“I know that the ones who love us will miss us.”
Pain and loss have been an extremely intense part of actor Keanu Reeves’ life, but the Matrix star gave this profound answer when discussing death on the Stephen Colbert show in 2019.
Reeves had become accustomed to tough circumstances after being abandoned by his father at three years old. They were reunited in Hawaii when Reeves was 13, but have admittedly had a strained relationship since.
Speaking to Rolling Stone Magazine in 2000, Reeves revealed: "The story with me and my dad's pretty heavy. It’s full of pain and woe and f***ing loss and all that s***."
Just as Reeves began making his name in Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991), his sister Kim was diagnosed with leukemia and he donated to cancer charities privately during her decade-long battle. Fortunately, Kim would go into remission in 1999/
Five years after the loss of his friend and My Own Private Idaho co-star, River Phoenix, Reeves began filming for his biggest role as Neo Anderson and simultaneously met the love of his life.
Reeves met Jennifer Syme at a party in LA with his band ‘Dogstar’ and they instantly connected.
Within a year, Syme became pregnant with their daughter Ava, but tragedy would once again strike. The couple were hit with heartache after Ava was born prematurely and pronounced dead.
The couple then grew apart through grief and later reconciled in 2001, but once again Reeves’ life was turned upside down.
Syme, aged 28, was killed on impact in a car accident on the way home from a party with three parked cars. Reeves was a pallbearer at her funeral and she was buried beside their daughter.
Reeves postponed all filming of The Matrix sequels and reportedly confined himself to the Chateaux Marmont hotel to process unbearable loss.
Rumors began to circulate on Reddit of his charitable nature as one worker claimed he paid towards their rent, while another said he watched Spongebob Squarepants on repeat, per the Mirror.
When he was asked about his grief in 2006, he told Paradise magazine: "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."
He added: "I miss being a part of their lives and them being part of mine. I wonder what the present would be like if they were here – what we might have done together. I miss all the great things that will never be.”
In 2009, he found love again when he met Alexandra Grant, who helped him co-publish his first book, Ode to Happiness.
Grant designed the images for Reeves’ series of poems and presented the drawings to the actor inside another text called ‘The British Scene’ as a surprise.
Their relationship was kept private for years until they were seen holding hands at a Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) film gala in 2019 and the two have appeared inseparable since.
After finally going public, a source close to the couple told PEOPLE at the time: "Keanu wants to openly share his life with her [...] He is extremely happy and grateful to have Alex in his life."
It truly is amazing to see Reeves so happy. If anybody deserves it, it's him!