Keanu Reeves Urges Judge to Show Leniency for Convicted Filmmaker Carl Rinsch

Keanu Reeves has asked a New York judge to show leniency when sentencing filmmaker Carl Rinsch, who was convicted of fraud and money laundering after misusing $11 million from Netflix.

Rinsch, 50, was found guilty in December of using money meant for his unfinished Netflix series White Horse on cryptocurrency trading, luxury cars, expensive furniture, watches, and personal expenses. Prosecutors said Netflix had already paid about $44 million for the project before sending another $11 million in 2020.

In a letter to Judge Jed S. Rakoff, Reeves said he and Rinsch became close after working together on the 2013 film 47 Ronin. Reeves described Rinsch as a talented artist and said the unfinished White Horse was “superb and visionary.”

Reeves acknowledged Rinsch’s wrongdoing but suggested that personal and mental health struggles may have contributed to his actions. He asked the court to balance justice with “leniency and mercy.”

Rinsch is scheduled to be sentenced on June 29. Prosecutors are expected to recommend a sentence by June 16. Netflix is seeking repayment of the $11 million, along with an additional $4.4 million in legal costs.