Guest
7 Answers - Sort by: Date | Rating
There have been many bizarre celebrity deaths over the years, some of which are still unexplained. One of the main causes of bizarre celebrity deaths is drugs. There have been a large number of celebrities who have died in mysterious circumstances as a result of drugs. Others have died in bizarre accidents, some of which have taken place during filming. Here are some of the most unusual celebrity deaths.
Heather O’ Rourke was a young actress who was recognised for her role in the “Poltergeist” films. She also starred in a number of television programmes. She was only twelve years old when she died in 1988 as a result of an illness. It took a while for the exact cause of her death
to be known. She died during filming of the third “Poltergeist” film. Her death was made bizarre due to the fact several other cast members died, leading to believe that the films were cursed. Many of them, like heather, died as a result of illnesses whilst two others were murdered.
Isadora Duncan was a popular dancer who enjoyed a successful career right up until her death. She was known for her love of scarves, which bizarrely led to her death at the age of 50 in 1927. Duncan was travelling in a car as a passenger when the scarf that she was wearing, which was a gift from a friend, became tangled in one of the car’s wheels. Duncan was said to have died as a result of her neck being broken, whilst other have stated that she was strangled from the impact of the scarf around her neck and almost decapitated.
Marilyn Monroe was one of the most popular actresses of the 1950s. She was best known for her roles in “Some Like it Hot” and “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”. Born in 1926, she had a hugely successful film career and was also known for her singing and modelling work. In later years though, she began to decline as a result of illness and other problems. In 1962, at the age of 36, she was found dead in her home. The cause was thought to be an accidental overdose, whilst others believed that she had either committed suicide or possibly even been murdered.
Born in 1922, Judy Garland was an extremely popular actress and singer who was best known for her role as Dorothy Gale in “the Wizard of Oz”. Throughout her career, Garland battled with drug addiction. Garland was thought to have taken the drugs to control her weight. She also battled depression and had a number of personal problems, including a string of divorces. She was found dead in 1969 from a drug overdose. Although Garland had attempted suicide on many occasions, the overdose was said to be accidental.
Bruce Lee was, and still is, one of the most popular and influential martial arts stars of all time. Born in 1940, Bruce Lee went on to star in many films, including “Enter the Dragon” and “Way of the Dragon”, in which he starred alongside Chuck Norris. He was just 32 when he died in 1973 after taking a painkiller to cure a headache. The painkiller contained a muscle relaxant, which was thought to be the cause of Lee's death. As the exact cause of his death was unknown, doctors ruled it as a death by misadventure, which later went on to be the name of a documentary based on him. His death was branded part of a curse when, just over twenty years after his death, his son, Brandon Lee, was killed during filming.
Born in 1942, Jimi Hendrix was one of the most popular musicians of the 1960s. During the years that his career was active, he enjoyed a huge amount of success both within the United States and the United Kingdom. In 1970, Hendrix died under suspicious circumstances at the age of just 27. His death was thought to have been caused by a mixture of sleeping pills and alcohol, which lead to death by asphyxiation. Some people believed that Hendrix had died as a result as suicide, whilst others even went on to say that Hendrix had possibly been murdered.
Jim Morrison was the lead singer of rock band “The Doors”. Born in 1943, Morrison had a successful career with the band but became depressed shortly before his death. In addition to his career with “The Doors”, he was also known for his poetry and he published several books. In July 1971, he was found dead in a bathtub. The cause was said to be an accidental drug overdose. His death appeared mysterious at some points mainly due to the fact that his partner at the time, Pamela Courson, gave different versions of his death. Courson died in similar circumstances just three years later.
Elvis Presley was one of the most famous singers and actors of the 1950s and 1960s. Born in 1935, he was known as the “King of Rock N Roll” and had a hugely successful singing and acting career. A few years before his death, he became ill. Prescription drugs are thought to have contributed to his change in mood and appearance. He gained a significant amount of weight and struggled to perform on stage. He began to spend less time on stage, eventually failing to turn up for some concerts. In 1977, he was about to begin a new tour, but was found dead in his bathroom. There have been many theories surrounding his death. Drugs was thought to be the main cause, although a second autopsy in 1994 revealed that it could have been a heart attack.
Born in 1947, Marc Bolan was the lead singer of the popular group “T-Rex”. Although his death, which occurred in 1977 as a result of a car crash, was not bizarre itself, his death was made strange by the fact that he feared he would die young and had a fear of cars. Things became even more strange when one of his band mates, Steve Currie, was also killed in a car accident just under four years later. Both died young. Bolan was just under 30 and Currie was 33, soon to be 34.
