Laura Dern’s Heartbreaking Tribute to Late Mother Diane Ladd on What Would Have Been Her 90th Birthday

Laura Dern is honoring the memory of her late mother, legendary actress Diane Ladd, with a deeply emotional tribute on what would have been Ladd’s 90th birthday.

On Saturday, November 29, the Big Little Lies star shared a loving message celebrating the life and legacy of the Oscar-nominated actress. “Happy birthday to my hero, the most extraordinary person I’ve ever known, on what would have been her 90th birthday,” Dern wrote. “As an artist and human being, you were always loving, always dreaming, always creating, and ever in service for all. I love you, Mom.”

Dern’s touching post comes just weeks after Ladd passed away on November 3 from hypoxic respiratory failure. At the time of her death, the Jurassic Park actress released a heartfelt statement to People, revealing that her mother “passed with me beside her at 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’s flying with her angels now,” Dern shared.

Throughout her decades-long career, Diane Ladd built an extraordinary body of work that earned her deep respect across the film industry. She received three Academy Award nominations for her performances in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Wild at Heart, and Rambling Rose. In 1976, she won a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. Five years later, she took home a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries, or Television Film for Alice.

Ladd’s career also included four Golden Globe nominations and three Emmy nominations, marking her as one of Hollywood’s most enduring and gifted performers.

As Laura Dern continues to honor her mother’s legacy, fans and Hollywood colleagues alike are joining her in remembering Diane Ladd — a beloved artist, an iconic storyteller, and a radiant spirit whose impact will live on for generations.