New details from the official death certificate of actress Diane Keaton confirm that she died of primary bacterial pneumonia, nearly three days after contracting the infection. The certificate lists no additional significant contributing conditions.
Her family had earlier confirmed she passed away on Oct. 11 at age 79, attributing the cause as pneumonia.
According to the death record obtained by People magazine, Keaton suffered from the bacterial pneumonia for days before her death. The certificate also notes she was cremated on Oct. 14, three days after passing.
The document did not list any other major illnesses as contributing factors, indicating the pneumonia was singularly lethal in this case.
In a statement earlier, her family expressed deep gratitude: “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.” They also added, “She loved her animals and she was steadfast in her support of the unhoused community, so any donations in her memory to a local food bank or an animal shelter would be a wonderful and much appreciated tribute to her.”
Sudden Decline, Private Final Months
Friends and sources say Keaton’s health took a dramatic turn in her final months. One close friend said that her health “declined very suddenly” and that the change was “heartbreaking for everyone who loved her.” Another friend, songwriter Carole Bayer Sager, told People that she visited Keaton two or three weeks before her death and was struck by how thin she looked. “I was kind of stunned by how much weight she’d lost,” Sager said.
Insiders report that in her final months, she was “surrounded only by her closest family, who chose to keep things very private. Even longtime friends weren’t fully aware of what was happening.”
Keaton’s final social media post came in April, featuring her dog Reggie. She had not made further public appearances since.