Laura Dern has paid tribute to her ‘hero mother’ Diane Ladd on what would have been her 90th birthday.
The Oscar-nominated actress died on November 3 at the age of 89 at her home in California and now her daughter has paid a moving tribute on what would have been her 90th birthday on November 29.
On her official Instagram, Laura shared a black and white photo of Diane and wrote: “Happy birthday to my hero, the most special person I have ever known, on what would have been her 90th today.”
‘As an artist and human being you were always loving, always dreaming, always creating and always in the service of everyone. I love you, Mom,” she concluded.
Laura announced Diane’s death last month, sharing an emotional statement that read, “My amazing hero and my profound gift of a mother, Diane Ladd, passed away this morning with me beside her, at her home in Ojai, Ca.”
She continued, “She was the best daughter, mother, grandmother, actress, artist and empathetic spirit that only dreams could seemingly create.
“We were blessed to have her. She now flies with her angels,” Laura signed off.
The Jurassic Park The star’s father Bruce Dern – who was married to Diane between 1960 and 1969 – later praised his ‘wonderful’ former wife.
He said: “Diane was a wonderful actress and I feel like a bit of a ‘hidden gem’ until she met David Lynch. When he cast her as Laura’s mother in Wild at heart it felt like the world really understood her genius then.
Bruce continued, “She was an asset as a SAG board member for decades and provided the point of view of a true actress.
“She lived a good life. She saw everything for what it was. She was a great teammate to her fellow actors. She was funny, smart and kind,” he added.
“But most importantly to me, she was an amazing mother to our incredible child prodigy daughter. And for that I will be forever grateful,” the former husband concluded.
Following Diane’s death, it was later confirmed that the actress died of acute or chronic hypoxic respiratory failure, which occurs when there is not enough oxygen in the blood, often due to lung disease.
