Oscar winner Woody Allen has penned a heartfelt remembrance of Oscar winner Diane Keaton’s death at 79, sharing intimate memories of their romance and legendary creative partnership in an essay in The Free Press.

“Unlike anyone the planet has experienced or is unlikely to ever see again, her face and laugh illuminated any space she entered,” Allen wrote in the piece.

The director recalled their first meeting at an audition for his 1969 play “Play It Again, Sam” at the Morosco Theatre. Keaton, fresh from Orange County and working as a coat check girl while performing in “Hair,” had been recommended by acting teacher Sandy Meisner.

By the time the show opened in Washington, D.C., they had become romantically involved. Keaton proved to be Allen’s most trusted creative collaborator, offering feedback on his films that he valued above all else.

“As time went on I made movies for an audience of one, Diane Keaton,” Allen revealed. “I never read a single review of my work and cared only what Keaton had to say about it.”

Allen praised Keaton’s multifaceted talents beyond acting, noting her work as a writer, photographer, collage artist, home decorator, and director.

He also admired her unwavering aesthetic judgment, recalling how she wouldn’t hesitate to critique even Shakespeare if she felt the Bard had “gone wrong.”

“This beautiful yokel went on to become an award-winning actress and sophisticated fashion icon,” Allen wrote. “We had a few great personal years together and finally we both moved on, and why we parted only God and Freud might be able to figure out.”

Diane Keaton starred in eight of Allen’s 50 films, including “Annie Hall,” “Manhattan,” and “Radio Days.”

Allen has remained a polarizing figure in Hollywood following his relationship with Soon-Yi Previn, the adopted daughter of his former partner Mia Farrow. Allen and Previn, who have been married for more than two decades, began their relationship while Allen was still involved with Farrow. During the subsequent custody battle, Farrow alleged that Allen had behaved inappropriately with their daughter Dylan Farrow. Allen has consistently denied the allegations.

In 2017, Allen presented Keaton with the AFI Life Achievement Award. “The minute I met her, she was a great, great inspiration to me,” Allen said during the ceremony. “Much of what I’ve accomplished in my life I owe, for sure, to her. Seeing life through her eyes. She really is astonishing. This is a woman who is great at everything she does.”