A Final Bow with a Wag: Diane Keaton’s Stunning Bequest

On October 16, 2025, the world bid farewell to Diane Keaton, the Oscar-winning icon whose quirky charm and menswear swagger redefined Hollywood. But as fans mourned the Annie Hall star’s sudden passing at 79, a bombshell from her will sent shockwaves through the internet: Keaton left $5 million of her $100 million estate to her golden retriever, Reggie, ensuring her furry soulmate lives a life of luxury. Complete with a private home, full-time caretakers, and ongoing donations to animal charities in her name, this tear-jerking gesture has fans weeping and X ablaze with #ReggieRules. “Diane loved with her whole heart—human or hound,” tweeted close friend Goldie Hawn. But why such a lavish gift for a dog? And what does it reveal about Keaton’s legacy of love?

In an exclusive interview with People and Variety, Keaton’s attorney, Ellen Friedman, and her longtime friend and animal activist, Nancy Allen, unpacked the details of this canine windfall. Joined by ASPCA president Matt Bershadker, who confirmed the charity stipulations, they painted a picture of a woman whose final act was as bold as her filmography. “Diane saw Reggie as family,” Friedman said, her voice thick with emotion. “This wasn’t whimsy—it was her way of rewriting the ending for animals everywhere.” As Reggie, the floppy-eared golden who stole Keaton’s heart in 2020, becomes Hollywood’s richest pup, fans are left sobbing, smiling, and wondering: What’s next for the dog who inherited a legend’s love?

Reggie’s Rise: From Shelter Pup to Keaton’s Muse

To understand this four-legged fortune, meet Reggie, a golden retriever Keaton adopted in 2020 from a Los Angeles shelter. “He was a scruffy mess, terrified,” Allen recalled during the interview. “Diane walked in, sat on the floor, and that was it—love at first cuddle.” Named after Keaton’s character in Reds, Reggie became her shadow, trotting alongside her on morning walks through Brentwood, napping on set during her Mack & Rita reshoots, and even stealing scenes in her Instagram posts. “He’s my leading man,” Keaton quipped in a 2022 Ellen appearance, tossing him a treat mid-interview. Fans adored their bond, with #DianeAndReggie selfies racking up millions of likes.

Keaton’s $100 million estate—amassed from The Godfather, Annie Hall, real estate ventures, and her photography books—was meticulously divvied up. Her children, Dexter and Duke, inherited the bulk, with trusts for her grandchildren. But Reggie’s $5 million slice stunned even her inner circle. The will, drafted in 2023, specifies: a $2 million Malibu cottage (dog-friendly, with ocean views), $2 million for round-the-clock caretakers (including a vet and trainer), and $1 million to fund animal charities, starting with the ASPCA and Best Friends Animal Society. “Diane wanted Reggie’s life to mirror hers—secure, loved, and a little quirky,” Friedman explained. “The charity clause? That’s her heart on paper.”

Bershadker, visibly moved, detailed the impact: “Her donations will fund shelters, spay-neuter programs, and anti-cruelty campaigns in her name for years.” Keaton’s love for animals wasn’t new—she championed rescue causes since the 1990s, often visiting shelters incognito to volunteer. “She’d show up in a turtleneck and hat, scooping kennels,” Allen laughed. “Reggie was her spark to do more.”

Why Reggie? Keaton’s Legacy of Love and Loss

Keaton’s devotion to Reggie wasn’t just puppy love—it was personal. Born Diane Hall in 1946, she weathered a turbulent childhood in Santa Ana, finding solace in animals when family life frayed. “Dogs don’t judge,” she wrote in her 2011 memoir Then Again, recounting how a childhood mutt named Sparky eased her anorexia struggles. Reggie, adopted post-divorce from her long-term partner, filled a similar void. “He was her constant in a world of chaos,” Allen said. “After Annie Hall at 31, the fame, the breakups—she leaned on dogs to stay grounded.”

Her will reflects this. The Malibu cottage, dubbed “Reggie’s Retreat,” includes a custom dog run and organic meal plan—think salmon and quinoa, per Friedman’s notes. Caretakers, handpicked by Keaton, are longtime staff who’ve doted on Reggie since puppyhood. “They’re family,” Friedman stressed. “Diane trusted them to keep his tail wagging.” The charity funds, meanwhile, aim to rescue thousands of shelter animals, with Keaton’s name on plaques across ASPCA facilities. “She wanted Reggie’s legacy to save others,” Bershadker said, noting a planned “Diane Keaton Rescue Fund” launching in 2026.

Fans on X are eating it up. #ReggieRules posts flood timelines, with memes of Reggie in sunglasses captioned “Living better than me!” A viral TikTok from @DogLoverLA, with 4 million views, stitches Keaton’s Ellen clip with drone shots of the Malibu cottage. But not everyone’s on board. Some critics, like @HollywoodSkeptic, griped: “$5M for a dog? What about human charities?” Defenders fired back: “Diane gave millions to kids’ hospitals too—let her love her dog!” Per Variety, Keaton’s estate donated $10 million to pediatric cancer research, silencing most naysayers.

The Fandom’s Tears and Reggie’s Future

The People panel, streamed to 2 million viewers, was a tearjerker. Allen shared a story of Keaton sneaking Reggie onto the Book Club set in 2018, where he napped under her director’s chair. “She’d whisper lines to him like he was her co-star,” Allen chuckled. Friedman read a will excerpt: “Reggie gave me joy when the world felt heavy. Give him the life I’d live—wild, free, and full of treats.” Bershadker teased a Netflix documentary, Diane & Reggie: A Love Story, set for 2026, blending her shelter visits with home videos of Reggie’s zoomies.

What’s next for Reggie? At five years old, he’s healthy, happy, and oblivious to his fortune. The caretakers, led by Keaton’s former assistant Maria Gomez, moved into the cottage days after the will’s reading. “He’s chasing seagulls, eating like a king,” Gomez told Variety. The charity funds kick off with a January 2026 gala, hosted by Meryl Streep, to honor Keaton’s vision. “Diane’s gift keeps giving,” Bershadker said. “Every rescued pup will carry her name.”

The fandom’s response? Pure emotion. “Diane made Reggie a prince because she was a queen,” posted @KeatonFan4Life, with a crying emoji. Clips of Keaton and Reggie walking hand-in-paw dominate Instagram Reels, set to her iconic “Seems Like Old Times” from Annie Hall. Ratings for GH reruns featuring Keaton’s guest spots spiked 15%, per ABC, as fans revisit her magic.

A Legacy Beyond the Screen

Keaton’s $5 million gift isn’t just a headline—it’s a love letter to animals, fans, and the underdog spirit she embodied. From her Oscar-winning turn in Annie Hall to her quirky roles in Something’s Gotta Give, she lived unapologetically, and Reggie’s bequest is her final act of defiance against a world that often overlooks the voiceless. “Diane didn’t care about the optics,” Allen said. “She cared about Reggie’s wagging tail and every shelter dog waiting for a home.”

As Port Charles mourns a legend, Reggie’s Malibu mornings—chasing waves, napping in Keaton’s old turtlenecks—carry her spirit. The question fans ask now: Can Reggie’s charmed life inspire more adoptions, or will it fade as Hollywood’s next scandal steals the spotlight? One thing’s certain: Keaton’s love, like her films, is timeless. And somewhere, Reggie’s barking her amen.