Diane Keaton's cause of death is identified as pneumonia by devastated family

Hollywood legend Diane Keaton has died from pneumonia, her family have announced.

Devastated relatives honoured the actress, renowned for playing Kay Adams in The Godfather and her collaborations with Woody Allen, in a heartfelt statement this morning after her passing at 79. They highlighted Diane's immense passion for animals and the natural world.

However, the tribute also revealed that Diane, who secured an Oscar for Allen's groundbreaking film Annie Hall, died after a brief struggle with pneumonia. The moving tribute states: "The Keaton family are very grateful for the extraordinary messages of love and support they have received these past few days on behalf of their beloved Diane, who passed away from pneumonia on October 11.

"She loved her animals and she was steadfast in her support of the unhoused community, so any donations in her memory to a local food bank or an animal shelter would be a wonderful and much appreciated tribute to her."

After Diane's death on Saturday in California, numerous actors and filmmakers, including Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler, Paul Feig and Ben Stiller, paid tribute to the actress, whose career stretched over five decades, reports the Mirror.

The family's statement joins a series of touching tributes honouring Diane's legacy. A close friend has also expressed their condolences, commending Diane's "strength and spirit".

Nevertheless, they noted the star's condition had "declined very suddenly" and was "heartbreaking for everyone who loved her."

They revealed to People: "It was so unforeseen, particularly for someone with such resilience and vigour. During her final months, she was accompanied solely by her immediate family, who decided to maintain complete privacy. Even her long-standing friends weren't entirely informed about the circumstances."

The Los Angeles Fire Department attended reports of a "person down" at Diane's home around 8am on Saturday. The Godfather star had been taken to a local hospital by ambulance where she was subsequently declared dead.

Following the announcement, American director Francis Ford Coppola, who was friends with Diane, commented: "Words can't express the wonder and talent of Diane Keaton. Endlessly intelligent, so beautiful.

"From her earliest performances in 'Hair' and throughout her amazing career, she was an extraordinary actor. I saw her in the film 'Lovers and Other Strangers' and knew I had to have her play Kay in The Godfather, (which she told me she based on my wife Ellie) and her wonderful work in 'Annie Hall' while simultaneously setting a new fashion trend. Everything about Diane was creativity personified."

Diane launched her cinema career in 1970's Lovers And Other Strangers but rose to prominence in 1972 after portraying Kay, the partner and later spouse of Al Pacino's Michael Corleone in Coppola's The Godfather - a character she returned to in 1974's The Godfather Part II and 1990's The Godfather Part III. She enjoyed a lengthy career in the film industry, featuring in popular films such as Father Of The Bride, The Family Stone, Something's Gotta Give and The Book Club.

Her last appearances were in Summer Camp and Arthur's Whisky in 2024, with no indication of any ongoing projects at the time.