Bette Midler has shared a poignant tribute to her First Wives Club co-star Diane Keaton following the news of Keaton’s passing at the age of 79.
“The incredible, radiant, and unique Diane Keaton has passed away,” Midler, who is 79, announced via Instagram on Saturday, October 11. “The sadness I feel is beyond words.”
Keaton’s representative confirmed to People earlier that day that the Academy Award-winning actress had died from undisclosed reasons. Her family has requested privacy during this difficult time.
Within her Instagram tribute, Midler reflected on Keaton’s uniqueness among the countless iconic Hollywood figures she had met over her career.
“She had an incredible sense of humor, a totally unmatched individuality, and utterly no pretense, or the competitive edge one might expect from someone so prominent,” Midler reminisced. “What you witnessed was her true self… oh, la, lala!”
The actress duo—alongside Goldie Hawn—portrayed former college friends who unite against their distant husbands in the 1996 film adaptation of Olivia Goldsmith‘s 1992 novel.
This iconic comedy amassed close to $200 million at the box office, marking the highest-grossing project for all three lead actresses during the 1990s.
In the years that followed, discussions of a sequel or spinoff circulated frequently—including a 2015 Netflix film titled Divanation, which was set to feature the trio as a once-famous singing group attempting a reunion thirty years post their tumultuous breakup, according to Deadline. Sadly, the project did not materialize and was later completely canceled.
Keaton expressed to Pride Source her desire to collaborate with Hawn and Midler on The First Wives Club 2, sharing her disappointment that it never materialized.
Diane Keaton, Goldie Hawn, and Bette Midler in “First Wives Club.” Paramount / Courtesy Everett Collection
“Naturally, I was keen on it, but it just never came to be,” she remarked. “We tried, the girls and I, yet we couldn’t find a good script, and I’m not sure why, and now it feels like it’s all over, right? No one’s likely to cast us three in a film together again. Yet, I adore that movie and cherish them both.”
Keaton’s passing drew praise and remembrances from various former co-stars and notable figures on Saturday. Kimberly Williams-Paisley—who portrayed Keaton’s onscreen daughter in 1991’s Father of the Bride and its sequel—shared that collaborating with the Hollywood legend was “one of the highlights of my career.”
“You are one of a kind, and being around you was truly thrilling for a time,” Williams-Paisley wrote via Instagram. “Thank you for your kindness, generosity, talent, and most importantly, your laughter.”
Elizabeth Perkins honored Keaton as “a national treasure” in her own Instagram message on Saturday.
“Ms. Keaton, you were a national gem with elegance, intelligence, and incredible talent. Thank you for embodying a modern heroine who inspired a young actress to be daring, self-effacing yet confident, and always curious and courageous,” Perkins expressed. “Complex, quirky, and undeniably talented, you truly excelled… and you set an impressive standard. You will forever be my Annie Hall. This truly hits hard.”
Keaton leaves behind two children, Dexter and Duke, whom she adopted later in life. The Annie Hall star never wed but had notable relationships with Woody Allen, Al Pacino, and Warren Beatty throughout her life.