Natalie Wood was an actress who was best known for her role in “Rebel Without a Cause”. Born in 1938, she enjoyed much success as a child and teenage actor before going on to star in many films in later years. In 1981, at the age of 43, Wood was in the process of filming “Brainstorm”, a science fiction film, when she fell overboard a yacht and drowned. It is believed that her fall happened as a result of her drinking a large amount of alcohol. The death was also appeared strange when a witness claimed that the people attempting to save her did not appear to be panicking.
Vic Morrow was an actor whose career began in the 1950s. He starred in a number of films throughout the 1960s and 1970s. His death occurred on the set of “Twilight Zone: The Movie”, which was based on the popular television series, “The Twilight Zone”. In a bizarre events that matched the nature of the television show and the movie, Morrow was killed by decapitation when a helicopter crashed on him during filming. Two children, who had been on the set with Morrow at the time, also died.
After the accident, action was taken against the filmmakers due to the deaths of the two children, who people believed should not have been present on the set during dangerous filming. Morrow was 53 at the time of his death in 1982. His daughter is Jennifer Jason Leigh, who is best known for her role in “Single White Female”.
John Belushi was an actor and comedian who was best known for his role in the 1980 comedy film “The Blues Brothers”. Belushi had a successful career, starring in a selection of films, mainly comedies. He was also known for his work on “Saturday Night Live”. He was found dead in his hotel room at the age of 33 in 1982. Belushi was thought to have died as a result of a drugs overdose. However, a woman named Cathy Smith, who was a backup singer and groupie, was charged with his murder after she admitted that she had given him a lethel combination of cocaine and heroin. She was later charged with manslaughter.
Tennessee Williams was a famous playright, best known for his play “A Streetcar Named Desire”. He was born in 1911 and had a hugely successful writing career, winning many awards for his works. Williams battled alcoholism and depression throughout his life, but it was a strange accident that eventually led to his death in 1983. He choked on a bottlecap from
which he had removed from a bottle of eyedrops and placed in his mouth. The bottlecap slipped down his throat as he titled his head back to place the eyedrops in his eyes. After his death, drugs were found in his room and there were suspicions that these contributed towards his death.
Marvin Gaye was an extremely popular soul and R&B singer. Born in 1939, he had a successful career, first with a group called the Monnglows in the 1950s and then a successful solo career, during which he had a number of hits, including “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” and “Sexual Healing”. In the years leading up to his death, he did a number of tours, but also battled with drug addiction and depression. Gaye often felt suicidal and it became known that he did not have a good relationship with his father. A few months before his death, troubled Gaye gave his father a gun, which was thought to be for his father to protect him. Later, in early 1984, Gaye’s parents began arguing and Gaye reportedly asked his father to leave his mother alone. Gaye and his father began fighting and Gaye, who was still battling drug addiction and depression, prepared to leave the home, stating that his father did not like him. Gaye’s father then entered the room and shot Gaye, fatally wounding him with the gun that Gaye had given him just months earlier.
River Phoenix was just one of the many actors who died in mysterious circumstances as a result of drugs. Born in 1970, he was a popular actor whose many fans were unaware of his connection with drugs. Because of this, his death came as a great shock to many. He died from a drug overdose outside the Viper Room in 1993 at the age of 23. Johnny Depp, who partly owned the club, was deeply saddened by Phoenix's death and closed the Viper Room every year on the date of the actor's death out of respect. One of Phoenix best known roles was as “Chris Chambers” in the 1986 film “Stand By Me”.
Like his father, Brandon Lee became an iconic martial arts star. He was born in 1965 and went on to have a successful martial arts film career. At the time of his death, in 1993, he was filming “The Crow”. He was killed when a bullet from a gun was fired into his abdomen during filming. The bullet had become lodged in the gun and was fired when a dummy round came apart and pushed the bullet into the barrel. Although it was decided that his death was an accident, there was much controversy surrounding it and his death caused people to believe that it happened as part of a curse due to the mysterious death of his father twenty years earlier.
Selena was a popular singer who was at the height of her fame when she died at the age of 23. She had much success during the early nineties and even made cameo appearances in films. She had many fans, which led to her organising a fan club, which was run by a woman named Yolanda Saldivar. In 1995, Selena had a disagreement with Saldivar, which resulted in Salvidar being fired by Selena's family. Selena decided to meet with Saldivar so that she could obtain some financial documents that Saldivar had taken. Selena made it clear to Sladivar that she did not trust her, which resulted in Saldivar shooting Selena.
