Diane Ladd, the Oscar-nominated actress cherished for her iconic portrayal of the waitress Flo in the 1974 film “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” has passed away at the age of 89. She died peacefully at her residence in Ojai, California.

Her daughter, actress Laura Dern, shared the heartbreaking news with The Hollywood Reporter on Monday, expressing profound sorrow and admiration for her mother.

Dern, 58, expressed her deep affection and respect, stating, “My amazing hero and my profound gift of a mother, Diane Ladd, passed with me beside her this morning, at her home in Ojai, Calif.”

She continued, “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.”

Throughout her illustrious career, Ladd earned three Oscar nominations, showcasing her talent in Martin Scorsese’s “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” (1974), as well as in “Wild At Heart” (1990) and “Rambling Rose” (1991).

The performer starred in more than 300 films and TV shows including Stephen King’s 2004 supernatural horror television series for ABC.  

Oscar-nominated actress Diane Ladd has died at age 89; seen in 2023 

Ladd’s other biggest credits include Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983), Ghosts Of Mississippi (1996), 28 Days (2000), Charlie’s War (2003) and Joy (2015). 

Her final TV role was in the Hallmark series Chesapeake Shores, where she played Nell O’Brien from 2016 to 2022. Meanwhile, her last film role was in the 2022 film Gigi & Nate.

Over her career, the star even found time to write and direct the film, Mrs. Munck, which received critical acclaim. 

Dern and Ladd famously made history as the first mom and daughter to earn acting Oscar nominations in the same year for their performances in Rambling Rose. 

According to Deadline, Rambling Rose ‘was selected by the late Princess Diana as one of her favorites and given a Royal premiere in London and a party in the actresses’ honor’.

In 2018, Ladd was given only six months to live after she was misdiagnosed with pneumonia after inhaling poison spray from a farm neighboring her home.

That ended up constricting her esophagus. 

Dern, unsatisfied with the diagnosis or prognosis transferred her to another hospital, where she made a full recovery.

The performer starred in more than 300 films and TV shows including Stephen King’s 2004 supernatural horror television series for ABC (seen in 2010)

Dern, 58, wrote: ‘My amazing hero and my profound gift of a mother, Diane Ladd, passed with me beside her this morning, at her home in Ojai, Calif.’

During Ladd’s recovery, Dern was determined to help her mother rebuild her lung capacity after the doctors told her long walks might help repair the damage. 

Dern was inspired to creatively challenge her mother during their walks, so she recorded their conversations.

Those conversations turned into their 2023 joint memoir Honey, Baby, Mine: A Mother And Daughter Talk Life, Death, Love (And Banana Pudding). 

The Telegraph’s review of the book called it: ‘The best, truest, most shockingly entertaining Hollywood memoir… it is also one of the most loving.’   

Ladd earned three Oscar nominations over her lifetime for her roles in Martin Scorsese’s Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974), Wild at Heart (1990) and Rambling Rose (1991); seen in 1988

Ladd and Dern pictured at the First Annual Actors Studio Awards Dinner at the Waldorf Hotel in New York

At one point in the book, the mother-daughter duo reminisce about Dern’s difficult teenage years. 

‘Do you feel like I screwed you up?’ Ladd asks Dern. ‘Absolutely,’ Dern replies.

‘I bet you’re thinking of the time I slapped you,’ Ladd says. ‘You mouthed off to me, and I’d had a horrible day. You were only ten, and you said something really teenage-smart at the refrigerator… I thought, “What am I doing wrong as a parent?”‘

Dern, noting that she’s frustrated that Ladd didn’t apologize for that, pointed out that she was 14 at the time and reminded her mom that she was ‘really unhappy at work and wanted to come home and blame someone else’.

In 2018, Dern admitted to People her mom tried to dissuade her from pursuing acting.

Ladd’s other biggest credits include Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983), Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), 28 Days (2000), Charlie’s War (2003), Joy (2015) and Gigi & Nate (2022)

‘I think the quote of my mother’s was, “Be a lawyer, be a doctor, be a leper missionary, but don’t be an actress!”‘ she mused. 

Regardless, the pair ended up sharing the screen multiple times for Enlightened, Inland Empire, Damaged Care, Daddy & Them, Citizen Ruth, The Siege At Ruby Ridge and more. 

Dern was the second daughter of Ladd and her ex-husband, actor Bruce Dern, 89. 

Their first child, a daughter also named Diane died at 18 months old when she fell into a pool and hit her head. Laura was born five years later. 

In addition to Dern, Ladd is survived by her two grandchildren, Ellery Walker Harper, 24 and Jaya Harper, 20.