LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Described as a man with a golden heart, Keanu Reeves has cemented his legacy as one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. The 58-year-old icon has carved an indelible niche for himself with magnificent performances in blockbusters including ‘John Wick’, ‘Matrix’, ‘Speed’ and ‘Constantine’. The Canadian actor has had an astounding career, but away from the cameras, he has suffered a succession of personal tragedies.
At one point, the ‘Speed’ star, who endured a tough childhood, gave up on becoming a father after the deaths of his daughter Ava and her mother, Jennifer Syme. Reeves first met Syme in 1998 at a promotional party for his alt-rock band Dogstar where they “instantly fell in love.” The following year, Syme became pregnant with their daughter Ava Archer Syme-Reeves. However, baby Ava did not make it. She was stillborn on Christmas Eve of 1999, just eight months into Jennifer's pregnancy. Ava’s death took a toll on their relationship, resulting in Syme and Reeves calling it off just a few weeks later, according to the Sun.
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‘Dark period of morbid brooding’
Things got worse for Reeves after Syme died in a car accident two years later, in 2001. The actress was returning home from a party hosted by goth rocker Marilyn Manson when she allegedly crashed her jeep into a row of parked cars. She was flung from the front seat and killed instantaneously. At her burial, a grieving Reeves carried her casket, and they buried Syme next to their daughter in the Los Angeles cemetery of Westwood Village Memorial Park. It was claimed that Reeves found it “very, very difficult to cope with her death.” Following the tragedies, he adopted a rootless lifestyle, living out of suitcases in a fleet of hotels.
The ‘John Wick' star recounted how a severe sadness engulfed his life as he turned 40. "They say life begins at 40, but for me, it had the opposite effect. I started to worry about how many years I had left before I die [and] I entered a dark period of morbid brooding [where] I became frighteningly aware of my own mortality. It was a nightmare,” he said in an interview, according to Amomama. After his devastating loss, Reeves once thought it would be next to impossible to find love. However, he found a ray of light in 2009 when he met Alexandra Grant, who later become the love of his life.
Why Keanu Reeves gave up on becoming a father
The couple's relationship evolved as a result of their cooperation on the 2011 picture book 'Ode to Happiness'. After that, the pair went on to publish another book in 2016 called 'Shadows'. Along with their book collaborations, they also started a publishing firm called X Artists' Books in 2017 intending to disseminate "unusual collaborations." Reeves and Grant kept their relationship under wraps for a while before making several red-carpet debuts in which they shared a cute, tender moment or two.
Although the couple is quite happy together, Reeves still has doubts about being able to have children in the future. In 2017, the ‘Matrix’ star told Esquire that he didn't think he would ever have a family after his tragic past. "I’m too… It’s too late. It’s over,” he said. However, the strength of his recent romance suggests this might not be the case. While Reeves has suffered multiple personal tragedies, Robert De Niro, who has had several successful romantic relationships, has been extremely lucky in love.
Robert De Niro welcomes 7th child at 79
The ‘Godfather’ star recently welcomed his seventh child at the age of 79. The veteran has named his daughter Gia Virginia Chen De Niro, whom he shares with his girlfriend Tiffany Chen. De Niro and Chen first met on the set of 'The Intern' in 2015, where she played a Tai Chi instructor. Talking about his daughter, the actor said on CBS morning that Gia was born on April 6, weighing 8 pounds, 6 ounces. He mentioned that both he and Chen wanted to have a child and were “over the moon” after their daughter was born. “This baby is planned,” the actor revealed. “She was brought here by love,” he added, as per MEAWW’s previous report.