Born in 1967, Kurt Cobain was the lead singer of the popular band, Nirvana. The band, which formed in the 80s, enjoyed much success, but Cobain was brought down by a number of illnesses. His well known addiction to drugs was thought to be a result of him trying to find a way to cure his illnesses. Cobain also suffered from depression and ended up in hospital after overdosing on alcohol and drugs. It is thought that this was a suicide attempt. A month or so later, Cobain did commit suicide, this time by shooting himself. In the days leading up to his death, he had gone missing. He was eventually found with a suicide note. There have been many theories surrounding his death, which was ruled as suicide due to the note, the gun and Cobain's history of drug addiction and depression. Some people, such as the private investigator Cobain's wife Courtney Love hired to search for him when he went missing, believe that Cobain was murdered.
Tupac Shaker was a popular rapper. Born in 1971, he was at the height of his fame when he was shot in 1996 at the age of 25. Prior to the shooting, Shakur had already been shot in 1994. At the time, Shakur believed that rapper, Biggie Smalls (Notorius B.I.G), and Shakur's friend, Randy Walker, were involved. Shakur's death in 1996 was never properly solved. He was shot whilst travelling in a car. Seconds before the incident, a car pulled up and one of the occupants fired several shots at Shakur, who died a few days later in hospital. The murder case was never solved, but it was thought that Biggie Smalls was involved. Oddly enough, Randy Walker was killed a year after the 1994 attack on Shakur and Biggie Smalls died in 1997, a year after Shakur's death. He was murdered in exactly the same way as Tupac Shaker.
Michael Hutchence was the lead singer of INXS. Born in 1960, he had an extremely successful career with the band. He also became known for his string of brief relationships with many other celebrities, including Kylie Minogue. He was found dead in his hotel room in 1997 at the age of 37. His bizarre death was looked into and it was believed that he died as a result of autoerotic asphyxiation. At the time of his death, Hutchence had been in a relationship with television presenter Paula Yates. Just three years later, in 2000, another bizarre event occurred when Paula Yates was found dead in her London home as a result of a drug overdose. Some believed it to be suicide as she was suffering depression following Hutchence's death, but this was ruled out.
Jeff Buckley was a popular alternative rock and folk singer. He enjoyed much success, scoring many hits, one of which was a cover version of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”. Buckley’s version of the song is favoured by many and it performed well when it re-entered the charts in 2008. During an outing in 1997, at the age of just 30, Buckley died after drowning in a river. He had decided to go swimming and entered the water with all of his clothes intact. His colleagues that he were with noticed he was missing moments later and a search began. His body was found a few days later and whilst drugs were suspected to be the cause of his death, this was ruled out.
Born in 1948, Phil Hartman was a popular actor who was best known for a number of comedic roles, including regular appearances on “The Simpsons”. He enjoyed a successful career up until his death in 1998 at the age of 49, when he was shot and killed by his wife. It is thought that Hartman and his wife had been arguing prior to the murder. His wife, Brynn, suffered from drug addiction and committed suicide shortly after killing Hartman. Hartman had previously told her that he would end their marriage if she continued to take them. She had drugs in her system when she committed the murder.
Owen Hart was a famous wrestler who became known during his time in the World Wide Wrestling Federation. Born in 1965, he enjoyed a hugely successful wrestling career throughout the 1980s and 1990s, along with many other well known wrestlers from that time such as his brother, Brett Hart and David Smith (the British Bulldog). Owen’s bizarre death occurred in 1999, when at the age of 34, he fell 78ft after a stunt went wrong. The stunt was intended to be carried out for comedic effect, with Hart landing flat on his face. However, the mechanism that was holding Hart in the harness was released too early and he fell to his death. There was much controversy surrounding his death, which happened during a pay per view WWF event. A few years later, David Smith died as a result of a heart attack, which was thought to have been brought on by drugs.
Born in 1979, Aailyah was a popular singer and actress and was at the height of her fame when she died at the age of 22 in 2001. She enjoyed a successful career and had been performing since the age of 12. She died when a plane she was travelling in crashed. She was with several people from her record company and a number of crew members, who also died. It is thought that the crash was caused by heavy equipment that was loaded onto the plane. Later though, it was discovered that the pilot may not have been registered to fly the plane as it was discovered that his license was false. There was also traces of alcohol and drugs in his system, which would have no doubt contributed towards the crash.
