Diane Ladd’s Daughter, Laura Dern, Previously Revealed Her Mother’s Biggest Fears – Details

In the tender twilight of her life, the legendary actress revealed to her daughter the deepest secrets she had carried silently for decades, including the things that truly frightened her.

Diane Ladd, the celebrated actress revered for her unforgettable roles and her deep, lifelong bond with her daughter Laura Dern, died on November 3, 2025, at her home in Ojai, California. She was 89.

In those final years, mother and daughter peeled back layers of memory and pain through deep conversations. It was during that sacred time that Diane finally confessed to the things that truly haunted her.

A representative for Laura confirmed the heartbreaking news of her mother's passing to Variety on Monday. In a deeply moving statement, the "Big Little Lies" actress said, "My amazing hero and my profound gift of a mother, Diane Ladd, passed with me beside her this morning."

Though Diane had lived a long, remarkable life, leaving her mark on some of the greatest films in cinema history, such as "Wild at Heart" and "Chinatown," she had been locked in a fight for her life since 2018.

Doctors had delivered a grim prognosis: she had just three to six months to live.

But Diane defied expectations. In 2023, she and Laura opened up in the co-written book “Honey, Baby, Mine: A Mother and Daughter Talk Life, Death, Love (and Banana Pudding),” a raw, heartfelt memoir that captured their unfiltered conversations about love, loss, and survival in the face of death.

During an emotional appearance on "Today" that same year, Laura told Hoda Kotb that her mother's illness had been caused by accidental pesticide exposure in her own neighborhood.

The toxic incident left Diane’s lungs scarred. Doctors said her only chance of survival was to walk, to slowly expand her lung capacity in hopes of giving her more time.

At first, walking was brutal as Diane was on oxygen and in pain. But Laura stepped in, suggesting a way to ease the suffering. She asked her mother to share stories as they walked; stories she could record on her phone and keep for the future.

What began as a simple distraction transformed into a revelation. As they walked, a flood of unspoken memories came pouring out.

They spoke about everything, including one of the most devastating tragedies of Diane's life: the loss of her other daughter, Laura’s sister, who had died in a drowning accident at just 18 months old.

That conversation changed their relationship for the better.

For Diane, releasing that agony was like exhaling. Letting it out helped her begin to heal, not just emotionally, but physically. Still, their walks weren't always somber. There were tears, yes, but also laughter, joy, and a kind of peace that can only come from being truly seen.

As a daughter, Laura was stunned to realize how much she didn't know about Diane, not just about the sorrow, but the small things. The lighthearted details, like why her mother had wanted to become an actress. What had driven her? What had filled her soul?

And in those conversations, Laura uncovered something else. Something startling: Diane wasn’t afraid to die.

The stunning admission came during their first walk together, along with the reveal of her actual biggest fears.

"She said, 'I'm not afraid of it.' She was afraid of leaving me," Laura revealed. "She was afraid of not being here to watch her grandchildren grow, and still has that fear, but really, I think she's embraced so much by talking about all of it."

The "Marriage Story" actress added, "She said, 'Now, if they hadn't told me I might be dying, I may not have said it all.'"

Once they began opening up to others about these sacred conversations, something unexpected happened. Their friends and loved ones started having similar talks of their own. That ripple effect is what inspired them to publish their book as a guide for others to find connection before it's too late.

During her conversation with Kotb, Laura also reflected on her mother's connection to women. As an only child, Diane had always found deep, meaningful friendships, something Laura herself inherited. It was one more bond between them that deepened over time.

Another link between mother and daughter was their shared passion for acting. Laura knew from an early age that she was destined to perform.

She had grown up living between film sets, absorbing the industry from the inside out. Both her mother and father, Bruce Dern, were actors, and the influence was inescapable.

During the summer of 1973, Laura spent her time moving between the sets of "Family Plot" and "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore." It was then, as a young girl surrounded by the whirlwind of creativity and performance, that she knew this was her calling.

Ellen Burstyn and Diane Ladd in a scene from the movie "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" circa 1974 | Source: Getty Images

Still, there were moments of anxiety. Like in 1974, when Diane was nominated for an Academy Award. Laura walked the red carpet for the first time, and it terrified her.

"There are pictures of my mom looking very glamorous and smiling for the cameras on the red carpet, and you can see my clenched fists digging into her arm. I had big Coke-bottle eyeglasses and just looked really nervous," she told Variety.

In a 2018 interview on "Today" with Willie Geist, Laura was asked whether her parents had ever discouraged her from acting. The answer was yes. Diane warned her daughter in no uncertain terms:

"Be a lawyer, be a doctor, be a leper missionary, but don't be an actress."

But Laura was relentless. Even at 11 years old, she was quietly going behind her mother's back. At one of Diane's birthday parties, Laura approached an agent and asked to read for him and later possibly audition. Nothing could stop her.

In 2019, Diane admitted to The Guardian, "I did not want my daughter to be an actress, but she outsmarted me."

Diane Ladd and Laura Dern, circa 1980's | Source: Getty Images

At 17, Laura went even further. After completing high school early, she filed for legal emancipation from her parents so she could work freely. Diane agreed under one condition: Laura had to live with Marianne Williamson, the self-help author and future presidential candidate.

After moving out, Laura enrolled at UCLA, planning to double-major in journalism and psychology. But just a few days into her college journey, destiny intervened. She landed a leading role in David Lynch’s "Blue Velvet" and dropped out immediately.

Laura Dern on the set of "Blue Velvet," circa 1986 | Source: Getty Images

The director would later cast her again, this time alongside her mother, in the unforgettable film "Wild at Heart." It was a turning point in her career. Laura realized that in Lynch's world, women could be equals, not just accessories to male leads.

But it was Diane who taught her the most important lesson regarding this career.

"My mom taught me to lead with empathy and purpose," she shared with Variety two weeks before Diane's passing. "That's what keeps me in love with storytelling." Additionally, even as they reached their late 80s, neither Diane Ladd nor Bruce had any interest in slowing down.

"Retirement has never been a word I understood or knew in my family," Laura explained. "They're such amazing storytellers and radical characters. They inspire me every day to just keep going."