Hollywood is mourning the loss of a true icon. Diane Keaton, the beloved actress, passed away at 79 after her health took a sudden turn in recent months. Her spokesperson shared the sad news on Saturday, October 11. They asked for privacy for the family during this incredibly difficult time, offering no further details about her passing.
Those close to Keaton observed her quiet withdrawal from public life as her health declined. A friend, speaking to People magazine, mentioned that the star of Annie Hall had "deteriorated very suddenly" in her final months. Keaton, once a familiar sight in her Brentwood, California neighborhood, often seen walking her dog, Reggie, stopped appearing in public unexpectedly earlier this year. It seems she chose to keep the details of her health struggles very private, preferring to be surrounded only by her immediate family. She was a loving mother to her two adopted children, Dexter and Duke.
Adding to the quiet changes in her life, reports surfaced in March that Keaton had put her beloved 1920s-style home in Sullivan Canyon up for sale. She even dropped the initial price by $1.4 million, hoping for a quick sale. This news was quite a surprise, considering Keaton had practically rebuilt the entire property from the ground up, pouring her heart into the project.
She even invited her fans into the meticulous multi-year renovation journey with her 2017 design guide, The House That Pinterest Built. In the book, she shared how using Pinterest boards helped boost the value of the 850-square-meter residence. Keaton originally bought the Sullivan Canyon estate for $4.7 million in 2011, before listing it for $27.5 million earlier this year. She spoke to Architectural Digest in 2017 about how "relaxing" it was to lean on others’ design ideas from Pinterest during her home’s makeover. "I’m still in love with it; I’m still in love with Pinterest!" she exclaimed happily. "For me it’s relaxing, because you’re also on a quest. It takes you to something else, and that takes you to another thing, and so it goes on and on. And that’s the light you want: the computer light. It makes everything look better."
Diane Keaton in February 2004. Vince Bucci/Getty Images
Beyond Pinterest, Keaton found a surprising source of design inspiration in the classic children’s story, The Three Little Pigs. "The little pigs’ house was made of bricks," she wrote in The House That Pinterest Built. "I knew that when I was older, I would live in a brick house."
The Academy Award-winning actress leaves behind her two children, Dexter and Duke, whom she adopted in her fifties. She never married, though she shared high-profile romances with her co-stars Woody Allen, Al Pacino, and Warren Beatty during the 1970s.
Many friends, co-stars, and famous admirers shared heartfelt tributes following the news of the Hollywood legend’s passing. Kimberly Williams-Paisley, who starred alongside Keaton in Father of the Bride, shared her grief. "This breaks my heart," she wrote. "Working with Diane Keaton will always be one of the highlights of my life. Thank you for your kindness, your generosity, your talent, and most of all, your laughter."
Actor Josh Gad described Keaton’s death as a "monumental loss" for Hollywood. He added, "Diane Keaton, in many senses, defined my love for cinema. From Annie Hall to The Godfather films, from First Wives Club to Baby Boom, from Father of the Bride to Something’s Gotta Give, her résumé was, without a doubt, iconic and worthy of the Hall of Fame." The Frozen actor noted the recent passing of other Hollywood giants. He admitted that "there is simply no replacement for a Gene Hackman, a Robert Redford, or a Diane Keaton." Gad concluded, "They were the mavericks who helped redefine cinema for a generation and losing them is like also losing an opportunity to reconnect with that golden era that seems unreachable. My deepest condolences to Diane’s entire family at this very difficult time. RIP."