Bette Midler remembered special moments with her former First Wives Club costar Diane Keaton, who recently passed away.
Midler, 79, made an appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on Tuesday, October 14, and talked about her connection with Keaton.
“She was such a genius,” Midler stated. “There was something completely magical about her … she was completely unique and like no one else. She was so authentically herself.”
Midler shared that before she connected with Goldie Hawn for The First Wives Club, which premiered in 1996, she had been intimidated by Keaton when they initially met. “I remember her and Goldie … I had never worked with them or been introduced to them, and we were at a cafe … at a circular table and I felt so intimidated, ” Midler told Stephen Colbert, 61. “I was a bit of a newbie. So, we were sitting there as they began to tell stories, and I’m telling you, I’ve never laughed harder. It was brilliant and magical.”
The appearance followed Midler’s tribute to Keaton on Instagram after the announcement of her death at age 79 on Saturday, October 11.
“The amazing, lovely, exceptional Diane Keaton is gone,” Midler posted along with a photo of Keaton. “I can’t explain how sad this makes me. She was funny, truly original, and innocent, not at all competitive as one might think from such a star. Who she was is what you saw…oh, la, lala!”
Midler and Keaton’s friendship grew alongside Hawn, 79, Maggie Smith and Sarah Jessica Parker in The First Wives Club.
Hawn also shared a heartfelt message honoring Keaton on Instagram on Saturday.
“Diane, we aren’t prepared for you to be gone. You’ve left us with a trail of magic, full of bright spots and unreal memories,” the post said. “How can we say farewell? What can you say when you’re heartbroken? You never liked compliments and were so humble, but now you can’t tell me to ‘shut up’ honey. There was, and never will be, anyone like you.”
She added, “You captured the world and gave your genius to millions, making movies that made us laugh and cry in a way only you could. I was fortunate to work on First Wives Club with you, our days beginning with coffee as we joked around in the makeup trailer until the final day of filming. It was a loving experience.”
Hawn revealed that she and Keaton “promised to age together, and maybe even live together with all our girlfriends.”
“Well, we didn’t get to live together, but we did get older together,” the post concluded. “Who knows… maybe in the next life. Shine your magic up there, girlfriend. I’m really going to miss you. My heart goes out to your lovely children, Dex and Duke. I love you.”
While Keaton’s official cause of death hasn’t been released, someone close to her told People that Keaton “declined quickly, which was devastating for everyone who loved her.”
“In her last months, she was only with her immediate family, who chose to remain very private,” the friend mentioned. “Even longtime friends weren’t fully aware of what was happening.”
Before her passing, Keaton shared what was most important in her life while talking with Carol Kane.
“I appreciate a true friendship, like ours, which I’ve relied on for so long,” she said to Kane in Interview Magazine in June 2021. “I love walking my dog. I love these things. And I really appreciate nature. I enjoy exploring California. I like driving to Arizona. I really enjoy seeing things. I guess my favorite thing in life is being able to see. It’s unbelievable.”
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