Everything You Need To Know About Ree Drummond's Husband Ladd

Ree Drummond is a famous celebrity chef. Her show, "The Pioneer Woman," has been a popular addition to the Food Network lineup since 2011. If you've ever watched it, you know it showcases more than just Ree's delicious recipes and helpful tips, such as how to save money on groceries. "The Pioneer Woman" is filmed on the family ranch, where Ree lives with her husband Ladd, a real-life cowboy.

You may have seen him pop in and out of the frame in some episodes of the show. Have you ever found yourself wondering just who Ladd Drummond is? Or how he and Ree met, fell in love, and found themselves living on such a large, working farm? In the sections that follow, we'll take a closer look at Ladd, some of the key events in his life, and how he has influenced Ree's path over the years.

Ladd Drummond's upbringing was a bit different from that of Ree's, to say the least. While Ree was busy taking ballet classes or vacationing in Hilton Head, South Carolina with her family, Ladd was learning the ropes — literally — on his family farm. Ladd comes from a family of cattle ranchers and grew up on the family ranch, Drummond Land & Cattle Co.

The ranch is located in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, which is only about a 30-minute drive from Bartlesville, Oklahoma, where Ree grew up. However, the paths of Ree and Ladd never crossed when they were children — and they probably never would have. Ladd planned to continue on as a cowboy and take over the family ranch (which he now co-owns with his brother), but Ree had designs to move out of the midwest. She went to the University of California Los Angeles for college and was planning on moving to Chicago. But, life sometimes has other things in store for us that we can't possibly realize at the time.

After graduating college, Ree was preparing to move to Chicago. But, first she traveled back to Bartlesville, Oklahoma, to spend a few months with friends and family before making the big move. One evening around Christmas, Ree and some of her close friends decided to spend a fun evening at a dive bar in town. With her upcoming move, Ree certainly wasn't looking for love. She was more focused on sipping a glass of chardonnay and enjoying time with girlfriends.

However, not long after they arrived, Ree caught sight of Ladd Drummond. He was across the bar, drinking a beer, and looking utterly irresistible with his cowboy boots, blueish-green eyes, and strong and tough cowboy hands. It didn't take long for Ree and Ladd to connect and to strike up a conversation. They spent the evening in the bar together — when she headed home, Ree fully expected him to call her the next day so that they could pick up right where they had left off. Well, that's not exactly what happened. 

Despite being confident that she'd get a call from that handsome cowboy from the bar, Ladd Drummond didn't call Ree the next morning. He didn't call the day after that — or the week after that. It wasn't until four months later that Ree's phone rang. She was still in town, as she had decided to wait to move to Chicago until after her brother's wedding. The voice on the other line was the cowboy she had met at the bar.

The pair reconnected the following evening and things moved quickly from there. They got to know each other over dinner, sharing information about their upbringings, likes and dislikes (maybe Ree even shared that she doesn't like bananas), and then shared a kiss on the porch of Ree's childhood home. It only took another two weeks for Ladd to tell Ree that he loved her. Soon, Ree's plans to move to Chicago were abandoned in favor of a life with a cowboy. Ree and Ladd got married in 1996.

After marrying, it didn't take long for Ree to become pregnant with their first child. In a blog post on The Pioneer Woman, Ree wrote, "My man and I had decided to take the 'let nature take its course' approach to family planning once we tied the knot. Now that I'm painfully aware of just how fertile I am, I laugh when I remember how 'surprised' we were when the test came up positive." So, just nine and a half months after getting married, Ree gave birth to a baby girl named Alex. About two years later, in 1999, a second daughter, Paige, was born. Two brothers — Bryce and Todd — followed shortly after, in 2002 and 2004, respectively.

In 2018, with their four nearly grown children, one might have assumed that the Drummond family was complete. But, once again, life had other plans for Ree and Ladd Drummond. Jamar, who knew Bryce, Todd, and Ladd through football, needed a place to stay. Ladd told Ree that he thought they should take him in, and the couple became his foster parents.

In 2021, a fire broke out near the Ladd family farm. Caleb, Ladd Drummond's nephew, and Ladd both rushed to respond to get the fire out. They were coming toward the ranch from opposite directions, both driving on the same gravel road. Unfortunately, the strong winds were blowing the gravel around, making it very difficult to see. Ladd and Caleb didn't see each other coming — they collided. As they were rushing to get to the fire, neither Ladd nor Caleb had put their seatbelts on, and the impact of the accident ejected Caleb from his truck.

