Friends Share How Diane Keaton Spent Her Final Days Surrounded by Love & Laughter

Diane Keaton spent her final days surrounding everyone with love and laughter.

A friend of Keaton’s told PEOPLE that she was “funny right up until the end,” going on to add that she was “one in a million.” 

“She lived exactly how she wanted to, which was on her own terms, surrounded by the people and things she really loved,” they added.

Her friend, who is said to be a film executive also told the outlet that she “always had a very strong sense of who she was and how she wanted to live.

“In these last few years, she kept a close circle and she liked it that way. She was funny right up until the end and she had this way of making even ordinary moments feel special. That was just who she was,” they continued.

Keaton tragically passed away on Saturday, Oct. 11 at the age of 79 in California.

“There are no further details available at this time, and her family has asked for privacy in this moment of great sadness,” a spokesperson for the actress told PEOPLE.

Diane Keaton Sold Her ‘Dream Home’ Before Her Passing

PEOPLE also provided some additional information following news of her passing, reporting that her “health had taken a sharp turn in recent months.”

“It was so unexpected, especially for someone with such strength and spirit,” a source told the outlet. “In her final months, she was surrounded only by her closest family, who chose to keep things very private. Even longtime friends weren’t fully aware of what was happening.”

And with that, she also listed her “dream home” in March which came as a surprise to many as she “said she had planned to remain there permanently.” She listed the five-bedroom, seven-bathroom property for $29 million.

Hollywood Pays Tribute To Diane Keaton

Bette Midler: “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!,” Midler wrote.

Goldie Hawn: “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. We agreed to grow old together, and one day, maybe live together with all our girlfriends. Well, we never got to live together, but we did grow older together. Who knows… maybe in the next life.
Shine your fairy dust up there, girlfriend.
I’m going to miss the hell out of you. My heart goes out to your beautiful children, Dex and Duke. I love you.”

Kate Hudson: We love you so much Diane ❤️🕊

️Steve Martin: “Don’t know who first posted this, but it sums up our delightful relationship with Diane.”

Kimberly Williams-Paisley: “”Diane, working with you will always be one of the highlights of my life,” she wrote. “You are one of a kind, and it was thrilling to be in your orbit for a time. Thank you for your kindness, your generosity, your talent, and above all, your laughter. 🙏🏻🕊️💔❤️❤️❤️.”

Jane Fonda: “It’s hard to believe…or accept…that Diane has passed. She was always a spark of life and light, constantly giggling at her own foibles, being limitlessly creative…in her acting, her wardrobe, her books, her friends, her homes, her library, her world view. Unique is what she was. And, though she didn’t know it or wouldn’t admit it, man she was a fine actress!”

Mary Steenburgen (via PEOPLE): “Diane was magic. There was no one, nor will there ever be, anyone like her. I loved her and felt blessed to be her friend. My love to her family. What a wonder she was!!!”

Paul Fieg: “I was so honored to call Diane Keaton a friend. She was an amazingly kind and creative person who also just happened to be a Hollywood legend. She has been taken from us far too soon. We will miss you, Diane.”

Nia Vardalos: “Grace. Style. Talent. Above all, a comedy gal who set the bar high for all of us who came after. Rest in peace sweet and funny Diane Keaton. Repost photo from the page of my pal, icon @bettemidler â™¥â€

️Viola Davis: “No!! No!!! No!! God, not yet, NO!!! Man… you defined womanhood. The pathos, humor, levity, your ever-present youthfulness and vulnerability — you tattooed your SOUL into every role, making it impossible to imagine anyone else inhabiting them. You were undeniably, unapologetically YOU!!! Loved you. Man… rest well. God bless your family, and I know angels are flying you home. 💔💔💔”

Octavia Spencer: Today we lost a true original. @diane_keaton wasn’t just an actress: she was a force. 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. But beyond the screen, she brought joy, laughter, and style that was all her own. Thank you, Diane, for reminding us that authenticity never goes out of fashion. 🤍”

Josh Gad: “What a monumental loss. Diane Keaton in many ways defined my love of movies. From Annie Hall to the Godfather films, from First Wives Club to Baby Boom, from Father of the Bride to Something’s Gotta Give, here resume was nothing short of iconic and hall of fame worthy. I was very fortunate to work with her many years ago on an unproduced HBO pilot and what I found was one of the most humble, ruthlessly funny, and unbelievably talented human beings I’ve ever come across. In many ways, this year will be defined by the loss of a Hollywood we will never again see. There simply are no replacements for a Gene Hackman or a Robert Redford or a Diane Keaton. They were the mavericks who helped redefine movies for a generation and losing them feels like also losing a chance inactive tissue to that golden age just out of reach. My heart goes out to Diane’s entire family during this impossible moment. RIP 💔”

Elizabeth Banks: “She was beloved in her industry. Every one of us idolizes her. Her influence on culture, fashion, art and women can’t be overstated. She was a delight. I am proud I have a career that allowed me to meet her and breathe her air.”

