Diane Keaton, ‘La-Dee-Da’ Dame of Hollywood, Passes Away at 79

Updated 10/13/2025

Diane Keaton, celebrated for her singular comedic timing and inimitable fashion sense, has died at the age of 79. In the wake of the news, tributes poured in from stars including Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler, and Steve Martin, while Reese Witherspoon hailed her as “just a truly original person.”

“It’s hard to believe,” said Jane Fonda in a heartfelt tribute.

The cause of death has not yet been disclosed. According to a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department, paramedics responded to a call for medical help at Keaton’s residence early Saturday morning, and she was transported to a hospital. A law enforcement source confirmed the person taken to hospital was Diane Keaton.

A Storied Career

Keaton built a rich and diverse career that spanned decades. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for the 1977 film Annie Hall, a performance that not only highlighted her comedic gifts but also her ability to navigate emotional vulnerability.

Annie Hall also introduced audiences to Keaton’s distinctive and androgynous wardrobe—her signature blend of men’s trousers, vests, and hats—long before such fashion choices became widely accepted.

Ever the comedic talent—she once said in 1997 she was “more inclined to live comfortably in the world of humor”—Keaton also left her mark in dramatic cinema. She delivered a pivotal performance as Kay Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola’s revered The Godfather series, starring opposite Al Pacino.

From Stage to Screen

Born Diane Hall in Los Angeles in 1946, she was unrelated to Buster or Michael Keaton. On a 2004 episode of Fresh Air, she spoke of her mother’s pageant success (Mrs. Highland Park, then Mrs. Los Angeles) as an early inspiration.

“I did want to go on stage … I saw the curtain open and there was my mother, and I thought, ‘Hm, I think I’d like that for myself.’”

In the late 1960s, Keaton appeared in the Broadway production of Hair, famously declining a nude performance for a musical number and sacrificing a significant bonus in the process. She made a cinematic leap in 1972 with The Godfather, and later collaborated extensively with Woody Allen—appearing in films such as Sleeper and Play It Again, Sam. Yet it was Annie Hall that cemented her legacy, portraying the free-spirited title character who falls for Allen’s neurotic comedian.

Leading Lady & Cultural Icon

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Keaton headlined films like Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977) and Reds (1981), the latter earning her another Oscar nomination. In 1987’s Baby Boom, she starred as a high-powered executive turned reluctant guardian—a role that deftly balanced comedy and emotional depth.

In the 1990s, she co-starred with Bette Midler and Goldie Hawn in The First Wives Club (1996), a hit comedy about three women exacting artful revenge on their ex-husbands. The film grossed $181 million domestically, proving that midlife female leads could anchor blockbuster success.

Later in the decade, Keaton earned yet another Oscar nomination for her role in Marvin’s Room, starring alongside Meryl Streep and Leonardo DiCaprio in an emotional tale of estranged sisters confronting illness and reconciliation.

Ever Active & Evolving

Even into the 2000s and beyond, Keaton remained a vibrant force. Her 2003 romantic comedy Something’s Gotta Give (with Jack Nicholson and Keanu Reeves) earned her a fourth lead-actor Oscar nomination. She also appeared in The Family Stone (2005), and more recently, in Book Club (2018) with Jane Fonda, Mary Steenburgen and Candice Bergen, followed by a 2023 sequel.

In 2024, she starred in the comedy Summer Camp alongside Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard, and she had upcoming projects in the works—including collaborations with Blake Lively and Richard Gere. On IMDb, she is credited in several films currently in development.

Beyond acting, Keaton also distinguished herself behind the camera—directing the 1995 drama Unstrung Heroes and the 2000 film Hanging Up. Her producing credits spanned more than three decades, culminating in an executive producer role on the 2023 film Maybe I Do, starring Keaton herself opposite Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, and Emma Roberts.

An Independent Spirit

Diane Keaton never married, and she spoke candidly about her views on the subject. In a 2021 interview she reflected:

“My mother had four kids … I saw how much she gave up … she chose family over her dreams … I think she is the reason why I didn’t get married. I didn’t want to give up my independence.”

She added, with characteristic humor, “By the way, no one has ever asked me to marry them, either … I should’ve started with that and called it a day.”

Keaton is survived by her two children, Dexter and Duke, both of whom she adopted in her 50s.

“I worry differently now … before kids, if I worried it was only about myself … as a parent, all you do is worry,” she told Life Magazine in 2005.

At age 69, she mused in AARP Magazine, “At this age, everything seems more astonishing. Like, oh my goodness, look at that sycamore tree! Why didn’t I see that before? There’s a magical wonder to being on this planet.”

The news of her passing was first broken by People magazine. CNN reached out to her representatives but had not received a response at the time of publication. Producer Dori Rath, who had worked with Keaton, confirmed the actress’s death to CNN on Saturday.