Diane Keaton never married — and she never needed to. The beloved actress, who passed away at 79, lived life on her own terms, building a Hollywood legacy while raising two children as a single mother.
According to People, the Oscar-winning actress passed away in California, though no further details have been shared at this time.
Keaton first rose to fame in the 1970s, drawing audiences with her performances in The Godfather trilogy and earning an Academy Award for Best Actress for Annie Hall in 1977. Over the years, she starred in more than 50 films, including The First Wives Club, Something’s Gotta Give and the Book Club.
Despite her many high-profile relationships with some of Hollywood’s biggest names, including Woody Allen, Warren Beatty and Al Pacino, Keaton chose never to marry.
Keaton often spoke candidly about her views on love and relationships. In an interview with People, she once reflected on her past romances, referring to her exes as her “many loves.”
She admitted she was “mad for” Pacino when they worked together on The Godfather, calling him “charming, hilarious, a nonstop talker.” But when he wouldn’t commit to marriage, she gave him an ultimatum. “I worked hard on that one,” she recalled, “I went about it in not a perfect way.”
In the early 70s, Keaton and Allen had a romantic and creative partnership. Allen even based the character of Annie Hall on Keaton herself (her real last name is Hall) and she won an Oscar for portraying the character.
In 2017, Keaton spoke fondly of the experience. “He is so hilarious, and I just adored him, I really did … but he didn’t know if the movie would work. He would say, ‘It’s just another sitcom.’ I knew it was a great script.”
Despite Allen’s public controversies and distancing from much of Hollywood following the #MeToo movement, Keaton remained loyal to her friend, saying, “I believe him.”
Keaton was also in a romantic relationship with Beatty, her co-star and director in 1981’s Reds. “He is just a brilliant character,” she said. “So complex and charming. He should have made more movies.”
Despite her romances, marriage never felt quite right for the actress. “I think I’m strange,” Keaton once joked. “I think I’m the only one in my generation and maybe before who has been a single woman all her life.”
She emphasized that she was at peace with that choice. “I don’t think it would have been a good idea for me to have married, and I’m really glad I didn’t.”
While Keaton never married, she embraced motherhood later in life, adopting her daughter Dexter in 1996 at age 50, and her son Duke in 2001 at 55.
She once shared that the decision to adopt was sparked by the passing of her own father. “I also had to take a long, hard look about what I was going to do with the rest of my life,” she told CBS News.
