For decades, Diane Keaton captivated Hollywood with her wit, talent, and unmistakable style. But behind her iconic wardrobe of turtlenecks, wide-brimmed hats and perfectly tailored layers, was a heartbreaking reality that few fully understood.
Diane Keaton passed away on October 11 at the age of 79, leaving the entertainment world in mourning. Her family has not publicly disclosed the cause of death, but the impact of her loss has been deeply felt across the industry.
Tributes poured in from longtime friends and collaborators, including director Woody Allen, who – in a tribute essay in The Free Press – praised her as “charming, so beautiful, so magical, that I questioned my sanity.”
In her final weeks, friends say she was in declining health, though she remained private about her condition.
Signature style
Keaton’s style was as legendary as her performances in Annie Hall, The Godfather, and The First Wives Club. Often dressed in monochrome ensembles, wide-brimmed hats, tailored suits, and her signature turtlenecks, she became a symbol of individualism in a town that thrives on conformity.
“I’ve admired that look early on from the streets of New York in the 1970s. Women wearing pants and ties,” she told the Houston Chronicle in 2015. “A lot of people were doing that. It was Ralph Lauren in the early days. He was one of the first to do a pant suit for women and give her a tie. It’s not a new look. Katharine Hepburn and Marlene Dietrich both wore their suits and tuxes.”
The Something’s Gotta Give star added: “I just think it looks better to hide everything. Trust me, I’m right about this. You don’t want the arms flailing about when you’re past a certain age.”
Hat addiction
Last year, Keaton told People that her signature style had a formula—“a turtleneck, suit, large belt and of course a hat and glasses!” It was a look that defined her for decades, blending timeless elegance with personal flair, and became as iconic as the roles she played on screen.
“How did I become this kind of person who fell in love with hats, who loves big shoes? How much can I cover up? What is covering up me? What does it mean to other people?” she told Flare, reflecting on the deeper meaning behind her fashion choices.
Her fascination with hats wasn’t just philosophical – it was personal and ever-present. In a lighthearted 2020 Instagram post, Keaton shared her obsession with her 2.6 million followers, trying on various hats and playfully ranking her favorites, letting fans in on the whimsy behind her signature style.
“Hats are worth it, I’m telling you. I don’t think they get enough attention,” she said in the clip that’s captioned, “CARY GRANT IN A TOP HAT IS THE REASON WHY I’M ADDICTED TO HATS!”
She concluded the clip: “A frilly hat and frilly face makes the day.”
Lifelong cancer journey
But her unforgettable look wasn’t simply about style – the turtlenecks and hats also added a layer of protection from her lifelong fight against skin cancer that shadowed her for decades.
“It hides a multitude of sins. Flaws, anxiety – things like that,” she told InStyle about covering herself head-to-toe. “And I’ve always liked hats. They just frame a head. But, of course, nobody really thinks they’re as great as I do. And, you know, hats also protect you from the sun – I’ve had so many skin cancers.”
Keaton was first diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma at just 21. It was the beginning of a long battle with skin cancer that would span most of her life.
“Back in my 20s I didn’t pay attention much,” Keaton told the Los Angeles Times, per E! News. “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.”
Squamous cell carcinoma
Decades later, the Oscar-winning star developed squamous cell carcinoma, a more aggressive form of the disease, which required multiple surgeries to remove.
“I had a squamous cell, which is serious. And I had it for a very, very long time [before it was diagnosed],” she told Total Beauty. “A squamous cell cancer is second to melanoma, and you can die from it, because it will spread. It’s really not a joke. If you’re going to do something for your beauty, you’ve got to take care of your life first.”
Speaking with the Times in 2015, The Family Stone star explained the disease runs deep in her family: “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.”
Keaton was never just a celebrity. She was a mother, an artist, a fighter, and above all, a woman who lived life on her own terms. In her 50s, she adopted two children, Dexter and Duke, raising them as a single mother with fierce independence.
In remembering Diane Keaton, we honor not only her unforgettable performances but also her resilience, her honesty, and the very real battles she faced behind the scenes. Her legacy is stitched into every turtleneck she wore and every life she inspired – one courageous layer at a time.
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