Diane Ladd and Bruce Dern’s Marriage Ended After They Experienced a Devastating Loss
Bruce released a statement remembering his ex-wife's legacy after Diane died in November 2025.
Published Nov. 4 2025, 11:36 a.m. ET
Hollywood lost a little more of its sunshine when bubbly actor Diane Ladd passed away in November 2025. She was 89 at the time of her death. During her career, Diane earned Oscar nominations for her work in films like Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Rambling Rose, and Wild at Heart. The latter project was one she performed alongside her daughter and fellow actor, Laura Dern.
On Nov. 3, 2025, Laura confirmed Diane's death to The Hollywood Reporter.
"My amazing hero and my profound gift of a mother, Diane Ladd, passed with me beside her this morning, at her home in Ojai, Calif.," Laura wrote. "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 Big Little Lies star's father, actor Bruce Dern, also publicly reflected on his ex-wife's life and legacy. Bruce's kind words came decades after the couple found friendship following a heartbreaking divorce.
Here's what to know about Diane and Bruce's relationship.
Diane Ladd and Bruce Dern's relationship began in the 1950s.
Diane and Bruce's lifelong connection began early in their acting careers. The couple met while working in New York City in an off-Broadway production of Orpheus Descending. According to Diane's interview with The Los Angeles Times, their relationship took off fast, and they were married in 1960, a few months after they met.
"Bruce had already been married and divorced when he met me. He came to play Orpheus, and Orpheus descended,” she recalled to the outlet. "I married Bruce when I was very, very young.”
They welcomed two daughters, Diane Elizabeth and Laura Dern.
Although they got married quickly and were young when they got together, Diane and Bruce didn't waste any time expanding their family. In November 1960, they welcomed their first daughter, Diane Elizabeth Dern. Sadly, Diane Elizabeth died of an accidental drowning at just 18 months old in 1962.
Several years after their eldest daughter's death, Bruce and Diane welcomed their daughter, Laura, in February 1967.
Diane Ladd said the loss of her and Bruce Dern's daughter was the end of their marriage.
While Diane and Bruce's relationship resulted in them having another chance at raising a child together, the actors ultimately decided they couldn't save their marriage. According to Diane's 1992 interview with Parade, obtained by Deseret News, she and Bruce realized soon after Laura's birth that they were too broken to make their marriage work.
"We suffered the tragedy of our daughter's death together and thought another child would help us, but we were so bruised," Diane shared.
The couple divorced in 1989. Diane revealed in her Parade interview that she felt as if she had to be overly protective of Laura due to her being a single mother and losing Diane Elizabeth.
"I was terrified, being on my own with Laura," she admitted. "I had to force myself not to be overly protective because I had lost one child. The result was that it worked the other way. I allowed her to be a free thinker, and that helped her become her own person."
Bruce Dern paid tribute to his late ex-wife soon after her death.
Although Bruce and Diane weren't able to make their romantic relationship work, they maintained a friendship and successfully co-parented Laura, who was a toddler when they divorced. The exes even co-starred on several projects, including Mrs. Munck in 1995 and American Cowslip in 2009.
Following the news of Diane's passing, Bruce paid homage to his ex-wife in a statement shared across multiple outlets. The tribute reflected his memory of her as both an actor and the mother of his children.
"Diane was a tremendous actress and I feel like a bit of a ‘hidden treasure’ until she ran into David Lynch,” Bruce said, referencing Diane's notable Wild at Heart role. “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,” he added. “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.”