Diane Keaton's death has left the entertainment world reeling. The 79-year-old actress was one of Hollywood's most enduring icons, starring in numerous critically acclaimed films throughout the decades. Keaton's death was announced on October 11th. Four days later, her family shared an official statement, revealing the cause of her death.
© Gilbert FloresKeaton's death was prompted by a series of complications related to pneumonia.
"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," said the family in a statement 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."
© ABC Photo ArchivesOn October 11th, a family spokesperson shared that Keaton had died in California. Hours later, different news outlets began reporting that Keaton's health had shifted suddenly, resulting in her unexpected death, which rattled her family members, who saw her as someone filled with vitality.
According to some statements, in her last moments, Keaton was surrounded by her closest family members, with some of her closest friends not having a full understanding of what was going on with her health.
More details about Keaton's life
© Getty Images for AFIDiane Keaton has long been a prominent figure, beginning her acting career in the 1970s, one of Hollywood's most beloved decades of cinema, where she starred in movies like "The Godfather," "The Godfather Part II," "Manhattan," and "Annie Hall." She's won some of the most prestigious acting awards in her industry, including one Oscar, two Golden Globes, and one BAFTA.
In her personal life, Keaton had love stories with figures like Woody Allen, Al Pacino, and Warren Beatty, opting to never get married. She adopted her kids, Dexter and Duke, in 1996 and 2001, when she was in her '50s.
"I didn't think that I was ever going to be prepared to be a mother," she said in an interview with Ladies' Home Journal in 2008. "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."
Keaton raised her kids on her own.
© Getty Images
