Question : Java: hashmap.remove(key)

Hi: I have a data structure. In the data structure, I have five hashmaps. IN every hashmap, there is key and value pair. May I put 5 hashmap keys all point to same object. I put hashmap1.put(key1, sameobject), hashmap2.put(key2,sameobject), hashmap3.put(key3, sameobject)....

When I remove it, I remove hashmap1.remove(key1), hashmap2.remove(key2), hashmap3.remove(key3),... does that mean
1) In  hashmapX.remove(keyX):..... I only delete reference. Garbage collection will remove sameobject.
2) In hashmap1.remove(key1), I already removed sameobject, all other keys are dead. Hence memory leak comes.

Which case 1), 2) is true?

Answer : Java: hashmap.remove(key)

Only the mapping is remove from an individual Map. Nothing else is affected