Fans of cinema are grieving the loss of Diane Keaton, whose recent passing has brought to light her candidness about the health challenges she faced over the years.
Keaton passed away on October 11, leading to a flood of tributes and sorrow for the Academy Award-winning actress.
Her extensive career in film began with her iconic role as Kay Adams, the girlfriend and eventual wife of Michael Corleone, in Francis Ford Coppola’s classic film, The Godfather.
Keaton won an Oscar for Best Actress for her role in 1977’s Annie Hall and was nominated for the prestigious award three more times in 1982, 1997, and 2004.
In the months prior to her passing, Keaton did not disclose much about her health, and the cause of her death remains undisclosed.
Here’s what Keaton had previously shared about her health issues.
In a 2015 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Keaton opened up about her family’s history with cancer, particularly skin cancer.
She stated: “It’s a family history. I remember my Auntie Martha had skin cancer so bad they removed her nose.
“My father had basal skin cancer and my brother had it. It’s tricky with this skin cancer. That’s why you’ve got to put the sunblock on.”
Despite her awareness, she admitted that she was not diligent about skin care in her youth.
“Back in my 20s I didn’t pay attention much,” she confessed. “I didn’t research and didn’t really care and that was stupid because it’s dogged me my entire adult life, even recently. I didn’t start sun care until my 40s.”
Keaton battled basal cell carcinoma in her 20s and later developed squamous cell cancer, which necessitated two surgeries for removal later in life.
In addition, Keaton courageously discussed her struggle with bulimia, a condition characterized by consuming large amounts of food and then inducing vomiting.
She revealed that her daily intake could sometimes reach 20,000 calories.
Keaton described her eating habits: “Typical dinner was a bucket of chicken, several orders of fries with blue cheese and ketchup, a couple TV dinners, a quart of soda, pounds of candy, a whole cake, and three banana cream pies.”
Eventually, she sought treatment for her eating disorder.
“Somebody mentioned that I seemed to have some mental issues, so I went to an analyst. I would go five days a week,” she explained.
Following her passing, numerous colleagues in the film industry have expressed their sorrow and shared tributes for Keaton.
In her last social media post, she shared a picture with her beloved Golden Retriever, Reggie.
The caption, in collaboration with the home decor brand Hudson Grace, read: “Proof our pets have great taste too! Happy National Pet Day from HG & @diane_keaton.”