No parent should ever have to go through the unimaginable task of burying a child, but regardless of how famous someone might be, it doesn't shield them from experiencing such a heartbreaking tragedy. There are more than a few celebrities who have dealt with the death of their children on the public stage, and fortunately, it also becomes an opportunity for those who love them and their work to share their support (although, undoubtedly, the media frenzy can't make the grieving process any easier).
If anything, learning that these celebrities lost a child heightens the realization that stars are people, too. In sharing these tragic losses, our eyes are opened to the difficulties everyone faces, regardless of their profession, wealth, or fame. It's one thing that no parent should ever have to experience, but it still happens.
Here are 23 celebrities who endured the loss of a child.
Jack Wagner
Soap opera star Jack Wagner lost his 27-year-old son, Harrison, in June 2022. According to Us Weekly, Harrison's body was found in a parking lot, and it was then that he was suspected of having experienced an overdose. His parents later confirmed that he had "lost his battle with addiction" as they worked to establish a scholarship fund in his memory at a sober house for men.
Granger Smith
In 2019, country music star Granger Smith's 3-year-old son River tragically drowned in the family's swimming pool. After his death, Granger and wife Amber made the decision to donate his organs, and River saved the lives of two people. In honor of their son's memory, the couple has since established the River Kelly Fund, a charitable foundation supporting a range of causes including wildlife preservation, arts and education, and children's health.
Prince
The late artist formerly known as Prince was always private. At one point, he told Oprah Winfrey that if he were to have children it would be up to the child (not him) to one day make their name, sex, or "anything" about them known. So it's not surprising that Prince never publicly acknowledged the death of his child, Boy Gregory, who was born with Pfeiffer syndrome, a genetic disorder characterized by the premature fusion of skull bones. The infant died one week after his birth in 1996.
Eric Clapton
If you listen to Eric Clapton's song "Tears in Heaven," the lyrics will bring tears to your eyes — especially knowing that it's inspired by his own tragic experience. Eric wrote the song for his 4-year-old son, Conor, who died in 1991 after falling out of the singer's 53rd-floor apartment building in New York City.
Joe Biden
President Joe Biden has seen his share of tragedy. In 1972, his then-wife Neilia and their 13-month-old daughter Naomi were killed in a car crash while on their way to buy a Christmas tree. The couple's sons were also in the car at the time, but both survived. In the summer of 2015, Biden lost one of those sons, Beau, to brain cancer.
Anna Nicole Smith
The controversial model and reality TV star lost her son, Daniel, to a drug overdose in 2006, when he was only 20 years old. Three days after Daniel's death, Anna gave birth to a baby girl named Dannielynn. In 2007, Anna died herself from an accidental drug overdose.
Robert Plant
Led Zepplin frontman Robert Plant was on tour in the US in 1977 when he lost his son, Karac, to a stomach infection. The singer was so (understandably) devastated that he cut the tour short and returned to his home in England, where he grieved for months.
Adrian Peterson
Former Chicago Bears running back Adrian Peterson lost his son AJ after a brave seven-month battle with a diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma. The inoperable brain tumor took the 7-year-old's life in February 2015, less than one year after the little boy was originally diagnosed.
Dr. Dre
The son of rapper and producer Dr. Dre, Andre Young Jr., was found dead from a drug overdose in 2008. He was only 20 years old at the time. According to reports from the Los Angeles County coroner, Andre had overdosed on heroin and morphine, and his death was ultimately ruled accidental.
Hunter Tylo
Stunning Bold and the Beautiful actress Hunter Tylo lost her 19-year-old son, Michael, in 2007 from a condition known as complex partial seizures. He suffered a seizure while at Tylo's Nevada home and fell into the family pool, where he drowned.
Sylvester Stallone
While there was concern regarding the lifestyle and drug use of the 36-year-old son of actor Sylvester Stallone, Sage, his cause of death in 2012 was determined to be heart failure. Ultimately, the coroner cited atherosclerotic coronary artery disease as the official cause of death.
John Travolta
The world grieved with John Travolta and wife Kelly Preston in 2009 when their son Jett passed away at the age of 16. Jett reportedly suffered from Kawasaki syndrome, an autoimmune disorder that causes seizures. While on vacation in the Bahamas, he had a seizure and died.
Mia Farrow
It's heartbreaking to learn that actress Mia Farrow lost not one, but two children. Her adopted daughter Lark Previn died in the hospital from AIDS-related pneumonia at the age of 35. Another of Mia's adopted children, Tam, died at age 19 of heart failure.
Vince Neil
Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil's daughter, Skylar, lost her battle with cancer in 1995 at the age of 4. The singer formed the Skylar Neil Memorial Fund after her death, and has since raised millions of dollars for children's cancer research.
Paul Newman
Academy Award-winning actor and director Paul Newman tragically lost his only son, Scott (also an actor), in 1978. Scott was just 28 when he died from a drug overdose. Paul opened the Scott Newman Center to help prevent drug abuse in his late son's honor.
O.J. Simpson
In 1979 O.J. Simpson's daughter, Aeren, heartbreakingly drowned in the family pool just one month shy of her second birthday. At the time, O.J. was divorced from her mother, Marguerite Whitley, with whom he has two other children.
Pierce Brosnan
After battling ovarian cancer for three years, Pierce Brosnan's daughter, Charlotte, died in 2013 at the age of 41. The actor had adopted Charlotte while married to his first wife, Cassandra Harris, Charlotte's biological mother. Cassandra also died of ovarian cancer in 1991.
Keanu Reeves
Keanu Reeves' baby daughter, Ava, was delivered stillborn in 1999. Just 18 months later, her mother, Jennifer Syme, died in a car crash. The couple had split at the time, but the two losses so close together must have been devastating for Keanu.
Bill Cosby
In 1997, Ennis Cosby, the only son of Bill and Camille Cosby, was changing his tire on the side of a road in Los Angeles when he was robbed, shot in the head, and killed. Mikhail Markhasev is currently serving life in prison for the seemingly random murder.
Mike Tyson
Exodus Tyson, the daughter of Mike Tyson, died when she was only 4 years old from accidental asphyxiation, or strangling. Her body was found by her 7-year-old brother, who discovered her with a tangled cord from a treadmill wrapped around her neck.
Vanessa Bryant
The world was shocked when Vanessa Bryant tragically lost both her husband, NBA legend Kobe Bryant, and their 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, in a helicopter crash in January 2020. Kobe and Gianna had been on their way to Gianna's basketball game at the time, and everyone onboard perished.
Nick Cannon
At the end of 2021, Nick Cannon's 5-month-old son Zen died after he had been diagnosed with brain cancer not long after his birth. Fans didn't know that Zen was sick until Nick shared the news that he had died, so it came as quite a shock at the time.
Bode Miller
In 2018, Olympic skier Bode Miller and his wife, Morgan, lost their daughter, Emeline, when she drowned in a neighbor's pool at just 19 months old. Since then, the couple has actively worked to promote water safety to prevent the same thing from happening to other families.
