Remembering Diane Keaton: A Look Back at Her Legendary Life, Loves—and Why She Never Married
The actress always marched to the beat of her own drum, and said, 'That old maid myth is garbage'
From the ’70s onward, Diane Keaton was one of Hollywood’s most unique and beloved stars, and her signature menswear-influenced style and anxious yet witty delivery were instantly recognizable. Keaton always brought a delightful sense of authenticity to the screen, letting her real-life quirkiness shine through in every role. Sadly though, on Saturday October 11 the beloved actress passed away at age 79, leaving behind decades of style, class, charisma and talent.
People magazine was the first to report the news, and as of publication no cause of death has been revealed, and it’s unclear if her prior battles with skin cancer played any sort of role in her passing. She is survived by her two children, who she adopted in the late ’90s and early ‘o0s. Below, we look more into her relationship with them, as well as her high-profile relationships.
Diane Keaton relationships: A look at her Hollywood romances
Diane Keaton was a long personal and creative relationship with director, writer and actor Woody Allen starting in 1969, when she starred in his play Play It Again, Sam. She became his muse, appearing in eight of his films from 1972 to 1993, and winning the Oscar for her role as the title character in his classic 1977 rom-com Annie Hall.
Keaton and Allen have remained close friends in the decades since they dated, and she defended him after he became a controversial figure. Looking back on their relationship, she said, “He is so hilarious and I just adored him, I really did.”
In 1971, during the filming of The Godfather, Keaton fell for her onscreen love interest, Al Pacino, but they didn’t get together offscreen until the 1974 sequel. They dated until 1990, when the third Godfather movie came out, and broke up when he ultimately refused to commit to getting married.
Keaton had fond memories of her relationship with Pacino, saying, “I was mad for him. Charming, hilarious, a nonstop talker,” and admitting that when it came to setting an ultimatum for marriage, “I went about it in not a perfect way.”
The last (but certainly not the least) of Keaton’s well-known relationships was with none other than one of Hollywood’s most legendary playboys, Warren Beatty. They met during the making of the 1981 historical epic Reds, which Beatty wrote, directed and starred in (and which earned Keaton an Oscar nod) and had a short but passionate relationship.
The relationship didn’t last, but Keaton had only positive words for Beatty, saying, “Not only was he beautiful, gorgeous and sexy and captivating and mysterious and a great movie star but he was also an unbelievable producer and director.”
From Allen to Pacino to Beatty, it’s clear that Keaton’s never had a set type, and it’s impressive to consider that while these three relationships were all on-and-off and took place many years ago, the actress remains great friends with all of her former flames.
Why Diane Keaton chose independence over marriage
Keaton always spoken openly about her decision to never marry. In 2022, she revealed that there was a deeply personal reason why she chose the single life, saying that she felt like her mother “chose family over her dreams.” She continued, “She was just the best mother, but I think that she is the reason why I didn’t get married. I didn’t want to give up my independence. By the way, no one has ever asked me to marry them, either, so that might be a good answer. I should’ve started with that and called it a day.”
Keaton was happy to be single, and in 2019 she admitted, “I haven’t been on a date in, I would say, 35 years. No dates.” The actress was well aware that her choice seems unusual to many of her peers, and that same year, she said, “I’m 73 and I think I’m the only one in my generation and maybe before who has been a single woman all her life . . . I don’t think it would have been a good idea for me to have married, and I’m really glad I didn’t.”
Keaton also insisted on rewriting the narrative around older single women, and said, “I don’t think that because I’m not married it’s made my life any less. That old maid myth is garbage.”
Diane Keaton’s inspiring life as a single mom
Keaton may have been unmarried, but in 1996, at 50, she made the bold choice to become a single mom when she adopted her daughter, Dexter. In 2001, she adopted her son, Duke.
Keaton said her decision to adopt kids was motivated in part by her father’s passing and the way it made her contemplate her mortality and decisions in life. She also shared that she was ambivalent about motherhood for decades, saying, “I didn’t think that I was ever going to be prepared to be a mother. Motherhood was not an urge I couldn’t resist, it was more like a thought I’d been thinking for a very long time. So I plunged in.”
While Keaton’s path to motherhood was unconventional, she ultimately called it “by far the best choice I’ve ever made.” Our thoughts are with them following this devastating loss, and the actress’ legacy will continue to live on.
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