Lisa Lopes was a singer and rapper, best known for being part of the R&B group TLC. TLC were extremely popular and scored a number of hits throughout their time together. It became known that Lopes had battled alcoholism and had encountered a number of problems throughout her life. She was just 30 years old when she was killed in a car crash in 2002. The crash occurred when Lopes tried to swerve out of the way of an oncoming truck. Previously, Lopes had been involved in another car accident in which a child with the surname Lopes had been killed. In a documentary that was shown after her death, clips of Lopes were played which showed her stating that she had felt a “spirit” following her afterwards and that she believed that it was a sign that the child with the same surname as her should not have died and that the death was intended for her instead. There was much controversy surrounding her death, and footage of the actual accident in which she died was played during the same documentary.
Jam Master Jay was a popular DJ best known for his work with Run DMC. He was born in 1965. In a situation similar to that of Tupac Shaker and Biggie Smalls, Jam Master Jay was murdered in 2002 at the age of 37. Unlike the other two, who were both killed whilst in cars, Jam Master Jay was shot in a recording studio. One of the men that is thought to have been involved with the murder is also thought to have been involved in the murder of Randy Walker, who was a close friend of Tupac Shaker and was killed a year before Shaker's murder.
Born in 1962, Steve Irwin was an incredibly popular television presenter best known for placing himself in dangerous circumstances, mainly with crocodiles. Nicknamed the Crocodile Hunter, Irwin's crazy antics earned him many fans and many believed that he was indestructible. His antics also caused much controversy and he received much criticism for one event, in which he fed a crocodile whilst holding his young son under his arm. Despite these controversies though, he was still very much well liked and his death in 2006 came as a shock to people worldwide.
He was killed after being impaled by a barb from a stingray whilst shooting an underwater documentary. His death, although tragic, was also ironic, so much that some people could not believe that Irwin, who had cheated death so many times during his antics with crocodiles, had eventually gone on to be killed by a stingray.
Heath Ledger's death at the young age of 28 in early 2008 came as a shock to many. Born in 1979, Ledger was an extremely popular actor, best known for his roles in “Brokeback Mountain” and “The Dark Knight”. His role of the Joker in “The Dark Knight” received much attention as the film was released just months after his death. He won much critical acclaim for his roles in both films. He began his career in the 1990s and became well known around 1999, when he starred in “Ten Things I hate About You”. He was found unresponsive in his apartment in January 2008. He had been previously experiencing trouble sleeping and had been taking sleeping pills, which were thought to be the cause of his death due to an overdose. There was much speculation about his death, which was ruled as accidental and caused by abuse of drugs.
David Carradine was a popular actor. Born in 1936, he went on to have a successful career and is known for his roles in “Kung Fu” and the “Kill Bill” series. Carradine won his role in “Kung Fu” in the 1970s over Bruce Lee. Lee's anger on losing out on the role is seen in the documentary film “Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story”. In a situation similar to that of Michael Hutchence, David Carradine was found dead in his hotel room in June 2009. His death was accidental and came as a result of autoerotic asphyxiation.
The death of Michael Jackson in June 2009 shocked people worldwide. Born in 1958, Jackson was one of the most iconic performers of all time. His singing and dancing earned him the name of “The King of Pop”. His career spanned over four decades, during which he scored a number of well known hits. Throughout the eighties and early nineties, he became the centre of much attention due to the drastic change in his physical appearance. In 1993, he revealed that he was abused by his father after a number of child sexual abuse accusations were made against him. Since then, he became the centre of media attention and continued to battle allegations right up until 2005, when his trial took place. Despite all the allegations though, Jackson had millions of fans worldwide. His sudden death had a huge impact on both the public and celebrities.
Just hours before his death, which was thought to be a cardiac arrest, Jackson had been rehearsing for his comeback tour. Pictures and videos showed him to be in perfect health, although it was believed that drugs, mainly painkillers, played a part in his death. Jackson was also believed to have complained of feeling ill shortly before his death. His funeral was held on July 7th 2009, with a private service for his family and then a public service, where a number of celebrities and his children paid their tributes and sung his songs.
Heather O’Rourke
Heather O’ Rourke was a young actress who was recognised for her role in the “Poltergeist” films. She also starred in a number of television programmes. She was only twelve years old when she died in 1988 as a result of an illness. It took a while for the exact cause of her death
to be known. She died during filming of the third “Poltergeist” film. Her death was made bizarre due to the fact several other cast members died, leading to believe that the films were cursed. Many of them, like heather, died as a result of illnesses whilst two others were murdered.
Isadora Duncan
Isadora Duncan was a popular dancer who enjoyed a successful career right up until her death. She was known for her love of scarves, which bizarrely led to her death at the age of 50 in 1927. Duncan was travelling in a car as a passenger when the scarf that she was wearing, which was a gift from a friend, became tangled in one of the car’s wheels. Duncan was said to have died as a result of her neck being broken, whilst other have stated that she was strangled from the impact of the scarf around her neck and almost decapitated.
