Diane Keaton went through a physical change in the weeks leading up to her death.
The saddening news broke on Saturday that at 79, the Book Club star tragically passed away. Little is known, but an unnamed friend told People on Saturday her health “declined very suddenly, which was heartbreaking for everyone who loved her.”
The source called her death “unexpected,” but told the outlet she spent her final months “surrounded only by her closest family, who chose to keep things very private.” They added:
“Even longtime friends weren’t fully aware of what was happening.”
And while we still don’t know what caused Diane’s death, her longtime friend is speaking up about what she observed in Diane earlier this year.
Related: Mandy Moore, Jane Fonda, Goldie Hawn, & More Celebs React To Diane Keaton’s Death
On Sunday, Grammy and Oscar-winning songwriter Carole Bayer Sager described her final meeting with The Godfather star, which left her “stunned.” She told People:
“I saw her two or three weeks ago, and she was very thin. She had lost so much weight.”
Sager informed the outlet that Diane had temporarily relocated to Palm Springs in the wake of the January wildfires, and when she returned, was noticeably thinner:
“She had to go to Palm Springs because her house had been damaged inside, and they had to clean everything. She was down there for a while, and when she came back, I was kind of stunned by how much weight she’d lost.”
So sad.
Sager went on to rave about her longtime friend, whom she described as “magic light for everyone.” She added:
“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.”
The pair worked together as recently as 2024 on a holiday song called First Christmas — which Sager recalled Diane “so loved recording” and “was almost childlike about it” as it was a dream come true. She told the outlet:
“She was so authentic when she sang it, I mean, she just sang it like she was singing it, and she was sort of acting it, you know, because she is a great actress. And then she’d start to cry when she was singing it. But she did such a beautiful job.”
How magical.
Sager went on to compliment her late friend’s sense of style:
“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. She was a fashion icon of her own making.”
She so was!
According to the songwriter, she, Diana, and Bette Midler were among members of a weekly “movie group” which helped them keep in touch.
Our hearts continue to be with Diane’s loved ones as they navigate this difficult loss. Rest in peace.
[Images via Adriana M. Barraza/WENN]