Hollywood stars pay tribute to Diane Keaton after legendary actress and comedian dies at 79

Goldie Hawn, Steve Martin and Jane Fonda were among the many stars who honored Diane Keaton after the legendary actress died at the age of 79. 

On Saturday, Keaton’s death was reported by People magazine, with the outlet noting that her family had requested privacy. 

After news broke of Keaton’s passing, there was an outpouring of tributes to the Hollywood legend from her former co-stars and other celebrities.

Hawn, who co-starred with Keaton and Bette Midler in the 1996 hit ensemble comedy “The First Wives Club,” shared an emotional post on Instagram. 

DIANE KEATON DEAD AT 79 IN CALIFORNIA FOLLOWING LEGENDARY HOLLYWOOD CAREER: REPORT

“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,” Hawn wrote alongside a photo of Keaton. 

She continued: “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,” Hawn added. “It was a roller coaster of love.

“We agreed to grow old together, and one day, maybe live together with all our girlfriends,” Hawn wrote. “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,” the Academy Award winner concluded. 

Midler also paid tribute to Keaton, posting a black-and-white image of the actress on her Instagram page along with a heartfelt caption. 

“The brilliant, beautiful, extraordinary Diane Keaton has died,” she wrote. “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,” Midler added. “What you saw was who she was…oh, la, lala!”

Fonda, Candice Bergen, Mary Steenburgen and Don Johnson, who co-starred with Keaton in 2018’s “Book Club” and its 2023 sequel “Book Club: The Next Chapter,” also shared tributes.

“It’s hard to believe…or accept…that Diane has passed,” she wrote in the caption of a photo featuring Keaton.

“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,” Fonda continued. “Unique is what she was. And, though she didn’t know it or wouldn’t admit it, man she was a fine actress!”

“Diane was magic,” Steenburgen wrote in a statement to Fox News Digital. “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!!!”

Bergen also shared a statement with Fox News Digital, writing, “This is a huge loss both personally and for all of us. 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.”

“Diane Keaton … what a trip!” Johnson told Fox News Digital in a statement. “She was one of those unique actresses that once she’d realized a character you just couldn’t  imagine anyone else’s interpretation.  I loved her … I’ll miss her.”

Martin, who played Keaton’s on-screen husband in the hit 1991 comedy “Father of the Bride” and its 1995 sequel “Father of the Bride II,” which also starred Martin Short, shared a humorous remembrance of the actress as he posted a screenshot of quotes from a joint interview with his co-stars.

“Who’s sexier? Me or Steve Martin?” Short asked in the article, published by Interview magazine in 2021. 

“I mean, you’re both idiots,” Keaton replied.

“Don’t know who first posted this, but it sums up our delightful relationship with Diane,” Martin wrote in the caption.

APP USERS CLICK HERE TO VIEW POST  

Kimberly Williams-Paisley, who portrayed Annie Banks, the daughter of Martin’s George Banks and Keaton’s Nina Banks in the “Father of the Bride” movies, commented on the “Only Murders in the Building” star’s post, writing, “I can absolutely hear her saying that,” adding a crying laughing smiley face emoji. 

Williams-Paisley also shared her own Instagram tribute to Keaton, posting photos of herself with her on-screen mother. 

“Diane, working with you will always be one of the highlights of my life,” Williams-Paisley wrote in the caption. “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.” 

Mandy Moore, who played the daughter of Keaton’s character in the hit 2007 romantic comedy “Because I Said So,” honored the actress as she remembered their time working together on the film.

“They say don’t meet your heroes, but I got to work with one of mine and even call her ‘mom’ for a few months,” Moore recalled in the caption of an Instagram post featuring photos of the two in the movie.

“An honor of a lifetime,” she continued. “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.”

Hawn’s daughter, Kate Hudson, uploaded a clip from “The First Wives Club,” writing, “We love you so much Diane.”

Lily Tomlin posted a photo of Keaton along with the caption: “Rest peacefully, the magnificent Diane Keaton.”

LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

In an Instagram post, Melissa Joan Hart shared her shock at Keaton’s passing and heaped praise on the late actress. 

“There are some people you think will live forever and it took my breath away to hear about Diane Keaton passing away today!” she wrote. “Her body of work, her class, her style, her ability to be wildly talented and keep her private life out of tabloids is to be respected and studied for generations.” 

“Thanks for the laughs and tears!” she continued. “From #BabyBoom to #SomethingsGottaGive, I’ve enjoyed every movie I’ve seen with her but I have to admit I’ve never seen #AnnieHall. I know what I’m doing this weekend now! #GodBlesstheFunnyPeople.”

In 1977, Keaton won an Academy Award for her performance as the titular character in “Annie Hall” and she was nominated for the award three additional times. 

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences paid tribute to Keaton in an Instagram post, sharing a clip featuring an emotional scene between the late actress and her on-screen son Dermott Mulroney in their 2005 movie “The Family Stone.”

“Some actors play emotions. Diane Keaton lived inside them,” the organization wrote. “Diane Keaton embodied the contradictions of being human: funny and fragile, bright and bruised, always achingly honest. For decades, she filled every frame with warmth, wit, and wonder. A Best Actress Oscar winner and four-time nominee, her presence shaped generations of storytelling. Her spirit will live forever on screen, and in the hearts of all who saw themselves in her.”

Lisa Lange, the senior vice president of PETA, honored Keaton for her advocacy on behalf of animals. 

“Diane Keaton’s impact as a brilliant and talented actor is undeniable, but PETA will always remember her as a true friend to animals,” Lange said in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

She continued, “At every turn, she used her platform to champion animals, from advocating kindness toward animals often overlooked, such as pigeons, to taking on abusive cub-petting operations by endorsing the Big Cat Public Safety Act, to ditching meat and reminding everyone that ‘it’s nuts’ to eat animals. Diane’s heart was evident in everything she did, and she will be greatly missed by all of us at PETA.”