Laura Dern has announced that her thrice Oscar-nominated mother, Diane Ladd, has died.
Dern revealed the heartbreaking news in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, adding that she was at her mother’s side in her final moments on Monday.
“My amazing hero and my profound gift of a mother, Diane Ladd, passed with me beside her this morning, at her home,” Dern said. “She was the greatest daughter, mother, grandmother, actress, artist and empathetic spirit that only dreams could have seemingly created.”
Ladd, who would have turned 90 this month, had been living in Ojai, California. Her family has not said how she died.
The Mississippi-born actress was nominated for three Oscars and three Emmys during her career, which spanned six decades.
She was nominated for best supporting actress for her performances in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974), Wild at Heart (1990), and Rambling Rose (1991). She received a Golden Globe for her role in the sitcom Alice in 1981.
Ladd was married three times. Her final husband, former PepsiCo CEO Robert Charles Hunter, died over the summer.
Bruce Dern, a former co-star, was Ladd’s first husband. They had two daughters: Laura, who is 58, and Diane Elizabeth Dern, who died by accidental drowning when she was 18 months old.
Concerns about Ladd’s health emerged in 2018 when she was wrongly told that she had six months to live. A doctor misdiagnosed the actress with pneumonia, believing she had inhaled “poison spray” from the farms neighboring her home. Dern had her transferred to another hospital, and Ladd made a full recovery.
Ladd continued acting after returning to good health. Her final credit is for her role as “Mama Blanche” in the 2022 drama Gigi & Nate. She also starred in Charming the Hearts of Men the year prior.
The actress also remained active on social media in her final months. In her last post to Instagram, on Sept. 17, she championed her co-stars in The Last Full Measure and teased that there was more to come from her, possibly by way of a podcast.
“Hey kids, what do you think of me getting into PodCasting? Thought I’d give you a taste. More to come. Stay tuned!) Love and light - Diane 💓🎙️💫”
