Diane Lou Oswald is best known as the mother of actor Woody Harrelson. She was a legal secretary who raised three sons, Jordan, Woody, and Brett, after her 1964 divorce from Charles Voyde Harrelson.
Unlike her son, Diane has largely stayed out of the public eye. Most of the reliable information about her comes from biographies and interviews about Woody Harrelson, along with historical records concerning her former husband. That limited paper trail is important because many websites publish precise personal details about Diane that are not independently established.
Quick Facts About Diane Lou Oswald
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Diane Lou Oswald |
| Also known as | Diane Harrelson |
| Known for | Mother of Woody Harrelson |
| Hometown | Lebanon, Ohio |
| Education | Lebanon High School, Class of 1955 |
| Occupation | Legal secretary |
| Former husband | Charles Voyde Harrelson |
| Marriage | February 26, 1958 |
| Divorce | 1964 |
| Children | Jordan Kenneth, Woodrow “Woody” Tracy, and Brett V. Harrelson |
| Public profile | Largely private |
| Birth information | 1937 is commonly reported, but the exact date is not well established in authoritative biographical sources |
The Texas State Historical Association provides the marriage, divorce, and children information, while Dayton Daily News identifies Lebanon as Diane’s hometown and reports that she graduated from Lebanon High School in 1955.
Early Life and Ohio Roots
Diane Lou Oswald came from Lebanon, a city in Warren County, Ohio. Local reporting identifies her as a member of Lebanon High School’s Class of 1955. Her connection to the town later became important to her sons because the family moved there after her marriage ended.
The publicly available record about her childhood is surprisingly thin. Unlike Woody, Diane did not build a career in entertainment or maintain a public professional profile, so there are few detailed interviews covering her early years.
Some genealogical records identify her parents as Kenneth Earl Oswald and Mary Lou Lauterwasser and place her birth year in 1937. Those records are useful clues, but they should not be treated as equivalent to a detailed official biography.
Diane Lou Oswald and Charles Harrelson
Diane married Charles Voyde Harrelson in Pasadena, Texas, on February 26, 1958. The Texas State Historical Association records that the couple had three sons: Jordan Kenneth, Woodrow “Woody” Tracy, and Brett V. Harrelson. They divorced in 1964.
Charles Harrelson later became known for serious criminal cases and was ultimately convicted in the 1979 killing of U.S. District Judge John H. Wood Jr. The Texas State Historical Association documents those events separately from Diane’s biography.
It is important not to blur the two stories. Charles’s criminal record is a major reason the Harrelson family attracted public attention, but there is no evidence in the sources reviewed that Diane participated in his crimes.
Raising Woody, Jordan and Brett
Motherhood is the central part of Diane Lou Oswald’s documented public story.
After the divorce, Diane and her three sons moved to Lebanon, Ohio. Woody later described her as the parent who carried the household, while other profiles of the family likewise identify her as a working legal secretary who raised the boys.
In a 2023 interview with Esquire, Woody spoke unusually openly about what his mother had done for the family. He described her as a full-time working mother who managed the household on a relatively small salary while dealing with the needs of three children. He specifically identified her occupation as a legal secretary.
That account provides more useful insight into Diane’s life than many of the biographical websites that simply repeat a birth date, height or residence without showing where the information came from.
How Diane Influenced Woody Harrelson
Woody Harrelson has repeatedly credited his mother with shaping his values.
In a 2018 interview with The Guardian, Harrelson said Diane was a major influence on him and taught him important lessons about how to treat other people and behave honorably. He also described her as a role model who remained influential in his life.
His comments in Esquire five years later added a practical side to that influence. Rather than focusing only on moral lessons, he talked about the effort involved in working full time while raising the family with limited financial resources.
These are Woody’s own assessments, rather than an outside judgment about Diane’s parenting. Still, they are among the strongest available sources for understanding how her son remembers her role in his childhood.
Diane Lou Oswald’s Relationship With Her Sons
Diane’s three sons took different paths.
Woody became the internationally known actor, first gaining widespread attention as Woody Boyd on Cheers and later appearing in films including White Men Can’t Jump, Natural Born Killers, No Country for Old Men, The Messenger and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Brett Harrelson also became an actor. Jordan Harrelson has largely lived outside the entertainment spotlight.
