With Marilyn Manson being in the news a lot this year and his career being in question,
I wanted to talk about a story that may have flown under the radar for a lot people.
Back in the early 2000’s the paths of actor Keanu Reeves and Marilyn Manson would
cross despite in a truly tragic way. That’s what were going to discuss in today’s video.
It seemed like a strange pair of people to talk about given how different Marilyn Manson
and keanu reeves are perceived in the media. Reeves has been held up as one of friendliest
and down to earth actors in hollywood, while Manson at least up until last year
was known for his shock persona. Then in 2021 it seemed like his career came crashing down
will allegation and after allegation flying against the musician.
But the actor and musician would cross paths in 2001 due to a horrific event.
On April 1, 2001 MarilynManson hosted a party at his LA home. One of those people in attendance
was a women named Jennifer Syme who was dating Reeves. Reeves was not in attendance at the party
According to MTV News, it was at the party that Syme consumed and i quote "various quantities
of an illegal controlled substance" that were allegedly given to her by Manson. According to MTV
shortly before dawn an attendee at the party gave her a ride home back to her house. Another report
I read claimed Manson noticed the condition Syme was in and told her to go home to get
some arrest and sent her away with a designated driver. . Once she arrived at home Syme got into
her 1999 jeep cherokee and collided with three parked cars in hollywood. News reports seemed to
indicate that Syme had gotten into her car with the intention of returning to Manson’s party.
Manson would issue a statement on Wednesday (April 3) that read
"After Jennifer was sent home safely with a designated driver, she later got behind
the wheel of her own car for reasons known only to her. Her death is sad and tragic."
Investigators would determine that Syme was not wearing a seat belt, and under the influence
and pronounced dead at the scene in the early hours of April 2nd.
At the site of the crash police found two rolled up dollars bills which had residues of white
powder and prescription medication including a muscle relaxant and an anti-seizure medication
which warns users not to operate heavy machinery of vehicles.
Syme’s mother would claim that her daughter was recovering from back pain after being involved in
a car accident several days prior. In addition to that, Syme was also battling depression.
Syme would move to LA in the early 90’s to pursue a career in the entertainment
industry. It was there that she landed a job being the assistant to director David
Lynch and also worked as an assistant to Jane’s Addiction and Red Hot Chili Peppers
guitarist Dave Navarro. She even appeared in the Lynch directed film Lost Highway.
Manson would credit Syme as brokering the relationship between himself and
director David Dynch writing in his 1998 book The Long Hard Road out of hell saying
"Our relationship with Lynch had begun two years "At the time, everybody else had dismissed her as
a name-dropping groupie. But when it came down to it, her claim was not only true,
it resulted in an offer for us to collaborate with him on the soundtrack to his new movie,
Lost Highway, as well as appear in the film."
In 1998 Syme would meet Reeves at a promotional party for his band dogstar.While they weren't
married yet the Guardian reported Reeves bought the couple a house where they lived together
until she became pregnant in 1999. Sadly their child Ava Archer Syme would born at the eight
month mark and be still born. A few weeks after the couple’s loss they would split up.
The loss of their child resulted in Syme going on medication to deal with her grief
and while many news outlets reported Syme and Reeves were broken up at the time of her death
MTV had reported that, Reeves told investigators that the couple were in fact back together.
While Reeves has never publicly named Syme he has talked about loss and grief in various interviews.
He would tell Parade magazine in 2006 “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. It is that grief Reeves dealt with that
he channeled into his character John Wick Reeves would remark on the role:
“I thought it was one of the foundations of the role. I love his grief.
"I relate to that, and I don’t think you ever work through it.
"Grief and loss don’t ever go away." At Syme's funeral Reeves would act as
a pallbearer as did Dave Navarro and film director David Lynch. At the time of death,
she was 28 years old & she was buried next to her daughter in Westwood Village Memorial
Park Los Angeles & following her death Lynch would dedicate the 2002 movie Mullholland Drive to her
Syme’s mother meanwhile Maria St. John would file a lawsuit against Manson blaming the shock rocker
for her daughter’s death claiming he supplied her with drugs and encouraged her to get behind
the wheel. MTV reported that Syme’s mother was seeking $25K plus lawyer fees.Sime’s mother would
cite the California Health and Safety Code's Drug Dealer Liability Act as the basis for her lawsuit.
And Manson at the time was contemplating filing a countersuit for defamation
and released a statement that read "This lawsuit, which is completely without merit,
will not bring back Jennifer's life," . "It serves only to reopen the wounds and the pain
felt by all who loved Jennifer. It is a pity that St. John sullies her own daughter's reputation by
filing this baseless claim." It would appear that the lawsuit would be settled out of court.
That does it for today's video guys thanks for watching. Be sure to hit the like button
and subscribe and we'll see you again on rock n' roll true stories.