Longtime Hallmark star Barbara Niven took several days to come to grips with the death of legendary actress Diane Ladd before sharing publicly how heartbroken she was to lose her beloved friend and former co-star.
On November 8, 2025, Niven shared a lengthy and powerful post devoted to Ladd, with whom she co-starred on six seasons of Hallmark Channel’s “Chesapeake Shores” from 2016 to 2022, noting that it was “one of the hardest posts I’ve ever had to write.”
“Maybe that’s because if I write it down, it is more real,” the “Hannah Swensen Mysteries” star suggested. “Diane Ladd passed away this past week, and I still can’t wrap my mind around it. Heaven gained an angel, but the world lost one of its brightest lights.”
Barbara Niven Says She ‘Can’t Believe’ She’ll Never Hear Diane Ladd Say Her Name Again
Ladd died on November 3 at age 89. In addition to many esteemed roles in movies and TV, she played family matriarch Nell O’Brien on “Chesapeake Shores,” mother of Mick O’Brien, played by the late Treat Williams. Niven portrayed Mick’s wife, Megan O’Brien.
In her emotional tribute to Ladd, Niven featured a framed photo of them together and wrote, “Diane was more than just a friend. She was my mentor, my spiritual teacher, my adventure buddy, and my family from day one when we started Chesapeake Shores together.”
Recalling filming with Ladd on Vancouver Island, Niven wrote, “Each season she lived in the hotel room right next-door to me on the island, and we would be knocking on each other‘s door ten times a day to share food, to share a meditation, or just to talk about our families.”
“She was a Force and a Warrior, the strongest and most vital person I ever met,” Niven continued. “She was a creative genius until the very end, still planning her next book and her next role, always vibrantly alive. I can’t believe I will never hear her say my name again in that strong southern accent of hers.”
“My heart goes out to Laura and her family,” Niven wrote of Ladd’s Oscar-winning daughter, Laura Dern, “and to all the people she touched personally and through her work. May we take the lessons we learned from her and pay them forward to keep creating change to make this world better.”
At the end of Niven’s post about Ladd, she wrote, “We always talked about the after life, and believed in the angels around us. And now she knows it is true. She is one of them. I will miss you, my friend, but I will see you when I get to the other side too. Until then, as you always said… ‘Love and Light’. Forever. 😇❤️”
Barbara Niven Also Lost Her TV Husband, Treat Williams, in 2023
HallmarkNiven has experienced quite a bit of loss since “Chesapeake Shores” wrapped after its sixth season. Sadly, she lost her TV husband the following year when Williams died in June 2023 after a motorcycle collision in rural Connecticut. In an Instagram post at the time, Niven called the tragedy an “unexpected and immense loss.”
“Treat lived large and savored every bit of life,” she continued. “He loved his craft and it was an honor to spend six years with him on Chesapeake Shores. He truly was the patriarch of our family, both on and off the set.”
In July 2024, she shared with her followers that she’d just lost another dear friend, writing, “Life is short. If you are not doing what you love or being with the people that you love, please fix it. If there’s someone you need to speak to, do it now. We never know how much time we have, and you don’t want any regrets. ❤️”
Niven, who plays Alison Sweeney’s mom in Hallmark’s “Hannah Swensen Mysteries,” also went through the heartbreak of losing her beloved dog Tinkerbell in September 2025. In a Facebook video, she shared a tradition she started to honor those she’d lost and keep them close. When a person or animal she loves passes away, she said, she now buys windchimes to hang in her yard so that she can think of them anytime the wind blows.
Barbara, So sorry you lost your mentor and friend – your post was awesome.
Love you in your series The Hannah Swenson Mysteries.
I am so sorry on this latest loss of you dear friend Diane Ladd!! Prayers go out to you in this time of sudden loss!! It hurts, but know you are loved & cared for!! May God be with you always!!🙏🙏🙏
I’ve been following your blog for some time now, and I’m consistently blown away by the quality of your content. Your ability to tackle complex topics with ease is truly admirable.
I miss Treat Williams. In looks and personality – he reminded me of my own dad, RIP. Two years later, I still can’t believe he passed away. I prayed for his recovery and end to his significant suffering. Please correct the posting of generalized location – he was in southern rural Vermont when the tragedy occurred. He was airlifted to Albany Medical Center, in Albany, NY, a prominent, advanced medical center and teaching college, where he died shortly thereafter. I grew up near Albany and attended college nearby. My family still lives in the area; I visit regularly. I still react when I remember he’s not with us as he once was.
Rest in Peace, Treat.