Diane Ladd, Three-Time Oscar Nominee, Dies at 89

Veteran American actress Diane Ladd died on November 3, 2025 at her home in Ojai, California, her daughter Laura Dern announced.

Ladd was 89 years old.

Born Rose Diane Ladner on November 29, 1935 in Laurel, Mississippi, she launched a career that spanned more than seven decades, beginning on stage in New York in the 1950s and extending into film and television.

Her breakthrough film role came in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), directed by Martin Scorsese, earning her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

She later earned Oscar nominations for Wild at Heart (1990) and Rambling Rose (1991), the latter of which she co-starred in with her daughter.

Ladd appeared in more than 120 films and television projects, among them Chinatown (1974) and the TV series Enlightened (2011-13).

Her personal life included three marriages. Her marriage to actor Bruce Dern (1960-69) produced two daughters, one of whom died in infancy; Laura Dern followed in her footsteps into acting.

More recently she was married to former CEO Robert Charles Hunter, who died in August 2025.

Ladd’s death was announced via a statement from Laura Dern, which read in part:

"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."