December 7, 1972 – April 2, 2001
Okay, admit it. You don’t know who she is. I didn’t either. This is the chick that used to be Keanu Reeves’ girlfriend. By all accounts, a pretty nice woman. She used to work for David Lynch, which raises a fucked up flag or two. I saw the film Mulholland Drive, which was dedicated to her. That’s sorta what got my interest going. Plus, I didn’t realize how close I live to where she died.
When she and Keanu were together, she became pregnant. Awful thing, they lost the baby. Stillborn at Christmas 1999. They broke up shortly afterwards, but remained friends. This fucked up her life.
On April 1, 2001, Jennifer was medicated and drinking at a party held by fucked up Marilyn Manson. She was an April fool. She got to Marilyn’s house at 8pm, and stayed till 5:50am. Good party man. The weird bit is that someone drove her home (she arrived in someone else’s car) to get her own fucked up car, and she was to return to Manson’s party at his request.
She was driving northbound on Cahuenga in Hollywood, in a 99 Jeep Cherokee.
It seems she was going to get onto the 101 freeway, which is always fucked up. She was going around this curve when she plowed into three parked cars. She was not wearing a seat belt. That’s fucked up. The car flipped three times and she was thrown out and killed instantly.
One of the reports states that there was brain matter along the inside roof, driver’s side door and in the roadway. Her skull and jaw were shattered and her right eye was protruding from the socket. Boing. Gross. By daylight, the scene looked like this.
She was 28 years old.
Her funeral was held at the Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Beverly Hills.
Jennifer was in a white coffin, covered in pink and white roses. After the funeral, Jennifer’s casket was taken to Westwood Memorial Park, where she is buried with their stillborn daughter.
Police found a couple of rolled up dollar bills with a powdery white substance on them, and it wasn’t anthrax, I can tell you that. They also found two bottles of Vicodin.
Jennifer’s mother is suing Marilyn Manson for wrongful death. Thing is, she only wants 25 grand. I don’t know what to think about that.
This just in, February 2003, from Findadeath friend, Jim Allen:
Hi Scott,
Thanks for the great stories on Jennifer Syme and Phil Spector. Wanted to drop a quick line about the lawsuit against Marilyn Manson. You mentioned that Syme’s mother only wants $25,000. While I haven’t seen the petition, most likely it says “in excess of” $25K. I’ll take a look at the California court rules if you would like, but most states (including my own states of Kansas and Missouri) state that for claims under a certain amount that we have to state exactly the amount we are seeking, but if it is over a certain amount we have to simply state in excess of that amount.
Take care!
Jim Allen
Thanks for the info, Jim!
This a staged accident. She was beaten to death, then her car was crashed and she was placed near the car.
I don’t think she was beaten to death her brains were all over the place inside top roof back roof etc
Jeff, I’m pretty sure you are a moron. As Scott would say, “you’re fucked up”. That is all.
How sad for Keanu Reeves. To be in love with a baby on the way, when suddenly life decides to show everyone who’s boss. He lost so much in such quick succession. Keanu is known for being a really kind soul. Just a good human being. I imagine loss this deep probably stays forever. That some days are good, while others still hurt immensely.
I couldn’t agree more with your statements. Even when the “sad Keanu” meme was going around he was interviewed about it. And he said something to the effect of “sometimes I’m sad. I’ve known a lot of sadness in my life and I’m not afraid to show it”. He really is an amazing person who truly cares about others.
I was in an SUV that flipped when I was a dumbass kid in college, and the fireman told me, as I was hanging upside down, that I most likely would have been thrown out and crushed if I wasnt wearing my seatbelt.
I never really wanted to validate my parents crap about wearing my seatbelt in that particular way, but there you go. Buckle up.
Hey Biff, as a cop of 32 yrs experience I’ve gone to more fatalities where the occupants NOT wearing a seatbelt were either tossed out of the vehicle or were fully or nearly decapitated as their head goes thru a window or the windshield. Buckle up & increase your chances to survive.
As tragic as this was, people who drive impaired should know what they’re in for… again, terribly sad that a young woman died, but also glad no one else was killed as a result of her decision to drive intoxicated. CALL A TAXI OR AN UBER (taxis were a thing back then). Never worth it.
The sad thing is they do not know that they are impaired until it is wayyy too late. My condolences to both of their families.
While I (somewhat) agree that people don’t know they’re impaired, more times than not, they just don’t care that they’re impaired. Or that they know their “limit” of being impaired. Either way people shouldn’t fuck around and drive impaired.
Hey Johnny, you mean to tell me you don’t know you are impaired and should NOT operate a vehicle ? ABSURD ! That excuse never worked in court and I’ve busted LOTS of drunk drivers. They all knew they were drunk. Most thought they were too smart to ever get caught so took the risk. Trouble is while they are risking their own lives they are risking everyone else who is on the road, or walking on the sidewalks, of waiting for a bus, or even playing in their yards or in a playground. They know they are DRUNK.
Pobre Keanu.
Thank you for this thread. I highly enjoy your use of the f words as it describes the correct things paired with them. 19 years of this has now passed. How times flies. Rest In Peace Ms. Syme.
RIP Jennifer. I’m sorry Ms. Syme. Awful thing you went through. No one should have to endure that.
Marilyn Manson is a total scumbag. If she was messed up on booze, coke and pills, he should’ve called a cab for this girl. Maybe she’d still be alive. Rest in Peace.
To be fair, he didn’t make her get in the car. She could have said no.
He did . Read
Just some thoughts/clarifications 20 years later. First of all, by the time Jennifer announced her pregnancy, they were already broken up. But Keanu, being the good guy that he is, stepped up and was supportive. He even rented a house for Jennifer to live in. Once she lost the baby, she never went back.
As to the accident. Marilyn Manson has always insisted that he sent Jennifer home with a designated driver. He has also maintained that he did not instruct her to return. It doesn’t make sense. Why send her home just to have her come back? To shower/change clothes? The driver would have waited while she did those things.
My personal theory to the real cause of the accident: according to the autopsy report, not only was there wine and pain killers in Jennifer’s system, but cocaine as well. I think, just my opinion, that she was coming down from it and “crashed” .. Poor choice .. And fell asleep at the wheel.
The lawsuit. Her heartbroken mother wanted someone to blame. Blame it on the last person she was with. Marilyn Manson. It was apparently well-known to everyone but her mother that Jennifer had a drug problem. Maria Syme was advised to drop the lawsuit because she would end up finding out some things about her daughter that she had no idea about. You want a fight, lady? You’ll get one, but it will be humiliating and ugly. And she decided to drop it.
How exactly do you know they were not together, were you involved in their personal life? We do not know these people’s personal lives, some choose to be private with their relationships as others do not. They were private and intended to keep it that way. No one will ever know what happened in their relationship or why it happened besides them. Rest In Peace to her and god bless her family and loved ones who miss her everyday.
You’re great w math