Shocking Twist in Diane Keaton’s $100 Million Fortune: Hollywood Icon Leaves Jaw-Dropping Bequest to Ex-Lover Woody Allen – Her Kids Get the Rest, But This Surprise Gift Has Everyone Talking!

The beloved Oscar winner’s will reveals one final, unforgettable plot twist worthy of her greatest roles.

Hollywood thought it had heard every story there was to tell about Diane Keaton—until this one.

Days after the legendary actress’s peaceful passing on October 11, 2025, new details from her $100 million estate have stunned fans, friends, and film insiders alike. The bulk of her fortune, as expected, goes to her two children, Dexter and Duke Keaton, the lights of her life. But nestled within her meticulously crafted will is one surprise no one saw coming: a $10 million bequest to her onetime love and lifelong creative partner, Woody Allen.

The revelation, quietly confirmed through probate filings in Los Angeles Superior Court, is both shocking and strangely poetic — the final chapter in one of Hollywood’s most complicated, enduring relationships.

“She never stopped being loyal to the people who shaped her,” said one longtime friend. “Woody was always part of that story — their bond was something deeper than romance. It was friendship, it was art, it was forever.”

A Farewell Fit for a Screen Legend

Diane Keaton’s death, just three days after a triumphant return to the stage in a benefit reading of Annie Hall, hit Hollywood with the force of an earthquake cloaked in silence. The Oscar-winning actress, known for her quick wit, menswear chic, and fearless individuality, passed away at home in her sunlit Brentwood estate, surrounded by her children and her golden retriever, Reggie.

At 79, she left behind not just an artistic legacy — but a carefully designed one, crafted with the same precision she brought to every project.

Court documents reveal a vast, diversified portfolio: acting royalties, best-selling books, and a treasure trove of real estate holdings. The total: roughly $100 million. Of that, about $85 million will go to her children. The remaining $10 million, plus selected film royalties and rare art pieces, goes to Allen — the man who directed her in eight of her most iconic films and shared a relationship that helped define modern cinema.

The Gift That No One Expected

According to estate insiders, Keaton’s gift to Allen isn’t a simple transfer of funds. It’s a curated gesture — a personal, emotional keepsake wrapped in dollars and meaning.

Among the items earmarked for Allen are a portion of Keaton’s Annie Hall royalties, artwork from their Broadway collaboration Play It Again, Sam, and a share in her Beverly Hills art collection featuring sketches the two collected in the early 1970s.

“It wasn’t about money,” the source explained. “It was Diane’s way of saying thank you — for the years, the films, the laughter. She used to say Woody gave her her voice, and this was her way of giving something back.”

Allen, now 89 and living primarily in Europe, reportedly responded to the news with quiet gratitude. In an essay published days later, he wrote:

“She was my audience of one. Diane’s opinion was the only one that ever mattered.”

It was a tender tribute from a man famously sparing with emotion — a reminder that, behind their on-screen magic, was a friendship that never dimmed.

From Broadway Sparks to Hollywood History

To understand this surprise, one must rewind to 1969.

That’s when a young, wide-eyed Diane Hall — still using her birth name — walked into a Broadway audition for Play It Again, Sam. The director? Woody Allen. The chemistry? Immediate.

“She knocked us both for a loop,” Allen recalled years later. Her unpolished honesty, that singular laugh, her refusal to conform — it all captivated him.

Their romance blossomed quickly, unfolding in New York’s theater scene: jazz nights in Greenwich Village, endless discussions about art, life, and Freud. By 1972, they had carried that energy to film, and five years later, Annie Hall changed everything.

As Annie — all baggy vests, wide eyes, and nervous grace — Keaton captured a generation’s restless search for love. Her Oscar win for Best Actress cemented her status as Hollywood’s most relatable muse.

Their collaboration spanned eight films — Sleeper, Love and Death, Manhattan — and decades of mutual influence. “I wrote for her voice,” Allen once said. “Every line had her rhythm.”

Their romance eventually ended, but the friendship endured — evolving into a lifelong creative partnership that defied tabloid tropes.

A Relationship That Outlasted Rumors

Over the years, Keaton’s loyalty to Allen never wavered, even when his reputation came under scrutiny. She was one of the few in Hollywood to speak publicly in his defense, calling him “my friend, always.”

