Hearts were crushed around the world when news broke that Hollywood legend Diane Keaton had passed away on October 11 aged 79. The star had endured a series of health battles throughout her life, including with skin cancer and bulimia, and rapidly declined in her final weeks, according to a close friend. On Wednesday the family issued the following statement: "The Keaton family are very grateful for the extraordinary messages of love and support they have received these past few days on behalf of their beloved Diane, who passed away from pneumonia on October 11."
People then shared excerpts from her death certificate, which revealed that she was living with a severe bacterial infection, "primary bacterial pneumonia," for days in the lead up to her death, citing it as the primary cause of her death, with no other significant contributing factors. It also stated that she will be cremated.
The news comes after the family spoke of her death on October 11: "there are no further details available at this time", before asking for "privacy in this moment of great sadness". After news broke of her passing, TMZ shared an audio recording claiming that it was from the emergency service members dispatched to her home in California, which the Los Angeles Fire Department later confirmed.
The team responded to a call at Diane's home around 8 a.m. local time, before transporting her to the hospital. According to a close friend, The Godfather actress's death was "unexpected", and occurred after her health declined "very suddenly". She put her beloved Los Angeles dream home on the market in March for $29 million, and had not been seen walking her dog around the neighborhood in months, indicating that her health was declining.
Watch Reese Witherspoon's touching tribute to the late star below...
Diane's close friend and former collaborator, songwriter Carole Bayer Sager, opened up about seeing the mother of two just before her passing. "I saw her two or three weeks ago, and she was very thin. She had lost so much weight," the Grammy winner told People. Carole added that Diane's home had been affected by the California wildfires, forcing her to find other accommodation while the house was being repaired.
"She had to go to Palm Springs because her house had been damaged inside, and they had to clean everything," Carole said. "She was down there for a while, and when she came back, I was kind of stunned by how much weight she'd lost." Her close friend went on to describe Diane as "a magic light for everyone" and shared that "she just lit up a room with her energy".
The First Wives Club star opened up about battling skin cancer to the LA Times in 2015, sharing that the disease ran in her family. "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," she explained.
© WireImage"Back in my 20s, I didn't pay attention much. 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." She was later diagnosed with squamous cell cancer, which took two surgeries to remove.
© Getty Images for BMIDiane has also shared her experience with bulimia, which began after she was told to lose weight for a role on Broadway. "I have nothing to hide. It's not relevant, but for me [recovery] feels good," she wrote in her 2011 memoir Then Again. "I think I'm a sister to all the rest of the women, and I'm sure men as well, who have had some kind of eating disorder, and I'm a part of the team."
© FilmMagicThe LA native rose to fame in 1972 thanks to her role in The Godfather, which she reprised for the film's two sequels. She also won an Oscar in 1978 for her turn in Annie Hall alongside Woody Allen. Diane's other notable projects include The First Wives Club, The Family Stone, Father of the Bride and Baby Boom.
