Hollywood has lost one of its most original voices. Diane Keaton, the quirky, brilliant, and deeply human star we all loved, has died at 79. She passed away on Saturday in California, with her family asking for privacy in this moment of deep sorrow. To understand her impact, you have to scan a film history class: “Annie Hall,” “The Godfather” trilogy, “Father of the Bride,” “Something’s Got to Give,” “First Wives Club”—the list goes on. She wasn’t just prolific; she was singular.

Keaton won her Oscar for “Annie Hall,” and her collaborations with Woody Allen helped define an era of romantic comedies with depth, humor, and self-awareness. Her last years were quiet. A source says she lived on her own terms, surrounded only by those she loved, doing what she wanted—always true to herself. In an essay for The Free Press, Woody Allen shared a poignant remembrance of Diane. “If Huckleberry Finn was a gorgeous young woman, he’d be Keaton,” Allen remembered thinking upon first seeing her at an audition for his 1969 play, “Play It Again, Sam,” at the Morasco Theater. He recounted personal memories of their romantic relationship and their renowned creative collaboration, unlike anyone the planet has experienced or is unlikely to ever see again. “Her face and laugh illuminated any space she entered,” Allen wrote in the piece.

Diane Keaton’s support for the disgraced director Woody Allen was harshly criticized by the public, but she didn’t care. Diane stood by Woody, her loyalty unwavering. Their bond had spanned more than five decades, and despite all the dark clouds that had gathered over their relationship, Keaton made it clear that she would always love Allen. “We’d have dinner, she’d tell me that she loved me, and then she’d throw up,” Allen once said of their complicated dynamic.

Diane Keaton and Woody Allen’s story goes all the way back to 1968. At the time, Keaton was a 22-year-old struggling actress trying to get her career off the ground. From their very first meeting, Keaton was infatuated with Allen and even confessed to feeling “crazy” about him. On the other hand, Woody viewed Diane in less flattering terms. According to a 1993 profile in The New York Times, he described her as “blank” and a “coat check girl.” It took some convincing on Keaton’s part to gain Allen’s attention. After worming her way into his heart, the pair eventually started dating. The actress admitted, “I wanted to be his girlfriend, so I worked at it.” Their romance went on and off for about three years before they broke things off for good. Speaking about their relationship, the actress hinted that it was the director who chose to officially end things. “I remember what he’s saying, ‘Living with you is like walking on eggshells.’ I think it was because I had too much sensitivity. I was hurt by everything.”

Following their split, the director dated both of Diane’s sisters, Robin and Dory. Despite all of this, Keaton and Allen remained the closest of friends. Their continued friendship may have seemed unconventional to the public, but their shared experiences only brought them closer together. “Isn’t that interesting how life is?” Keaton once mused. “Like in this movie, you don’t know what’s going to happen, really. You make some choices, and that choice leads you to something that you hadn’t expected.”

In 1992, Woody found himself in the middle of a high-profile custody battle with his ex, Mia Farrow. Things took an even darker turn when the director was accused of assault against his adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow. Allen subsequently fired Mia from his upcoming movie, “Manhattan Murder Mystery,” and Diane replaced her for the role. Despite the numerous allegations against the director, Keaton stood by his side. “I like Mia, but my history has always been linked with Woody. He’s my friend.” Allen expressed his gratitude to Keaton and said that she was “totally supportive and fabulous” while he went through his custody battle. He added, “She took a million calls from me and let me vent on her shoulder. It was great therapy for me, a great palliative.” During press for the movie, Diane was reluctant to talk about the director’s ongoing battle with Farrow. That being said, she openly criticized the Supreme Court ruling that restricted Woody’s visitation to his children. “I think it was too harsh,” she told The New York Times. “I think he could have had better visitation rights. You can’t eliminate the parent from a child’s life, no matter what happened.”

In 2014, Diane was named in an open letter written by Dylan Farrow for The New York Times. Dylan reiterated her allegations against Allen and condemned the actors who were still lining up to work with him. “You knew me when I was a little girl, Diane Keaton. Have you forgotten me?” Farrow wrote. Keaton was quick to defend her support of Allen. She expressed that she didn’t want to say anything about Farrow’s accusations except, “I love Woody. I’m Woody’s friend, and I believe him. That’s the bottom line for me.” The actress also insisted she wasn’t bothered by being publicly called out in Dylan’s open letter. Diane explained that she saw Farrow maybe three times and that she didn’t know her.

Over the years, Keaton reiterated her love for Woody and often referred to their long-standing friendship. “He was hilarious, and I think that the thing about Woody that’s so interesting is, how did I get to be his friend? I don’t know how I got to be his friend, ’cause it’s hard to become a friend of Woody’s. He’s a very, very private person.” After everything that they’ve been through together, their bond was never broken. That being said, the actress admitted that maintaining their friendship wasn’t always easy. “He can be quite serious,” she told The New Yorker. “And one other very important thing about Woody: once you’re his friend, that’s it. You can call him any hour of the day or night, and he’s there for you.”

In her autobiography, Diane went into more detail about their complex relationship. She wrote how he’d cringe if he knew how much she cared about him, adding that she’s smart enough not to broach the subject with him. “I know he’s borderline repulsed by the grotesque nature of my affection. What am I supposed to do? I still love him.” She’s been involved romantically with a half-dozen of the most gifted, charismatic, attractive men in Hollywood, and every one of them has dumped her.

There’s no doubt that Diane and Woody have created some of cinema’s most endearing and fiercely romantic couples. Their friendship may be unconventional, but they’ve never been bothered about what other people think. After everything they experienced together, Diane and Woody’s loyalty to one another has always come first.

Early on Saturday morning, the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a call at her home at 8:08 a.m. local time and transported a 79-year-old woman to the hospital. As of now, no cause of death has been confirmed. A close friend tells People that Diane had declined very suddenly in recent months, something so abrupt it shocked even longtime confidants.

Goldie Hawn, Steve Martin, and Jane Fonda were among the first to honor her legacy, sharing memories of Diane’s humor, grace, and authenticity. Goldie said, “There was and will be no one like you.” Steve Martin shared a humorous remembrance of the actress, and Jane Fonda wrote in the caption of a photo featuring Keaton, “She was always a spark of life and light.” Her “Book Club” co-star Mary Steenburgen remembered her with love in a statement shared with USA Today: “Diane was magic. There was no one, nor will there ever be, anyone like her. I loved her and felt blessed to be her friend. My love to her family. What a wonder she was.” Candice Bergen, another “Book Club” co-star, called her death a “huge loss,” writing, “Diane was a true artist, tremendously gifted and uniquely talented in so many disciplines, yet also modest and wonderfully eccentric. I will miss her terribly.” Bette Midler, her “First Wives Club” partner in crime, called Diane “brilliant, beautiful, and extraordinary,” and Robert De Niro, who starred with Keaton in “The Big Wedding,” told ABC News, “I am very sad to hear of Diane’s passing.” The statement read, “I was very fond of her, and the news of her leaving us has taken me totally by surprise. I was not expecting her to leave us. She will be missed.”