Hattie McDaniel died on October 26, 1952, at age 57, from breast cancer, after suffering from the disease for several years while also dealing with diabetes and heart problems.

How she fell ill

McDaniel had been diagnosed with breast cancer toward the end of her life, during the 1950s. Her health steadily declined as she continued working, including her role as Beulah on the radio show The Beulah Show , which aired in the late 1940s and early 1950s. By the early 1950s, the cancer had become serious, and she was receiving treatment while battling other health issues.

Last days and hospitalization

In August 1951, she suffered a stroke, which was complicated by her existing diabetes and heart trouble. She was admitted to Temple Hospital in Los Angeles after the stroke. A year later, in October 1952, she passed away at the Motion Picture & Television Hospital in the San Fernando Valley (part of the Motion Picture House system for industry workers).

Final illness and cause of death

Her official cause of death was breast cancer, which her doctors had been treating for some time. She died at age 57 after a long struggle with the disease, worsened by diabetes and heart complications. At the time, treatment options for advanced breast cancer were far more limited than they are today, and her condition ultimately proved fatal.

Legacy and final wishes

Even in her last days, McDaniel was deeply aware of the racial barriers she had faced; she had hoped to be buried in Hollywood Forever Cemetery, but was denied because of its whites‑only policy at the time. Instead, she was laid to rest in Angelus Rosedale Cemetery in Los Angeles. Her death was widely mourned, with thousands attending services to honor the pioneering actress and the first Black Oscar winner in Academy history.