What was Diane Ladd’s cause of death? Details emerge weeks after the Oscar-nominated actress passed away at 89

Diane Ladd died on November 2, 2025, and her official cause of death has been allegedly determined. An exclusive published by PEOPLE on November 17, 2025, claims that according to her death certificate, the Oscar-nominated actress died from acute chronic hypoxic respiratory failure.

Hypoxic respiratory failure is reportedly caused by low oxygen in the blood as a result of an underlying lung condition. The news outlet added that Ladd’s birth certificate revealed that she had battled interstitial lung disease for years.

Another condition listed in the actress's certificate for Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore was Esophageal dysmotility. Ladd was cremated on November 10, 2025.

More details about Diane Ladd, a celebrated actress

Diane Ladd was born in Mississippi. She began singing, dancing and acting from a young age and scored her first film feature in 1966 in The Wild Angels.

She went on to star in several TV shows, including Naked City, Mr Novak and Perry Mason.

She recalled an incident during the shooting of her first film and praised her co-actors for their bravery. She told PEOPLE:

"I remember when we were filming Wild Angels, my very first film, we were practically children back then. It was a foggy night, and some bikers came up the mountain and threatened to tie Peter and another crew member to a generator... [but] Peter and Bruce Dern protected us and led us all to safety. His courage always shone through like that."

Her first Academy Award nomination came for her impressive performance in Martin Scorsese's Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. 

She earned a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in the movie spinoff Alice.

Laura Dern followed in her mother's footsteps, starring in several movies alongside her.

Their first film together was Wild at Heart, for which Ladd was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars for a second time.

Lardd wed her Wild Angels co-star Bruce Dern in 1960. They had two daughters, Diane and Laura, before their divorce. She was married to William A. Shea Jr from 1969 to 1976.

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