Reeves upsets domestic violence group

Keanu Reeves has landed in hot water with an American domestic violence group after carelessly joking about how "some women" like rough sex in a magazine interview.

The Matrix star tells men's magazine Playboy how difficult it was to perform a rape scene with Hilary Swank in The Gift, but, when asked if his roughness may have helped the actress get into character for boxing film Million Dollar Baby, he quips: "Yeah. And, by the way, I also learned a bit of… well, that some of the ladies don't mind it… Hah, that's awful to say."

The remark has upset officials at top American group Women Against Domestic Violence, who claim Reeves' flippant comment made them "literally ill."

Melissa Rimmel who runs the confidential online support group for survivors and current victims of domestic violence, fumes: "I cannot believe he would even think it was OK to say that.

"Why doesn't someone educate that man? I can see him saying that in passing and thinking it means nothing but, the thing is, so many women are sexually abused every day by their partners and, no, those women do not want that, nor do they like it."