Diane Ladd Dies at 89; Dern at Side

Diane Ladd, a three-time Academy Award–nominated actress, died at 89 at her home in Ojai, California, her daughter Laura Dern said, and Dern was at her side when she passed peacefully. Ladd's seven-decade career spanned film, television and stage and included Oscar-nominated performances in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), Wild at Heart (1990) and Rambling Rose (1991); she also won a Golden Globe for the sitcom Alice. She frequently collaborated with Laura Dern — including a joint acting nomination for Rambling Rose — and continued acting into her late 80s with credits such as 2022's Gigi & Nate. An Instagram post Ladd made on Nov. 6, 2024 urging reconciliation after the election resurfaced amid tributes, and colleagues and family, including Martin Scorsese and former husband Bruce Dern, have paid tribute. Separately, New Zealand rock guitarist Robert Taylor of Dragon has also died, a separate music-world loss noted alongside the outpouring for Ladd.