Following the news of Diane Keaton’s death at 79, many are reflecting on her incredible career and intensely private life. Yet, one of the most powerful parts of her legacy is the raw honesty with which she discussed her grueling battle with bulimia, an eating disorder that consumed her for years.
The struggle began, as it often does, with a seemingly innocuous comment. Tasked with losing 10 pounds for a Broadway role, Keaton developed a devastating eating disorder. She later spoke about it with startling clarity, identifying herself as an addict. “All I did was feed my hunger, so I am an addict,” she stated in an interview. “I’m an addict in recovery, I’ll always be an addict.”
The scale of her illness was staggering. Keaton revealed she would consume up to 20,000 calories in a single day before purging. She detailed a “typical dinner” that included a bucket of chicken, multiple orders of fries, TV dinners, a quart of soda, pounds of candy, a whole cake, and three banana cream pies. This vivid description shed a stark light on the compulsive nature of the disease.
Alongside this intense internal struggle, Keaton was also fighting a physical one against skin cancer. Diagnosed at 21, the recurring disease, which ran in her family, led to multiple surgeries and her famous habit of wearing hats. While one battle was public-facing, the other remained a painful secret for many years until she chose to speak out.
Eventually, Keaton found a path to recovery through intensive therapy, which she attended five days a week. This journey of healing allowed her to build the life she wanted, including becoming a mother to two adopted children in her 50s. In her 2011 book, she explained her decision to be open, writing, “I have nothing to hide,” offering solidarity to the millions who suffer in silence and creating a legacy of courage.