The family of Hollywood star Diane Keaton have revealed that the Oscar-winning actress died of pneumonia.
Keaton, known for her roles in The Godfather and Father Of The Bride, died on 11 October at the age of 79.
In a statement issued to US media, Keaton’s family said: “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.
“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, who won an Oscar for her title role in Woody Allen’s 1977 hit Annie Hall, never married. She adopted her daughter, Dexter, in 1996, and a son, Duke, four years later.
What is pneumonia?
Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs, which is usually caused by an infection, and can lead to serious illness for people over 65, along with those who have a heart or lung condition, according to the NHS.
Keaton had a long and successful career as a film actress after making her debut in 1970 with Lovers And Other Strangers.
She made her big break in 1972 after playing Kay, the girlfriend and then wife of Al Pacino’s Michael Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather – a role which she reprised in 1974’s The Godfather Part II and 1990’s The Godfather Part III.
From left, Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton and Bette Midler in 1996. Pic: AP
‘Brilliant, beautiful’
The unexpected news of Keaton’s death was met with shock around the world.
Her First Wives Club co-star Bette Midler wrote on Instagram after her death: “The brilliant, beautiful, extraordinary Diane Keaton has died. I cannot tell you how unbearably sad this makes me.
“She was hilarious, a complete original, and completely without guile, or any of the competitiveness one would have expected from such a star. What you saw was who she was … oh, la, lala!”
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Fellow First Wives Club co-star Goldie Hawn said Keaton had left “a trail of fairy dust, filled with particles of light and memories beyond imagination”.
“How do we say goodbye? What words can come to mind when your heart is broken? You never liked praise, so humble, but now you can’t tell me to ‘shut up’ honey. There was, and will be, no one like you,” Hawn added in a post on Instagram.
She said: “You stole the hearts of the world and shared your genius with millions, making films that made us laugh and cry in ways only you could.”
