Three-Time Academy Award Nominee Diane Ladd Passes Away at 89
Diane Ladd passed away yesterday in her California home.
Diane Ladd, the acclaimed actress and mother to Academy Award winner Laura Dern, died on November 3, 2025. Best known for her roles in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Wild at Heart, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, and Rambling Rose, Ladd’s six-decade career saw her make appearances in hundreds of other films and television shows. Ladd passed away in Ojai, California, with her death being confirmed in a statement by Dern.
The Statement reads:
“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.
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.”
A cause of death has not been disclosed.
Disney fans may recognize the highly accomplished actress in several projects under the House of Mouse’s wide umbrella. Ladd’s most significant work with Disney came in the 1983 film Something Wicked This Way Comes, a dark fantasy adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s novel, in which she took on the role of Mrs. Nightshade. She can also be seen as Lucille Rubin in The Cemetery Club, Rita in Father Hood, Ruth’s mother in Citizen Rush, Jewel in Daddy and Them, Etta in Black Widow, and Mimi in Joy.
She also had a highly successful career in television, with acting roles in numerous ABC series. Among those are Naked City, The Detectives, The Love Boat, Grace Under Fire, and more.