Diane Lou Oswald is the mother of actor Woody Harrelson, best known for raising him and his two brothers largely on her own after her marriage ended. She was born in 1937 in Lebanon, Ohio, and spent most of her adult life working as a secretary. Her former husband, Charles Voyde Harrelson, later became a convicted contract killer, which forced Diane into single parenthood during a period when that carried real financial and social strain.
She raised Woody, Brett, and Jordan largely through her own effort, grounded in Presbyterian faith and steady work. She has never sought public attention, and most of what is known about her comes from interviews her son has given over the years. This profile lays out what has actually been confirmed about her life, her marriage, and her lasting influence on Hollywood’s most grounded leading man.
Diane Lou Oswald: Quick Facts
Sources disagree on her exact birth year. Most place it at 1937, though a smaller number of records list 1940. The table below reflects the more commonly cited figures.
| Detail | Information |
| Full Name | Diane Lou Oswald (also Diane Lou Harrelson) |
| Born | 1937, Lebanon, Warren County, Ohio |
| Nationality | American |
| Religion | Presbyterian |
| Occupation | Secretary, Legal Secretary |
| Former Husband | Charles Voyde Harrelson (married 1959, divorced 1964) |
| Children | Woody Harrelson, Brett Harrelson, Jordan Harrelson |
| Grandchildren | Deni Harrelson, Zoe Harrelson, Makani Harrelson |
| Current Residence | Lebanon, Ohio |
| Net Worth | Not publicly disclosed |
Early Life and Background
Diane grew up in Lebanon, a small town in Warren County, Ohio. She was raised there through the 1940s and into the 1950s, a period still shaped by the aftermath of the Great Depression and, later, World War II. Her parents, Kenneth Oswald and Mary Lou Oswald, raised her within the Presbyterian faith and instilled values around honesty, humility, and hard work.
Lebanon itself shaped much of her outlook. It was a tight-knit Midwestern community where church attendance and neighborly involvement were part of everyday life. That community-centered upbringing built the resilience and sense of responsibility she would rely on decades later.
Education and Career
Diane built a career as a legal secretary, a role that required precision, confidentiality, and strong organizational skills. Legal secretaries typically handle sensitive documents, coordinate schedules, and support attorneys directly, work that demands consistency and professionalism.
That career gave her more than a paycheck. It gave her financial independence at a time when career options for women were limited, and it later became the steady income that carried her family through hard years as a single mother.
Physical Appearance and Age
Diane has kept her personal life, including physical details, almost entirely private. Some sources list her height around 5 feet 6 inches, but this figure has never been independently confirmed and should be treated as unverified. Based on a birth year of 1937, she would be roughly 88 to 89 years old as of 2026.
Marriage to Charles Voyde Harrelson
Who Was Charles Voyde Harrelson?
Charles Voyde Harrelson was born in Texas in 1938. Early in his life, he worked as an encyclopedia salesman and was known for his skill at gambling. He met Diane while on leave from the Navy, and the two married in 1959 in Pasadena, Texas. His charm masked a criminal streak that would surface only after the marriage began.
The Marriage and Family Life (1959–1964)
The couple settled in Houston and later Midland, Texas, where they had three sons within a short span. Jordan arrived first, followed by Woodrow “Woody” Tracy Harrelson on July 23, 1961, and Brett soon after. As Charles drifted deeper into criminal activity, the marriage grew unstable. Diane and Charles divorced in 1964, after five years together. Woody was about seven years old at the time, and his father had already been largely absent from the household even before the split became final.
Charles Harrelson’s Crimes and Family Impact
Charles Harrelson’s criminal record escalated steadily after the divorce. He was convicted of armed robbery in 1960 and served time in a California prison. He stood trial for the killing of Alan Harry Berg in 1968 but was acquitted by a jury in Angleton in 1970. That same year, he was tried for the murder of grain dealer Sam Degelia Jr. from Hearne, Texas. The first trial ended without a verdict, but a second trial in 1973 convicted him, and he served part of a fifteen-year sentence before his release in 1978.
Just one year later, in 1979, he was tied to the assassination of federal judge John H. Wood Jr., a case that drew national headlines. He received two life sentences. During a 1980 standoff with police, he claimed involvement in the assassination of John F. Kennedy, a claim he later retracted. Charles died in prison in 2007 following a heart attack. Throughout it all, Diane shielded her sons from the worst details, choosing not to speak negatively about their father even though she had every reason to.
Life as a Single Mother
Raising Three Sons Alone
Diane raised Woody, Brett, and Jordan largely without financial help through the 1960s and into the 1970s, a period offering few resources for single mothers. Her secretarial income covered food, clothing, and a stable home, but money stayed tight for years. That financial pressure shaped a household built on discipline and moral grounding rather than material comfort.
The Move Back to Lebanon, Ohio (1973)
In 1973, when Woody was 12, Diane moved the family back to her hometown of Lebanon, Ohio. The move placed her sons closer to relatives and gave them access to a more stable school environment, away from the public scrutiny tied to their father’s case in Texas. Woody went on to graduate from Lebanon High School in 1979.
Help from Her Mother and Grandmother
Once back in Lebanon, Diane leaned on her own mother and grandmother for support. Woody has described his great-grandmother Polly as lively and full of stories, while his grandmother was quieter but no less influential. That multi-generational household helped Diane manage three boys while working full time.
Diane Lou Oswald’s Children
Woody Harrelson went on to become one of Hollywood’s most recognizable actors, with roles in Natural Born Killers, White Men Can’t Jump, No Country for Old Men, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and The Hunger Games franchise. Brett Harrelson also worked in entertainment, taking on smaller acting roles and later serving as Woody’s assistant. Jordan, the youngest, chose a different path and worked as an insurance broker rather than pursuing acting.
