For much of her adult life, interior designer and HGTV alum Leanne Ford has been told by countless people that she reminded them of legendary actress Diane Keaton. In 2023, Ford gushed about finally connecting with her “kindred spirit” after interviewing Keaton for the second issue of her Free Fall magazine, for which Keaton agreed to be the cover girl.
“I was never offended that my celebrity look-alike was 30 years my senior,” Ford wrote in an excerpt republished by House Beautiful at the time. “Quite the opposite in fact. I took it, and take it, as a great compliment. I can only hope to have her charisma, her freewheeling career, and her closet as I catch up to her in years!”
With the news of Keaton’s death at age 79 on October 11, 2025, Ford shared her grief and gratitude in a moving tribute on social media the following morning, writing, “I was so lucky to have been in her presence. She felt somehow deeply familiar to me—like she was a kindred spirit. I only wish I’d met her 20 years earlier. We still had so much to talk about.”
HGTV Stars React to Leanne Ford’s Touching Tribute
Ford was a fixture on HGTV for several years, starring with her brother Steve Ford on “Restored by the Fords.” They also starred in “Home Again With the Fords” in 2021 and became friends with fellow HGTV stars on shows like “Rock the Block” and “A Very Brady Renovation.”
Sharing several black and white photos of her and Keaton, Ford wrote in her October 12 tribute, “These pictures kind of sum up our time together. So happy, a buzzing creative energy in the room ….and a bit of a blur”
“Diane, Your light was STRONG,” she concluded her post. “And will always be.”
Ford’s tribute had received over 12,000 likes within three hours, including from HGTV stars Ty Pennington and Alison Victoria.
In the comment section, “Farmhouse Fixer” star Jenny Marrs wrote, “These photos are perfect. 💔❤️”
“Battle on the Beach” alum and new “Rock the Block” competitor Taniya Nayak wrote of the photos, “Captures the essence of you and her!”
“Help! I Wrecked My Home” star Jasmine Roth chimed in, “Thought of you immediately. Two bright lights. ❤️❤️”
LeAnne Ford Says She Was ‘Hooked’ on Diane Keaton as Soon as She Say ‘Annie Hall’
GettyAfter Keaton agreed to be on the cover of Ford’s new Free Fall magazine, the designer wrote that she’d had a “one-sided friendship” with the actress since she was 23 and first saw her Oscar-winning performance in “Annie Hall.”
“I was hooked,” Ford wrote. “I had never connected to anyone on or off TV, never found a connection with an actual actress. With fictional characters, plenty—Anne of Green Gables, Ramona Quimby, Punky Brewster—yes, they were my friends.”
She continued, “But here I was, and I had this strange feeling I was watching myself on the screen. The looks, the face(ish), the -isms, the run-on sentences.”
In the comment section of Ford’s tribute, hundreds of fans and friends wrote about how much the two were alike, including one who shared, “I always thought you both resembled each other. You have iconic looks,style and free spirited personalities.”
Another wrote, “For years, you reminded me of Diane Keaton & after seeing these pics…I have no doubt y’all shared a kindred spirit❤️🙏❤️”
To whoever is writing this stuff: Jenny Marrs isn’t on Farmhouse Fixer!!