Late Actor Diane Ladd Was the Mother of a Hollywood Superstar

The loss of a great actor is always grieved by their families, friends, and the countless people who enjoyed their work on the screen. Diane Ladd will live forever through the beautiful performances she left behind. What some people might not know is that the artist was the mother of a major Hollywood star.

How many children did Diane have with her ex-husband, Bruce Dern? Here's what we know about the family of the Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore Star and the terrible tragedy that struck early on in her life.

Diane was the mother of two girls. Both of the babies were born during her marriage with Bruce, with the entertainment industry delighted at how the talented actors became parents.

Unfortunately, tragedy strikes when it is least expected. Diane's first child, Diane Elizabeth, died after a drowning accident. The girl was only 18 months old when she died.

Diane and Bruce welcomed a second daughter, and she grew up to become Hollywood icon Laura Dern. By taking an interest in what her parents did for a living, the young Laura stole the spotlight and worked her way to acclaimed performer status.

Laura's legacy is now as prestigious as the one established by her parents. The Dern family knew how to grab hold of the big screen.

The biggest role of Laura's career is the intelligent Dr. Ellie Sattler from Jurassic Park. The blockbuster adaptation directed by Steven Spielberg is one of the most popular movies of all time, with the adventure marking the beginning of a franchise that runs to this day.

The status of a film or television series skyrockets when it is announced that Laura will be joining the cast. The actor has also appeared in Little Women, Big Little Lies, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

Some romance stories don't last forever. Diane's marriage to Bruce only lasted for nine years, with the couple getting divorced in 1969. Soon after the bond was officially finalized, Diane tied the knot with Will Shea Jr. The businessman was the son of the man who owned Shea Stadium, home of the New York Mets.

Second marriages can be as difficult to crack as the first one. Diane and Will's relationship came to an end in 1977, less than a decade after the wedding.

Speaking about her marriages, Diane said (via People): “I married two men, Bruce and Bill, neither of which know how to show love, and I come from the South and from a man, my father, who gave me rocking‐chair love.”

Third time's the charm. Diane married Robert Hunter in 1999, in what turned out to be the longest marriage of her life. It only came to an end when her husband passed away earlier in 2025.

Diane's legacy is immortalized by her talent on both film and television, and by everything Laura displays when she excels at what she does best.