A photo has been circulating on X recently, claiming to be that of Keanu Reeves and his grandmother. The photo appeared on an X account, @HistoryUnd, who titled it, “1996: Keanu Reeves visits his grandmother.” Many fans claimed that they had guessed about Reeves’s alleged Asian background.
I knew his ass was asian! https://t.co/SnRDZa20kp
— 𓆩♡𓆪 GODS FAVORITE 𓆩♡𓆪 (@soulaaangel) December 17, 2025
Interestingly, the photo has long been circulated on the internet, with many internet users claiming that it was Reeves’s grandmother. The reason? The John Wick actor actually has a Chinese connection. His paternal grandmother, Sarah Monilani Victor, is of Hawaiian and Chinese descent.
However, there is a reason to believe that the woman in the photo with Reeves is not his grandmother. A blog under the name, jacquelinebond.co.uk, claimed that the woman in the picture was actually the author’s grandmother and a reputed Chinese composer, Huang Zhun.
The blog explained that people mistook her for Reeves’s grandmother after he had visited her flat in Shanghai during a 2007 trip. His kung fu trainer was Huang’s colleague, and he allegedly invited Reeves to meet a famous film composer. The photo went on to appear in several places, including an obituary page for Reeves’s actual grandmother.
Huang Zhun composed scores for over 40 films, including Red Detachment of Women (1960), Woman Basketball Player No. 5, Family, The Herdsman, and Long Live Youth.
Keanu Reeves’s Family Background
Keanu Reeves was born in Beirut, Lebanon. His mother, Patricia Taylor, met his father, Samuel Nowlin Reeves Jr., when she was working in Beirut. Patricia hails from Essex, England, and is originally of English descent. Reeves Jr. was Native Hawaiian, born in America, with Chinese, English, and Portuguese descent.
Reeves Jr.’s mother was of Hawaiian and Chinese descent, which connects Keanu Reeves to his Asian heritage. However, Reeves did not have much of a relationship with his father or his family, as Reeves Jr. abandoned Patricia and a 3-year-old Reeves. Reeves last met his father when he was thirteen in Kaua’i, Hawaii.
Patricia Taylor raised Reeves and his biological sister, Kim Reeves, as a single mother in Australia, New York, and Canada. Patricia was also married to Robert Miller, Paul Aaron, and Jack Bond. Reeves has two half-sisters, Karina Miller and Emma Reeves.
Keanu Reeves’s Relationships, Including Alexandra Grant
Keanu Reeves doesn’t open up easily about his personal life. He has famously said the line, “If you don’t fight for your love, what kind of love do you have,” on The Drew Barrymore Show. While filming Babes in Toyland in 1986, he met Jill Schoelen and reportedly dated her for three years (via PEOPLE).
He briefly dated actress-turned-director Sofia Coppola before splitting up in 1992. While they never really dated, Reeves and Winona Ryder joked that they were technically married. During an interview with EW, Ryder shared that a real Romanian priest wedded them while filming 1992’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula. She shared:
In that scene, Francis [Ford Coppola] used a real Romanian priest. We shot the master, and he did the whole thing. So I think we’re married.
Reeves was linked to Amanda De Cadenet briefly. She wrote in her book that she was attracted to Reeves when she was still married to musician John Taylor. However, Reeves didn’t get involved with her at that time. She shared that they went on a date after she divorced her husband in 1997.
The one relationship that pushed him into grief for a long time was that with Jennifer Syme. They began dating in 1999, and Syme became pregnant with Reeves’ child. Sadly, the child, Ava, was stillborn. The grief of the loss separated the couple. Tragedy struck again when Syme met with an accident and died a year later.
From 2004 to 2006, he was linked to actress Claire Forlani. However, Reeves never confirmed their relationship. Reeves met Alexandra Grant at a party in 2009 and later worked together on the book, Ode to Happiness. They went public with their romance in 2019.
A source told PEOPLE at the time that Reeves wanted “to openly share his life with her.” They added, “He is extremely happy and grateful to have Alex in his life.” Grant allegedly has no interest in chasing fame, which perfectly fits with Reeves’ laid-back persona.
What do you think of Keanu Reeves’s Asian connection? Let us know in the comments below!
