'Heartbreaking' new details about Diane Keaton's rapid health decline before her death at 79

Diane Keaton's health reportedly went downhill rapidly in the months before her death at age 79. 

The Oscar-winning actress died on Saturday October 11, and in a statement her family "asked for privacy" as they grieved their immense loss.

But a friend of the Annie Hall star told People "she declined very suddenly, which was heartbreaking for everyone who loved her".

The friend claimed the rapid decline of her health was "unexpected" and her family chose to keep her health battle private. 

Keaton was surrounded by only her "closest family" during this time, and the source added, "Even longtime friends weren't fully aware of what was happening".

She had withdrawn from public life and was no longer taking her dog on daily walks, something those in her neighbourhood had noticed. 

But it really seemed like something was wrong in March, when she listed her "dream home" in Los Angeles for $29 million. 

The move surprised friends, particularly because she had said she wanted to be there permanently. 

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Her cause of death has not been revealed, but she has spoken in depth about her previous health battles in the past, including cancer and an eating disorder. 

The Godfather star was first diagnosed with skin cancer at age 21. 

"It's a family history," she told the Los Angeles Times in 2015. "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."

Decades later she was diagnosed with squamous cell cancer (SCC), which is the second most common form of skin cancer according to The Skin Cancer Foundation. 

According to the Times it took two surgeries to remove the cancer. 

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She also battled bulimia in her 20s. 

The actress became self-conscious about her weight after being asked to lose weight for a role on Broadway, which set off her battle with the eating disorder. 

She wrote about it in her 2011 memoir, Then Again, later sharing that she chose to go public with her story because it was a part of her life and keeping secrets doesn't help. 

"I told the truth. I have nothing to hide. It's not relevant, but for me it feels good. 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," she told HuffPost in 2011.

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