Diane Keaton’s daughter Dexter has shared an emotional tribute to her late mother, marking her first Mother’s Day without the Hollywood icon, and fans have rallied around her with messages of love and support.
The 30-year-old took to Instagram on Sunday with a deeply personal post, offering a rare glimpse into her relationship with the Oscar-winning actress, who died aged 79 on October 11, 2025 following a bacterial pneumonia infection.
Alongside a series of tender throwback photos, Dexter laid bare the depth of her grief in a caption that struck a chord with thousands.
© Instagram"First Mother’s Day without you," she wrote. "I miss you more than words can say. Missing her voice, her hugs, her presence, and everything that made her home. I love you, Mom."
The images she shared captured the quiet, enduring bond between mother and daughter. One showed the pair on a sunlit beach during Dexter’s childhood, windswept and smiling, while another featured them standing together in a garden, radiating warmth.
© AFP via Getty ImagesPerhaps most poignant was a photograph from Dexter’s 2021 wedding day, with Diane leaning in to hug and kiss her daughter, a moment now imbued with even greater meaning.
Within moments of posting, fans flooded the comments section with heartfelt messages of condolence."She is missed worldwide. So sorry for your loss," one wrote, echoing the sentiment of many who have long admired Diane not only as an actress, but as a mother.
Despite her extraordinary career, Diane always placed her children at the centre of her world. She adopted Dexter in 1996 and later welcomed son Duke, now 26, in 2001, making the bold decision to become a mother in her 50s.
© FilmMagicReflecting on that choice in a past interview, Diane once said: "I didn’t think that I was ever going to be prepared to be a mother. 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."
It was a decision she never looked back from. While Dexter and Duke have largely stayed out of the spotlight, they have stepped out to support their mother on significant occasions, including her Hand & Footprint Ceremony at Hollywood’s TCL Chinese Theatre in 2022.
Asked what it meant to have her children by her side that day, Diane gave a simple but telling answer: "Everything."
© InstagramDexter has continued to honour her mother’s legacy in the months since her passing. Earlier this year, on what would have been Diane’s 80th birthday, she shared a touching tribute that included a tattoo dedicated to her mom and a black-and-white polka-dot manicure, a subtle nod to Diane’s signature style.
And in a particularly moving post last year, Dexter shared a photo of herself dancing with Diane at her wedding reception to husband Jordan White, whom she married in California in June 2021. The image captured the joy of a moment that now feels even more precious.
