Diane Keaton’s unexpected death on Saturday, October 11, at the age of 79, sent shockwaves through the world. When the news broke, a spokesperson for Keaton’s family released a statement saying that there were “no further details available at this time” and asking for privacy “in this moment of great sadness.” Four days later, Keaton’s family has broken the silence, revealing Keaton’s cause of death.
“The Keaton family are very grateful for the extraordinary messages of love and support they have received these past few days on behalf of their beloved Diane, who passed away from pneumonia on October 11,” reads a statement sent to People.
Keaton had kept a low profile in recent years, preferring to lead her life far from the spotlight, holed up in her California villa. Her health “declined very suddenly,” a friend told People on October 11. “In her final months, she was surrounded only by her closest family, who chose to keep things very private. Even longtime friends weren’t fully aware of what was happening,” the same source said.
“She loved her animals and she was steadfast in her support of the unhoused community,” continues the statement from Keaton’s family. “Any donations in her memory to a local food bank or an animal shelter would be a wonderful and much-appreciated tribute to her.”
Keaton leaves behind a cinematic legacy spanning several decades. Her career was marked by her titular role in Woody Allen’s Annie Hall, a film inspired by their past romance, which won her the Oscar for best actress in 1977. Keaton established herself as a film icon with indelible roles in Francis Ford Coppola’s Godfather trilogy; Warren Beatty’s 1981 drama, Reds; Charles Shyer’s 1991 romantic comedy, Father of the Bride; and Nancy Meyers’s 2003 romantic comedy, Something’s Gotta Give.
Over the course of her life, Keaton had a number of famous romances with stars including Allen, Beatty, and her Godfather husband, Al Pacino. However, she preferred to lead the life of a single woman. “I don’t think it would have been a good idea for me to have married, and I’m really glad I didn’t,” she declared to People in 2019. She leaves behind two children, Dexter and Duke, whom she adopted in 1996 and 2001.
Original story appeared in VF France.
Vanity Fair
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