Diane Keaton died in Los Angeles on Saturday at age 79, and her family says the cause was pneumonia.
Family members of the Oscar-winning actress shared a statement with people confirming Keaton's cause of death and saying they were “so grateful for the extraordinary messages of love and support” they had received in recent days.
The publication first reported the screen icon's death on Saturday, saying the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to her home that morning and transported the 79-year-old woman to an area hospital. The family initially did not disclose the cause of death and asked for privacy while they processed their grief.
In a statement Wednesday, Keaton's family said the star had a deep love for animals and was an enthusiastic supporter of the homeless community. They encouraged people to honor her memory by donating to a food bank or animal shelter.
Keaton was known for her powerful performances in such iconic films as Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather and Woody Allen's Annie Hall, for which she won the 1978 Academy Award for Lead Actress. She was also nominated for Lead Actress for her roles in Reds (1981), Marvin's Room (1996) and Something's Gotta Give (2003).
Keaton was born in Los Angeles in 1946 and rose to fame with her stage career in New York in the late 1960s, earning a Tony nomination at age 25 for her role in Allen's 1969 stage production of Play It Again, Sam.
Later in her career, she became the muse of writer, director and producer Nancy Meyers and starred in four of her films. She was a well-known trendsetter, known for her stunning on-screen outfits and, more recently, for sharing her Instagram stylewhere she amassed 2.6 million followers.
Keaton's death was widely lamented lovers of theatre, cinema and fashion.
“She was funny, completely original and completely devoid of guile or any competitiveness one would expect from such a star,” actress Bette Midler wrote on Instagram. “What you saw was who she was.”
“Diane Keaton was more than just an actress: she was a force,” actress Octavia Spencer wrote on Instagram, “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.”
Times film editor Joshua Rothkopf contributed to this report.
