Crazy things happen in life — even to celebrities. In fact, it seems like tragedies, accidents, and scandals are even more prevalent among the stars, possibly because they have so much disposable income that they often find themselves in high-stakes situations. Many celebs also are often at a greater risk specifically because of their jobs. From performing dangerous stunts on set to handling risky stage props, being an entertainer is inherently dangerous, at least to some degree. Some celebrities have even had near-death experiences.
It's actually pretty surprising how many stars have had a close brush with death. Many of them were due to certain illicit extracurricular activities, others happened on the job, and still others occurred long before they even reached stardom. We're talking big-name celebs like George Clooney, Amy Schumer, and Liam Hemsworth.
Here, we take a look back at some major incidents involving celebrities that could have resulted in their deaths. Somehow, they all survived, though! Keep scrolling to find out which major celebrities have experienced near-fatal events in their lives. Get ready, because some of these are a huge surprise.
Travis Barker
In September 2008, Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker was in a plane crash that resulted in the deaths of everyone onboard, except Travis and the late DJ AM (who would have a fatal drug overdose less than a year after the plane crash). Travis incurred major injuries after being engulfed in flames in the crash, and the experience left him afraid to fly again for years.
Emilia Clarke
Game of Thrones actress Emilia Clarke suffered an aneurysm while working out in 2011. "My trainer had me get into the plank position, and I immediately felt as though an elastic band was squeezing my brain," she explained in a New Yorker essay. "I tried to ignore the pain and push through it, but I just couldn't. I had to take a break. Somehow, almost crawling, I made it to the locker room. I reached the toilet, sank to my knees and proceeded to be violently ill. Meanwhile, the pain was getting worse. At some level, I knew what was happening: my brain was damaged."
Tracy Morgan
In June 2014, comedian Tracy Morgan was involved in a serious motor vehicle crash in New Jersey. The limo bus he and several others were traveling in was hit by a Walmart tractor trailer, killing one person and leaving Tracy in critical condition. He suffered a traumatic brain injury and had to undergo many months of rehab. He was even in a wheelchair for a time.
Lamar Odom
Former NBA star (and Khloé Kardashian's ex-husband) Lamar Odom nearly died because of a drug overdose in 2015. He was discovered unconscious in a brothel in Nevada, and later suffered 12 seizures and six strokes at the hospital. His heart stopped twice during the ordeal, which left him in a coma. He made a miraculous recovery, and Khloé supported him the entire time.
Zac Efron
Actor Zac Efron decided to go on a bike ride with his The Greatest Showman costar Hugh Jackman while in London to promote the film — but the outing didn't end so well for him. "I followed Hugh around a few cars and suddenly there was a double-decker bus right in front of me. I slammed on the brakes, went under the front tire, and narrowly missed death," he explained to Teen Vogue.
Amy Schumer
Comedian Amy Schumer was injured badly as a teenager. She was surfing alone when she "skegged" herself — her fin jabbed into her leg. She was far out in the water and bleeding, and had to carry her board to shore, where she found help from a bystander. "I was delegating, and he held my leg closed with his bare hands — just fat and blood coming out. I wish I knew who that guy was because he saved my life," she told Vanity Fair.
Eminem
Rapper Eminem almost lost his life when he overdosed in 2007. He was addicted to pills including Vicodin, Valium, and Ambien, but methadone was the cause of his near-fatal OD. He collapsed on his bathroom floor and was told by physicians that he had taken the equivalent of four bags of heroin.
50 Cent
Rapper and businessman Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson was infamously shot nine times in 2000. He had injuries to his hand, arm, hip, legs, chest, and left cheek, and spent nearly two weeks in the hospital. He went on to make a huge music career for himself, rapping about the experience, with a new, slightly altered voice thanks to that cheek injury.
Demi Lovato
Singer Demi Lovato quite famously suffered a near-fatal drug overdose in 2018. The musician had three strokes and a heart attack in the aftermath, and has been left with some degree of brain damage. "My doctors said I had five to 10 more minutes," Demi recounted in their 2021 YouTube documentary, Dancing With the Devil.
