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Diane Keaton's longtime friend, songwriter Carole Bayer Sager, is reflecting on her final visit with the beloved actress just weeks before her death at 79.
"I saw her two or three weeks ago, and she was very thin," Sager told People in an interview published Sunday. "She had lost so much weight." The Grammy and Oscar-winning songwriter, 81, said she had seen less of Keaton this year following the devastating California wildfires in January, which forced the Annie Hall star to relocate to Palm Springs.
"She had to go to Palm Springs because her house had been damaged inside," Sager recalled. "She was down there for a while, and when she came back, I was kind of stunned by how much weight she'd lost."
Despite her frailty, Sager said Keaton's spirit remained luminous. "She was a magic light for everyone," she said. "I just loved her. She was so special, happy, upbeat, and always creating. She lit up every room she entered."
The pair collaborated on Keaton's 2024 single "First Christmas," written with producer Jonas Myrin. "She so loved recording this song," Sager said. "She sang it with such authenticity, it moved her to tears."
News of Keaton's passing broke Saturday, with her family confirming the actress "died peacefully" in California and requesting privacy. Another friend told People that her health had "declined very suddenly" in recent months. Known for her daily walks with her dog Reggie in Brentwood, Keaton had withdrawn from public view earlier this year.
Keaton was admired not only for her cinematic brilliance but also for her distinct sense of style. "She'd go to the movies dressed like she was filming another scene for Annie Hall," Sager said with a laugh. "Her hats, jackets, belts, she was a fashion icon of her own making."
Tributes have poured in from Hollywood, including Steve Martin, Reese Witherspoon, and Robert De Niro, who called her "brilliant, funny, and unapologetically herself."
"She lived exactly how she wanted," Sager added. "Surrounded by love, laughter, and the things that made her happiest, that's the Diane I'll always remember."
