Keanu Reeves Under Fire For Defending Director Who Stole Millions

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ANGELA WEISS / AFP via Getty Images

What to Know

01 Carl Rinsch was convicted of wire fraud, money laundering, and making illegal transactions.
02 Ahead of his sentencing, Keanu Reeves wrote a letter asking the judge for "leniency and mercy."
03 He's facing backlash for this, as fans have argued that the crimes are real and should be taken seriously.

Normally, Keanu Reeves is pretty uncontroversial. So, imagine some fans’ surprise when they found out that he defended a director who stole millions of dollars. The director, Carl Rinsch, was convicted of wire fraud, money laundering, and making illegal transactions, per a report from Variety.

According to the publication, he used $11 million from Netflix to make lavish, personal purchases. The money was supposed to go toward creating the sci-fi series White Horse, a project that Rinsch never actually finished, per People.

Ahead of Rinsch’s sentencing, Reeves is asking the judge to show “leniency and mercy.”

Reeves wrote a letter in support of the director, whom he befriended after working on “47 Ronin.”

The actor portrayed a samurai in the 2013 movie. At the beginning of May, he penned a letter to Judge Jed S. Rakoff, stating that Rinsch is “an exceptional artist” and also one of his friends. Interestingly, Reeves also stated in his letter that he doesn’t “know the details of this case.”

“I am writing in support of Carl Rinsch in connection with his upcoming sentencing,” he wrote, per People. “I do not know the details of this case. But based upon what I do know about Carl, I did want to take the opportunity to write on his behalf, in the hope that his sentence might be tempered with measures of leniency and mercy as well as justice.”

He also said he didn’t want to make excuses.

“In my opinion, Carl is an exceptional artist, and White Horse, in the form in which I saw it, was a superb and visionary work of art, although unfinished,” the letter continued. “I am, of course, not a therapist or psychologist. I write instead as an artistic peer of Carl’s, and as a friend. In my opinion, Carl can self-sabotage by amplifying the scale, scope and landscape of what had been negotiated, accordingly placing himself and his counterparties at odds.”

He added, “I do not intend to share this as an excuse or diminishment of what he has been found to have done, but offer this solely as perhaps an insight into why.”

According to Variety, Rinsch spent Netflix’s money on things like “luxury cars, high-end mattresses, and crypto investments.”

Some people don’t love the fact that Reeves is defending the director.

A few people noted that they could understand where Reeves was coming from… until they actually saw what Rinsch spent the money on. “I was gonna agree with Keanu until I read the part about crypto,” one person wrote on X. Someone else said, “Being an exceptional artist doesn’t cancel out the crimes, though…right?”

Some fans noted that Reeves was being a loyal and supportive friend — but at the same time, they think the crimes Rinsch was convicted of should be taken seriously. “Bad look from a great actor,” another commenter said. “Fraud and embezzlement are real crimes.”

The topic also came up on Reddit, where people were also skeptical. “Sure, Keanu. I mean, who amongst us hasn’t embezzled 11 million dollars from netflix?” one person wrote sarcastically.

Another Redditor said, “I appreciate the tact with which he wrote the letter but defending a person who blew millions of someone else’s money on stock gambling and supercars is wild. I’m not sure why that would need ‘leniency’.”

However, others argued that there might be more to this story. After all, Reeves stated that he wasn’t familiar with the details, and The New York Times previously reported that the director was struggling with his mental health.

Reeves wrapped up the letter with, “I hope you are able to find leniency for this man. To the extent you deem appropriate, I believe such leniency would be a healing act, to go along with the punishment he will live with. Thank you for your consideration.”

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Paige Sheffield (she/her)