21 Haunting Last Photos Of Celebrities Before They Tragically Died
When a celebrity dies, there is often an outpouring of grief as their fans come to terms with the heartbreaking truth that they have lost an idol. Social media will become flooded with memorials, photos, and videos as everyone collectively grieves together.
Human behavior and relationship expert, Patrick Wanis, told Shape magazine, "We grieve more today over the death of a celebrity because of the narrative - the constant bombardment of every occurrence and every detail of the life of a celebrity leads us to believe that we have an intimate connection with them - that they and their lives are a part of us."
Wanis added, "We also feel that we have lost that part of us - even the past part of us that we had connected and associated with the (celebrity) - our adolescence, youth, innocence or some other special and significant time and phase in our life."
Most celebrities are never far from a camera lens - whether this is the paparazzi or fans snapping pictures on their phones. With thanks to the internet, we can now timestamp the very last moments of any celebrity, so when they do pass away through tragic circumstances, these following photos adopt a new heartbreaking and haunting context.
21 Heath Ledger
On January 22nd, 2008, a police source told People, "It was 2:45 p.m. when (Heath Ledger's) masseuse Diana Wolozin arrived at (his) apartment around 3 p.m. She went into the room. She started setting up the massage table and he wasn't waking up - wasn't responding." Sadly, the 28-year-old died of an accidental overdose of painkillers, sleeping pills, anti-anxiety medication and other prescription drugs.
Ledger's final film was The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus in 2009. In the above photo, he was shooting scenes just days before his death, which meant he had not completed filming so Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell was cast to change the role into a character who is 'always changing.' The three actors donated their entire salaries to Ledger's daughter, Matilda, to help the young girl in the future. His final photo is a reminder of his outstanding contribution to the big screen.
20 Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston was once a voice of the generation but her professional life was left in ruins when a $1000-a-day drug addiction took over her life. Her husband, Bobby Brown, was blamed for the singer's downfall, the Daily Mail reported that she told the press, "I think somewhere inside, something happens to a man when a woman has that much control or that much fame."
In the final days leading up to her death, she was pictured leave Tru Nightclub in Hollywood looking unwell. She appeared bewildered and struggled to stand up without the support of her entourage. Then on February 11th, 2012, 44-year-old Houston was found unconscious in Suite 434 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, her body laid lifeless under the water in the bathtub. Her death was "accidental drowning" caused by the high amount of drugs in her system which included cocaine and cannabis.
19 Amy Winehouse
London-born jazz singer Amy Winehouse was a reluctant star, she never craved fame but following her platinum-selling album, Back To Black, she became a household name. She did not take to the spotlight well and her alcohol addiction spiraled out of control. Tragically on July 23rd, 2011, she passed away due to alcohol poisoning and a post-mortem discovered that at the time of her death she was five times over the legal driving limit.
During her father's eulogy, he revealed that his daughter returned to her London townhouse after a routine appointment with her doctor at around 8.30pm. Her security guard said she played drums and sang into the early hours of the morning. Then the following day, he went to check on her but she appeared to be sleeping, and it was only after checking again at 4 pm that afternoon he realized she was dead. News quickly broke that the world had sadly lost another true star.
18 Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was a Hollywood icon who is still cherished by her loyal fan base even today. These final photos were taken of her at a private villa in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, with pianist Buddy Greco (pictured), and Frank Sinatra was also present. According to reports, Monroe began binging on alcohol and pills - she was eventually sent home from the villa as she had become impossible to be around. Five days later, she passed away.
On August 5th, 1962, Monroe, whose real name was Norma Jean, was found lifeless in bed by her psychiatrist. The housekeeper at her Brentwood home was staying overnight but became concerned at around 3 am that "something was wrong" and made the call to the doctor. Hours later, a physician arrived and ruled her death as suicide through a "barbiturate overdose." Monroe's doctors revealed that she had previously suffered from "severe fears and frequent depressions" with "abrupt and unpredictable" mood swings, and had overdosed several times in the past. Her death is a reminder of how deadly hidden depression can be.
17 Robin Williams
Comedian and Academy Award-winning actor Robin Williams was a worldwide treasure adored my millions of fans worldwide. Off-screen he was suffering from inner turmoil, often falling into long stints of depression, paranoia, and anxiety. On August 11, 2014, Williams committed suicide at his home in Paradise Cay, California at the age of 63.
Just a week before his death, he uploaded this photo to his Instagram of a trip to San Francisco Zoo. He wrote: "Happy Birthday to me! A visit from one of my favorite leading ladies, Crystal." The picture is a heartbreaking reminder of how much pain he was really hiding from the world.
His daughter Zelda wrote in a personal statement: "Dad was, is and always will be one of the kindest, most generous, gentlest souls I've ever known, and while there are few things I know for certain right now, one of them is that not just my world, but the entire world is forever a little darker, less colorful and less full of laughter in his absence."
16 Bob Marley
During a trip to Munich, Germany, in 1981, legendary reggae singer Bob Marley was pictured here between receiving treatment for cancer. Shortly after this photograph was taken, he traveled back to his homeland of Jamaica but sadly never made it home alive. Forced to make an emergency stop he passed away on May 11th at a Miami hospital aged just 36-years-old.
His son, Stephen Marley, told Newsweek he had no idea who his father really was until an assassination attempt was carried out on him and his wife - they both survived - revealing, "When both he and my mother were shot (in 1976), that was when I just sat back and kind of figured, 'Wow.' That was when I started to say, 'Whoa, Daddy, you're an important man.' And then obviously, when he passed away and the world recognized this man - it became clear again, that he was special in that way."
