Keanu Reeves Appeals for Mercy for Director Convicted of Stealing Millions

Keanu Reeves has written a letter to the judge in support of filmmaker Carl Rinsch, who was convicted of stealing $11 million from Netflix in connection with an unfinished project. Court documents obtained by Us Weekly show that Reeves, 61, asked for leniency, saying he was not aware of all the details of the case but wanted to speak on Rinsch’s behalf based on his long personal and professional history with the director.

Reeves said he has known Rinsch, 50, for about 15 years, dating back to their work together on 47 Ronin, the 2013 fantasy film that marked Rinsch’s feature directorial debut. He wrote that they remained in touch after production, became friends, and stayed connected over the years, including visits to Rinsch and his wife at their Los Angeles home. Reeves also noted that he attended Rinsch’s wedding in Uruguay in 2014.

In the letter dated May 1, Reeves described Rinsch as “an exceptional artist” and said the unfinished version of White Horse, the sci-fi series Rinsch was developing for Netflix, was “a superb and visionary work of art.” Reeves said he was writing as an artistic peer and friend, not as a therapist or psychologist. He suggested that Rinsch may have self-sabotaged by expanding the project beyond what had been negotiated, but emphasized that his comments were not meant to excuse the conduct for which Rinsch was found guilty.

Rinsch had been working on White Horse, a sci-fi series that initially attracted interest from Netflix and Amazon. Netflix ultimately backed the project in 2018 and paid Rinsch $44 million between 2018 and 2019, followed by an additional $11 million in 2020. Prosecutors said Rinsch diverted the money away from production and into personal spending, including cryptocurrency, luxury cars, antique furniture and other expensive items. He was also accused of transferring the funds through multiple accounts.

Authorities arrested Rinsch in Los Angeles last year and charged him in federal court in the Southern District of New York with wire fraud and money laundering. Prosecutors said the money was meant to finance White Horse, but the series was never completed. During the trial, Rinsch argued that his purchases were legitimate and claimed items such as a Rolls Royce were needed for the production.

Rinsch was convicted in December 2025 of defrauding Netflix out of $11 million. His lawyer criticized the verdict, arguing it could create a harmful precedent for artists involved in creative and contractual disputes with major backers. Rinsch is scheduled to be sentenced on June 29.