Goldie Hawn Breaks Down Over Diane Keaton, Remembers Her After Learning of Her Passing

Goldie Hawn became emotional while sharing her memories of First Wives Club co-star Diane Keaton and the news of her passing.

“I found out while I was in my backyard, tending to my rose garden,” Hawn, 80, recounted during her speech at The Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Entertainment Gala on Wednesday, December 3, as reported by People. “I just looked down and thought, she can’t be gone. No one like her should ever die. She radiated so much joy, life, and exuberance. She was like lightning in a bottle.”

Hawn described her longtime friend as an “extraordinary human being” and an “amazing actress,” commending the Oscar-winner for her diverse talents.

“Look at the natural synergy of her body and mind, how she brought us joy and evoked emotions,” she elaborated. “But she did so much more. She wrote books, she explored various interests beyond acting and producing, including directing.”

As the conversation continued, Hawn expressed that capturing Keaton’s essence in something like an Instagram post or speech was nearly impossible, saying, “It’s akin to trying to describe the taste of a tangerine.”

Hawn and Keaton developed a close friendship while filming their 1996 movie The First Wives Club alongside Bette Midler. The trio portrayed Elise Elliot (Hawn), Annie Paradis (Keaton), and Brenda Cushman (Midler). The film also featured Maggie Smith, Sarah Jessica Parker, Stockard Channing, Dan Hedaya, Victor Garber, Stephen Collins, Elizabeth Berkley, and Marcia Gay Harden.

At the Women in Entertainment Gala, Hawn reminisced about their time on set, describing Keaton as a “tenacious” star with a fashion sense that was as unforgettable as her vibrant personality.

“She was an incredibly hard worker. Yet, she would enter the makeup trailer each day wearing a different hat, which was my favorite thing,” Hawn added.

News of Keaton’s passing broke on October 11, with a spokesperson informing People that she died of pneumonia at her California home, at the age of 79.

Shortly after her loss, Hawn took to social media to express her feelings about Keaton.

“Diane, we weren’t ready to lose you. How can we say goodbye? What words can even come to mind when our hearts are shattered? You never accepted compliments, always so humble, but now you can’t tell me to ‘shut up’ anymore,” the Overboard star shared on Instagram with a photo of Keaton smiling. “We promised to grow old together, and maybe even live together with all our girlfriends. While we didn’t live together in the end, we did grow older side by side. Who knows, perhaps in the next life. Shine your fairy dust up there, girlfriend. I will miss you immensely.”

Midler, 79, also shared her condolences on Instagram, writing in a separate message, “The brilliant, beautiful, extraordinary Diane Keaton has passed away. I can’t express how unbearably sad this makes me. She was hilarious, a true original, and completely sincere, without any of the competitiveness one might expect from such a star. What you saw was who she truly was … oh, la, lala!”

Despite their strong bond and the film’s success making it a beloved classic over the years, a sequel was never produced. In 2015, Hawn explained to Harvard Business Review that the women turned down a second film due to a disappointing salary offer.

“We were all women of a certain age, and everyone took a pay cut to make the movie happen,” she revealed. “We agreed to take a smaller upfront sum and a reduced backend, which resulted in great success for the film. It earned a lot of money and we were featured on the cover of Time magazine.”

She continued: “However, two years later, when the studio approached us about a sequel, they offered us the same deal. We went back to square one. If three men had come in, they would have received better compensation without question. But the apprehension surrounding women-led projects is deeply rooted in our culture.”