Diane Keaton’s Family Reveals Cause of Oscar Winner’s Death

Diane Keaton died Saturday in Los Angeles at the age of 79, and her family says the cause was pneumonia.

The Oscar winner’s family members shared a statement with People confirming Keaton’s cause of death and saying they were “very grateful for the extraordinary messages of love and support” they had received in recent days.

The outlet first reported news of the screen icon’s death Saturday, saying Los Angeles firefighters responded to her home that morning and transported a 79-year-old woman to an area hospital. Initially, the family did not reveal the cause of death and asked for privacy while they processed their grief.

In Wednesday’s statement, Keaton’s family members said the star had a deep love for animals and was passionate about supporting the unhoused community. They encouraged people to honor his memory by donating to a food bank or animal shelter.

Keaton was known for her powerful performances in iconic films such as Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather” and Woody Allen’s “Annie Hall,” which earned her an Academy Award for lead actress in 1978. She was also nominated for lead actress for her roles in “Reds” (1981), “Marvin’s Room” (1996) and “Something’s Gotta Give” (2003).

Born in Los Angeles in 1946, Keaton rose to fame through her stage career in the late 1960s in New York, earning a Tony Award nomination at age 25 for her role in Allen’s 1969 stage production of “Play It Again, Sam.”

Later in her career, she became a muse for writer-director-producer Nancy Meyers and starred in four of her films. She was a renowned trendsetter known for her fabulous on-screen outfits and, more recently, for sharing her style on Instagram, where she amassed 2.6 million followers.

Keaton’s death was widely mourned by theater, film and fashion fans.

“She was hilarious, completely original and completely devoid of the guile or competitiveness one would expect from such a star,” actress Bette Midler wrote on Instagram. “What you saw was who she was.”

“Diane Keaton wasn’t just an actress: she was a force,” actress Octavia Spencer wrote on Instagram, “a woman who showed us that being yourself is the most powerful thing you can be. From Annie Hall to Something’s Gotta Give, she made every role unforgettable.”

Times editor Joshua Rothkopf contributed to this report.