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was one of the most popular actresses of the 1950s. She was best known for her roles in “Some Like it Hot” and “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”. Born in 1926, she had a hugely successful film career and was also known for her singing and modelling work. In later years though, she began to decline as a result of illness and other problems. In 1962, at the age of 36, she was found dead in her home. The cause was thought to be an accidental overdose, whilst others believed that she had either committed suicide or possibly even been murdered.
Judy Garland
Born in 1922, Judy Garland was an extremely popular actress and singer who was best known for her role as Dorothy Gale in “the Wizard of Oz”. Throughout her career, Garland battled with drug addiction. Garland was thought to have taken the drugs to control her weight. She also battled depression and had a number of personal problems, including a string of divorces. She was found dead in 1969 from a drug overdose. Although Garland had attempted suicide on many occasions, the overdose was said to be accidental.
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee was, and still is, one of the most popular and influential martial arts stars of all time. Born in 1940, Bruce Lee went on to star in many films, including “Enter the Dragon” and “Way of the Dragon”, in which he starred alongside Chuck Norris. He was just 32 when he died in 1973 after taking a painkiller to cure a headache. The painkiller contained a muscle relaxant, which was thought to be the cause of Lee's death. As the exact cause of his death was unknown, doctors ruled it as a death by misadventure, which later went on to be the name of a documentary based on him. His death was branded part of a curse when, just over twenty years after his death, his son, Brandon Lee, was killed during filming.
Jimi Hendrix
Born in 1942, Jimi Hendrix was one of the most popular musicians of the 1960s. During the years that his career was active, he enjoyed a huge amount of success both within the United States and the United Kingdom. In 1970, Hendrix died under suspicious circumstances at the age of just 27. His death was thought to have been caused by a mixture of sleeping pills and alcohol, which lead to death by asphyxiation. Some people believed that Hendrix had died as a result as suicide, whilst others even went on to say that Hendrix had possibly been murdered.
Jim Morrison
Jim Morrison was the lead singer of rock band “The Doors”. Born in 1943, Morrison had a successful career with the band but became depressed shortly before his death. In addition to his career with “The Doors”, he was also known for his poetry and he published several books. In July 1971, he was found dead in a bathtub. The cause was said to be an accidental drug overdose. His death appeared mysterious at some points mainly due to the fact that his partner at the time, Pamela Courson, gave different versions of his death. Courson died in similar circumstances just three years later.
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley was one of the most famous singers and actors of the 1950s and 1960s. Born in 1935, he was known as the “King of Rock N Roll” and had a hugely successful singing and acting career. A few years before his death, he became ill. Prescription drugs are thought to have contributed to his change in mood and appearance. He gained a significant amount of weight and struggled to perform on stage. He began to spend less time on stage, eventually failing to turn up for some concerts. In 1977, he was about to begin a new tour, but was found dead in his bathroom. There have been many theories surrounding his death. Drugs was thought to be the main cause, although a second autopsy in 1994 revealed that it could have been a heart attack.
Marc Bolan
Born in 1947, Marc Bolan was the lead singer of the popular group “T-Rex”. Although his death, which occurred in 1977 as a result of a car crash, was not bizarre itself, his death was made strange by the fact that he feared he would die young and had a fear of cars. Things became even more strange when one of his band mates, Steve Currie, was also killed in a car accident just under four years later. Both died young. Bolan was just under 30 and Currie was 33, soon to be 34.
Natalie Wood
Natalie Wood was an actress who was best known for her role in “Rebel Without a Cause”. Born in 1938, she enjoyed much success as a child and teenage actor before going on to star in many films in later years. In 1981, at the age of 43, Wood was in the process of filming “Brainstorm”, a science fiction film, when she fell overboard a yacht and drowned. It is believed that her fall happened as a result of her drinking a large amount of alcohol. The death was also appeared strange when a witness claimed that the people attempting to save her did not appear to be panicking.
Vic Morrow
Vic Morrow was an actor whose career began in the 1950s. He starred in a number of films throughout the 1960s and 1970s. His death occurred on the set of “Twilight Zone: The Movie”, which was based on the popular television series, “The Twilight Zone”. In a bizarre events that matched the nature of the television show and the movie, Morrow was killed by decapitation when a helicopter crashed on him during filming. Two children, who had been on the set with Morrow at the time, also died.
After the accident, action was taken against the filmmakers due to the deaths of the two children, who people believed should not have been present on the set during dangerous filming. Morrow was 53 at the time of his death in 1982. His daughter is Jennifer Jason Leigh, who is best known for her role in “Single White Female”.
