Being a well-known star in the entertainment world entails dealing with all types of fans, even rabid ones. While some celebrities are used to such situations, Keanu Reeves was taken aback when he found himself in the thick of a legal dispute with a fan.
Reeves was caught off guard one day when a random lady, Karen Sala, claimed he was the father of her four adult children. The charge was taken to court, and the “John Wick” actor was called to stand trial.
Sala claimed in 2020 that Reeves was the biological father of her children, who were then 21, 22, 23, and 25. She requested $3 million per month in spousal support, retroactive to 2006, and $150,000 per month in child support since 1988.
According to the previously married lady, she and Reeves had an intimate connection throughout her marriage that lasted after it ended. She said they had lived together for some time and that he had seen several of her children’s births.
Sala claimed to have evidence of their connection but declined to present it in court. Furthermore, she stated that they grew up in the same town, Barrie, although Reeves actually resided 100 kilometres away in Toronto before leaving for Hollywood in 1986.
Sala testified that she had known the “Matrix” star since she was four or five years old but hadn’t seen it for years. He had several aliases, according to her. She went on to say that she had no idea he was Keanu Reeves. He was Marty Spenser to her.
Reeves, on the other hand, claims that the strangest thing a fan has ever done to him was “accuse him of being a parent.” He went on to say that he had to appear in court. It was dreadful. It was not done by him. He is not the father. Reeves maintains he has never met her.
Sala’s charges were also “totally untrue and ludicrous,” according to his spokesperson, who stated that the “Speed” actor used hypnosis to impersonate Sala’s ex-husband and get her pregnant.
Lorne Wolfson, Reeves’ lawyer, thinks Sala’s ex-husband is the dad of her four children, as stated in their divorce proceedings. Sala’s kids had to go through a paternity test to validate their mother’s allegations. She declined to reveal her children’s birth certificates or test her ex-DNA. Her husband’s Wolfson said, her proof is, at best, remarkable. Clearly, there is no triable question.
When the DNA results arrived, they revealed that Reeves was not the dad of the woman’s kids. But, she challenged the findings and voiced concerns about them, such as the potential of tampering with evidence or Reeves, once again, employing hypnosis to influence the decision in his favour.
Eventually, an Ontario court rejected the action, stating that a trial would be a misuse of scarce judicial resources. Judge Fred Graham also said in court that any sensible judge would reject the woman’s claims.
Reeves’ experience is surely one he will never forget, and although he did not dad Sala’s kids, that does not imply he did not have kids of his own.
The “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure” star has a kid with actress Jennifer Syme, whom he met at a “Dogstar” advertising event. The couple instantly fell in love and began a life together. Yet, the end of their relationship was as terrible as the loss of their daughter.
Reeves and Syme fell in love in 1999 and shortly learned of the actress’ pregnancy. Sadly, their delight soon turned to tragedy when their unborn daughter, Ava Archer Symes-Reeves, died unexpectedly.
The baby arrived on Christmas Eve, and the couple struggled to cope with the loss. Syme, in particular, struggled with postnatal depression until their relationship fell apart. It was thought that Syme and Reeves were striving to mend things, but yet another tragedy occurred in 2001.
The 28-year-old actress was involved in an accident while on her way to a party at Marilyn Mason’s house. Reeves was heartbroken as he carried his lover’s coffin to be buried beside their daughter at the burial.
Reeves said in a prior interview that after the tragedy, grief changes form, but it never stops. When loved ones die, he says, there is a sense of loneliness. He admits that he sometimes wonders how his life would have turned out if they had been there.
Ava and Syme’s deaths were sad, but they weren’t the only bad things to happen to the actor. Reeves was three years old when his father abandoned his mother to raise their family alone. He and his family had to move many times because of this. They lived in Hawaii, New York, Australia, and Canada.
He was also diagnosed with dyslexia and was unable to study; he dropped out of high school at the age of 17. Nonetheless, his mother was his most important support system. Things improved once he scored his big break in the film “Bill and Ted,” and he has since gone on to become one of Hollywood’s greatest performers.