Celebrated actress Diane Ladd passed away the morning of Monday, November 3. She was 89 and died peacefully at her family home in Ojai, California. The news of her death was shared by her daughter and fellow Hollywood star Laura Dern, who provided a statement, per The Hollywood Reporter, breaking the news. "My amazing hero and my profound gift of a mother, Diane Ladd, passed with me beside her this morning, at her home in Ojai, Ca," it began.
"She was the greatest daughter, mother, grandmother, actress, artist and empathetic spirit that only dreams could have seemingly created. We were blessed to have her. She is flying with her angels now," it concluded. Diane welcomed her daughter Laura, now 58, with her ex-husband Bruce Dern, to whom she was married from 1960-69.
© Getty ImagesHer family life
In 1969, she tied the knot with her second husband William Shea Jr., with that marriage ending in divorce in 1977. In 1999, she then married Robert Hunter, with the pair remaining together until Robert's own death just three months before Diane's. Diane and Bruce also welcomed a daughter named Diane Elizabeth, who tragically passed away aged 18 months after a drowning accident. Despite their split, Diane and Bruce remained amicable and good friends.
Bruce, now 89, has been married to Andrea Beckett since 1969. Laura's very first screen credits were in the films White Lightning and Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, although she was uncredited for them. The mother daughter duo also co-starred in the films Citizen Ruth and Inland Empire, the show Enlightened, plus the Oscar-nominated movies Wild at Heart and Rambling Rose.
Diane's most popular movies and TV shows
Diane made her screen debut in 1957 at the age of 22, but her career didn't really begin to take off until 1971, when she joined the cast of The Secret Storm. She later appeared in 1974's Chinatown before earning her very first Oscar nomination for starring in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore that same year.
© Getty ImagesShe received two more nominations in 1990 and 1991, one for Wild at Heart and the other for Rambling Rose. The latter earned both mother and daughter Oscar nods, Laura earning one for Best Actress, the first time such an event had occurred (they also earned Golden Globe nods in the same categories). Diane earned a BAFTA and a Golden Globe award during her lifetime.
© Getty ImagesSome of her other most popular roles include National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Ghosts of Mississippi, 28 Days, and Joy. Her last appearance on screen was in the 2022 movie Gigi & Nate.
© Getty ImagesIs Diane Ladd related to Cheryl Ladd?
No, Diane and Cheryl Ladd are not related, even though they do share the famous last name (which also belongs to Alan Ladd). Diane is survived by her daughter Laura and her two grandchildren, Ellery and Jaya.