John Belushi
John Belushi was an actor and comedian who was best known for his role in the 1980 comedy film “The Blues Brothers”. Belushi had a successful career, starring in a selection of films, mainly comedies. He was also known for his work on “Saturday Night Live”. He was found dead in his hotel room at the age of 33 in 1982. Belushi was thought to have died as a result of a drugs overdose. However, a woman named Cathy Smith, who was a backup singer and groupie, was charged with his murder after she admitted that she had given him a lethel combination of cocaine and heroin. She was later charged with manslaughter.
Tennessee Williams
Tennessee Williams was a famous playright, best known for his play “A Streetcar Named Desire”. He was born in 1911 and had a hugely successful writing career, winning many awards for his works. Williams battled alcoholism and depression throughout his life, but it was a strange accident that eventually led to his death in 1983. He choked on a bottlecap from
which he had removed from a bottle of eyedrops and placed in his mouth. The bottlecap slipped down his throat as he titled his head back to place the eyedrops in his eyes. After his death, drugs were found in his room and there were suspicions that these contributed towards his death.
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye was an extremely popular soul and R&B singer. Born in 1939, he had a successful career, first with a group called the Monnglows in the 1950s and then a successful solo career, during which he had a number of hits, including “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” and “Sexual Healing”. In the years leading up to his death, he did a number of tours, but also battled with drug addiction and depression. Gaye often felt suicidal and it became known that he did not have a good relationship with his father. A few months before his death, troubled Gaye gave his father a gun, which was thought to be for his father to protect him. Later, in early 1984, Gaye’s parents began arguing and Gaye reportedly asked his father to leave his mother alone. Gaye and his father began fighting and Gaye, who was still battling drug addiction and depression, prepared to leave the home, stating that his father did not like him. Gaye’s father then entered the room and shot Gaye, fatally wounding him with the gun that Gaye had given him just months earlier.
River Phoenix
River Phoenix was just one of the many actors who died in mysterious circumstances as a result of drugs. Born in 1970, he was a popular actor whose many fans were unaware of his connection with drugs. Because of this, his death came as a great shock to many. He died from a drug overdose outside the Viper Room in 1993 at the age of 23. Johnny Depp, who partly owned the club, was deeply saddened by Phoenix's death and closed the Viper Room every year on the date of the actor's death out of respect. One of Phoenix best known roles was as “Chris Chambers” in the 1986 film “Stand By Me”.
Brandon Lee
Like his father, Brandon Lee became an iconic martial arts star. He was born in 1965 and went on to have a successful martial arts film career. At the time of his death, in 1993, he was filming “The Crow”. He was killed when a bullet from a gun was fired into his abdomen during filming. The bullet had become lodged in the gun and was fired when a dummy round came apart and pushed the bullet into the barrel. Although it was decided that his death was an accident, there was much controversy surrounding it and his death caused people to believe that it happened as part of a curse due to the mysterious death of his father twenty years earlier.
Selena
Selena was a popular singer who was at the height of her fame when she died at the age of 23. She had much success during the early nineties and even made cameo appearances in films. She had many fans, which led to her organising a fan club, which was run by a woman named Yolanda Saldivar. In 1995, Selena had a disagreement with Saldivar, which resulted in Salvidar being fired by Selena's family. Selena decided to meet with Saldivar so that she could obtain some financial documents that Saldivar had taken. Selena made it clear to Sladivar that she did not trust her, which resulted in Saldivar shooting Selena.
Kurt Cobain
Born in 1967, Kurt Cobain was the lead singer of the popular band, Nirvana. The band, which formed in the 80s, enjoyed much success, but Cobain was brought down by a number of illnesses. His well known addiction to drugs was thought to be a result of him trying to find a way to cure his illnesses. Cobain also suffered from depression and ended up in hospital after overdosing on alcohol and drugs. It is thought that this was a suicide attempt. A month or so later, Cobain did commit suicide, this time by shooting himself. In the days leading up to his death, he had gone missing. He was eventually found with a suicide note. There have been many theories surrounding his death, which was ruled as suicide due to the note, the gun and Cobain's history of drug addiction and depression. Some people, such as the private investigator Cobain's wife Courtney Love hired to search for him when he went missing, believe that Cobain was murdered.
