Diane Ladd, an award-winning actress whose career on screen and stage spanned decades, has died at the age of 89. Her daughter, Laura Dern, confirmed the news on Monday, saying she spent her final moments at home in California, surrounded by family.
In a statement, Dern said, "My amazing hero and my profound gift of a mother, Diane Ladd, passed with me beside her this morning." She added that the celebrated performer was "the greatest daughter, mother, grandmother, actress, artist and empathetic spirit that only dreams could have seemingly created. We were blessed to have her." Dern did not reveal the cause of death.
Ladd earned three Academy Award nominations in her career, first gaining wide recognition for her role as a waitress in the 1974 Martin Scorsese drama Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. Her performance earned her her first Oscar nomination and set the stage for a rich career in film and television.
She continued to act in dozens of productions over the years, appearing in films such as Wild at Heart and sharing the screen with her daughter in the 1991 film Rambling Rose, where both received Oscar nominations — marking the first time a mother and daughter were nominated in the same year for the same film.
They did not win, but the milestone cemented their unique place in Hollywood history.
Ladd also worked frequently in television and continued acting well into her later years, including a role in the 2022 film Gigi & Nate. Beyond her professional achievements, she co-wrote the 2023 book Honey, Baby, Mine: A Mother and Daughter Talk Life, Death, Love with Dern, reflecting their close family bond.
Born in Mississippi, Ladd was married to actor Bruce Dern from 1960 to 1969. The couple had two children, Laura and Diane Elizabeth, who died at 18 months in 1962.
Speaking about the tragic loss, Ladd recalled in a 2023 interview, "She fell into the pool. She hit her head and knocked herself out. And it all happened instantly. And she died, and you will never get over that."
While she later nurtured her daughter's career, Ladd once admitted she initially advised Dern against acting, saying, "She was only, like, 11 years old, and I said, 'Don't be an actress. Be a doctor, be a lawyer... But an actress? They care, care, care, care, care.'" Dern responded at the time, "No. It is all I knew."
Ladd's long, dynamic career and her close creative partnership with her daughter left a memorable mark on Hollywood and the wider entertainment world.