Laura Dern’s 2 Children: All About Ellery Walker and Jaya

Laura Dern feels honored to be the mother of her two children: Ellery Walker and Jay.

The Big little lies star and her ex, Grammy-winning musician Ben Harper, welcomed their first child together, Ellery Walker, in 2001. Three years later, they celebrated the arrival of their daughter Jaya. The couple married in 2005 before eventually splitting in 2013.

In 2020, Dern won a Golden Globe for her role in Marriage storyin which she plays a divorce lawyer, after which she told reporters that her own divorce helped shape her performance.

“My incredible children, born of love despite the breakup of our marriage… we are so privileged to redefine what family looks like,” said the actress.

Over the years, Dern has been open about the struggles of being a single mother and how motherhood has given her more confidence as a person and as a professional.

“The more I learn about my mistakes as a mother, the deeper I enjoy how completely I love my children,” she said in an interview with In style. “This is the first time in my life that I am ambitious because I am a single parent. Raising kids gave me enough street cred to feel like I deserved the right to earn.”

Laura Dern and her children: Ellery Walker and Jaya.

Laura Dern on Instagram

Dern may be an open book, but when it comes to her children, she prefers to keep some privacy. “I will always protect my children by keeping the things that are dear to the three of us a mystery,” Palm Royale said the star In style.

Still, her Instagram regularly features throwback photos of her family and loving messages, like a sweet post she shared on Mother’s Day 2022. “Thank you both for the gift of loving you,” she wrote alongside a picture of her childhood children.

Here’s everything you need to know about Laura Dern’s children: Ellery Walker and Jay.

Ellery Walker Harper, 23

Laura Dern and Ellery Walker Harper at the Calvin Klein Collection during New York Fashion Week on February 13, 2018 in New York City.

Jamie McCarthy/Getty

Dern met Harper in 2000 at a music concert, and a year later, the couple welcomed their first child together, Ellery Walker Harper, on August 21, 2001.

Shortly after his birth, Ellery had to undergo surgery, and while Dern didn’t reveal the details at the time, she recalled the moment in a 2017 interview with Refinery29.

“My son had surgery at birth and it was life-threatening,” she told the newspaper. “We were in fear. I sat in rooms with families who didn’t have an easy time knowing if they could get health care or not.”

Since then, Ellery has slowly come into the limelight as a model and musician. He made his catwalk debut at New York Fashion Week 2018 at Raf Simon’s Calvin Klein show, and now he’s following in his dad’s footsteps with music.

Laura Dern and son Ellery Walker Harper at the screening of “Nebraska” during AFI FEST on November 11, 2013 in Hollywood, California.

Valerie Macon/Getty

In 2021, Ellery released his first EP, Lost at seaunder the pseudonym Crazy Mike and followed it up with his 2022 single, “Ace Hotel”.

During the performance at The Ellen DeGeneres Show In 2022, Dern talked about his talent, telling host Ellen DeGeneres, “He graduated, he’s doing amazing, and now he’s making amazing music.”

The Jurassic Park star also shared how she had a special birthday present for Ellery when he turned 20 — she jumped into the North Sea in England for him. She told DeGeneres that it was “the coolest experience [she] ever had”, but she wanted to do something special for her son.

“I jumped in because he loves the ocean, he wanted to be there and he loves to surf,” Dern explained. “This will be my act of bravery for him because he always makes fun of me.”

When she takes a break from being creative, Ellery joins her mom at various red carpet events, including Paris Fashion Week, the Academy Awards and movie premieres.

Jaya Harper, 19

Laura Dern and her daughter Jaya Harper at the Los Angeles Special Screening of “Common Ground” on January 11, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California.

Gregg DeGuire/Variety/Getty

Dern and Harper welcomed their second child together, daughter Jaya Harper, on November 28, 2004.

Like her older brother, Jaya is interested in the entertainment industry, especially when it comes to acting. Her aspirations will make her a third-generation actor, after her mom and grandparents, Bruce Dern and Diana Ladd.

“There’s something very moving about it,” Dern continued The Ellen DeGeneres Show, adding, “And perhaps, if he does, we shall have the privilege of working together.”

All about Laura Dern’s famous parents, Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd

However, she admitted she was “basically making her wait”, saying she wanted her daughter, then 17, to focus on school.

Apart from acting, Jaya is also an activist, following in the footsteps of her mother, who was involved in several actions. When Jaya was 12, Dern spoke to Refinery29 about how much she learned from her daughter’s activism. The mother-daughter pair worked together to promote the Global Moms Relay, a social media movement that donated proceeds to uplift women around the world.

Laura Dern and her daughter Jaya Harper attend the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar Party on March 12, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California.

Jon Kopaloff/Getty

“She teaches me in a really profound way, as a model: ‘You don’t wait for the country to change; you start a revolution right here,’” Dern explained in 2017.

The actress continued:[Around the election,] it was amazing to watch [her] generations, especially girls, want to get involved. Surprisingly, it’s a very exciting time, as a mother, to see a generation of girls feeling empowered in a way that we haven’t been.”

When Jaya turned 18 in 2022, Dern celebrated with a heartfelt post on Instagram. “Every day you teach me about what it means to be a sincere and deep empath, an artist and an activist. I love you in everything,” she wrote alongside a photo carousel that featured pictures of Jaya over the years.

The following month, Dern and Jaya celebrated Christmas by getting the matching words “go long” tattooed, after which a paper airplane took off. They were accompanied by Ellery, as well as longtime friends Courtney Cox and her daughter Coco.

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Source: HIS Education