How many children Diane Keaton had? Family details explored as ‘The Godfather’ star dies at 79

Diane Keaton’s passing at age 79 sent waves through Hollywood and beyond. Best known for her roles in The Godfather trilogy and Annie Hall, she built a reputation as an actress of depth, wit and authenticity. But off screen, one of the most heartfelt chapters of her life was the family she chose later in life a story many found inspiring.

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Though she never married, Keaton became a mother in her 50s by adopting two children, raising them largely away from the public eye. Her decision to embrace motherhood later in life became part of her enduring legacy, adding warmth and complexity to how fans remember her.

Diane Keaton’s children and why the news touched hearts

News of Keaton’s death included the detail that she had two children: daughter Dexter, now 29, and son Duke, 25. She adopted Dexter in 1996, shortly after the girl’s birth in 1995, and later adopted Duke in 2001 following his birth in 2000.

This part of the announcement resonated deeply with many not just because celebrity lives often get reduced to their filmographies, but because it revealed a more intimate side of her. For years, Diane Keaton had spoken candidly about motherhood: it wasn’t something she felt compelled toward early on, but rather a thought she nurtured over time, eventually deciding to “plunge in.”She once admitted to Ladies’ Home Journal that she didn’t always expect to be ready for motherhood, but later embraced it fully.

The children themselves mostly stayed out of the spotlight. In interviews, Diane Keaton said she felt grateful they had little interest in her profession a distance she considered healthy. Still, they did make a rare public appearance together in 2022 at her hand-and-footprint ceremony in Hollywood. That moment came to symbolize not just celebrity, but love and the small, triumphant joys of family.

The viral reach of the story is tied partly to contrast: a legendary actress whose public life was always in view, yet whose motherhood journey began quietly and later than most. For many people, it made her more relatable someone who rewrote expectations, who made choices not often seen in Hollywood narratives.

In remembering Diane Keaton, it’s important not to reduce her to one identity actress, icon, fashion muse but to see her as a woman who, later in life, chose to build a family. Her two children, Dexter and Duke, were her private joy. That she adopted them in her 50s adds a layer of courage and care to the story of her life. As tributes pour in, that quiet, personal legacy reminds us that sometimes our most meaningful work is the love we give offstage.

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