January 28, 2026
Laura Dern misses her mother Diana Ladd, whom she lost last November, but she is also immensely proud of the late actress.
The 58-year-old actress paid tribute to Ladd, while remembering the hardships she faced during her final days and remained optimistic in spite of.
The Little Women star lost her mom to a terminal lung disease called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) which is a rare syndrome and the diagnosis was made when she had only six months to live.
Even during her tough battle against IPF, noted Dern, Ladd was determined to spread awareness about the condition among people to help those who were oblivious.
“She never wanted anyone to have to naively be in pain without answers. Just too much time was spent like that for both of us,” Dern told People Magazine, adding that she made her promise to carry on this cause of spreading awareness.
The Jurassic Park actress is now devoted to fulfil her promise to Ladd, which when asked how it came about, Dern laughingly told the outlet, “We're talking about Diane Ladd! It was a demand. 'm privileged to be able to fulfil it and I care deeply as well, but no, it was a required want to make a difference.”
While there wasn’t much the Blue Valentine actress could do to save her mom from the chronic illness, she shared that they used to take short walks together.
The conversations they had during those walks took the shape of the duo’s memoir, Honey, Baby, Mine, which was released in 2023.