“My Heart Is Shattered”: Woody Allen Breaks Silence After the Death of Annie Hall Icon Diane Keaton

Woody Allen and Diane Keaton in Sleeper (1973)

It’s grammatically incorrect to say ‘most unique,’ but all rules of grammar — and, I guess, anything else — are suspended when talking about Diane Keaton. Unlike anyone the planet has experienced, or is ever likely to see again, her face and laugh illuminated any space she entered,” Allen, 89, wrote in a heartfelt essay published via The Free Press.

Allen recalled meeting Keaton when they worked together on 1969’s Play It Again, Sam, noting that both were “shy.” They eventually shared lunch during rehearsal, marking the start of a lifelong friendship.

“That was our first moment of personal contact,” Woody Allen recalled. “The upshot is that she was so charming, so beautiful, so magical, that I questioned my sanity. I thought: could I be in love so quickly?”

As their relationship grew, Diane Keaton became one of Allen’s most trusted confidants — and the person whose opinion he valued above all others. “I never read a single review of my work and cared only what Keaton had to say about it,” he wrote. “If she liked it, I counted the film as an artistic success. If she was less than enthusiastic, I tried to use her criticism to reedit and come away with something she felt better about.”

Keaton reportedly faced health struggles in the months leading up to her death at age 79. Her spokesperson confirmed on Saturday, October 11, that the beloved actress had passed away in California, asking for privacy as her family — including her two adult children — mourned their immense loss. No additional details were provided.

Reflecting on their decades-long friendship, Allen wrote, “Only God and Freud might be able to figure out why we didn’t make it as a couple.” He lovingly described Keaton as “a beautiful yokel,” praising not just her acting and directing talents but also her grounded California roots.

“A few days ago, the world was a place that included Diane Keaton,” he continued. “Now it’s a world that does not. Hence, it’s a drearier world. Still, there are her movies — and her great laugh still echoes in my head.”

Keaton and Allen’s creative partnership produced some of cinema’s most iconic work, none more so than Annie Hall (1977), the romantic comedy Allen wrote specifically for her. The film won four Academy Awards, including Best Actress for Keaton, and became a cornerstone of both their legacies.

Over the years, the pair remained close friends. In a 2017 People interview, Keaton affectionately referred to Allen as “one of my many loves,” recalling their brief romance in the 1970s. “He is so hilarious and I just adored him, I really did,” she said, adding that she still had dinner with Allen and his wife, Soon-Yi Previn, whenever she visited New York. “I pick up the check — that’s how generous I am,” she quipped.

That same year, Allen made a rare public appearance to honor Keaton at the 45th Annual AFI Life Achievement Award ceremony. “The minute I met her, she was a great, great inspiration to me,” he said. “Much of what I’ve accomplished in my life I owe, for sure, to her — seeing life through her eyes. She really is astonishing. This is a woman who is great at everything she does.”

In 2018, as Allen faced renewed controversy amid the Time’s Up and #MeToo movements, Keaton publicly defended her longtime friend. “Woody Allen is my friend, and I continue to believe him,” she tweeted, encouraging followers to revisit his 1992 60 Minutes interview addressing the allegations brought by his adopted daughter Dylan Farrow. Allen has consistently denied any wrongdoing.

Years earlier, Keaton had taken the stage at the 2014 Golden Globes to accept the Cecil B. DeMille Award on Allen’s behalf, delivering a heartfelt tribute that encapsulated their creative bond. “It’s kind of hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that 179 of the world’s most captivating actresses have appeared in Woody Allen’s films,” she said. “And there’s a reason for this — because Woody’s women can’t be compartmentalized. They struggle, they love, they fall apart, they dominate, they’re flawed. They are, in fact, the hallmark of Woody’s work.”

Quoting Allen himself, she added: “One of the nice things about writing or any art is that if the thing’s real, it just kind of lives. All the success or rejection doesn’t matter, because in the end, the thing will survive — or not — on its own merits. As I’ve said many times, rather than live on in the hearts and minds of my fellow man, I would rather live on in my apartment.”

She ended her speech with a smile, joking, “If Woody were here tonight, he’d say it’s time to get the hook and get her off the goddamn stage.”