This article answers the specific question of who Diane Keaton said was "the love of her life" and explains how to verify the claim. It points readers to the memoir Then Again as the primary source and summarizes how later press coverage handled the line. The piece is aimed at general readers and writers who need a concise, sourced answer they can quote or cite. It keeps the focus on provenance and verification rather than on speculation about private life.

Diane Keaton wrote that Al Pacino 'was the love of my life' in her memoir Then Again.

Major outlets repeated the memoir phrasing in coverage of Keaton's AFI honor in 2017.

Later interviews note Keaton does not date and never married, framing the line as retrospective.

Quick answer and why it matters

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Diane Keaton herself identified Al Pacino as "the love of my life," a line she wrote in her memoir Then Again and later reiterated in media coverage; the memoir is the primary source for that claim Then Again publisher page.

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That exact phrasing matters because it is a first-person statement from Keaton rather than a third-party description; confirming the provenance helps avoid repeating misattributed lines or social media paraphrases. Major outlets later repeated the phrasing in 2017, which reinforced public awareness of the memoir's claim People report on the 2017 coverage.

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Primary source: the memoir Then Again (2011)

What Keaton wrote

The clearest, self-authored source for the line is Diane Keaton's memoir Then Again, published in 2011; in that book she wrote that Al Pacino "was the love of my life," making the memoir the primary place to verify the phrasing Then Again publisher page.

Because the statement appears in Keaton's own book, it has a different evidentiary weight than hearsay or later commentary by others. When a public figure records a personal assessment in a memoir, the text functions as a first-person attribution that journalists and researchers can cite directly.

The memoir stands apart from secondary reports because it is Keaton's direct account and includes her reflections and narrative that provide context for the line; contemporary interviews around the memoir's release also helped clarify her intent and tone NPR Fresh Air interview.

For verification, the recommended practice is to quote the memoir verbatim and cite the book's publication details rather than relying only on news summaries, since news coverage may paraphrase or emphasize different aspects of a passage. See Funded Plays blogs for related reading.

Press coverage: the 2017 AFI moment and media reports

Which outlets repeated the line

When Keaton received an AFI honor in 2017, several major outlets reported that she described Al Pacino as "the love of my life," repeating the memoir wording in their coverage; People was one of the outlets that ran the line in reports of the event People report on the 2017 coverage (see other coverage at Fox News).

Steps to verify press reports about a quoted line

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The Hollywood Reporter and Entertainment Weekly also published pieces that used the same phrase while describing Keaton's remarks, providing secondary confirmation that the memoir line had entered broader reportage of her career and public honors Hollywood Reporter coverage. Related coverage appeared in Vanity Fair.

These press items do not replace the memoir as the primary source, but they are useful for showing how the line was reported and understood by major media at a later date, which is why journalists often cite the memoir and then note that press outlets reiterated the claim Entertainment Weekly summary.

Where Al Pacino fits in Keaton's relationships timeline

On and off relationship, 1970s-1980s

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Keaton's relationship with Al Pacino occurred on and off through parts of the 1970s and 1980s, a period that followed their early film collaborations and coincided with heightened public attention to both actors; this timeline is discussed in her memoir and summarized in profiles of the era Then Again publisher page.

Describing Pacino as "the love of my life" is therefore a retrospective framing of a significant past relationship rather than evidence of an ongoing partnership, and treating it as historical context helps avoid misreading the phrase as current status.

Other notable relationships for context

For broader context, Keaton's public relationships have included time with Woody Allen in the early 1970s and an association with Warren Beatty around the period of Reds; these relationship references appear in profiles and interviews that accompany her memoir and later coverage NPR Fresh Air interview.

Putting Pacino into that sequence helps readers understand why Keaton might single out one past partner in a memoir passage while still acknowledging a varied relationship history across decades.

How Keaton describes her present life and relationships

Recent interviews and how they change context

In interviews after the memoir, Keaton has clarified aspects of her personal life and expressed that she does not currently date and never married, comments that frame the memoir line as retrospective and personal rather than indicative of a present romantic situation The Guardian interview.

That later context matters for readers who might interpret the memoir wording as a live description; Keaton's more recent remarks explain why her account should be read as part of a life narrative rather than an announcement about current relationships.

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When citing the line, keep in mind Keaton's later statements so you represent the quote as a reflective claim from a past relationship rather than a present condition.

Common misconceptions and verification pitfalls

What people often assume

One common misconception is to assume that a declarative memoir line implies a current partnership or legal commitment; Keaton's phrasing reflects a personal appraisal of past events, not a public record of marital status or ongoing romance Then Again publisher page.

Another frequent error is to rely on unsourced social posts or hearsay that paraphrase the quote without checking the original text, which can introduce wording differences or context loss.

Who did Diane Keaton say was the love of her life?

Diane Keaton identified Al Pacino as "the love of my life" in her memoir Then Again, and major outlets repeated that phrasing in 2017 while later interviews frame it as retrospective.

To avoid mistakes, look for the original passage in the memoir, compare it to reputable news reports that reference it, and note the dates when Keaton made related public comments so you understand the timeline People report on the 2017 coverage.

How to cite and show the source in your own writing

Citation examples

Recommended citation for the memoir: Keaton, Diane. Then Again. Penguin Random House, 2011, which you can pair with a parenthetical or footnote that points to the book page when available. For online references, link to the publisher page rather than to unsourced copies Then Again publisher page. See Funded Plays for site information.

When you quote Keaton directly, include the exact phrase in quotation marks and attribute it to her memoir; when you summarize the claim, note that major outlets later reported the same phrasing in 2017 for secondary confirmation Hollywood Reporter coverage.

Paraphrase vs direct quote

Use a direct quote when the precise wording matters, and use a paraphrase when you are describing the gist of her reflection; either way, indicate whether you are citing the memoir or a secondary report so readers can check the primary text. See how Funded Plays evaluations work for an example process.

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Practical example: a short paragraph you can use

Ready-to-use phrasing

Here is a short paragraph you can reuse: "In her memoir Then Again, Diane Keaton wrote that Al Pacino 'was the love of my life,' a first-person statement later cited in media coverage of her AFI honor in 2017." The memoir is the primary source for the quote and the press items serve as secondary confirmation Then Again publisher page.

In that example, attribute the quoted sentence to the memoir and, if you include a news link, use reputable outlets that directly referenced the book so readers can see both the primary and secondary accounts People report on the 2017 coverage.

Conclusion: the verifiable short answer and what remains unchanged

Final one-sentence answer

Verifiably, Diane Keaton identified Al Pacino as "the love of my life" in her memoir Then Again, and major outlets repeated that phrasing in 2017, while later interviews emphasize that the statement refers to a past relationship rather than to a current partnership Then Again publisher page. Other reporting includes Us Magazine.

If new, credible reporting appears after the cited references, re-check the primary text and reputable coverage before updating the claim, since the memoir remains the authoritative source for Keaton's own words.

Did Diane Keaton explicitly name Al Pacino as the love of her life?

Yes. In her memoir Then Again, Keaton wrote that Al Pacino "was the love of my life."

Is that statement evidence they were married or together now?

No. The line is a retrospective memoir statement and should not be read as proof of current partnership or marriage.

Where can I find the original quote to verify it?

Check Diane Keaton's memoir Then Again and reputable news coverage from 2017 that references the passage.

For most readers and writers, the simplest and most responsible approach is to quote Keaton's line with a citation to Then Again and, when helpful, add a note that major outlets reiterated the phrase in 2017. If new reporting emerges, return to the primary source and reputable coverage before making updates. If you need the exact page number or a publisher reference for citation, consult the book itself or library records for the definitive pagination.