Al Pacino Breaks His Silence on ‘My Partner’ Diane Keaton’s Death

Al Pacino is honoring Diane Keaton after the Hollywood legend died Saturday of pneumonia at age 79.

Pacino, who starred alongside Keaton in the Godfather films and had a romantic relationship with her off-camera, shared a tribute to her with Deadline Thursday.

“When I first heard the news, I was shaken,” said Pacino, 85. “Diane was my partner, my friend, someone who brought me happiness and on more than one occasion influenced the direction of my life. Though over 30 years has [passed] since we were together, the memories remain vivid, and with her passing, they have returned with a force that is both painful and moving.”

“She lived without limits, and everything she touched carried her unmistakable energy,” Pacino continued. “She opened doors for others, inspired generations and embodied a once-in-a-lifetime gift that radiated through her work and her life.”

The Scarface actor added, “People will miss her, but more than that, they will remember her. She left a mark that cannot fade. She was unstoppable, resilient and above all, deeply human. I will always remember her. She could fly — and in my heart, she always will.”

Keaton and Pacino’s romantic relationship sparked after filming wrapped for The Godfather Part II, in which they reprised their roles as husband and wife Michael Corleone and Kay Corleone. “I was mad for him,” Keaton recalled to PEOPLE in 2017. “Charming, hilarious, a nonstop talker. There was an aspect of him that was like a lost orphan, like this kind of crazy idiot savant. And oh, gorgeous!”

The actress revealed that things ended, however, after she gave Pacino an ultimatum about marriage. “I worked hard on that one,” she confessed. “I went about it in not a perfect way.”

The Annie Hall star also dated Woody Allen and Warren Beatty during her life, but never married. Keaton is survived by her two children, daughter Dexter, 29, and son Duke, 25, whom she adopted in 1996 and 2001, respectively.