Diane Ladd Dies; Laura Dern Shares Heartfelt Statement
Three-time Oscar nominee and Golden Globe winner Diane Ladd died Monday at 89, prompting a grateful tribute from daughter Laura Dern and closing a storied chapter in Hollywood.
Diane Ladd has died at 89, and that sentence alone feels like the end of a chapter in Hollywood history. The three-time Oscar nominee and Golden Globe winner passed away Monday morning, November 3, 2025, at her home in Ojai, California, with her daughter Laura Dern by her side.
What happened
Laura Dern confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that her mother died at home on Monday morning. It is a loss that hits both personally and professionally: Ladd was one of those actors whose warmth and steel made almost any scene feel a little more alive.
The work that made her a fixture
Ladd’s career stretched decades and across genres, but the highlights are the kind that live in film-school syllabi and comfort-watch marathons alike:
- Three Academy Award nominations: for 'Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore,' 'Wild at Heart,' and 'Rambling Rose'.
- Golden Globe winner in 1981: Best Supporting Actress for the CBS sitcom 'Alice'.
- BAFTA Award winner in 1976: Best Supporting Actress.
- Independent Spirit Award winner in 1992: Best Supporting Actress.
Family, on-screen and off
Ladd married Bruce Dern in 1960. They had Laura Dern, then split in 1969. That family tree led to some memorable on-screen pairings. In David Lynch’s 1990 fever dream 'Wild at Heart,' Laura played Lula Pace Fortune while her mom played Marietta Fortune, a mother-daughter duo that is as intense as it sounds.
And here’s a great little piece of trivia that tells you how deep their film roots go: when Laura was seven, she sneaked into the final scene of 'Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore' as a kid quietly eating ice cream in the corner. Blink and you miss it, but it’s there.
Laura Dern’s tribute
Dern called her mom her "amazing hero and profound gift of a mother" and shared this message:
"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."
Why this one stings
Ladd wasn’t just a resume of nominations and trophies. She brought a generosity and a spark to roles that could have read flat on the page. Losing her really does feel like a light going out in a corner of Hollywood that valued craft, guts, and a little mischief.