Diane Keaton’s health reportedly ‘declined very suddenly’ in the months before she died.
The Oscar-winning actress’ death at the age of 79 was announced on Saturday and while no details have been released about the cause of death, insiders have now said it was ‘unexpected’.
A source told People magazine: ‘She declined very suddenly, which was heartbreaking for everyone who loved her.
‘It was so unexpected, especially for someone with such strength and spirit.
‘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.’
In March, Diane put her ‘dream home’ in Brentwood, California, up for sale, despite previously vowing to stay there forever, and she was no longer regularly seen in the area walking her dogs.
Another source said: ‘She lived in Brentwood for many years.
‘She loved her neighbourhood. Up until just a few months ago, she’d walk her dog every day. She was usually dressed the same, with a hat and her signature sunglasses regardless of the weather.
‘She was always very nice, funny and chatty. She’d talk to her dog like he was a person. She was eccentric and had this old-school Hollywood aura. She was very, very special.’
A friend remembered the First Wives Club star as ‘one in million’ who was ‘funny right up until the end’.
The friend said: ‘She lived exactly how she wanted to, which was on her own terms, surrounded by the people and things she really loved…
‘Diane 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.’
The Annie Hall actress’ death was confirmed by her family on Saturday.
Her loved ones requested privacy as they mourn her loss and no further details about her death have been revealed.
Diane never married but is survived by her adopted children, daughter Dexter, 29, and son Duke, 25.
The late star is best known for her roles in classic movies such as The Godfather and Annie Hall, for which she won an Academy Award in 1977.
Tributes have flooded in over the weekend, with Robert De Niro sharing his memories of Keaton, having acted alongside her in The Godfather Part II.
‘I was very fond of her, and the news of her leaving us has taken me totally by surprise. I was not expecting her to leave us. She will be missed. May she rest in peace,’ per Deadline.
Bette Midler, who starred alongside Keaton in The First Wives Club, 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!’
Ben Stiller wrote on X: ‘Diane Keaton. One of the greatest film actors ever. An icon of style, humour and comedy. Brilliant. What a person.’
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