“She wasn’t naive,” said a colleague. “She just believed in nuance. Diane saw the whole person, not the headline.”

In her later years, she often mused about what she owed Allen artistically. “He gave me a platform to be me,” she told The Guardian in 2023. “I wouldn’t be here without him.”

That sentiment, it seems, carried into her final wishes.

The Kids Who Inherited Her Heart — and Her Home

Still, there’s no question where the bulk of Keaton’s fortune went: to her children.

Dexter, 29, and Duke, 25, were not only the center of her life but her proudest achievement. She adopted Dexter in 1996 and Duke in 2001, embracing single motherhood with the same unflappable spirit that defined her career.

“She called us her greatest roles,” Duke said in a heartfelt statement. “Everything she did — every laugh, every house, every script — was for us.”

Each child will inherit roughly $40 million, along with Keaton’s most cherished possession: her Brentwood estate, a 9,200-square-foot architectural gem she restored by hand. The house is filled with mid-century furniture, reclaimed materials, and thousands of black-and-white photographs — a physical manifestation of her eclectic soul.

“She turned home design into poetry,” Dexter said. “Every wall tells a story.”

How Diane Built a $100 Million Legacy

Keaton’s wealth wasn’t built solely on acting. Beyond her storied film career — The Godfather trilogy, Baby Boom, Father of the Bride, Something’s Gotta Give — she was a shrewd businesswoman.

Her passion for architecture became a second act. Over the decades, she bought and restored dozens of historic Los Angeles properties, from Spanish Colonial gems to mid-century masterpieces. Her 2017 book, The House That Pinterest Built, became a design bible for creative homeowners.

“She could spot potential where others saw decay,” said a friend. “Her homes were love letters to California.”

Her art and photography collections added further value, as did her bestselling memoirs Then Again and Let’s Just Say It Wasn’t Pretty. Even her royalties from streaming platforms brought in millions annually.

“She wasn’t extravagant,” a former business partner noted. “She loved beautiful things, but she valued work more than wealth. Every dollar came from curiosity.”

A Final Curtain Call Worthy of Diane Keaton

As details of the will emerged, Hollywood’s reaction has been a mix of awe and intrigue.

“Of course she’d surprise us one more time,” said her Book Club co-star Jane Fonda, laughing softly through tears. “Diane always had a twist ending.”

Steve Martin, who starred alongside her in Father of the Bride, said, “She taught me that the most generous people give in ways that make you think.”

Even her First Wives Club co-stars shared tributes. Goldie Hawn called her “one of a kind,” while Bette Midler posted: “Trust Diane to make her will as unforgettable as her life.”

And then there’s Allen — the man at the center of the surprise. Though he has remained mostly private, those close to him describe him as “overwhelmed.”

“She always said she wanted to help him finish his last film,” a mutual friend shared. “Now, in her own way, she has.”

Legacy Beyond the Ledger

To those who knew her best, the money isn’t the story — it’s the meaning behind it.

“Diane’s bequest wasn’t about wealth,” said one insider. “It was about connection. Every dollar, every property, every decision reflected her relationships — her kids, her friends, and yes, Woody.”

Her children plan to channel part of their inheritance into a foundation for young artists and historic preservation, continuing her mission to nurture creativity.

“She believed that beauty heals,” Dexter said. “Now, we get to keep sharing that belief with the world.”

A Love That Outlived the Spotlight

In life, Diane Keaton built bridges — between comedy and drama, glamour and humility, independence and devotion. In death, she’s done it again.

Her will reads like the final act of a love story that never really ended: the proud mother, the loyal friend, the artist who gave as much as she received.

“Mom’s real legacy isn’t money,” Duke said quietly. “It’s the way she made people feel. Those five words she said before she left — ‘I love you, more than words’ — that’s what she left us.”

For Hollywood’s eternal “Annie Hall,” the ending is pure Diane: unexpected, emotional, and beautifully human.

She built her fortune the same way she built her life — with courage, humor, and heart. And now, with her final flourish, she reminds us that love — not fame or fortune — is the true measure of a life well lived.