Keanu's problem; it's mine."
Keanu Reeves is too busy being Hollywood's good guy
Keanu Reeves is legendary in the world of Hollywood's nice guys. Getting cozy in the realm with the likes of Tom Hanks and Hugh Jackman, the star is so kind, fans have even created countless Reddit boards dedicated to depicting how he helps others!
Reeves' kindness clearly shows no bounds, as seen on the set of The Matrix flicks. Noted by The Wall Street Journal, for the two sci-fi sequels, Reeves actually gave up part of his claim to a share of the profits of the movies so more money could be made available for the special effects and costume departments! An executive told the newspaper, "He felt that they were the ones who made the movie and that they should participate." Aww! Of course, Keanu being Keanu, he also released an endearing statement about the entire donation, too. According to Hello! Magazine, the actor declared, "Money is the last thing I think about. I could live on what I have already made for the next few centuries."
Another often-repeated story of the celeb's generosity is his gift of Harley Davidsons to each member of the stunt crew of The Matrix. Speaking to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Keanu announced, "We were all in this thing, and we were training together beforehand. I just wanted... to give a bigger thank-you to all these guys who helped me make this."
Keanu Reeves, the wedding crasher
Instead of focusing on his own potential wedding bells, the Bill & Ted star has been having his own excellent adventure — crashing the weddings of others, much like the epic Bill Murray before him.
Per HuffPost, Jarrod Camara and Leslie Walker were en route to say "I do" at the Dream Inn in Santa Cruz, California in August 2018. Suddenly running into Keanu Reeves at the hotel's bar, the wedding party had to ask the celeb for a pic, "and apparently, [he] couldn't have been nicer." As Jordan Camera, the groom's brother, dished to the site, "My brother went over and Keanu got right up and shook everyone's hands and then did that awesome pose for the picture. He was just as calm and cool as you would think he'd be and he was happy to take a picture with them."
Naturally, the heartwarming photo of the very jovial Reeves made its rounds online, even shooting to the front page of Reddit almost instantly! It's not the first time the Speed star invited himself to a marriage ceremony, either, as he did the same thing with another happy couple in New York in the same year!
Keanu Reeves may think it's too late for him
While Reeves' entire fanbase has been thirstily waiting for the actor to settle down, it appears the actor may have given up hope on marriage — or children for that matter.
The year 2017 must have been a particularly low period for the 47 Ronin star, as his perception of love seemed quite desolate during his interview with Esquire. "It's too late. It's over. I'm 52. I'm not going to have any kids," Reeves declared. Calling himself a cliché, he mused, "Aging. I'm just starting to get better at it. Just the amount of stuff you have to do before you're dead. ...It's just, 'Oh my God. OK. Where did the time go? How come things are changing? How much time do I have left? What didn't I do?"
If that statement isn't enough to get the waterworks flowing, try this. The Canadian-raised celeb was at a press conference in 2019, surprisingly getting quite honest while the reporters asked him questions. Per Star2, when asked about what love means to him, Reeves replied, "You mean romantic love? You know, I'm the lonely guy. I don't have anyone in my life. But if it does occur, I would respect and love the other person; hopefully it'll happen for me." Yep, that's right, us along with the rest of the internet, lapped it up and got in line for Hollywood's Mr. Right.
Keanu and Winona, forever?
A big hiccup that may get in the way of Keanu Reeves getting married is, well, technically he already is. Appearing on The Talk (via Us Weekly), The Matrix heartthrob dished, "Once in a while, I'll get a text: 'Hello, husband.'" Um, what? Referring to none other than his Bram Stoker's Dracula co-star, Winona Ryder, it turns out that the duo may have tied the knot on set of the 1992 flick!
It's not the first time the shocking fact has been discussed, either, as Ryder spoke about the tidbit to Entertainment Weekly in 2018. "We actually got married in Dracula," the actress revealed. "In that scene, Francis [Ford Coppola] used a real Romanian priest. We shot the master and he did the whole thing. So I think we're married." Weird flex, but okay.
While this fact shattered the hearts of many Keanu-diehards, they were then shredded when Coppola confirmed it. Speaking to The Guardian, the director admitted that he wasn't initially happy with the first version of the scene they shot. Thinking that "having the real wedding ceremony as it might be in that religion [Greek Orthodox Christianity] would be beautiful," he brought in an actual priest. "In a sense, when we were all done, we realized that Keanu and Winona really are married as a result of this scene and this ceremony."
Keanu's hovering hand
To all of Reeves' potential dates: the actor may be hard to get close to — quite literally. The Matrix alum made headlines in June of 2019 for the most bizarre reason; Twitter users began pointing out that he doesn't touch women while posing for photos.
News sites like CNN got wind of the phenomenon, compiling numerous fan responses to the revelation. All standing in support of the caring actor, some users even went as far as to think his respectful pose is a nod to the #MeToo movement against sexual misconduct and fellow Hollywood celebs such as Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey.
As a result, Reeves has been dubbed a "national treasure" by the general public, but the star appears to be totally oblivious of his new role as a hero. The same month as the endearing photos made headlines, the actor was walking the red carpet for the premiere of his latest flick, Toy Story 4. Stopping to speak to People, the mag asked if he knew about the internet's new and growing obsession with him. Surprised, Reeves said, "That's uh, whacky," before concluding, "Well, the positivity is great."
Maybe Keanu Reeves' luck will change?
There's no denying that Reeves has gone through a large portion of his life believing that love genuinely isn't for him. However, is he perhaps ready to turn things around?
The notoriously single actor was actually spotted on a date with a mystery woman in 2018, as reported by The Daily Mail. Going out for a romantic Italian dinner in Hollywood, Reeves was seen smiling "ear to ear," a rare occurrence for the usually sullen-looking celeb.
Pondering about the cards life dealt him, Reeves spoke to german site, Bunt.de (via Newstalk) back in 2014, admitting, "I still don't have a family or kids, but I was just unlucky." Reflecting on the concept of love, the star decided to give himself a glimmer of hope. "But social differences, standing, where you come from are still unique to every culture. But hopefully, love conquers all." Considering it's been years since the "Sad Keanu" meme went viral, we're hoping his jovial spirits remain here to stay.