The Tragic Death Of Keanu Reeves' Ex-Girlfriend

Keanu Reeves appears to have a cushy life if you look at nothing more than the headlines. Everyone loves him and it's easy to see why: the only stories that leak about him tell of his kindness. Reeves has an eco-friendly mansion in Hollywood, Calif., and he joined the ranks of A-list actors who demanded huge pay raises. He's also dating the artist Alexandra Grant and, while they are happily in a relationship, that does not mean we will necessarily be hearing wedding bells, as it is widely speculated that Reeves will never get married.

Yet, while the Speed actor has plenty to be happy about, Reeves also has a tragic life story, with difficulties dating back to his childhood. He even suffered significant loss as an adult, specifically with regard to his former girlfriend, Jennifer Syme, as she died in a tragic accident. 

Syme worked for filmmaker David Lynch, who gave us the cult-classic Twin Peaks, as his personal assistant, according to PAPER. Reeves and Syme met at a party thrown for Reeve's rock band, Dog Star, in 1998 and sparks flew immediately. Unfortunately, however, their love story ended in tragedy. Here's what happened.

Keanu Reeves met Jennifer Syme in 1998 and they "instantly" fell in love, according to The Sun. They bought a house and within a year, Syme was pregnant with their first child, a daughter they planned on naming Ava. But tragically, in 1999, one month before Ava's due date, she arrived stillborn, according to PAPER.

In addition to this loss, Syme suffered from postnatal depression and the grief was too much for their relationship to handle, according to People, so they broke up. However, Reeves and Syme remained close friends until tragedy struck again. In April 2001, Syme went to a party at Marilyn Manson's house where a designated driver drove her home because she had been partying, according to PAPER. However, Syme later returned in her own car. On the way back, Syme hit three parked cars in Los Angeles and her car rolled. According to The Sun, she died instantly.

After her passing, a friend of Reeves' said the actor was "finding it very, very difficult to cope with" Syme's death, according to People. It was obviously something that stayed with Reeves because in 2006, he said during an interview with Parade, "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," Reeves added. "When the people you love are gone, you're alone."