Laura Dern has found it hard to come to terms with her mother Diane Ladd's death

Bang Showbiz on Dec 23, 2025

Published in Women

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Laura Dern has found it difficult to process the death of her mother Diane Ladd.

The 58-year-old star was left heartbroken when her Oscar-nominated mom passed away aged 89 last month and admits that she hasn't completely come to terms with the loss.

Laura told The Hollywood Reporter: "I just haven't gotten there yet - I haven't let myself be in it yet."

The Is This Thing On? actress explained that the emotions surrounding her mother's death feel "so compounded" after the passing of director David Lynch - whom she worked with on the films Blue Velvet and Wild at Heart - in January "and other losses that have happened this year".

Laura said: "But I will say, while I'm deep in the thick of it, looking at photos and watching things and trying to figure out how to honour her and honour him and all of that to come, I feel really blessed by their legacies - by holding onto the things they've given us in art and in friendship and in memories, in stories and in activism, in all of it."

Ladd died just weeks before her 90th birthday and Laura paid tribute to her "hero" mom on what would've been the milestone day on November 29.

In a post on Instagram, the Jurassic Park actress shared a black and white picture of Diane and wrote: "Happy birthday to my hero, the most extraordinary person I have ever known, on what would be her 90th today.

"As an artist and human being, you were always loving, always dreaming, always creating, and ever in service for all. I love you, Mom."

Laura announced Diane's death last month by sharing an emotional statement which read: "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."

The Marriage Story star's father, Bruce Dern - who was married to Diane between 1960 and 1969 - also praised his "wonderful" former spouse in a touching statement.

He said: "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."