Tupac Shaker
Tupac Shaker was a popular rapper. Born in 1971, he was at the height of his fame when he was shot in 1996 at the age of 25. Prior to the shooting, Shakur had already been shot in 1994. At the time, Shakur believed that rapper, Biggie Smalls (Notorius B.I.G), and Shakur's friend, Randy Walker, were involved. Shakur's death in 1996 was never properly solved. He was shot whilst travelling in a car. Seconds before the incident, a car pulled up and one of the occupants fired several shots at Shakur, who died a few days later in hospital. The murder case was never solved, but it was thought that Biggie Smalls was involved. Oddly enough, Randy Walker was killed a year after the 1994 attack on Shakur and Biggie Smalls died in 1997, a year after Shakur's death. He was murdered in exactly the same way as Tupac Shaker.
Michael Hutchence
Michael Hutchence was the lead singer of INXS. Born in 1960, he had an extremely successful career with the band. He also became known for his string of brief relationships with many other celebrities, including Kylie Minogue. He was found dead in his hotel room in 1997 at the age of 37. His bizarre death was looked into and it was believed that he died as a result of autoerotic asphyxiation. At the time of his death, Hutchence had been in a relationship with television presenter Paula Yates. Just three years later, in 2000, another bizarre event occurred when Paula Yates was found dead in her London home as a result of a drug overdose. Some believed it to be suicide as she was suffering depression following Hutchence's death, but this was ruled out.
Jeff Buckley
Jeff Buckley was a popular alternative rock and folk singer. He enjoyed much success, scoring many hits, one of which was a cover version of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”. Buckley’s version of the song is favoured by many and it performed well when it re-entered the charts in 2008. During an outing in 1997, at the age of just 30, Buckley died after drowning in a river. He had decided to go swimming and entered the water with all of his clothes intact. His colleagues that he were with noticed he was missing moments later and a search began. His body was found a few days later and whilst drugs were suspected to be the cause of his death, this was ruled out.
Phil Hartman
Born in 1948, Phil Hartman was a popular actor who was best known for a number of comedic roles, including regular appearances on “The Simpsons”. He enjoyed a successful career up until his death in 1998 at the age of 49, when he was shot and killed by his wife. It is thought that Hartman and his wife had been arguing prior to the murder. His wife, Brynn, suffered from drug addiction and committed suicide shortly after killing Hartman. Hartman had previously told her that he would end their marriage if she continued to take them. She had drugs in her system when she committed the murder.
Owen Hart
Owen Hart was a famous wrestler who became known during his time in the World Wide Wrestling Federation. Born in 1965, he enjoyed a hugely successful wrestling career throughout the 1980s and 1990s, along with many other well known wrestlers from that time such as his brother, Brett Hart and David Smith (the British Bulldog). Owen’s bizarre death occurred in 1999, when at the age of 34, he fell 78ft after a stunt went wrong. The stunt was intended to be carried out for comedic effect, with Hart landing flat on his face. However, the mechanism that was holding Hart in the harness was released too early and he fell to his death. There was much controversy surrounding his death, which happened during a pay per view WWF event. A few years later, David Smith died as a result of a heart attack, which was thought to have been brought on by drugs.
Aaliyah
Born in 1979, Aailyah was a popular singer and actress and was at the height of her fame when she died at the age of 22 in 2001. She enjoyed a successful career and had been performing since the age of 12. She died when a plane she was travelling in crashed. She was with several people from her record company and a number of crew members, who also died. It is thought that the crash was caused by heavy equipment that was loaded onto the plane. Later though, it was discovered that the pilot may not have been registered to fly the plane as it was discovered that his license was false. There was also traces of alcohol and drugs in his system, which would have no doubt contributed towards the crash.
Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes
Lisa Lopes was a singer and rapper, best known for being part of the R&B group TLC. TLC were extremely popular and scored a number of hits throughout their time together. It became known that Lopes had battled alcoholism and had encountered a number of problems throughout her life. She was just 30 years old when she was killed in a car crash in 2002. The crash occurred when Lopes tried to swerve out of the way of an oncoming truck. Previously, Lopes had been involved in another car accident in which a child with the surname Lopes had been killed. In a documentary that was shown after her death, clips of Lopes were played which showed her stating that she had felt a “spirit” following her afterwards and that she believed that it was a sign that the child with the same surname as her should not have died and that the death was intended for her instead. There was much controversy surrounding her death, and footage of the actual accident in which she died was played during the same documentary.
Jam Master Jay
Jam Master Jay was a popular DJ best known for his work with Run DMC. He was born in 1965. In a situation similar to that of Tupac Shaker and Biggie Smalls, Jam Master Jay was murdered in 2002 at the age of 37. Unlike the other two, who were both killed whilst in cars, Jam Master Jay was shot in a recording studio. One of the men that is thought to have been involved with the murder is also thought to have been involved in the murder of Randy Walker, who was a close friend of Tupac Shaker and was killed a year before Shaker's murder.
