Complicated Stars Leave Complicated Legacies

Can we separate the art from the artist? It's an age-old question without an answer — and modern media has only made it harder

- STEPHANIE KALOI

Diane Keaton's unexpected death on Oct. 11 at 79 spurred an outpouring of grief and celebration of a woman who touched countless lives across multiple eras in beloved films like Annie Hall and The First Wives Club.

But in the days that followed, her death prompted conversations about the parts of the actress' life that weren't as universally loved, like her unwavering support of collaborator Woody Allen. The director, who married ex-girlfriend Mia Farrow's adoptive daughter Soon-Yi Previn in 1997, was also accused of sexually molesting his own adoptive daughter with Farrow, Dylan. (Allen denies the allegations.) “Woody Allen is my friend and I continue to believe him,” Keaton tweeted in 2018. As the Oscar winner, who adopted her own daughter and son when she was in her 50s, was applauded for her feminist views and unconventional choices, many struggled to square their perception — or projection — of who they believed she was with who she might have actually been.

That conflict isn't unique, psychiatrist