Diane Ladd's Spouse Robert Charles Hunter Is Her 3rd Although She Only Had Kids with Her 1st Husband

Academy Award nominee Diane Ladd's spouse is Robert Charles Hunter, whom she has been married to for decades. However, the couple does not have children together.

Veteran actress Diane Ladd, who knew by the time she turned 13 that she wanted to act, is best known for her role as Flo in the romantic comedy "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore." She has appeared in over 200 films and television shows.

Ladd's love life is just as eventful as her acting career. She has been married three times and is currently in her third marriage with Robert Charles Hunter. The now 88-year-old is a mom of two.

Ladd's First Marriage with Bruce Dern Filled with Tragedy & Struggles

Ladd first walked down the aisle with fellow actor Bruce Dern, whom she wed in 1960. Dern is a two-time Oscar nominee who has starred opposite Matthew McConaughey in "White Boy Rick" and Jane Fonda in "Our Souls at Night."

The Chicago native and Ladd welcomed two children together within their union. Their eldest child, daughter Diane Elizabeth Dern, was born a year after they got hitched in 1961.

The Hollywood couple became parents again when they had their second child, daughter Laura Elizabeth Dern, several years later in 1967. Sadly, Ladd and Dern lost their older daughter Diane at 18 months old after she sustained a head injury from falling into a swimming pool.

Apart from being a husband-and-wife-duo and parents, the pair worked together, too. Ladd discussed working side-by-side with Dern in her biography "Spiraling Through the School of Life," wherein she raved about his acting skills:

"I can only tell you that he's one of the most incredibly brilliant actors to ever come out of this country."

The pair have starred alongside legendary actors, including Robert DeNiro, Robert Duvall, and Jack Nicholson. Overall, Ladd, who turned down a scholarship at Louisiana State University to pursue acting in New York City, appeared in three movies with Dern, including: "Mrs Munck," "Rebel Rousers" and "The Wild Angels."

The BAFTA Award winner appeared in two plays, "Only the Good Die Young" and "Orpheus Descending." Ladd met Dern while working on "Orpheus Descending," where he was the replacement of a male lead actor and where she made her off-Broadway debut in the revival.

The mother of two, whose talents were discovered by the age of 16, explained they were too young when they fell in love with each other. He made her laugh even in difficult times, and they endured financial challenges together.

However, after nine years of marriage, the couple divorced in 1969. Dern and Ladd split when their younger daughter Laura was only two years old. She grew up to be an actress, producer, and writer.

Amid their divorce, Ladd admitted she did not harbor any resentment toward her former spouse, nor did she wish him any ill. She wanted him to be the best version of himself, not only for him but for her and their only living daughter, Laura.

The award-winning Mississippi native, who appeared in the 2011 drama series, "Enlightened," with actors Luke Wilson and Sarah Burns, further emphasized that her bond with Dern would always be there because he is the father of her beloved children.

Diane Ladd's Second Husband Was William A. Shea, Jr

The same year her marriage to Dern ended in divorce, Ladd remarried to William A. Shea, Jr. He is reportedly the son of the man whom the Shea Stadium is named after. Unlike his wife, Shea is not part of the entertainment industry; he is a businessman. His partner's career gained momentum during their union when she appeared in "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore " in 1974.

The role earned Ladd her first Academy Award nomination for supporting actress. Five years into her marriage with Hunter, she was nominated twice more for an Oscar for her stints in 1991's "Wild at Heart" and "Rambling Rose." Following eight years of matrimony, Ladd and Shea divorced in 1977.

Diane Ladd Is Happily Married to Her Third Husband Robert Charles Hunter —The Couple Are Grandparents

Having two failed marriages, Ladd tied the knot for the third time 22 years after her second union ended. She wed Robert Charles Hunter in February 1999.

Hunter is a former PepsiCo Food Systems CEO who dabbled in acting like his famous wife. He appeared in the 2006 film, "Inland Empire," alongside Ladd, Justin Theroux and Naomi Watts.

Hunter's longtime wife gushed about their love story in her biography. Although she revealed that she has reservations about love at first sight, Ladd admitted her partner's presence in her life was special:

"In 1999, I found a soul mate when Texas native Robert Charles Hunter entered my life. Honey, it's a humdinger of a story."

The couple crossed paths in Sedona, Arizona, a location she described as "one of the most spiritual spots in this country." Ladd explained Hunter was there for some self-introspection as he had been divorced two years at the time and had retired at age 50.

He knew there was more to life and went out looking for what could be. According to Ladd, her future husband wanted to find his soul and had visited Arizona specifically for a course called "The Sedona Intensive."

After meeting, the pair established a romantic relationship and have been happily married since then. Ladd and her beloved spouse, Hunter, have attended several Hollywood events together over the years.

In 2004, they stepped out together for the Vision Awards, and several years later, the lovebirds attended Ladd's Hollywood Walk of Fame induction ceremony in 2010.

Although the stars do not have children together, they are grandparents. "The Chesapeake Shores" alum admitted in a September 2017 interview how much she enjoys being a grandparent with Hunter.

However, the movie star revealed that she does not like being called "Grandma." She also divulged, "I have eight grandchildren and two step-grandchildren, and I love them all." Ladd and her longtime spouse, Hunter, have been married for 24 years.