Did Keanu Reeves refuse to present lifetime achievement award to Whoopi Goldberg? Viral claim resurfaces online

Keanu Reeves is one of the most respected and loved Hollywood icons on social media. However, The Matrix star has also been subject to fake news online, with many often sharing fabricated stories or quotes attributed to him. 

One of the unfounded claims that resurfaced on the internet is that Reeves refused to present an accolade to actress-comedian and The View co-host, Whoopi Goldberg. A recent viral post shared by a Facebook page, RedThread, asserted: 

“WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING Keanu Reeves Refuses to Present the Lifetime Achievement Award to Whoopi Goldberg”

The post also misquotes Keanu Reeves and claims that he said: 

“‘She’s Not a Good Person’ – ‘She Doesn’t Deserve It’”

Like the quotes, the other claims made by RedThread are also fake. There’s no proof that Keanu Reeves refused to present the Lifetime Achievement Award to Whoopi Goldberg. Additionally, there is no record of the John Wick actor leaving a remark, positively or negatively, about the EGOT winner.  

Furthermore, outlets like Snopes, Reuters, and Forbes debunked the viral claims in the past, with each one concluding that the Reeves-Goldberg story is fake. The cooked-up social media report seemingly originated in January 2024 and has resurfaced multiple times ever since. 

The infamous Keanu Reeves-Whoopi Goldberg claim was initially published as satire

Despite the social media claims, The Devil's Advocate star never denied presenting an award to the Ghost actress. Snopes, a credible fact-checker, reported in February 2024 that the viral story originated as a satirical news report from The Dunning-Kruger Times, by America's Last Line of Defense (ALLOD). Here’s an excerpt from the fake story:

“Reeves was chosen to present this year’s Lifetime Achievement award by the TV Production Committee, a role he was honored to take on…until he heard that he’d have to share the stage and present the award to Whoopi Goldberg. She’s not a nice person,’ said Reeves.” 

The satirical account further claimed that Justin Timberlake, Wynona Ryder, and Gloria Estefan were other notable celebrities who refused to present the honor. The story also made its way to ALLOD’s Facebook page, which features plenty of different posts on Whoopi Goldberg. The page’s official bio also clarifies: 

“Nothing on this page is real.” 

Recently, another ALLOD story was making the rounds on social media based on another news satire about “Oprah rebuilding her Maui mansion with a FEMA grant.”

Whoopi Goldberg once freaked out Keanu Reeves with a personal story on The Graham Norton Show

Keanu has never shared screen with The View co-host, but they once appeared on The Graham Norton Show in 2017. During a conversation with the host, Goldberg went into detail while talking about aging and shared a funny anecdote:

“I'll tell you I went to a Steely Dan concert recently and I was looking around and I thought, ‘Damn these… There are some old people at this concert. It's all these old hippies and stuff.’ I’m like, ‘God damn! Do they know how old the people are…’ And then I pass the mirror like, ‘Oh s***. Me too.’”

She then shared some graphic details of a “mysterious hair loss in women,” drawing a reaction from a curious Keanu Reeves. The Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure star asked Whoopi to explain further, but interrupted and enquired:

“What is that? Wait, do I want to know what this is? [...] Let’s hear it.”

As Whoopi Goldberg started to answer Reeves’ query, The Matrix Reloaded star visibly freaked out, prompting a response: 

“I don't even know if I should tell him [Reeves].” 

Goldberg’s follow-up description of pubic hair loss garnered an awkward “wow” from Keanu, followed by a giggle, while the room broke into laughter.