As played by Jane Lynch, Diana Reid is Dr. Spencer Reid 's mother. She first appeared as a potential target of serial killer Randall Garner, the man who shot SSA Elle Greenaway. Like her son, Diana has a genius level IQ. She was once a university literature professor, but is no longer since her diagnosis of schizophrenia. She currently resides at the Las Vegas - based Bennington Sanitarium, where Spencer committed her when he was eighteen. Her husband, William Reid, left her when Spencer was a child. The reason William left is because he was aware Diana witnessed a murder, as a family friend avenged his own son 's murder. He was unable to live with this knowledge though he claims he tried; he said "the weight of knowing what happened was just too much ''. Much of Diana and Spencer 's time while he was growing up was spent with her reading to him. Spencer writes her a letter every single day because he feels guilty about not visiting her. In season 11, Spencer takes some time off from the BAU to visit her. In "Entropy '', he reveals she has early signs of Dementia and when he first walked in her room, she did n't know who he was for three seconds.
who plays dr reid's mother on criminal minds
Jane Lynch