When you’re famous, part of the downside is facing legal action. Whether they are valid or not, celebrities who earn big paychecks often become targets for litigation. And even actors like Keanu Reeves – whose reputations seem impeccable – have encountered litigation over the years. In fact, the John Wick star filed a $ 3 million paternity lawsuit several years ago.
Keanu Reeves at New York Comic Con 2017 | Roy Rochlin / Getty Images
Keanu Reeves has a reputation for being the “friend of the internet”.
In the past few years, Reeve’s career has been hotter than ever. The success of the John Wick series – along with 2019 hits like Toy Story 4 and Netflix comedy Always Be My Maybe – has kept the actor in the public eye. But even before that he had become known as a very down-to-earth, authentic person, especially by Hollywood standards.
More recently, Reeves was named “Friend of the Internet”. His The Matrix Reloaded co-star Jada Pinkett Smith even tried to explain the fanatic obsession with Reeves. She attributes the actor’s popularity to his combination of coolness and sweetness. And when you consider everything the fans have heard, that sounds about right. And that makes these allegations even more surprising.
RELATED: Keanu Reeves once admitted he ‘had some wonderful experiences with drugs’
But in 2010, the actor faced a paternity lawsuit
According to the Toronto Star, an Ontario woman named Karen Sala claimed that Reeves had four children, each in their twenties. Sala applied for $ 3 million per month for spousal support and $ 150,000 per month for retrospective child benefit. Although she claimed that a sexual relationship with Reeves took place in the middle of their marriage, he denied ever meeting her.
Of course, the court ordered a DNA test that supposedly revealed Reeves wasn’t the father. Even so, Sala persisted, claiming that someone might have manipulated the test results. She even suggested that Reeves use hypnosis to alter both the DNA test and the course of their relationship. According to Sala, she only knew Reeves by other names since childhood.
The 2010 case was dismissed and labeled a “waste of limited legal resources” by the Ontario judge. Sala was unable to provide sufficient evidence to support her allegations. And she even refused to have her ex-husband’s DNA tested or to show her children’s birth certificates. This helped Reeves avoid settling the case and kept his personal life and career on track.
RELATED: Keanu Reeves Might Not Be Aging Visibly, But He’s Still Having Problems Getting Older: “I Had the Classic 40 Meltdown”
Keanu Reeves was afraid of a lawsuit a decade ago
While the paternity case posed an entirely different dilemma, it wasn’t the first time Reeves found himself in a precarious position with the law. In fact, a decade before Sala’s lawsuit, he made a film out of legal obligation. After the success of The Matrix, Reeves felt tempted to appear as a serial killer in the 2000 thriller The Watcher.
“I never found the script interesting, but a friend of mine forged my signature on the agreement,” Reeves said in 2001. “I couldn’t prove he did and I didn’t want to be sued.” So I had no choice but to make the film. “The film was a box office flop, with many critics and fans claiming Reeves felt out of place. As it turned out, this interpretation was true.
Comments are closed.