Diane Keaton's Comments On Marriage Were So Refreshing

The late Diane Keaton was a trailblazer in so many ways. The award-winning actor, who died on Saturday, October 11, 2025, was beloved by many for her standout performances in films like "The Godfather," "The First Wives Club," and "Annie Hall." But Keaton was equally an icon off-screen, in part because she wasn't afraid to buck tradition and live life on her own terms, whether that was with her fashion or her home life. This was best reflected in her decision to remain unmarried, a choice that was notably uncommon for many people of her generation. The star proudly embraced the single life, telling People in 2019, "I'm 73 and I think I'm the only one in my generation and maybe before who has been a single woman all her life."

Keaton certainly isn't the only famous woman to have remained single throughout her life. But what made her a true inspiration was her attitude about it. When asked about the decision later in life, she expressed that she never regretted her choice. "[I'm not sad] because I think that I needed more of a maternal aspect. I don't think it would have been a good idea for me to have married, and I'm really glad I didn't...," she said. "I remember one day in high school, this guy came up to me and said, 'One day you're going to make a good wife.' And I thought, 'I don't want to be a wife. No,'" she added.

There's nothing wrong with aspiring to marriage, but, equally, there's nothing wrong with not wanting one. In a world where a walk down the aisle is constantly pushed as the ultimate goal for women, Keaton normalized prioritizing herself and her needs. Being honest about being truly happy while single showed countless women they don't need a ring on their finger to live their best lives. But even more unique was that Keaton still chose to include motherhood as part of her journey, proving you don't need to follow tradition to have a happy family.

Diane Keaton jumped into motherhood on her own terms in her 50s, adopting a son and a daughter. "Motherhood was not an urge I couldn't resist, it was more like a thought I'd been thinking for a very long time. So I plunged in," she told Ladies' Home Journal (via Today). She was also open about initially wanting to raise children with a partner, but pressed pause on her love life and refused to let her romances not working out get in her way. "I wanted to be in a good relationship. Those good relationships that are strong and substantive never happened for me, and that prolonged my indecisiveness," she said.

Keaton passed away aged 79 in October 2025, but the influential way she lived her life (including the way she confronted aging with confidence) will continue to inspire women for generations. The impact of her choosing single motherhood and refusing to wait for a man to fulfill her goals was obvious across the touching tributes. "Diane Keaton was the quintessential hyper-independent, intelligent, witty, quirky, and rebellious Hollywood girl," one X user wrote. "I've always admired Diane Keaton. An independent woman who showed there was normalcy in fully being yourself, that choosing a life without being tied to a partner is valid, and that being a single mother is ok and just as much a family as any. And she rocked a suit and hat combo," another touchingly wrote, referring to her legendary menswear-inspired style.