Keanu Reeves asked a judge to consider “leniency and mercy” ahead of director Carl Rinsch’s sentencing, despite admitting he did “not know the details of this case.”
The “John Wick” star spoke out in defense of Rinsch’s character in a letter submitted by the “47 Ronin” filmmaker’s legal team on Wednesday, as part of a sentencing memorandum tied to his federal fraud case.
“I am writing in support of Carl Rinsch in connection with his upcoming sentencing,” Reeves, who worked with Rinsch on “47 Ronin,” wrote. “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 this sentence might be tempered with measures of leniency and mercy, as well as justice.”
As Reeves went on, he recounted working together, sharing that they “stayed in touch” after wrapping production. They later became friends.
“Over the years, I would periodically visit with Carl and his wife at their Los Angeles home and catch up and discuss life and art,” he said. “During one of these visits Carl showed me a project he was working on called ‘White Horse,’ which he was hoping to bring to market. 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.”
Reeves noted that he was “not a therapist or psychologist” in his letter, adding, “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,” Reeves stated. “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.”
Before signing off his note, Reeves said he had seen Rinsch “bring exceptional joy and warmth to the people around him.”
“I have seen him bring creative inspiration to others through his creativity and vision,” Reeves added. “I have seen and been a part of wonderful artistic environments where exceptional work was done with him. I hope you are able to find leniency for this man.”
Additionally, Reeves defended that “leniency would be a healing act.”
As we previously reported in December, a New York jury found Rinsch guilty of scamming Netflix out of over $11 million for his never-completed sci-fi series, “White Horse.” He was found guilty of one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years; one count of money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and five counts of “engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity,” each of which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
He is set to be sentenced on June 29.
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