Meet Robert's Wife, Diane, Inside American Star's Marriage With PepsiCo's CEO And Past Relationships

Author and former CEO of PepsiCo, Robert Charles Hunter, said goodbye to the world on July 31, 2025. The businessman was visiting his family in Texas when he lost his life. While no cause of death has been disclosed, the loss has come as a massive shock for the people in the business industry and an even bigger heartbreak for his wife, Diane Ladd.

The duo had been married for 26 years, and despite being from two extremely different worlds, they shared a happy married life. However, it took them a while to find each other in the big world. So, as the world processes the loss of the great businessman, let us share the story of Diane and Robert with you.

Diane Ladd and Robert Charles Hunter's late-life love story

Diane Ladd is an actress, while Robert was a corporate veteran; hence, it took a while for their paths to cross, but once they did, it was marked by mutual respect, love and collaboration between the two. While there are no details of how their stars aligned, Robert and Diane tied the knot on Valentine's Day in 1999, at the actress Connie Stevens' Bel Air home, and the rest for them was history. Diane entered the marriage with her daughter, Laura Dern, and Robert soon aced the role of a supportive stepfather. While they didn't have any children together, their shared love was enough to make them a complete family. 

Diane Ladd and Robert Charles Hunter's final chapter

Two and a half decades together were filled with love and respect for Diane and Robert. Despite their extremely different paths, they were able to bring a beautiful home together. Unfortunately, their journey together came to an end in the mortal world, where Robert took his final breath at the age of 77. His family, in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter, revealed that he was visiting his family in Texas when the tragedy happened. So far, there hasn't been any news of what happened to the businessman or when his funeral or memorial will take place. 

Diane Ladd's first marriage to Bruce Dern

While Diane Ladd found her happy home with Robert Charles Hunter, she was married twice before she met her soulmate. According to reports, Diane was married to actor, Bruce Dern in the 1960s, decades before she met Robert. Interestingly, he was also the only person she had married from the industry, as her second husband was also a businessman. Despite being divorced, Diane and Bruce share a friendly bond. However, it was not always so for the couple.

Diane Ladd and Bruce Dern have often celebrated holidays with their blended families and their respective spouses. Taking from her experience, Diane has also shared all of her wisdom when it comes to love, marriage and more in a book written with Laura called Honey, Baby, Mine, published in April 2023. Coming to her relationship with Bruce, the actor hailed from Chicago with a talent for running, but after failing to qualify for the Olympics in 1956, he pursued a career in acting.

Bruce Dern performed in several theatrical productions in Philadelphia and New York City, where he first crossed paths with a young actress named Diane Ladd. They met working on an off-Broadway production of Orpheus Descending. She was a gorgeous young woman, and the pair decided to get married in 1960, just a few months after their first meeting. They soon welcomed their little princess, Diane Elizabeth Dern, in November 1960, but unfortunately, she passed away in a frightening drowning incident in May 1962, at only eighteen months old, while in the care of a housekeeper.

The accident shook Diane and Bruce's marriage. However, they gave parenthood another go and welcomed another daughter, Laura, five years later in 1967. However, the incident had already done its damage and 'tore them apart'. The couple got a divorce in 1969, after which the duo hardly spoke to each other. Nonetheless, their love for their craft helped them mend those bridges and become good friends. They reconnected in 1989 on the set of Wild at Heart, which starred Diane and Laura, and later filmed Mrs. Munck together.

Diane Ladd's second marriage to William A. Shea 

Diane Ladd married businessman, William A. Shea the same year she divorced Bruce Dern. The businessman's father, William A. Shea Sr., was the namesake of the New York Mets' Shea Stadium. According to a report by The New York Times, their marriage was short-lived, and the duo split after a decade in 1977. Around the same time, Diane spoke about her first two husbands and the end of those relationships and shared with The New York Times that neither of them knew how to show love. She was quoted as saying:

"I married two men, Bruce and Bill, neither of whom knows how to show love, and I come from the South and from a man, my father, who gave me rocking chair love. My people pass love around and that is why I selected two men who needed someone to give love and didn’t know how to give it ... I hope I won’t repeat that again."

Diane Ladd found her forever with Robert Charles Hunter. However, it took a lot for her to get there. What are your thoughts on her marriages? Let us know.

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