Diane Ladd passed away at the age of 89 on Monday, November 3, 2025, with her daughter Laura Dern at her side, reported ABC News. Ladd was an Oscar-nominated actress who appeared in feature films such as Chinatown, Wild at Heart, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.

Laura Dern, also an accomplished actress who followed in her mother’s footsteps, said in a statement published by Variety, “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. 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.”

Here’s how others in Hollywood are remembering Diane Ladd and honoring her remarkable legacy on stage, TV, and film.

Bruce Dern calls ex-wife Diane Ladd ‘funny, clever, gracious’

Bruce Dern, Diane’s ex-husband who shared daughter Laura with her, said in a statement to Newsweek, “Diane was a tremendous actress and I feel like, a bit of a ‘hidden treasure’ until she ran into David Lynch. When he cast her as Laura‘s mom in Wild at Heart it felt like the world then really understood her brilliance. She was a great value as a decades long board member of SAG, giving a real actress’ point of view. She lived a good life. She saw everything the way it was. She was a great teammate to her fellow actors. 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.”

Nancy Sinatra remembers Diane Ladd as one her ‘dearest friends’

Nancy Sinatra, daughter of Frank Sinatra who has had a successful singing career of her own, posted a photo with Diane Ladd on Instagram. She shared, “Diane Ladd was one of my closest, oldest and dearest friends. We shared having our children, making our movie, and did a lot of growing up together. It was a wild, sentimental ride. She was a great lady, a fun pal and a fine writer. I will miss her painfully, and yes, joyfully.”

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She added, “My heart goes out to Laura, Bruce and the rest of Diane’s family. BTW, I think Laura was in her mommy’s tummy when this picture was taken. I would like to share an email Diane sent me. Her words tell you exactly the kind of person she was.”

The email that Nancy Sinatra then shared from Diane Ladd read, “We are all in this together. Let the children of this world stand on our shoulders in the hopes that they may see further than we have. Let us and our children be kinder, hold the door open for the next one, less judgmental, regardless of race or religion or the size of the pocketbook. Let me wish each one of you, all that I wish myself – and more that by this time next year, we have truly begun to fulfill our Destinies with joy and much love in Light.”

Sinatra then ended her tribute, stating, “God will bless you I know, dear friend. You are one of His special angels.”

Martin Scorsese recalls loving his time with Diane on set of ‘Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore’

LBC News reported that Martin Scorsese said as a tribute to Diane Ladd, “I have so many good memories of making Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, and my experiences with Diane are among the best. I felt that it was so important for the picture to let the actors run with their characters, and what an experience it was to watch Diane take the character of Flo and make something so vivid and funny and alive.

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“Diane was a great improvisational actor – a matter of technique and discipline, but most of all instinct and artistry – and she had it all. You can really feel it in the sunbathing scene with her and Ellen (Burstyn), one of the best scenes in the picture.

“I loved my time working with Diane, a truly remarkable artist, and I wish we could have worked together again.”

Shawn Toovey reflects on how Diane Ladd had a ‘huge impact’ on his life

Diane Ladd played Charlotte Cooper in the pilot of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. She was the mother of Matthew, Colleen, and Brian, but she died in the pilot. Shawn Toovey, who played her youngest son Brian, paid tribute to her his Instagram page. He shared a photo and stated, “Very sad to hear of the passing of Diane Ladd. Although her time as part of the #drquinnmedicinewoman family was short, she made a huge impact in all of our lives. Rest in peace, Ma.”

Sharon Lawrence calls Diane Ladd ‘one of the all-time greats’

Sharon Lawrence re-posted Variety’s Instagram tribute to Diane Ladd on her Instagram stories, calling Ladd, “one of the all-time greats”. She also went to one of Diane Ladd’s posts in which she called for “peace and harmony” and commented, “Thank you for your wisdom.”