The official cause of death for Oscar-nominated actress Diane Ladd, the mother of fellow actress Laura Dern, has been revealed. According to a death certificate obtained by People magazine, Ladd, who was 89 at the time of her passing on November 3, succumbed to "acute on chronic hypoxic respiratory failure." As explained by the Cleveland Clinic, respiratory failure occurs when there is "not enough oxygen or too much carbon dioxide" in a person's body. This health issue can manifest either acutely (all at once) or chronically (gradually over time).
USA TODAY reached out to representatives for both Ladd and Dern for further comment. The actress's death certificate noted that she had been suffering from interstitial lung disease in the years leading up to her demise. Additionally, esophageal dysmotility, a type of digestive disorder, was listed as a significant contributing factor to her death.
Ladd, who died at her home in Ojai, California, was cremated on November 10, as reported by People. Born in Laurel, Mississippi, Ladd began her acting career in the late 1950s on TV crime series such as "Decoy" and "Naked City." She worked steadily for the next decade before achieving big-screen success as prostitute Ida Sessions in Roman Polanski's classic film noir "Chinatown" in 1974 and as Chevy Chase's exceedingly proud mom in "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" in 1989.
Ladd married actor Bruce Dern in 1960 and divorced nine years later. They had two daughters, Laura and Diane, with the latter passing away at just 18 months old after a tragic pool accident. The mother-daughter duo collaborated on films and TV shows such as the dark comedy "Wild at Heart," the period drama "Rambling Rose," David Lynch's surreal "Inland Empire," and the HBO dramedy "Enlightened."
Dern shared the news of her mother's death on November 3 in an emotional statement to The Hollywood Reporter. "My amazing hero and my profound gift of a mother, Diane Ladd, passed with me beside her this morning," said Dern, 58. "She was the greatest daughter, mother, grandmother, actress, artist, and empathetic spirit that only dreams could have seemingly created." She added, "We were blessed to have her. She is now flying with her angels."
