Bette Midler Remembers Diane Keaton with Heartfelt Tribute
Bette Midler, the 79-year-old legendary performer, recently shared her heartfelt memories of Diane Keaton, her former co-star from The First Wives Club. The two stars, along with Goldie Hawn, created a memorable trio in the 1996 comedy that became a cultural phenomenon.
Midler spoke about Keaton on Tuesday’s The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, expressing deep admiration for her. “She was such a genius,” she said. “There was something about her that was utterly magical…she was completely her own person and inimitable. She was so authentically herself.”
The film, directed by Hugh Wilson, grossed $181 million worldwide. It showcased the unique chemistry between Midler, Hawn, and Keaton. Midler also mentioned her disappointment when the proposed sequel, Family Jewels, never materialized.
“I have a great memory of her with Goldie,” Midler said. “I had never worked or met them before, and we sat down in a cafe…at a round table and I was so intimidated. I was a little bit of a newbie. So, we sat there and they started telling stories, and I’ll tell you, I never laughed harder in my whole life. It was brilliant and magical!”
Midler paid tribute to Keaton on Instagram, sharing her grief with her followers. “I cannot tell you how unbearably sad this makes me. She was hilarious, a complete original, and completely without guile, or any of the competitiveness one would have expected from such a star. What you saw was who she was…oh, la, lala!” she wrote.
Keaton, who passed away at age 79, left behind a $100 million fortune and was survived by her two adopted children, Dexter and Duke. According to TMZ, she was taken to a local hospital after a 911 call reported a “person down” at her residence.
Carole Bayer Sager, who wrote Diane’s debut single First Christmas, shared her concerns about Keaton’s health. “I saw her two or three weeks ago, and she was very thin. She had lost so much weight,” Sager told People. “She had to go to Palm Springs because her house had been damaged inside, and they had to clean everything. She was down there for a while, and when she came back, I was kind of stunned by how much weight she’d lost.”
Upcoming Events and Projects
Midler is set to make her debut on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. On October 24, her charity New York Restoration Project will honor her with a special award at the 30th anniversary Hulaween bash at Cipriani South Street in Lower Manhattan.
Tickets for the event range from $3,000 to $100,000, featuring honorees like Andy Cohen, host Busy Philipps, and guests Sandra Bernhard and Ben Platt. Midler and her husband of 41 years, Martin von Haselberg, will then celebrate their daughter Sophie’s 38th birthday on November 14.
Midler is also preparing for her next role as the wealthy mother of Kristen Wiig and Jonah Hill in the film Cut Off, which is set to release in US theaters on July 17.
