Diane Keaton’s death certificate has given more insight into the actress’ final days before her death from bacterial pneumonia.
The document obtained by People on Thursday, October 16, revealed that Keaton had pneumonia for several days before her passing, and had begun seeing a doctor on September 24. The outlet reported the last time Keaton saw a physician was on October 9. She died two days later at age 79.
The death certificate did not list any other contributing conditions for her death. Her body was cremated on Tuesday, October 14.
Bacterial pneumonia, “characterized by inflammation in lung parenchyma and alveolar spaces, is caused by various bacteria, each triggering an intricate interplay with the host immune response,” per the National Library of Medicine. The outlet notes symptoms can include “fever, cough, dyspnea and chest pain, with potential complications ranging from necrotizing pneumonia and empyema to meningitis, sepsis and multiple organ failure.”
In a statement to People, Keaton’s family thanked fans for their outpouring of support during this time of grief.
“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,” the statement read.
The statement continued, “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.”
Keaton is survived by her two children, Dexter, 29, and Duke, 25, and her beloved golden retriever, Reggie. A number of her Hollywood costars and friends spoke out in mourning after her death was publicly announced, including Al Pacino, Jane Fonda and Richard Gere.
Diane Keaton Theo Wargo/NBC/Getty Images for “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”
Gere, 76, first costarred with Keaton very early on in his Hollywood career and recalled memories on set with the actress.
“One of my earliest films, Looking for Mr. Goodbar, was with her,” Gere said during a Thursday morning appearance on Today. “The second film I made was with her, and, obviously, I think about her now.”
Gere called it “a difficult film” due to its intimate nature. He portrayed Tony Lopanto, a charming man who coerces Keaton’s Theresa Dunn to take drugs after meeting her at a bar.
“It was a very kind of raw, sexual film and she’s pretty shy and skittish and I was too,” Gere explained. “It was my second film. And we kind of took care of each other getting through these challenging physical scenes with each other.”
Gere and Keaton reunited once more on screen in the 2023 rom-com Maybe I Do, which was written and directed by Michael Jacobs, based off of his 1978 play, Cheaters.
“We made a film a few years ago too,” Gere remembered of his second collaboration with Keaton. “I hadn’t seen her in a long time.”
He added, “And I remember just how sweet and gentle she was and how real. I think anyone who’s ever worked with her is just like ‘This is a real person.’ Completely original.”
