Diane Keaton’s family has thanked her fans for their outpouring of “love and support” following the Hollywood star’s death at the age of 79.
In a statement to People magazine, Keaton’s family on Wednesday said she had died of pneumonia on Saturday in California following a “sudden” decline in her health.
Her family also urged well-wishers hoping to honor Keaton’s memory to donate to an animal shelter or a charity which helps the homeless, two causes he was passionate about.
“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,” the statement said, according to People.
“She loved her animals and she was steadfast in her support of the unhoused community, so 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’s cause of death was previously unknown with her family only saying on Saturday that there were “no further details” and asking for privacy.
Her passing sparked tributes from Hollywood figures including Reese Witherspoon, Goldie Hawn, Michael Douglas, Steve Martin, Rose Byrne, Bette Middler and Woody Allen.
Born in Los Angeles in 1946, Keaton got her start on Broadway before rising to fame through her role in the Godfather films and her collaborations with Allen.
Yet throughout her life she also had many extracurricular projects: independent films about school shootings, a memoir about mental illness, photography, flipping abandoned houses on the real estate market, and an avant-garde documentary about death called Heaven.
“I really am fascinated by these [abandoned] places, because they’re abandoned, but they were something very important,” the committed vegetarian said in 2023.
“Anyway, we shouldn’t talk about that, because people are gonna go: ‘What is she talking about? Get rid of her!’”
Keaton won an Academy Award for her performance as the title character in Allen’s 1977 film Annie Hall, and was later nominated for her roles in Reds (1981), Marvin’s Room (1996), and Something’s Gotta Give (2003).
Controversially, she also defended Allen from allegations that he sexually abused his adoptive daughter Dylan Farrow when she was seven years old, saying: “Woody Allen is my friend and I continue to believe him.”
Allen has always vehemently denied the allegation which was investigated and dismissed by both social services and a New York family judge.
