Al Pacino regrets never marrying Diane Keaton

Al Pacino reportedly has one lasting regret following the death of his longtime on-and-off partner, Diane Keaton.

The Oscar-winning actor, 85, is said to have confided to friends that he wishes he had married Keaton — whom he has long referred to as “the love of his life” — according to the Daily Mail.

Keaton, who died Saturday in California at 79, starred opposite Pacino in The Godfather trilogy, where their real-life romance first began in 1974.

The pair’s relationship lasted nearly two decades before ending in 1990, after Keaton gave him an ultimatum and Pacino refused to settle down.

“For years after they split, Al used to say, ‘If it’s meant to be, it’s never too late for a do-over,’” a friend told the outlet. “But sadly, now it is.”

The source added that despite living near each other in Beverly Hills, the former couple never reconnected. “He told me, ‘There’s no need to talk with each other. We said everything that needed to be said at the time.’”

Keaton had reflected on their relationship in a 2017 Sunday Times interview, admitting that while she once hoped Pacino would marry her, it was ultimately for the best that he didn’t.

“I didn’t even want him to propose. I just thought maybe he would marry me eventually,” she said. “But that never happened and that’s a blessing for both of us. It would have been a nightmare for him.”

Still, Keaton described Pacino as someone she loved deeply. “We’re very eccentric,” she said. “He needed a woman who would take care of him; I needed a man who would take care of me. It was just very important that we left each other alone, said goodbye, but it wasn’t my choice.”

Keaton never married, later adopting two children, including daughter Dexter, 29, and son Duke, 25. Pacino has also never married and has four children: Julie Marie, 35, twins Anton and Olivia, 24, and son Roman, 2.