Keanu Reeves, 44 was in court regarding a lawsuit brought against him by Alison Silva, a 28-year old Brazilian paparazzo, who last March followed him to the affluent Rancho Palos Verdes area, where the actor had gone to visit his sister, who was in a medical facility for an eating disorder.  Reeves, emerged after an hour long visit, only to have Silva approach him and beging photographing.

Hiding his face, Keanu ducked into his Porsche and according to the photographer’ lawsuit while pulling away from the curb ‘in a sudden, erratic and dangerous manner, (he) drove forward and struck’ Silva.  Denying the statement, Reeves told a Superior Court jury: ‘To my recollection, I didn’t hit him.’  Rather, according to Reeves, the only time his car came in touch with Silva was when the latter bent over to put his hand on the hood of his car and then stepped backward and fell.

Both men, the first witnesses in a civil suit brought against the actor by Silva, has the latter claiming that the bumper of Reeves’ car struck him in the knee as he took pictures and caused him a career-ending wrist fracture, which his attorney says totals his past and future medical bills at $140,000.

However, on their part, Reeves’ lawyers are quick to claim Silva was not hurt on the fateful night and his wrist fracture is simply an old soccer injury.  In fact, his car had been repossessed and the paparazzo was desperate for cash.  Which is why, when stumbling while walking backwards to take pictures of the actor, the paparazzo saw the confrontation as a means to make money.

Testifying for about an hour in the civil lawsuit brought against him by the photographer, the ‘Matrix’actor is not the only celebrity to tangle with the paparazzi.  The past year has seen a series of clashes in Los Angeles between the paparazzi and celebrities, including rap star Kanye West, ‘300’ star Gerard Butler and actors Matthew McConaughey and Pierce Brosnan.  Some Los Angeles city officials have also considered new laws including a ‘personal safety zone between the two.

Silva will be testifying later on Tuesday.