Because it was clear that Caleb was in much worse shape, Ladd didn't allow the paramedics to treat him. He wanted all of their attention focused on Caleb. After the paramedics were on the way to the hospital with Caleb, Ladd drove himself to the ER, where it was discovered that he had a broken neck that required surgery. After the accident, and once Ladd was back home recovering, Ree wrote on her blog on The Pioneer Woman website, "... even though it's been hard to see the guys in pain, I have such a vivid picture of how very different (and how much worse) things could have turned out for our family last week." Ree confessed she couldn't be angry with Ladd for driving himself to the hospital. 

Being a cattle rancher is certainly an important part of Ladd Drummond's life. However, it isn't his only job. Ree and Ladd have opened a few businesses in the town where they live. The first business they opened together is called "The Mercantile." Commonly referred to as "The Merc," it is a bakery, restaurant, and store, where the locals can come and taste some of Ree's delicious recipes or purchase some exciting finds.

A few years after opening "The Merc," Ree and Ladd took on a new project. They purchased a property that was just a few doors down from the restaurant and bakery and opened a hotel in 2018. Called "The Boarding House," this hotel is in an old building from the 1920s. Ladd was in charge of the renovations, while Ree helped build the menu (of course) for the room service offerings. If you ever visit this special place, you'll discover that every room has its own theme, including the emerald room, prairie room, and ranch room. In 2018, Ladd and Ree also opened a pizza restaurant called P-Town, followed by an ice cream and candy store in 2019, which is called Charlie's Sweet Shop.

With five adult children, it was only a matter of time before Ladd Drummond and Ree earned the new titles of grandpa and grandma. And toward the end of December 2024, their oldest daughter, Alex, officially gifted them those new titles. On December 18, she gave birth to a baby girl. Alex and her husband Mauricio Scott named the baby Sofia Marie.

Ree posted a picture on Instagram of her and Ladd in the hospital holding the new bundle of joy. In the picture, both grandparents are looking lovingly down on the tightly swaddled baby wearing a small white hat complete with a bow. In her post, Ree wrote, "Our first baby had her first baby. Thank you Lord, we will never be the same." A few months before their baby was born, Alex and Mauricio headed home to the family ranch to have a maternity photo shoot. It was only fitting for them to have the pictures taken there as they both had spent so much time helping Ladd on the ranch and filming Ree's Food Network show, "The Pioneer Woman."

If life wasn't crazy enough with five children — and now a new grandchild — Ladd Drummond also keeps himself busy taking care of the family dogs. At this time, the Drummond family shares their ranch with seven dogs. Three of these dogs — Henry, Fred, and Rusty — are basset hounds. Basset hounds, in particular, seem to be a favorite of Ladd and Ree. In 2023, they buried their basset hound Walter in the family cemetery. When writing on her blog on The Pioneer Woman website about the impact of the loss of Walter of Ladd and herself, Ree shared, "He was such a sweet, unproblematic dog and exuded (and needed) so much love ... Every doggie loss is hard, especially when the doggie grew up with our children."

In addition to the three basset hounds the couple has, they also have two yellow Labrador retrievers, Duke and Lucy, and a German shepherd who's named Presley. In 2023, the Drummond family welcomed their seventh dog when they adopted Shelby. A mixed breed pup, Shelby seems to add a new layer of excitement to the ranch with her floppy ears and sweet personality. The dogs like to follow Ladd when he's working on the ranch and enjoy hitching a ride in his truck. "Our dogs are our friends, companions, and soul mates," Ree shared in a blog post on The Pioneer Woman website.

Over the years, Ladd Drummond has vacationed in Vail, Colorado several times. The city, which is located in the Rocky Mountains, is a prime spot for skiing, hiking, sightseeing, dining out, and so much more. It really isn't surprising that Ladd has deemed it a top vacation spot for himself and his family. When writing in her blog on The Pioneer Website, Ree explained how she and Ladd haven't had many opportunities to travel far from home due to their busy schedules. However, they have made it to Vail several times because it's a place they adore. Ree wrote, "Vail, Colorado, has been our happy place, our family vacation spot, and the place where I am most able to breathe and reset when life gets to be too crazy. I love it there, and as you can see from the relaxed look on Ladd's face, so does he!"

