Laura Dern Says It’s ‘Tragic’ to Hear 21-Year-Old Daughter’s Friends Say They ‘Should Get’ Injectables Now

NEED TO KNOW

• Laura Dern told The Independent that her 21-year-old daughter’s friends say they should get Botox preventatively

• “It’s so much worse now than for my mother’s generation,” the actress reflected

• Dern shares Jaya and son Ellery Harper with her ex-husband Ben Harper

Laura Dern is not holding back her thoughts about the pressures on women in Hollywood and beyond.

In an interview with The Independent published on Saturday, Jan. 31, the star opened up about topic while discussing being raised in the industry (her parents are actors Bruce Dern and Diana Ladd), and explained why she thinks the current generation has it the hardest.

“But it’s so much worse now than for my mother’s generation,” the actress, 58, said. “I remember, when I was a child, hearing her friends talk about the pressure at 70 to get a facelift if you wanted to keep working. But now I’m hearing my 21-year-old daughter’s friends say, ‘You should get Botox now so that you’re never wrinkled.'”

“It’s tragic!” the Jurassic Park actress added. “So the idea that we’re advancing in empowerment is bats—. And these are societal norms that have been created, most of the time, from people’s fears and insecurities.”

Jaya Harper and Laura Dern.

Theo Wargo/Getty

Dern continued that the pressures on women are rooted in “consumerism.”

“It’s like the tobacco industry saying smoking looks cool,” she said. “Look at the Marlboro Man! They’re just making money. They’re saying we’ll have a whole generation of girls buying our products if we say it’s ‘preventative’. But we’re supposed to be the ones to not buy into it, right?”

Dern shares Jaya and son Ellery Harper with her ex-husband, Grammy-winning musician Ben Harper.

In March 2022, the Big Little Lies actress appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show where she opened up about Jaya’s ambition to be an actress. Dern told host Ellen DeGeneres that she’s excited for Jaya to eventually be the family’s third generation of actors following herself and her parents.

“There is something very moving about it,” she explained at the time. “Jaya’s 17 and I started very young at 11 but I’m so happy that she’s waiting and wants to go to school but really knows in her heart she wants to act.”

“And maybe if she does, we’ll end up having the privilege of working together,” Dern added.

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Meanwhile, the mother-daughter duo have had the opportunity to make public appearances together.

In September 2025, the actress and her daughter stepped out for Ralph Lauren’s Spring 2025 show during New York Fashion Week, sharing a moment on the red carpet.

Jaya Harper and Laura Dern.

Jamie McCarthy/Getty

Dern embraced the season in a multicolor floral-print dress with a sheer bodice, ruffled detail around the bust and a pleated skirt. She accessorized with a black leather belt and black clutch purse. Her blonde hair was styled in loose, tousled waves with curtain bangs.

Jaya opted for a simple white top and high-waisted black trousers and a Western-style belt. She added a camel-colored fringed leather jacket over top. She also carried a small handbag and had her curls on display.

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Following the 2023 Oscars, Dern and Jaya appeared at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party.

Both Dern and Jaya wore sequin-detailed silver looks for the star-studded event. The actress went for a shimmering silver cardigan with black sequin pants while her daughter wore a gown that featured silver and blue beading.

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