For Diane, however, fame appears to have remained secondary. Public coverage continues to describe her mainly through her role as the mother of the three Harrelson brothers rather than through a separate celebrity career.
Is Diane Lou Oswald Related to Lee Harvey Oswald?
The surname understandably causes confusion, but the available records do not establish a family relationship between Diane Lou Oswald and Lee Harvey Oswald.
Diane’s documented parents are Kenneth Earl Oswald and Mary Lou Lauterwasser. Historical records concerning Lee Harvey Oswald identify his parents as Robert Edward Lee Oswald and Marguerite Oswald.
A shared surname by itself is not evidence of kinship. No reliable genealogical or historical source located for this article documents a connection between the two families.
What Is Known About Diane Lou Oswald Today?
Diane has maintained a much lower public profile than her son, which makes current personal details difficult to verify.
Established profiles continue to identify her as Woody Harrelson’s mother and describe the long-term influence she had on his upbringing, but reliable reporting does not provide a detailed, current account of her day-to-day life, residence or activities.
For that reason, claims online about her exact current age, residence or other private details should be treated cautiously unless they can be traced to a strong source.
Why Diane Lou Oswald’s Story Still Draws Interest
Diane’s public story sits between two much larger narratives: Woody Harrelson’s Hollywood career and Charles Harrelson’s criminal history.
The most consistently documented facts are simpler. Diane was a Lebanon, Ohio, woman who married Charles Harrelson in 1958, had three sons with him, divorced him in 1964, worked as a legal secretary and played the primary parental role in Woody’s childhood.
Her son’s own recollections give the clearest picture of why she remains relevant. Woody has described her not because she sought fame, but because of the lasting influence he believes she had on his character and upbringing.
FAQs
Who is Diane Lou Oswald?
Diane Lou Oswald, also known as Diane Harrelson, is the mother of actor Woody Harrelson and his brothers Jordan and Brett. She worked as a legal secretary and raised her sons after divorcing Charles Harrelson in 1964.
When did Diane Lou Oswald marry Charles Harrelson?
According to the Texas State Historical Association, Diane Lou Oswald married Charles Voyde Harrelson on February 26, 1958, in Pasadena, Texas.
How many children did Diane Lou Oswald have?
Diane and Charles Harrelson had three sons: Jordan Kenneth Harrelson, Woodrow “Woody” Tracy Harrelson, and Brett V. Harrelson.
What did Diane Lou Oswald do for a living?
Reliable biographical sources describe Diane as a legal secretary. Woody Harrelson also referred to her as a legal secretary when discussing how she supported the family while working full time.
Is Diane Lou Oswald related to Lee Harvey Oswald?
No documented family relationship was found in the reliable sources reviewed. Diane’s documented parents were Kenneth Earl Oswald and Mary Lou Lauterwasser, while Lee Harvey Oswald’s parents were Robert Edward Lee Oswald and Marguerite Oswald.
Is Diane Lou Oswald still alive?
Her current status is not clearly documented in the reliable public sources reviewed for this article. Current online claims about her private life should therefore be treated cautiously rather than presented as confirmed fact.
Source list
- Texas State Historical Association: Harrelson, Charles Voyde, Access Date: September 17, 2026
- The Guardian: Woody Harrelson: ‘I used to have my head up my ass’, Access Date: September 17, 2026
- Esquire: Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux on ‘White House Plumbers,’ Watergate, and What’s Next, Access Date: September 17, 2026
- Dayton Daily News: Before Woody Harrelson became a star, he was the Lebanon HS ‘class flirt’, Access Date: September 17, 2026
- Biography.com: Woody Harrelson: Biography, Actor, 2024 Golden Globe Nominee, Access Date: September 17, 2026
- People: All About Woody Harrelson’s Parents, Charles and Diane Harrelson, Access Date: September 17, 2026
- National Archives: Appendix 13, Warren Commission Report, Access Date: September 17, 2026
- FamilySearch: Mary Lou Lauterwasser (1915–2000), Access Date: September 17, 2026
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