Two weeks after the death of Oscar-nominated actress Diane Ladd, the cause of her death has been confirmed: chronic hypoxic respiratory failure.
Ladd’s cause of death was listed on his death certificate, which was obtained and reviewed by People on Monday. The document states that the famous actress died of acute chronic hypoxic respiratory failure with contributing factors interstitial lung disease and esophageal dysmotility also cited. She was cremated on November 10.
The Cleveland Clinic notes that hypoxic respiratory failure “occurs when you don’t have enough oxygen in your blood,” noting that “heart and lung disease are the most common causes.”
According to Ladd’s death certificate, she suffered from interstitial lung disease before her death.
Ladd, a prolific actress whose six-decade career included Oscar-nominated performances in “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” and “Wild at Heart,” died at the age of 89 while at her home in Ojai, California, on November 3. Her daughter Laura Dern shared the news and remembered her as her “amazing hero” and her “profound gift of a mother.”
“She was the greatest daughter, mother, grandmother, actress, artist and empathetic spirit that only dreams could have created,” Dern said in a statement at the time. “We were lucky to have her…She’s flying with her angels now.”
Ladd’s ex-husband, Bruce Dern, also paid tribute to the actress following her passing. “Diane was a wonderful actress and I feel like she was a bit of a ‘hidden treasure’ until she met David Lynch,” he noted. “When he cast her as Laura’s mother in ‘Wild at Heart,’ it was as if the world truly understood her genius. She was invaluable as a SAG board member for several decades, providing the perspective of a true actress.”
He continued, “She lived a beautiful life. She saw everything for what it was. She was a great teammate to her fellow actors. She was funny, smart, lovable. But more importantly to me, she was a wonderful mother to our incredible prodigy daughter. And for that, I will be forever grateful.”
In addition to Dern, Ladd was also married to William Shea Jr. from 1969 to 1977 and Robert Charles Hunter from 1999 until his death earlier this year.
