Diane Keaton, who has died at 79, left behind a vast body of work, but also a potent and personal cautionary tale about the dangers of the sun. Her lifelong battle with skin cancer, which she explicitly linked to her own youthful carelessness, serves as a powerful warning from a beloved star about the importance of sun safety.
“Back in my 20s I didn’t pay attention much,” Keaton admitted with characteristic bluntness. “I didn’t research and didn’t really care and that was stupid.” This confession of regret was a central theme whenever she discussed her health. She didn’t blame anyone but herself for her initial lack of care, a fact that made her message more impactful.
The consequences of this “stupid” mistake followed her for her entire life. Her fight began with a diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma at 21 and later escalated to squamous cell cancer, which required two surgeries. “It’s dogged me my entire adult life,” she said, describing the relentless nature of the disease.
Her famous hats were a direct result of this lifelong battle. They were a stylish and constant reminder of the vigilance she had to maintain, a vigilance she wished she had adopted much earlier. Her family’s history with the disease only amplified the stakes.
Diane Keaton’s story is a living testament to the adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Her honest regret and her simple, urgent advice—”you’ve got to put the sunblock on”—is a cautionary tale that will continue to resonate, a life-saving lesson from a star who learned it the hard way.
