Diane Keaton’s close friend has shared insights into what the actress was like in the final weeks leading up to her death at the age of 79.
On Saturday, October 11, the beloved star of Something’s Gotta Give passed away in California.
The news of Keaton’s passing was announced over the weekend by a representative of her family, who requested privacy as they come to terms with the loss.
Although specific details regarding her death have not been disclosed, the Twin Peaks star had previously been open about her health challenges.
Now, a dear friend has shared memories of her last interactions with the legendary actress.
In an emotional conversation with PEOPLE, Carole Bayer Sager, an Oscar-winning songwriter, expressed her surprise at Keaton’s condition just weeks before her passing.
“I saw her two or three weeks ago, and she was very thin,” Sager recounted. “She had lost so much weight.”
Sager, who co-authored Keaton’s only single ‘First Christmas’ in 2024, noted that her interactions with Keaton had decreased this year following the actress’s temporary move to Palm Springs. This relocation came after her home in California suffered damage from devastating wildfires.
“She had to go to Palm Springs because her house had been damaged inside, and they had to clean everything,” Sager explained. “She was down there for a while, and when she came back, I was kind of stunned by how much weight she’d lost.”
Despite her frail appearance, Sager described Keaton as a ‘magic light for everyone.’
“I just loved her. She was so special, she just lit up a room with her energy. She was happy and upbeat and taking photographs of everything she saw. She was completely creative; she never stopped creating.”
“She went to the movies always dressed like she was about to shoot another scene for Annie Hall. She’d wear her hats and her jackets and her baggy pants, and her belts,” Sager continued. “She was a fashion icon of her own making.”
Another friend remarked that Keaton remained ‘funny right up until the end,’ noting that she ‘lived exactly how she wanted to, on her own terms, surrounded by the people and things she really loved.’
This news comes after Keaton revealed in a 2015 Los Angeles Times interview her family’s history of cancer, particularly skin cancer. She admitted she ‘didn’t really care’ about the risks in her early 20s.
During this period, Keaton battled basal cell carcinoma and later developed squamous cell cancer, which necessitated two surgeries for removal.
Additionally, Keaton had previously disclosed her struggle with bulimia, an eating disorder characterized by consuming large amounts of food followed by self-induced vomiting. She had sought professional help for the condition.