Stephen King
Acclaimed horror and science fiction author Stephen King nearly died in 1999 when a van hit him while he was walking. The crash left him unconscious. He said on Twitter that he almost had to have his leg amputated. "Every day of the 20 years since has been a gift," he wrote.
George Clooney
A-list actor George Clooney also had a brush with death. In 2018, he was hit by a car while riding a motor scooter on his way to a movie set in Sardinia, Italy. "If you're in the public eye, what you realize when you're on the ground thinking it's the last minute of your life is that, for some people, it's just going to be entertainment for their Facebook page," he told The Sunday Times of the traumatic experience. "I'm a pretty positive guy, but that told me that you really are here just for their entertainment."
Gerard Butler
Actor Gerard Butler had his near-death experience in 2011 when he was involved in a surfing accident while filming the movie Chasing Mavericks. He got caught in a "two-wave hold-down." "I was down. I just didn't come back up, really. I just started to think, 'Wow, I'm going to die making a movie,'" he recalled on Good Morning America.
Orlando Bloom
English actor Orlando Bloom suffered major injuries in 1998. He was climbing up a drainpipe while hanging out with friends, and it collapsed. Orlando fell three stories and ended up paralyzed for four days. He had broken multiple vertebrae, and then underwent surgery and rehab for months.
Kanye West
Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, had a near-death experience that led to his massive fame and fortune. In October 2002, he fell asleep while driving, and his injuries resulted in him needing to have a metal plate put into his chin and his jaw wired shut. Ever the creative mastermind, Kanye decided to head to the studio as soon as he could, and recorded the single, "Through the Wire," with his jaw still wired shut. The rest is history …
Ozzy Osbourne
Shock rocker Ozzy Osbourne broke lots of bones in 2003. He was in an ATV accident while at his home in the English countryside, and was left with eight fractured ribs, a fractured collarbone, and one fractured vertebra in his neck. The quad bike evidently landed on top of him.
Rachel Bilson
At age 16, actress Rachel Bilson was left in a coma after getting in a bad car crash while joy riding with friends. "I was with my girlfriend and these two guys, driving down the Pacific Coast Highway," she explained. "We were going really fast and we were involved in a head-on collision with a truck. We were in a tiny car, and it was a pretty bad crash. They had to cut us out, and I was in a coma for a few days. The crash ended that relationship, which is a good thing."
Liam Hemsworth
In yet another surfing incident, Australian actor Liam Hemsworth nearly drowned when he was a kid. "One time, I got my leg rope wrapped around my whole body like a ball, underwater," he told Men's Health. "Couldn't get up. I was in waist-deep water, but I almost drowned. You know, I've had a few times."
Kevin Hart
Actor and comedian Kevin Hart was in a near-fatal car crash in 2019. He had let his friend, Jared Black, drive his 1970 Plymouth Barracuda, and Jared lost control of the wheel, and they veered off the road and crashed into a tree. Kevin suffered a severe back injury in the crash that left him unable to walk unassisted for weeks.
Harrison Ford
Actor Harrison Ford is an avid hobby pilot, but that hobby has resulted in a number of plane crashes. One of the most notable occurred in 2015, when he crashed a vintage plane into a golf course. He was "severely injured" and spent weeks in the hospital, although details regarding his injuries were never released to the public.
Deryck Whibley
Sum 41 front man Deryck Whibley nearly lost his life due to an alcohol overdose in 2014. "I was drinking hard every day," he wrote on his website after the incident. "Until one night, I was sitting at home, poured myself another drink around midnight, and was about to watch a movie when all of a sudden I didn't feel so good. I then collapsed to the ground unconscious."
Sean Kingston
Singer Sean Kingston was in an absolutely awful water sports crash. He was jet skiing in Miami when he slammed into a bridge. He and one other person were thrown off the vehicle. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition, and while still in the hospital 11 days later, he suffered a torn aorta that resulted in emergency open heart surgery.
