Tabatha Coffey Shares Emotional Story Of Caring For Late Partner Diane Keeler
Celebrated hairstylist and former Bravo host Tabatha Coffey, known for her tart tongue and tough love on reality TV, recently shared a deeply personal part of her life for the first time. In an emotional, nearly two-hour interview with PEOPLE, Tabatha spoke about her 25-year romance with her partner, Diane Keeler, and the lessons she learned while caring for Diane through eight years of cancer and stroke complications before Diane passed away in June 2022.
“If I cry, ignore me,” Tabatha, 57, prefaced as she began recounting their story. Reflecting on her private love and loss, she said, “She taught me a lot in life and death… I’m not the same woman, and I’m okay with it. I don’t want to be the same woman.”
For years, Tabatha and Diane kept their relationship out of the public eye. Diane, a New York City native more than a decade older than Tabatha, had lived a full life and wasn’t interested in the spotlight that came with Tabatha’s rising career. “It just wasn’t her thing,” Tabatha explained.
Tabatha, mindful of the scrutiny her career brought, especially as an out gay woman, chose to keep her private life separate. “I signed up for this. No one I love signed up for this,” she said. Despite embracing her professional opportunities “gratefully and gleefully,” she knew that meant shielding her loved ones from the public eye.
The couple cherished their time together, whether at home on the East Coast or while on the road. “There’s a reason I have been so protective and private,” Tabatha said, adding, “My life was precious. The fact that I could leave L.A. and I could come back home and come back to someone that cared about me but also someone that let me go and be me … that was such a precious thing to have and such a rare commodity that I just wrapped that up and kept it very close and very quiet.”
Their love story began in the winter of 1997 when Diane became a client at the New Jersey salon where Tabatha worked. “There was a spark,” Tabatha recalled.
After some time dancing around each other, Diane made the first move, inviting Tabatha to a romantic French restaurant in SoHo. They quickly fell for each other, moving in together in New Jersey, where they enjoyed simple pleasures like cooking, gardening, and spending time with their toy poodle, Maximus.
In 2013, Tabatha reportedly noticed Diane mixing up words and urged her to see a doctor. In January 2014, Diane was diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer. Despite the grim prognosis, they never discussed the severity. “Her job was to rest her body. My job was to take care of everything else,” Tabatha said.
By 2017, Diane seemed stable, but she then suffered a major stroke, which further impaired her mobility and speech. Tabatha became her devoted caregiver, supporting Diane through every milestone. “Every choice had to be the best thing for her, even if it wasn’t easy for me,” Tabatha shared. Despite the emotional toll, she remained steadfast, even sneaking her phone on stage during work to ensure she was always reachable.
The final blow came when Diane was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. She passed away peacefully at home on June 10, 2022, surrounded by family and her favorite music. “She got to a point that I don’t think she was really there anymore. It was just waiting for her body to catch up to the leaving,” Tabatha recalled.
In the aftermath, Tabatha has been on a journey of self-discovery. She found solace in online support groups, therapy, and grief coaching. This inspired her to launch ThriveHive, an online empowerment community, and the Creative Thrive podcast. “No one cares for the caregiver. That’s why it’s so important for caregivers to find the support they need,” she emphasized.
