In addition to doing what she loved, Keaton shared her life with the people that she loved, including her two children she adopted in her 50s: daughter Dexter29, and son Duke25.
“I’m so thankful to have been adopted by such a strong, beautiful, and talented woman,” Dexter wrote on Instagram in 2014. “I couldn’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me. I love you!”
However Keaton—who never married but counted Woody Allen, Al Pacino and Warren Beatty among her exes—had previously noted her kids didn’t intend to follow in her famous footsteps.
“They have no interest in what I do, which I think is very healthy,” she told People in 2007. “We live a relatively normal—well, sort of normal—life.”
And whether fans got glimpses into Keaton’s life on the big screen or small screen (including her Instagram where she racked up millions of followers), many will remember her as an icon—even if it’s a title she didn’t always accept for herself.
“I don’t exactly understand what that means but it’s very kind of you to say,” she told Ariana Grande for Interview in 2021. “Can you explain to me how I’m iconic? What is that? I understand certain aspects of it, but it’s hard for me to deal with that. I don’t really see it that way. I live with myself and I’m hardly iconic. I get up in the morning and it’s me again. I’m just another person saying, ‘Gee, I’d better feed the dog.’”
To look back at Keaton’s life in pictures, keep reading.
