Reese Witherspoon paid tribute to her friend Laura Dern’s deceased mother, Diane Ladd, with a sweet homage.
“Oh Diane ! Such a lovely spirit, brimming with light, childlike imagination and limitless concepts. ✨,” Witherspoon, 49, expressed on Instagram, posting multiple pictures of Ladd. “A natural storyteller hailing from Mississippi, your shimmering voice transformed every fleeting moment into a cherished memory.”
The upload showcased a lone image of Ladd basking in the sunlight, along with images of the Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore star together with her daughter. Another image featured Witherspoon, Ladd and Dern, 58, enjoying each other’s company. The Legally Blonde actress then mentioned that she regarded Ladd as another mother figure.
“You were my inspiration and my Other Mother. 💗,” she added. “May all your angels welcome you home into a place of love & light.✨💕 Until our paths cross again.”
Witherspoon and Dern’s friendship began when they collaborated on the 2014 film Wild. Their bond has deepened throughout the years as they’ve continued to work together, notably after co-starring in the show Big Little Lies with Nicole Kidman.
Dern verified to The Hollywood Reporter that Ladd passed away on Monday, November 3.
“My unbelievable hero and my extraordinary maternal gift, Diane Ladd, passed away beside me this morning, at her residence in Ojai, [California],” the Jurassic Park star shared in a statement. “She was the most wonderful daughter, mother, grandmother, actress, artist and empathetic soul that only dreams could seemingly produce. We were privileged to have her. She is now soaring with her angels.”
The cause of death wasn’t disclosed.
Ladd was most recognized for her performances in the films Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore from 1974, Wild at Heart from 1990, and Rambling Rose from 1991. These three movies garnered Ladd Oscar nominations. Her last cinematic appearances were in Gigi & Nate and Isle of Hope, both launched in 2022.
Aside from her big-screen appearances, Ladd played roles in the 1980 TV series Alice, Enlightened spanning from 2011 to 2013, and Hallmark’s Chesapeake Shores between 2016 and 2022.
Laura’s father, Bruce Dern, also honored Ladd, to whom he was married between 1960 and 1969. (Besides Laura, Bruce and Ladd had a daughter named Diane, who tragically passed away at 18 months following a drowning incident in 1962.)
“Diane was an incredible actress, and in my opinion, somewhat of a ‘well-kept secret’ until she encountered David Lynch,” Bruce, 89, expressed in a statement to Us Weekly on Monday. “When he chose her as Laura‘s mother in Wild at Heart, it seemed the world truly grasped her brilliance. She contributed significantly as a long-standing board member of SAG, offering a genuine actress’ viewpoint.”
Bruce mentioned that his former spouse “lived a fulfilling life.”
“She perceived everything as it was. She was an exceptional ally to her fellow actors. She possessed humor, wit, and grace,” he went on. “But above all for me, she was a superb mother to our remarkable wunderkind daughter. And for that, my gratitude towards her will be eternal.”
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