Sometimes, the strongest hearts are the ones that broke the most.
Beloved Hollywood actress Diane Ladd, known for Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore and Wild at Heart, has passed away peacefully at 89 in her California home. Her daughter, Laura Dern, held her hand in those final moments. “She’s flying with her angels now,” Laura said through tears.
Ladd’s life was a tapestry of brilliance and heartbreak. She once shared a deep love with actor Bruce Dern, but tragedy struck when their 18-month-old daughter drowned. “You never get over that,” she once confessed. “A child isn’t supposed to die before the parent.” The grief tore their marriage apart, yet years later, the two stood side by side again—this time beside Laura—immortalized with adjoining stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
After two painful divorces, Ladd finally found peace with her third husband, Robert Hunter, a former executive who became her creative partner and quiet anchor. Together, they built a life filled with laughter, art, and gratitude—until his passing earlier this year.
In her last years, Ladd often said love was her greatest role. And maybe that’s her truest legacy: to keep loving, even after loss tries to take it away.
What do you think — can love really outlast a lifetime?
