Did Diane Keaton leave $5 million for her beloved dog? Viral claim debunked

Oscar-winning actress Diane Keaton died on October 11, 2025, and the cause of her death is revealed to be “primary bacterial pneumonia.” CNN has obtained the death certificate, which shows that the 79-year-old actress did not have any other health-related issues, despite pneumonia. 

With the tragic loss in Hollywood, a rumor is swirling on the internet claiming that the Annie Hall actress has ‘’left $5 million to her dog, Reggie (her golden retriever).’’ Anyone familiar with Diane would naturally think this could be true, considering how much she cared for dogs and all because of her ‘’dog lover’’ personality. 

Many websites picked up the story; however, the news of such a huge donation for her dog was never confirmed by any of her family members. While confirming the news of her death, her family members released a statement (via People) which read, 

"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."

In their statement, they did mention donations to animal shelters, but the claim that she left $5 million for her dog was never confirmed.

Viral rumor debunked: Did Diane Keaton really leave $5 million for her dog’s life-long care?

Many entertainment websites picked up the story, which was naturally believable; however, it turns out that the viral claim about her will is fabricated and has not been proven yet. No official source has confirmed that Diane Keaton has left this huge amount back for her golden retriever. 

According to reports by Yahoo Creators, the claim was first made by Rob Shuter, a columnist at Sustack post, where he mentioned that a very close source of Diane’s has shared an interesting update about Keaton’s philanthropic move.

As per the post and according to the source, it said,

“Reggie was her world. Diane used to joke her great loves were her children, Al Pacino, architecture — and that dog.”

Fans already admired her for her numerous generous donations to animal shelters, and the news rapidly went viral, appearing in headlines across the internet.

The source’s quote further reads, 

“She wanted Reggie to live with the same dignity and humor she did. It’s the most Diane thing ever — eccentric, kind and deeply loving.”

This was nothing more than typical clickbait, and a Reuters fact-checker confirmed that ‘the story seems to have originated from a network of fake news websites.'' Soon after, the news went viral with many websites resharing the story even though ‘’no lawyer, family member, or executor has confirmed it.’’

So far, this story remains a rumor, and there’s no confirmation that Diane Keaton left $5 million for Reggie until an official statement comes from her family or a close source.