Elizabeth Perkins: “Ms. Keaton, you were a national treasure, with style, grace, intelligence and immense talent. Thank you for being my modern heroine and showing a young actress what it meant to be gutsy, fully self-deprecating but assured and to always be open, questioning and brave. Complex, eccentric and so gifted, you owned it…and wow, did you set the bar. You will always be my Annie Hall. Gosh, this cuts deep.💔”

Rosie O’Donnell: “oh this breaks my heart – love to her children- what style what grace – she will be missed #ripdianekeaton 😥💔”

Julia Garner: “Unapologetically herself. Radiant on screen. Wit, warmth, style — one of a kind. Godspeed to this icon. I love her so much. RIP #DianeKeaton 💔”

Candice Bergen (via USA Today): “Diane was a true artist – tremendously gifted and uniquely talented in so many disciplines yet also modest and wonderfully eccentric.  I will miss her terribly.”

Reese Witherspoon (at Hello Sunshine’s Shine Away event in LA): “From ‘Annie Hall’ to ‘The Godfather’ to ‘Something’s Gotta Give,’ she is just incredible and indelible and truly an original person. So for Diane, watch one of her movies and wear a really cool, interesting outfit, black and white. Take a cool picture and just live your dream. Just be your unique, interesting self, I think Diane would be really happy,” Witherspoon told the crowd.

Mandy Moore: “They say don’t meet your heros but I got to work with one of mine and even call her “mom” for a few months. An honor of a lifetime. What an incandescent human Di is and was. I am so sad she’s gone for all the reasons but also because it felt like she’d be here forever, dazzling us with her talent and charm (and her style, c’mon)!!! One of the very best to ever do it. All my love to her children and loved ones.”

Cynthia Nixon: “When I was a kid, Diane Keaton was my absolute idol. I loved her acting. I loved her vibe. I loved her everything. Starting with when I was 12, I tried to dress like her. I wore my hair long. I sported men’s hats and vests and (even though my eyes were fine) I wore bookish glasses because I thought they made me look more like her. A little more than a decade ago I got to be in a movie called Five Flights Up with her and it was like a dream come true. I was very shy around her, but I think she liked me and that meant everything to me. If you wanna know more about Diane Keaton watch Annie Hall, watch Reds, watch Shoot the Moon. She is extraordinary in them. But also read “Then Again” her stunningly honest autobiography which not only tells her own story but contrasts it fascinatingly with her mother’s life. She was one of a kind. I’m so sad she is gone. 💔”

Luke Evans: “What a very sad day. Rest in peace #dianekeaton Such a brilliant actor, a kind heart and full of graciousness with a shining independent spirit. 🖤”

Zac Posen: “Diane Keaton is gone, and though I only knew her through the light she gave on screen, I’ll miss that light deeply.🕊️🤍”

Jeremy O. Harris: “RIP to one of America’s most graceful, elegant, and fiercely talented muses Diane Keaton who maintained a sense of self throughout her many roles that was a reminder to me as a young performer that the most interesting person you can mine are the many aspects of yourself.”

Melissa Gilbert: I am so , so sad to hear that Diane Keaton has passed. It seems unreal to me that someone so vital and vibrant is gone. I know that she will live on through her extraordinary body of work and, most importantly, through her beloved children…but to imagine a world without her here seems…impossible. People often ask me who my idol is and I’ve never really answered truthfully because I hoped our paths would cross again (they did once when I was seventeen) and I didn’t want her to know that she was my idol ..so much so..that I knew I’d gush and say something embarrassing…I kept it to myself, so that if we ever did meet, she wouldn’t know what a dufus I am in advance. My giddiness and idolatry would roll out slowly (hopefully) so that I might be able to chat with her like a (semi) normal person for a minute. I loved everything about her. Her versatility and facility as an actor. Her style for sure. Her independence . Her humor. Her smile. Her whole being. I have so many questions for her…that I guess won’t be answered this lifetime. So I will simply say “good night sweet woman. May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest” with undying love, me (your biggest fan)”

Leonardo DiCaprio (via his Instagram Story): “Diane Keaton was one of a kind. Brilliant, funny, and unapologetically herself. A legend, and icon, and a truly kind human being. I had the honor of working with her at 18. She will be deeply missed.”

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