Diane Keaton always did things a little differently. While most of Hollywood was busy with high-profile weddings and "having it all" in their twenties and thirties, the Annie Hall legend waited. She waited until she was 50 to start a family. Now that we’ve entered 2026, many fans are looking back at her life and wondering about the two people she called her greatest achievements. Specifically, how old is Diane Keaton's children today?
The answer is that her daughter, Dexter, and her son, Duke, are now fully grown adults navigating their own paths. Keaton, who passed away in October 2025 at the age of 79, left behind a legacy that was as much about her fierce devotion to her kids as it was about her Oscar-winning performances.
Dexter Keaton: The First Addition to the Family
Diane Keaton’s daughter, Dexter, was born on December 15, 1995. This makes her 30 years old as of early 2026.
Keaton adopted Dexter in 1996 when the actress was 50. It was a move that shocked some at the time—the idea of a single woman in her fifties starting from scratch with a newborn wasn't exactly common in the mid-nineties. But Keaton didn't care about the optics. She just wanted to be a mom.
Life Away from the Cameras
Honestly, Dexter has stayed pretty far away from the Hollywood machine. You won't find her trying to land lead roles or walking every red carpet in town. She actually studied veterinary technology at Carrington College. It’s kinda refreshing, right?
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In June 2021, Dexter married her longtime boyfriend, Jordan White. It was a beautiful, relatively private ceremony where Diane was seen looking every bit the proud mother, wearing one of her signature wide-brimmed hats and a cream pantsuit. Even though her mom was a global icon, Dexter’s life in Ontario, California, feels incredibly grounded.
Duke Keaton: The Creative Younger Brother
Then there's Duke. Born on February 8, 2000, Duke Keaton is currently 25 years old. He’ll be turning 26 in just a few weeks.
Keaton adopted Duke in 2001 when she was 55. If adopting one child as a single woman in her fifties was bold, adopting a second was a total "plunge," as she often described it.
Finding His Own Voice
Duke has always seemed to share a bit more of his mother’s artistic flair. While he’s not an actor, he’s deeply into the creative scene. He’s been linked to high-profile friends like Cara Delevingne and Rita Ora, and he’s often seen with a camera in hand.
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Recently, Duke has been focused on music. He’s released tracks like "Passenger Princess" and describes himself as a creative talent emerging from a Hollywood legacy. He’s active on Instagram, but like his sister, he seems to value having a life that belongs to him, not just to his mother’s shadow.
Why Diane Keaton Chose Motherhood Later in Life
People always ask why she waited. It wasn't some grand plan to be an "older mom." Basically, Keaton admitted for a long time that she just didn't feel prepared. She once told Ladies' Home Journal that motherhood wasn't an "urge" she couldn't resist—it was more of a thought she'd been chewing on for a decade before finally deciding to jump in.
The Impact of Her Own Mother
Keaton was very open about how her relationship with her own mother, Dorothy, shaped her view of family. She saw how much her mother gave up to raise four kids and feared losing her own independence. This is a big reason why she never married. She didn't want to be a "wife," but she eventually realized she very much wanted to be a mother.
A Legacy of Independence
If you're looking for drama or "wild child" stories about how old is Diane Keaton's children and what they're up to, you won't find much. And that's exactly how Diane wanted it. She once told People magazine that her kids had "zero interest" in what she did for a living. She thought that was healthy.
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They lived a "sorta normal" life in California. They saw her as Mom, not as the woman from The Godfather or The First Wives Club.
Moving Forward in 2026
Following her passing in late 2025, Dexter and Duke have been private in their grief. Dexter recently shared a touching tribute on what would have been Diane's 80th birthday in January 2026, showing off a tattoo she got in her mother's memory.
It’s clear that while the world remembers Diane Keaton for her style and her cinema, Dexter (30) and Duke (25) remember her for the "humbling experience" she said they gave her every single day.
Actionable Insights for Following the Keaton Family Legacy:
- Respect their privacy: Both Dexter and Duke have made it clear they prefer a life outside the intense paparazzi lens.
- Support the arts: If you want to see what Duke is up to, check out his music and photography on his official creative platforms.
- Revisit the work: To understand the woman who raised them, watch her 2022 Hand & Footprint ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre, where both kids stood by her side in a rare public appearance.