Keanu Reeves films have been pulled from Chinese video streaming services, according to reports from The Los Angeles Times and Reuters. Many of the 57-year-old actor’s films have been banned from platforms like Tencent Video and iQiyi after his support for a charity event in Tibet.
According to Reuters, the actor’s many properties have been deleted from streaming services. Speed, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, The Matrix series, and the John Wick franchise were among them. Meanwhile, The Los Angeles Times reported on Thursday that at least 19 of Keanu Reeves’ films had been deleted.
It is still unknown whether the decision to remove Keanu Reeves’ films from the platform was made under the direction of the Chinese government. Furthermore, neither Tencent Video nor iQiyi has officially addressed the films’ removal, leaving the situation up to interpretation.
What Started The Feud Between Keanu Reeves And China?
After agreeing to perform at the 35th Annual Tibet House US Benefit Concert on March 3, the Canadian artist faced a lot of backlash from Chinese nationalists in January.
The event was hosted by Tibet House the US, which was formed at the request of the 14th Dalai Lama, who has a tumultuous and tumultuous relationship with China’s ostensibly atheist government. Many nationalists demanded that Reeves’ film The Matrix Resurrections be banned in China when it was released.
For years, the Chinese government has chastised the Dalai Lama for advocating for Tibet’s independence from Chinese authority.
Because of his popularity in Tibet as a cherished religious icon, a segment of the population has continued to fight for Tibet’s independence from China’s involvement. The Chinese government’s partisans against the respected Dalai Lama have reacted angrily to this.
China’s Reaction To Tibet’s Backing
Keanu Reeves is the latest Hollywood icon to be chastised by the Chinese government. Several actors and artists have previously been barred from entering the country due to their anti-East Asian remarks. Richard Gere, for example, was involved in a similar scandal when he denounced China’s enslavement of Tibet.
Gere described China’s conduct as an “awful, horrendous human rights scenario” on the red carpet of the 1993 Academy Awards. As a result, Gere’s films will not be released in China for the rest of his life.
Similarly, after starring in Seven Years in Tibet in 1997, Brad Pitt was subjected to an almost 20-year ban. At the same time, in 2014 and 2016, singers like Selena Gomez and Lady Gaga were barred from meeting with the Dalai Lama.
Due to his Chinese Hawaiian paternal grandmother, Reeves’ heritage may contain roots in China, and he may face a more lenient ban.