Mia Farrow has responded to Diane Keaton’s tragic passing amid their historically complex relationship.
“Diane was an extraordinary actress and a truly distinctive person,” wrote Farrow, aged 80, through a post on Instagram on Saturday, October 11. “Sending my thoughts to her children and sisters. Rest in peace, Diane.”
Keaton’s representative confirmed her death at the age of 79, requesting “privacy” for the Oscar winner’s family on the same day, with no official details disclosed. (Keaton leaves behind two children, daughter Dexter and son Duke, whom she adopted as a single mother in her 50s.)
Farrow and Keaton share a long history, primarily through both their interactions with actor-director Woody Allen.
In the 1970s, Allen, now 89, was romantically involved with Keaton, as well as her sisters Robin Keaton and Dory Keaton. Diane starred in numerous Allen films during that decade, winning an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in his 1977 classic, Annie Hall.
Their romantic connection faded by the late 70s, yet they remained close friends and collaborators. Farrow became a significant figure in Allen’s life artistically, starting with 1982’s A Midsummer Night’s Sex Comedy, leading to a lengthy romantic relationship.
Throughout their 12-year partnership, Farrow and Allen adopted two children, a daughter named Dylan and a son named Moses, also having a biological son, Ronan. (Farrow is mother to 11 other children.)
The couple parted ways in 1992 after Farrow discovered Allen’s affair with her adopted daughter, Soon-Yi Previn. (Allen married Previn in 1997, and they have two children together.)
Woody Allen and Diane Keaton in June 2017. Michael Kovac/Getty Images for AFI
During the infamous custody struggle in 1992, Farrow’s daughter Dylan accused Allen of having assaulted her at the age of 7. This allegation was reiterated by Dylan in a 2014 New York Times op-ed, and again in HBO’s four-part 2021 documentary, Allen v. Farrow. Allen has consistently denied these accusations and was never charged criminally.
Keaton maintained her friendship with Allen amidst the controversy, expressing in a 2014 interview with More magazine that Dylan’s claims did not affect her connection with him.
“I’ve been Woody’s friend for 45 years, and that’s not going to change,” she stated.
In the same year, Keaton received the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement on behalf of Allen at the Golden Globes, despite his longstanding avoidance of Hollywood awards ceremonies since the 1970s.
As accusations against Allen resurfaced amid the #MeToo movement, Keaton asserted in 2018 her continued faith in the director, tweeting her belief in him and sharing a link to his 1992 interview with 60 Minutes, where he maintained his innocence.
“Woody Allen is my friend, and I choose to believe him. I encourage you to watch the 60 Minutes interview and draw your own conclusions,” she remarked via X (formerly Twitter).
Mia later shared with The Hollywood Reporter that she harbors no resentment towards actors who chose to collaborate with Allen after the allegations were made public.
“I fully understand if someone opts to work with him,” she remarked in September 2024. “It’s not my place to condemn their choice.”
Following Keaton’s passing, numerous former colleagues—including those from Father of the Bride, Book Club, and The First Wives Club—paid homage to her remarkable contributions to the film industry.
Goldie Hawn shared her feelings via Instagram on Saturday, stating, “Diane, we were not prepared to say goodbye. You left behind a legacy full of magical memories and brilliance. How do we even come to terms with this loss? You were always humble and would shun praise, but now you can’t tell me to ‘be quiet,’ my dear. There will never be another like you.”
“It’s hard to grasp or accept that Diane is gone,” observed Jane Fonda. “She was a vibrant light, always laughing at her own quirks, endlessly creative in her acting, wardrobe, literature, friendships, life, and perspectives. She was one of a kind, and despite her reluctance to acknowledge it, she was a phenomenal actress!”
Keaton enjoyed a nearly six-decade career in Hollywood, with her last film appearance being in the 2024 comedy Summer Camp.
