Laura Dern Honors Her Late Mom Diane Ladd’s Memory on What Would Have Been Her 90th Birthday

Laura Dern; Diane Ladd.
Credit:

Jon Kopaloff/Getty; Jesse Grant/Getty

NEED TO KNOW

• Laura Dern shared a tribute to her late mother, Diane Ladd, on what would have been Ladd’s 90th birthday.
• Dern posted the tribute on Instagram on Saturday, Nov. 29, along with a black-and-white photo of Ladd.
• Ladd, an Oscar-nominated actress, passed away on Nov. 3 at the age of 89.

Laura Dern honored her late mother, actress Diane Ladd, in a heartfelt tribute on what would have marked her 90th birthday. The post was shared on Instagram on Saturday, November 29, featuring a nostalgic black-and-white portrait of Ladd.

“Happy birthday to my hero, the most extraordinary person I have ever known, on what would be her 90th today,” Dern, 58, began her message.

She continued, “As an artist and human being, you were always loving, always dreaming, always creating, and ever in service for all. I love you, Mom.”

Diane Ladd died on November 3 from hypoxic respiratory failure, shortly before her 90th birthday. Dern announced her mother’s passing in a statement, expressing deep sorrow over the loss.

“My amazing hero and my profound gift of a mother, Diane Ladd, passed with me beside her this morning, at her home in Ojai, California,” Dern wrote at the time.

Laura Dern and Diane Ladd in 2023.

Slaven Vlasic/Getty

In her tribute, Dern described Ladd as “the greatest daughter, mother, grandmother, actress, artist, and empathetic spirit that only dreams could have seemingly created.” She added, “We were blessed to have her. She is flying with her angels now.”

In a 2023 interview, Dern and Ladd discussed their evolving relationship over the years, notably after a health scare in 2019 when doctors warned Ladd that she might only have six months to live. This prompted an intimate conversation between them, filled with previously unspoken thoughts and feelings.

Diane Ladd and Laura Dern in 1980.

Oscar Abolafia/TPLP/Getty

“We both longed to talk about the things that we’ve left unsaid in our life together,” Dern reflected. Ladd echoed this sentiment, stating, “I thought I was dying, so Laura and I just told each other everything. Just fixing ourselves and our relationship was a darn good beginning.”

In discussing aging, Ladd remarked that she regarded it as “a gift,” emphasizing the wisdom that comes with experience. “Aging gives you a gift if you’re ready for it, where the blinders that you’ve worn all through life start to come off,” she explained.

Ladd’s prominent film and television credits include *Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore*, the sitcom *Alice*, *Wild at Heart*, and *Rambling Rose*. She received nominations for three Oscars and three Emmys throughout her career.