Steve Irwin
Born in 1962, Steve Irwin was an incredibly popular television presenter best known for placing himself in dangerous circumstances, mainly with crocodiles. Nicknamed the Crocodile Hunter, Irwin's crazy antics earned him many fans and many believed that he was indestructible. His antics also caused much controversy and he received much criticism for one event, in which he fed a crocodile whilst holding his young son under his arm. Despite these controversies though, he was still very much well liked and his death in 2006 came as a shock to people worldwide.
He was killed after being impaled by a barb from a stingray whilst shooting an underwater documentary. His death, although tragic, was also ironic, so much that some people could not believe that Irwin, who had cheated death so many times during his antics with crocodiles, had eventually gone on to be killed by a stingray.
Heath Ledger
Heath Ledger's death at the young age of 28 in early 2008 came as a shock to many. Born in 1979, Ledger was an extremely popular actor, best known for his roles in “Brokeback Mountain” and “The Dark Knight”. His role of the Joker in “The Dark Knight” received much attention as the film was released just months after his death. He won much critical acclaim for his roles in both films. He began his career in the 1990s and became well known around 1999, when he starred in “Ten Things I hate About You”. He was found unresponsive in his apartment in January 2008. He had been previously experiencing trouble sleeping and had been taking sleeping pills, which were thought to be the cause of his death due to an overdose. There was much speculation about his death, which was ruled as accidental and caused by abuse of drugs.
David Carradine
David Carradine was a popular actor. Born in 1936, he went on to have a successful career and is known for his roles in “Kung Fu” and the “Kill Bill” series. Carradine won his role in “Kung Fu” in the 1970s over Bruce Lee. Lee's anger on losing out on the role is seen in the documentary film “Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story”. In a situation similar to that of Michael Hutchence, David Carradine was found dead in his hotel room in June 2009. His death was accidental and came as a result of autoerotic asphyxiation.
Michael Jackson
The death of Michael Jackson in June 2009 shocked people worldwide. Born in 1958, Jackson was one of the most iconic performers of all time. His singing and dancing earned him the name of “The King of Pop”. His career spanned over four decades, during which he scored a number of well known hits. Throughout the eighties and early nineties, he became the centre of much attention due to the drastic change in his physical appearance. In 1993, he revealed that he was abused by his father after a number of child sexual abuse accusations were made against him. Since then, he became the centre of media attention and continued to battle allegations right up until 2005, when his trial took place. Despite all the allegations though, Jackson had millions of fans worldwide. His sudden death had a huge impact on both the public and celebrities.
Just hours before his death, which was thought to be a cardiac arrest, Jackson had been rehearsing for his comeback tour. Pictures and videos showed him to be in perfect health, although it was believed that drugs, mainly painkillers, played a part in his death. Jackson was also believed to have complained of feeling ill shortly before his death. His funeral was held on July 7th 2009, with a private service for his family and then a public service, where a number of celebrities and his children paid their tributes and sung his songs.
12
0
Very long yet very good answer! :)
Isadora Duncan
Duncan's fondness for flowing scarves which trailed behind her was the cause of her death in a freak automobile accident in Nice, France, on the night of September 14, 1927, at the age of 50. The scarf was hand painted silk from the Russian-born artist Roman Chatov. The accident gave rise to Gertrude Stein's mordant remark that "affectations can be dangerous."
Source: Wikipedia.
Duncan's fondness for flowing scarves which trailed behind her was the cause of her death in a freak automobile accident in Nice, France, on the night of September 14, 1927, at the age of 50. The scarf was hand painted silk from the Russian-born artist Roman Chatov. The accident gave rise to Gertrude Stein's mordant remark that "affectations can be dangerous."
Source: Wikipedia.
2
0
Actor Vic Morrow died while filming "Twilight Zone the Movie" in which he and two child actors died with him as Vic was decapitated by a helicopter blade.
1
0
Selena Quintillana Perez (1971-1995), Michael Jackson (1958-2009), Billy Mays (1958-2009), Steve McNair (1971-2009), Alexis Cohen (1974-2009).
0
0
Jayne Mansfield - Died when decapitated after she rear-ended a semi trailer and her car went under the trailer. As a result, a law was passed that required all semi trailers to have a horizontal bar across the rear of the trailer to prevent cars from going underneath them, if one should rear end the trailer. The bar is called a Mansfield Bar. True Story!
0
1
Guest
New Comment - Comments are editable for 5 min.