At a Glance
- Sarah Paulson unveiled a wrist tattoo reading “DK” on what would have been Diane Keaton’s 80th birthday
- The ink serves as Paulson’s “forever reminder” of her late friend, who died Oct. 11 from bacterial pneumonia
- The actress previously paid tribute to Keaton at a Dec. 3 Hollywood Reporter gala
- Why it matters: The public gesture spotlights a decades-long friendship that began on the 1999 set of The Other Sister
On Jan. 5, Sarah Paulson turned grief into permanence, sharing an Instagram photo of a fresh “DK” tattoo meant to keep Diane Keaton close. The 51-year-old actress posted the image on the day Keaton would have turned 80, pairing it with a silhouetted shot of the two friends.
The Tattoo and Its Meaning
Paulson’s caption captured the scale of her loss:
> “Too many deep feelings to put here… I was the luckiest person in the world to have traveled, laughed so hard we cried, watched a million and one movies, really cried, and eaten French fries with you.”
Los Angeles artist winterstone (Daniel Winter) did the work, later praising Paulson for “what you did for your people in time of heavy grief.”
Earlier Public Tributes
At The Hollywood Reporter‘s Women in Entertainment gala on Dec. 3, Paulson addressed Keaton directly:
> “I want to tell you how much crummier the world is without you in it.”
She also read aloud some of Keaton’s characteristically blunt texts:
- “Moron, what is your address?”
- “We are so fortunate. Do you love being an actress? I don’t.”
- “As usual, your voicemail is full. What makes you so f—— popular?”
A Friendship Born on Screen
The two met while filming 1999’s The Other Sister, with Keaton playing Paulson’s mother. Reflecting on Keaton’s Oct. 11 death at a Hulu premiere weeks later, Paulson told Access Hollywood:
> “What you thought she was as a performer, she was even more spectacular as a human being.”
Key Takeaways
- Paulson’s tattoo cements a 25-plus-year friendship that began on a movie set
- Keaton died at 79 from bacterial pneumonia, just shy of her 80th birthday
- The actress has now memorialized Keaton both in speech at industry events and through permanent body art
A small “DK” on Paulson’s wrist ensures the late star’s initials-and legacy-travel with her wherever she goes next.
