How Did Ladd Drummond Lose His Brother? The Truth's Been Buried for Years
To most fans, Ladd Drummond is best known as the camera-shy husband of Ree Drummond, aka The Pioneer Woman, star of her own long-running Food Network show.
Together, they run the sprawling Drummond Ranch in Pawhuska, Oklahoma — a family empire that includes cattle operations, a restaurant, a hotel, a lifestyle brand, and more.
But long before the TV cameras arrived, Ladd and his brother Tim were quietly running the family's ranching business — a partnership built not just on land and legacy, but on a shared loss that shaped both of their lives.
When they were teenagers, Ladd and Tim lost their older brother, Todd Drummond, in a car accident while he was working at a family friend's ranch in Texas. The incident was never widely discussed in public, and no detailed obituary or press coverage seems to have survived, leaving the story largely untold. Ree Drummond herself called it "tragic, life-altering, terrible," in a rare 2009 blog post.
That silence lasted for decades. Only recently, in a July 2025 episode of their new YouTube series Drummond Ranch, did the brothers talk openly about Todd's death and how it forged the deep partnership they've shared ever since.
In the episode titled "A Lifelong Partnership," Ladd and Tim reflect on working together for over 40 years — not just as siblings, but as co-owners of the fifth-generation ranch founded by their great-great-grandfather, Fred Drummond. They describe themselves as "separate business entities," but bound by the same long days, unpredictable weather, and the unforgiving cattle markets that rule their industry.
According to the episode's caption:
"Ladd and Tim lost their older brother when they were teenagers, which forged a deeper bond of cooperation, collaboration, and respect over the decades."
While the episode focused mostly on their working relationship, the backstory hit home for many longtime fans of The Pioneer Woman. One commenter wrote:
"Can't imagine losing a brother... I know it's inevitable."
Another noted that Ladd and Ree's son Todd — now a college football player — was named in memory of his late uncle.
That kind of detail surprised some viewers, especially given how tightly controlled the family's public image has been. As one user put it bluntly:
"Media seem to indicate that the Drummonds are the all-American happy family... If you knew the backstory, you would realize they have their personal tragedies and hardships, just like any other family."
Ladd and Ree Drummond have been married for 28 years and have raised five children, plus one foster son. Tim Drummond and his wife Missy have two children of their own. And while The Pioneer Woman has remained a cooking show at heart, its extended media empire — books, product lines, hotels, YouTube spin-offs — has made the Drummonds one of the most financially successful families in modern rural America.