Diane Ladd, Oscar nominated actress and Laura Dern’s mother, passes away

Diane Ladd, the celebrated thespian and mother to another acclaimed actress in Laura Dern, has died at 89 years of age.

Her daughter’s representative confirmed the news on Monday, November 3, as Ladd is reported to have passed away in the morning.

“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,” Dern’s statement, confirming her mother’s death, revealed. “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.”

The late actress delivered several memorable performances over the course of her long and storied career, earning three Academy Award nominations along the way — for 1974’s Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, 1990’s Wild at Heart, and 1991’s Rambling Rose — all in the supporting actress category.

It is also worth noting that she co-starred with Dern in Rambling Rose, who also received a nomination for her leading performance in the film — marking the first time a mother and daughter earned Oscar nods for the same project.

Bruce Dern, Ladd’s ex-husband and father of her daughter, noted in a statement, “She was funny, clever, gracious. But most importantly to me, she was a wonderful mother to our incredible wunderkind daughter. And for that I will be forever grateful to her.”

Diane Ladd was married another two times — her third and final husband, Robert Charles Hunter, passed away in July earlier this year. She is survived by Laura Dern and her two grandchildren.