In addition to family vacations in Vail, Ladd and Ree have also taken at least one trip there with just the two of them. During the summer of 2024, they enjoyed a little getaway where they relaxed without the hustle of their busy schedules. While they often hike one of the trails, called Berry Picker, when vacationing here, Ree ruled it out for this trip. In an Instagram post, she wrote, "If Ladd makes me hike Berry Picker, I'm outta here. Locals call it A** Kicker for a reason and I want no part of it."

By all appearances — and social media posts — Ree and Ladd Drummond seem to have a very happy marriage. Ree often posts about Ladd on both her Instagram and blog. Those posts reveal the happiness the two share. As one example, Ree posted a photo of Ladd working on the ranch on Instagram and wrote, "I think I'll have babies with him. Never mind, I already did that. Also — never mind, I'm 54."

One of the keys to their happy marriage, according to Ree, is that Ladd has learned the real way to Ree's heart. In a post on her blog on The Pioneer Woman website, Ree shares that physical gifts, such as jewelry and flowers, are less important to her than making her husband laugh. Over the years, Ladd has learned this lesson and delivers this laughter to his wife to let her know that he finds her funny (in a loving way). Ree wrote, "I need my husband to think I am funny, and if he doesn't laugh the first or second time, I will ramp it up until he does. Thus, I have conditioned him to laugh more readily."

Cowboys need fuel to get them through a rough day on the ranch. Ladd Drummond's go-to, however, is probably not what you would expect. He is reported to be a huge Dr Pepper fan. In fact, according to Ree, it's all he drinks many mornings before heading out to work. She posted a video on Instagram of a breakfast she brought out for Ladd and the others working on the farm a few hours after they had started for the day. When responding to a fan who asked if he eats anything before he heads out, she wrote, "No, just a Dr Pepper!"

Ree has also shared that "Ladd drinks four Dr Peppers a day," on a blog post on The Pioneer Woman website. Bet he would like adding Dr. Pepper to baked beans and other recipes. Apparently the cowboy tried to drop the habit over Lent a few times. It doesn't sound like things went too well when that happens. Which is only to be expected if he is used to drinking four of the soda cans every day.

If you've ever read anything by Ree Drummond or seen her on TV, then you might have heard her refer to her husband as "The Marlboro Man." This is a nickname that she gave her husband years ago and it seems to have stuck. If you've never heard of the original Marlboro Man, he was a fictional cowboy who was used in cigarette advertisements between the 1950s and 1990s.

So, where exactly did Ree's nickname for Ladd Drummond come from? Well, it has nothing to do with cigarettes, but more to do with the tough, rugged, and handsome cowboy from those old advertisements. Ree wasn't even the first to come up with the name. One of the guests who attended a baby shower at Ree's house for a mutual friend apparently referred to Ladd as "The Marlboro Man," and Ree overheard the comment. She found that the name suited her strong and handsome cowboy of a husband and started using it as an online pseudonym when writing about her hubby.

In 2018, Ree Drummond was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. The Oklahoma Hall of Fame was founded in 1927 with the purpose of honoring Oklahomans who inspire future generations by contributing to positive changes. The organization also works to support local students by awarding scholarships, sponsoring field trips, and donating free books to libraries and schools across the state.

While it may not come as a surprise that Ree Drummond — successful business woman and star of The Pioneer Woman — was selected to be inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, those who know Ladd Drummond may have been surprised to find out that he introduced his wife during the ceremony in front of such a large crowd. Ree posted a picture of Ladd introducing her Instagram and shared that she was honored to be inducted, but "... even more honored that the person who introduced me during the ceremony was Ladd, who is neither a public speaker nor comfortable on stage, but who knew how much it meant to me for him to do this. He spoke in front of 1,400 people, and I got a lump in my throat watching him backstage because I was so darn proud of him."

Knowing that Ree Drummond is a celebrity chef with a successful television show on Food Network, one might assume that she is the big income earner in the family. As of 2024, her net worth is estimated to be about $50 million. And, while this is certainly not small potatoes, Ladd Drummond also has quite a large net worth.

Ladd is estimated to have a net worth of $200 million. His family formed the Drummond Land & Cattle Co, which Ladd is now a co-owner of, way back in the late 1800s. The company was started by Fred Drummond, who acquired hundreds of thousands of acres of land in Oklahoma and Kansas. Some of this property is now rented to the United States government, who pays Ladd and his co-owners about $2 million each year. So, while Ree Drummond may have a great hack for saving money on groceries, it turns out that neither she nor Ladd really need to worry in that department.