Oscar-winning actress Diane Keaton’s cause of death has been revealed by her family in an emotional tribute.
Keaton, who died aged 79 this month, shot to fame in the 1970s through her role as Kay Adams-Corleone in The Godfather films, as well as her collaborations with Woody Allen.
She was also known for starring roles in Father of the Bride, First Wives Club, Something’s Gotta Give and Annie Hall, which won her a best actress Academy Award in 1978.
In a statement to US magazine People, relatives said she died of pneumonia.
They 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, who passed away from pneumonia on October 11.
“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.”
A source told the news outlet that Keaton’s health had “declined very suddenly, which was heartbreaking for everyone who loved her”.
“In her final months, she was surrounded only by her closest family, who chose to keep things very private,” the source said.
“Even longtime friends weren’t fully aware of what was happening.”
When Keaton died in California, First Wives Club co-star Bette Midler wrote on Instagram: “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!”
Actor Ben Stiller paid tribute on X, formerly Twitter, writing: “Diane Keaton. One of the greatest film actors ever. An icon of style, humor and comedy. Brilliant. What a person.”
Goldie Hawn wrote: “Diane, we aren’t ready to lose you.
“You’ve left us with 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.
“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.
“I was blessed to make First Wives Club with you, our days starting with coffee in the makeup trailer, laughing and joking, right through to the very last day of filming. It was a roller coaster of love.”
Much of her career was defined by her many collaborations with Allen, her one-time boyfriend, and Annie Hall was the signature character of her career to many of her fans.
People speculated that the movie was based on Keaton and Allen’s relationship and Keaton told The New York Times in 1977: “It’s not true, but there are elements of truth in it.”
Keaton never married. She adopted a daughter, Dexter, in 1996 and a son, Duke, four years later.
Her last Instagram post was for National Pet Day in April and featured her dog Reggie.
