The world gets attached to celebrities. We put them on pedestals and support them and their projects, so when they sometimes unexpectedly die, it can be quite startling. Sure, we may not have known them in real life, but we sort of feel like we do because they're such a public presence. It's unsettling to adore an actor or a comedian or an athlete and then be robbed of their existence out of nowhere. These 15 celebrity deaths in particular really hit us hard because they were so sudden.
Some of these stars were privately battling health issues that were only revealed after their deaths, while others were murdered or accidentally overdosed. And no matter the exact cause of death, losing these celebrities gutted all of us. We're still not over these losses today, all these years later.
Kobe Bryant
The world-famous basketball player, his daughter Gianna, and a handful of others perished in a helicopter crash in early 2020 while on their way to a basketball game. The weather conditions for flying weren't ideal on that particular day, and the pilot crashed, killing everyone on board. Kobe's wife, Vanessa, is now raising their other three kids on her own.
Steve Irwin
The world was stunned when famed wildfire expert Steve Irwin died while filming for his nature television show. He was swimming with giant stingrays when one used its poisonous tail barb to stab Steve in the chest. The wound was too massive for him to make it back to land, and he died on the boat shortly afterward. He left behind his wife, Terri, and two young children, Robert and Bindi.
Chadwick Boseman
In fall 2020, news broke that Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman had suddenly died. What most people didn't know was that he'd been secretly battling colon cancer for the prior four years. Since fans weren't privy to his diagnosis, his death came as a shock to all. His legacy burns brightly, though. He was a superhero even off-screen.
Naya Rivera
The TV show Glee has had a lot of deaths among its cast, most recently Naya Rivera. The 33-year-old drowned in 2020 while swimming with her young son in a California lake. At first when she was reported missing, people hoped she'd be found alive. But after days of searching, her body was recovered from the water.
Brittany Murphy
The Clueless star died at 32 from untreated pneumonia, but a lot of mystery has surrounded her death — especially because her husband also died just a few months later. There have been theories that the couple became sick due to mold in their home, although that was ruled out by the medical examiner's office. Still, questions persist about why such a young, seemingly healthy woman died so suddenly.
Paul Walker
The Fast & Furious franchise star died in a car crash in 2013. He was a passenger when the driver lost control and the vehicle crashed at more than 100 miles per hour. After the crash, the car burst into flames. Paul Walker was killed almost instantly. It's quite eerie that he died in a high-speed car accident given the content of the Furious films.
Robin Williams
Suicide can affect anyone, even people who you think are happy. Many were shocked when comedian Robin Williams died by suicide in 2014, because they believed that the funnyman was just as joyful in his real life as he was on the screen. It just goes to show that we never really know what someone is going through.
If you or any of your loved ones are struggling with suicidal thoughts, reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling 1-800-273-8255. Representatives are available 24/7 by phone or online chat.
Whitney Houston & Bobbi Kristina Brown
Whitney and her daughter, Bobbi Kristina, both died after being found unresponsive in bathtubs with drugs in their system. Bobbi died in 2015, three years after her mother, almost to the day. It may have been nothing more than a tragic coincidence, but the similarities in the way they died got many people talking.
Marilyn Monroe
Because Marilyn was closely connected to President John F. Kennedy, her death was pounced on by conspiracy theorists everywhere. Her official cause of death was a "self-administered overdose of sedative drugs" in a "probable suicide," but many refused to take that as an answer. The iconic actress was just 36 when she died.
Anna Nicole Smith
Anna Nicole Smith's son, Daniel, died at age 20, just a few days after her second child, Dannielynn, was born. Then, five months after that, Anna herself died at age 39. Her untimely death was ruled an accidental overdose, and her baby girl was left without a brother or a mother. So tragic.
Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson's death at age 50 was ruled a homicide because he was being supplied anesthesia to help him sleep by a physician who lacked the proper medical equipment required to administer that type of drug. The physician, Conrad Murray, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for the incident.
Heath Ledger
Heath Ledger's death was a result of an accidental prescription drug overdose, and the world mourned the loss of such a talented star. Heath had begun taking the medicine to cope with his emotionally taxing role as the Joker in The Dark Knight, casting a bit of a pall over the film.
Tupac Shakur
The rapper was killed in 1996 in a drive-by shooting, but many people don't believe the official events of the story. One of the most prevalent modern conspiracy theories is that Tupac Shakur isn't dead at all, but that he faked his death and fled the country. There's no real evidence for that theory, but it refuses to die.
Princess Diana
There's plenty of controversy surrounding Princess Diana's death. She was killed in a car crash in 1997. Her car was attempting to outrun paparazzi in Paris and veered out of control. The princess was taken to the hospital but died shortly after. Some believe that her death was orchestrated by the royal family, but it's nothing more than a theory.
Selena
The young singer was murdered by the woman who used to run her fan club. Yolanda Saldivar and Selena had gotten into an argument over the business when Yolanda shot the 23-year-old. Selena wasn't able to survive the shooting, devastating her legions of fans. Her legacy lives on through her beautiful music.
