Fans may be surprised to hear that Keanu Reeves - thought of by many as one of the ‘nicest celebrities’ in Hollywood - once had a run-in with the law.
But it's true; the 58-year-old Matrix star once found himself facing the Los Angeles County Superior Court for charges of assault and battery brought against him by a paparazzo, who claimed the actor deliberately hit him with his car.
As reported by Reuters, photographer Alison Silva sued Reeves over an incident near a clinic in Rancho Palos Verdes in 2007, where the actor was reportedly visiting a relative.
Silva had trailed the actor to the medical facility, where Reeves then allegedly "drove into him" with his Porsche.
The photographer claimed that he received injuries to his wrist as a result of the subsequent fall, which meant he could not hold the equipment necessary for his job and he also asked for around $711,974 in compensation, per the LA Times.
In September 2008 - a year and a half after the incident - Reeves attended court where he swore that although Silva was blocking his car from moving, and that he never hit or purposely harmed the photographer as he attempted to inch his car out of the facility.
Reeves was cleared of any charges by Los Angeles Superior Court judge Elizabeth Grimes, who, per Reuters, said: “There was no evidence of the slightest contact or the slightest touching.”
In fact, Judge Grimes ruled that Silva had fallen due to "tripping over his own feet".
A radiologist also informed the court that the photographer’s wrist fracture was actually an old injury.
Reeves’ attorneys further countered the claim by showing footage of Silva using his supposed injured hands to climb down a fence from filming a video of Britney Spears, which the defense claimed proved Silva’s injury was non-existent.
After judge Grimes had dismissed most of the lawsuit, it took a jury a little over an hour to clear Reeves’ name, and the actor has remained one of the most unproblematic celebrities since.
The LA Times reported at the time that Silva said he "respected" the jury's decision, and that he would have no problem photographing Reeves in the future.
Now, why not enjoy the moment one lucky couple had their wedding day gatecrashed by the nicest man in Hollywood, Keanu Reeves?
