Colorectal cancer
Diggins's three marriages ended in divorce. As a California native, he lived in Laguna Beach, California, for years while he taught at UC Irvine. Later, Diggins lived in the Upper West Side. He died on January 28, 2009, in Manhattan after a battle with Colorectal cancer. He is survived by his companion of 15 years, the author Elizabeth Harlan; a son and a daughter, both from his first marriage; two sisters; and two grandchildren.