Diane Keaton's Heartbreaking Fight: Hollywood Icon 'Secretly Battled Cancer' Before Pneumonia Death at 79 — 'She Never Wanted Anyone's Pity'

Diane Keaton's official cause of death was "primary bacterial pneumonia," but RadarOnline.com has learned the legendary actress was suffering from a myriad of health problems in the months before her passing.

The Oscar winner died on October 11 at age 79, and her family confirmed she was cremated on October 14.

Keaton had several health scares throughout her life and was open about her battles with cancer. Sadly, it seems the dreaded disease had returned, and she had been battling it in secret.

Sources say the Annie Hall star endured years of recurring basal and squamous cell carcinoma, undergoing several procedures to remove lesions.

"She never wanted anyone’s pity," one friend told Hollywood insider Rob Shuter, who writes on Substack. "Diane handled it with humor, grace, and total privacy."

Friends feared her ongoing cancer struggles weakened her immune system, making her vulnerable to the infection that ultimately claimed her life.

Three days later, she was cremated in a small private ceremony with no Hollywood guests."

"She lived on her own terms," a longtime friend told Shuter. "And she left the same way – quietly, bravely, and with that dry Diane wit."

Keaton previously confessed to taking her skin care for granted, and she was diagnosed with skin cancer multiple times. In interviews, the actress revealed she didn't begin taking sun protection seriously until her 40s.

When she was just 21 years old, the Something's Gotta Give star was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma.

In 2015, Keaton reflected on her skin cancer battle and shared, "It's a family history. 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."

She then warned: "It's tricky with this skin cancer. That's why you've got to put the sunblock on."

After her death, Radar reported the beloved actress had also been secretly suffering from dementia.

A source close to the actress told NewsNation: "She was battling it for years."

The disease affected the star's ability to remember her lines, as the Hollywood icon allegedly needed to have her words fed to her through an earpiece in 2022 while filming the rom-com Maybe I Do.

"It was so sad," an on-set source claimed. "(Co-star) William H. Macy was very supportive, but it was also frustrating because if there was any stopping — a bathroom break, a meal, anything — it was back to square one. It was heartbreaking to watch. She was just so lovely."