Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death, Battle With Bulimia, Adopted Kids, and Net Worth

Oscar-winning actress Diane Keaton passed away at the age of 79 in Los Angeles on Saturday (October 11).
The Hollywood icon was best known for her roles in Annie Hall, The Godfather trilogy, Father of the Bride, and Something’s Gotta Give.

Born on January 5, 1946, Keaton earned recognition in Hollywood not only as an actress but also as a director and producer. Her illustrious career included an Academy Award for Best Actress for Annie Hall, a BAFTA Award, and two Golden Globes.

Cause of Death

The Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed to People First that emergency responders arrived at Keaton’s residence at 8:08 a.m. local time and transported her to a nearby hospital. The exact cause of death remains unclear.

However, several of Keaton’s close friends told People that the actress’s health had deteriorated rapidly in recent months.
“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,” they said.

Keaton’s Battle With Bulimia

Even as Diane Keaton charmed audiences with her distinctive style and powerful performances, she privately battled bulimia for years.

Bulimia is an eating disorder characterized by episodes of binge eating followed by attempts to purge the food through vomiting or misuse of laxatives. It often stems from a feeling of loss of control, followed by guilt and shame.

Reports suggest Keaton’s struggle began in her early 20s while working on the Broadway production Hair. The show’s director reportedly offered her the lead role on the condition that she lose weight—a demand that triggered her unhealthy relationship with food.

In an interview, Keaton opened up about consuming as many as 20,000 calories a day. She described her evenings as filled with food: “A bucket of fried chicken, several orders of fries with blue cheese and ketchup, a couple of TV dinners, a quart of soda, pounds of candy, a whole cake, and three banana cream pies.”

“I was a fat person, I was an obese person who had somehow tricked myself and managed to hide it,” she said. “So when you’re living with a lie for four years, think about what that does to you. All I did was feed my hunger, and I am an addict. It’s true. I’m an addict in recovery. I’ll always be an addict.”

Although she eventually overcame her eating disorder, Keaton continued to struggle with self-confidence and the pressures of aging.

Keaton’s Two Adopted Children

Keaton embraced motherhood later in life, adopting her two children—Dexter and Duke—in her 50s. She often spoke candidly about the thoughtful decision to adopt and her efforts to raise her children away from Hollywood’s glare, fostering a sense of normalcy and privacy.

Speaking to Ladies’ Home Journal in 2008, she said, “Motherhood was not an urge I couldn’t resist; it was more like a thought I’d been thinking for a very long time. So I plunged in.”

Diane Keaton’s daughter, Dexter Keaton, was born and adopted in 1996. The two shared a close bond, though Dexter largely kept her life private. Glimpses of their relationship appeared during Dexter’s wedding to Jordan White on June 12, 2021.

According to her LinkedIn profile, Dexter earned an associate degree in veterinary technology from Carrington College California–Pomona.

Keaton adopted her son, Duke, in 2001. Born on February 8, 2000, Duke was raised in a close-knit and loving environment. He showed an early passion for photography, once capturing close-up shots of NBA legend Kobe Bryant during a 2009 Lakers game.

Diane Keaton’s Net Worth

A legendary actress, screenwriter, producer, and director, Diane Keaton reportedly had a net worth of $100 million at the time of her death on October 11, 2025.