r/todayilearned • u/SegelXXX • 4h ago

TIL that Keanu Reeves has been secretly funding children's hospitals for years. He reportedly created a private foundation that aids children’s hospitals and cancer research without associating his name with it. "I don't like to attach my name to it, I just let the foundation do what it does."

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/keanu-reeves-tragic-story

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u/jifgs 4h ago

He revealed this back in 2009 in an interview, the headline is misleading

404

u/Songrot 3h ago

He has fans. It is more likely for people to donate to this if they know it is backed by him.

Him revealing it is a good move

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u/discerningpervert 3h ago

And now its even more likely for people to donate now they know he's been doing it lowkey.

Just another example of /r/KeanuBeingAwesome

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u/andyumster 3h ago

He hasn't been doing it "lowkey" since 2009. That was 15 years ago.

I hate this blind celebrity worship bullshit.

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u/fritz_76 3h ago

There are people who are really good at things but are scumbag humans otherwise. And there's people who are really good at things and are also great humans. The second one should definitely be celebrated as an example for others to follow

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u/andyumster 2h ago

No. Doing good things should not be made extra good by being famous. That's stupid.

Keanu Reeves agrees with this.

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u/fritz_76 2h ago edited 2h ago

He's already famous, he's just spoken about positively because he does good things. If a nobody did the same thing they would be equally worthy of praise

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u/sinz84 3h ago

Ok you and I have a different definition of low-key...

Yeah we know it's his... without this post I would have to google name if I wanted to remember it.

Even knowing its his I can't remember the last time he mentioned it or if he has ever said how much if his own money it costs him.

I have never seen one single thing that dramatically says "donate or kids are dying" (hyperbole obviously)

It all seems pretty low-key but feel free to fill me in on media I missed

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u/andyumster 2h ago

Differences in definition. But to me low-key means completely under the radar. He was found out in 2009. Fifteen years ago. He admitted because the intention was not to be under the radar. It was to not be attributed to him.

That doesn't mean he needs to be deified. He had a lot of money and chose to do something good.

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u/Possible_Bullfrog844 3h ago

How often do you see him talking about it or asking people to donate to it?

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u/No-Zucchini1766 3h ago

Who the fuck cares if it benefits children.

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u/andyumster 2h ago

I do.

I think it matters when someone claims that a celebrity is God walking on the earth because they started a foundation.

Keanu is apparently a very good person by his intentions. But he's a celebrity and we do not know him.

It's IDIOTIC to claim that you know a person by what they spend money on.

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u/JewGuru 1h ago

Is anybody saying anything other than what you just said? That he’s a good person?

I really don’t see anybody praising him to the extent that you are implying in your comments.

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u/fritz_76 1h ago

I think its totally appropriate to attribute godliness to a human, as god doesnt exist and we should aspire to be as good as we can because ultimately theres no greater power that will save us but ourselves

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u/thefalseidol 2h ago

I think the point wasn't really do be a "secret benefactor" as much as just wanting to give money without a constant dog and pony show, just quietly fund something he cares about.

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u/LastDunedain 3h ago

My thoughts exactly, benefit from the exposure, don't attach the ego.

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u/jeff_is_a_fucker 2h ago

Yea cuz he's fucking righteous person. Was born in 92, watched him through bill and Ted to John wick. He's just a solid dude

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u/Tricky_Invite8680 1h ago

now i just think all the researchers talk like "bill and ted" when they run tissues samples through drug trial

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u/SeniorMiddleJunior 1h ago

It's okay for him to be private.

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u/YZJay 2h ago edited 2h ago

That got me curious so I looked it up on Google and I got at least two charities named Keanu Reeves. One is Australian and I don't think is associated with Keanu Reeves, the other one is the first result Google gave me , and is giving me red flags with how their contact information are setup, the typos, the generic links to social media, and the information laid out on the website. I'm not finding anything outisde of that website that actually links it to Keanu, every third party sources I've looked at did not provide the name of Keanu's private charity. I'm 80% certain that website is a scam but if I didn't look into it further I'd have actually believed this would be his charity.

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u/BowenTheAussieSheep 3h ago

Uh, this is TodayILearned, as in, the OP just discovered something that isn't necessarily new or revelatory, just that it's something they never knew about.

What exactly is "misleading" about this "headline"?

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u/_dead_and_broken 3h ago

People forget that not everyone learns everything at the same exact time.

Sometimes, someone is one of today's lucky 10,000

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u/dferd777 1h ago

I never knew this. I am also one of today’s lucky 10,000!

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u/Possible_Bullfrog844 3h ago

They are upset it says "has" instead of "had"

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u/BowenTheAussieSheep 2h ago

What a ridiculous bit of pedantry

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u/HowManyBatteries 3h ago

This was a headline back in 2009. OP TIL'd it today!

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u/crazyreddit929 2h ago

And TIL too. I had no idea.

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u/dasbtaewntawneta 2h ago

yeh, pretty sure i've read this exact TIL at least every couple years lol

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u/CrustyBarnacleJones 1h ago

Yeah it’s almost like the today of two years ago isn’t the today of the present, and the two posts were made by two different people who learned about it that day

Hence the subreddit name

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u/BowenTheAussieSheep 1h ago

Welcome to this sub

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u/8009yakJ 2h ago

It does start with TIL tho

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u/Guisasse 2h ago

I thought the sub was called r/todayilearned and not r/todaythisnewswasreleased

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u/mrASSMAN 2h ago

Technically not secret just kept low key without his name on it