Influence on Woody Harrelson
Woody has repeatedly credited his mother with shaping his character. She raised him around Christian values that emphasized kindness and hard work, and he has said her approval mattered more to him than any award. When he received an Academy Award nomination for The Messenger, he recalled getting a note from Diane simply telling him he had finally arrived, since he was nominated alongside Christopher Plummer.
In a 2018 interview with The Guardian, he credited her for teaching him to treat people honorably, adding that he does not always live up to that lesson but still considers her a role model.
Faith and Religious Values
Diane raised her sons within the Presbyterian church, with regular attendance and Bible study built into their routine. Woody once delivered a sermon at 17 and briefly considered becoming a minister, later attending Hanover College in Indiana on a Presbyterian scholarship. His views shifted as he got older, and he has described the faith as feeling like “Catholic-lite,” with less ritual but the same sense of guilt. Even so, the moral structure Diane built at home stayed with him.
Love for Nature and Environmental Values
Diane also passed on a strong appreciation for nature and the environment. Woody has pointed directly to her influence when explaining his own environmental activism, including his 1997 arrest at an anti-logging protest and his narration work on the 2020 climate documentary Kiss the Ground. That same outlook led him toward veganism, and PETA later named him to its list of Sexiest Vegetarians in 2012.
Relationship With Grandchildren
Diane is grandmother to Deni, Zoe, and Makani Harrelson, all born to Woody and his wife Laura Louie. The family has largely settled in Maui, Hawaii, and has kept the same preference for privacy that has defined Diane’s life for decades.
Is Diane Lou Oswald Related to Lee Harvey Oswald?
No confirmed family connection exists between Diane Lou Oswald and Lee Harvey Oswald, the man tied to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Diane’s parents were Kenneth Oswald and Mary Lou Oswald, while Lee Harvey Oswald’s parents were Robert Edward Lee Oswald Sr. and Marguerite Frances Claverie. The shared surname is coincidental, and the two family lines have no documented overlap.
The Matthew McConaughey Half-Brother Rumor and “Brothers” on Apple TV+
For years, Woody has floated the idea that he and Matthew McConaughey could be half-brothers, based on his father’s brief relationship with McConaughey’s mother. He discussed it publicly on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and in an interview with Esquire, though neither actor has confirmed it with a DNA test.
That real-life rumor became the basis for Brothers, an eight-episode Apple TV+ comedy premiering September 23, 2026. The series is showrun by Lee Eisenberg and produced by Paramount Television Studios. It follows fictionalized versions of McConaughey and Harrelson living together at a ranch in Austin, Texas, after uncovering the possibility that they are related, while McConaughey’s character juggles a run for Governor of Texas. The cast includes Natalie Martinez and Holland Taylor, and the show marks the pair’s first project together since True Detective.
Where Is Diane Lou Oswald Now?
Diane continues to live a private life centered on Lebanon, Ohio. She has consistently avoided media attention and public interviews, and she has no known social media presence. Most public knowledge of her comes secondhand, through what Woody has shared, rather than from any statements she has made herself.
Net Worth
Diane’s net worth has never been publicly disclosed. Her income came primarily from her work as a secretary rather than from any connection to her son’s Hollywood earnings, and she has never sought financial benefit from his career.
Legacy and Lasting Impact
Diane’s legacy rests on the stability she gave her sons through genuinely difficult circumstances. She held a household together through divorce, financial pressure, and the public scandal tied to her ex-husband’s crimes, without ever trading on that story for attention. Her influence shows up clearly in Woody’s own account of his values, work ethic, and sense of compassion.
Conclusion
Diane Lou Oswald’s story is built on facts that hold up under scrutiny: a 1937 birth in Ohio, a difficult marriage that ended in 1964, and decades spent raising three sons as a legal secretary and single mother. Her connection to Charles Harrelson’s crimes brought unwanted attention, but her response to it, quiet consistency rather than public statements, shaped how her sons turned out. Woody Harrelson’s career and character both trace back to the discipline and faith she built at home.
FAQ’s
Who is Diane Lou Oswald?
Diane Lou Oswald is an American woman known as the mother of actor Woody Harrelson. She worked as a secretary and legal secretary while raising three sons largely on her own after her 1964 divorce.
Is Diane Lou Oswald related to Lee Harvey Oswald?
No, Diane Lou Oswald has no confirmed family connection to Lee Harvey Oswald. Her parents were Kenneth Oswald and Mary Lou Oswald, an entirely separate family line.
How old is Diane Lou Oswald?
Diane Lou Oswald was born in 1937, which makes her approximately 88 to 89 years old as of 2026.
Is Diane Lou Oswald still alive?
Yes, as of 2026, Diane Lou Oswald is reportedly still alive and living privately in Lebanon, Ohio.
Who was Diane Lou Oswald married to?
Diane Lou Oswald married Charles Voyde Harrelson in 1959, and the couple divorced in 1964 after five years of marriage.
How many children does Diane Lou Oswald have?
Diane Lou Oswald has three sons: Woody Harrelson, Brett Harrelson, and Jordan Harrelson.
Was Woody Harrelson’s father a criminal?
Yes, Charles Harrelson was a convicted contract killer who received two life sentences in 1979 for the murder of federal judge John H. Wood Jr.
Are Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey related?
It remains unconfirmed. Woody has said his father had a relationship with Matthew McConaughey’s mother, but neither actor has taken a DNA test to verify it.