15 Paul Walker
Fast and Furious star Paul Walker was pictured just hours before his death in his friend's red Porsche. The father-of-one waved goodbye to his fans on November 30th, 2013, before driving to a charity event in Los Angeles. His friend lost control of the car and by the time the Los Angeles County Sheriff's department arrived at the scene, they found the vehicle had gone up in flames and both were pronounced dead.
After hearing the news of his death, one fan Bill Townsend posted online, "I was just with him no more than 2 or 3 hours ago. Talking cars, he was so happy seeing all his friends get together to look at the cars." Adding, "I (hoped) it wasn't him in the wreck, but if it was, he would have passed doing something he loved, which is driving cars. The world lost an angel in Paul."
14 Freddie Mercury
Queen frontman and rock icon Freddie Mercury wrote and composed some of the greatest hits of our generation including Bohemian Rhapsody, Killer Queen, Somebody to Love, Don't Stop Me Now, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, and We Are the Champions. In 1991, Queen's manager issued a public statement on behalf of Mercury, that read: "Following the enormous conjecture in the press over the last two weeks, I wish to confirm that I have been tested HIV positive and have AIDS. I felt it correct to keep this information private to date to protect the privacy of those around me."
On November 24th, 1991, just 24 hours after the statement went public, Mercury died at the age of 45 at his home in Kensington, London. The official cause of death was bronchial pneumonia resulting from AIDS. His band member, guitarist Bryan May, told The Telegraph, "When Freddie died, it was like losing a family member, and we all handled it in different ways. For a time, I really wanted to escape from Queen; I didn't want to know about it. I think that was my grieving process. But I'm very proud of what we did together."
13 Joan Rivers
Comedian and TV personality Joan Rivers was still performing her standup comedy shows until her death on September 14th, 2014, aged 81-years-old. In the above photo, she posed with a fan before sadly passing week she passed away on a surgery table. Rivers' operation was scheduled as a minor throat procedure but there were serious complications and she stopped breathing. According to the New York City Medical Examiner's Office, she died from brain damage caused by lack of oxygen.
Following months of investigations, federal officials confirmed that the clinic made a number of mistakes both before and during the procedure. Her daughter, Melissa Rivers, reached a private settlement with the doctors and she told E! News, "In accepting this settlement, I am able to put the legal aspects of my mother's death behind me and ensure that those culpable for her death have accepted responsibility for their actions." She added, "Moving forward, my focus will be to ensure that no one ever has to go through what my mother, Cooper (her son) and I went through and I will work towards ensuring higher safety standards in out-patient surgical clinics."
12 Michael Jackson
The King of Pop was rehearsing for what was to become his final world tour, This Is It. Photos showed he wasn't in his best health and on June 25th, 2009, aged 50-years-old he passed away following a 42-minute resuscitation attempt by paramedics. His cause of death was ruled as an overdose of the drugs propofol and benzodiazepine after suffering a cardiac arrest. An autopsy also discovered many other drugs in his system.
Following an investigation, Jackson's personal physician, Conrad Murray, was sentenced to four years in prison for administering the overdose. California's prosecution stated, "When Dr. Murray left the room, Jackson self-administered a dose of propofol that, with the lorazepam, created a perfect storm in his body that killed him instantly. The whole thing is tragic." The world lost one of the greatest performers of our time.
11 Brittany Murphy
On December 20th, 2009, at Brittany Murphy's Los Angeles home, firefighters tried to resuscitate the 8 Mile actress but after failed attempts, she died of cardiac arrest. A Los Angeles coroner ruled her death was caused by pneumonia, iron deficiency anemia, and multiple drug intoxication - but her father had a different theory…
Her father believed Murphy was under surveillance and her phone had been wiretapped by the Department of Homeland Security after she had become a whistleblower. After Murphy's screenwriter husband died just five months later, a family member told the Daily Mail, "You just don't have two people die like that under those circumstances." An investigation was opened but the suit was later dismissed. The above photo was the last public appearance Murphy made shortly before her tragic death.
10 Philip Seymour Hoffman
Academy Award Winner Philip Seymour Hoffman had battled drug and alcohol addiction and managed to stay sober for 23 years. In 2014, he suffered a relapse and his family had urged him to get help. A source told the Daily Mail, "It was known that he was struggling to stay sober, and girlfriend Mimi O'Donnell had given him some tough love and told him he needed some time away from the kids and to get straight again."
Sadly, his addiction took his life and on February 2nd, he died from an overdose at his home surrounded by bags of heroin and used needles. David Bar Katz, a playwright and the friend who found Hoffman's body lying on the bathroom floor, told The New York Times, "I saw him (a week before his death), and he was clean and sober - his old self. I really thought this chapter was over." The last photo of him was taken as he sat in a bar, talking to fans, just three days before his death.
9 Aaliyah
Before boarding a flight on August 25th, 2005, singer Aliyah posed with friends and threw the V-sign candidly at the camera. She had just finished completing a string of music videos for her latest album and was accompanied by employees of Virgin Records America. Moments later, just after takeoff, the light aircraft crashed, killing eight people on board and the singer herself - aged just 22-years-old. Following an investigation, it was found that the aircraft was overloaded.
During her short career, the singer made a huge impact in the music world including inspiring future female solo acts like Beyonce. She won more than 30 awards including R&B Female Artist at the 2002 American Music Awards, Best Actress for Queen of the Damned at the 2002 BET Awards and Female R&B Artist of the Year at the 2000 Billboard Music Awards.
8 James Gandolfini
The Sopranos star James Gandolfini was on a family holiday in Rome when he was last photographed enjoying fried prawns, drinking beers and cocktails, and talking with his loved ones. The waiter from the restaurant told the Daily Mail, "He had a big smile, a big laugh, and looked happy."
The following night on June 19th, 2013, Gandolfini's son found him laid on the bathroom floor at Hotel Boscolo suffering from an apparent heart attack. The 51-year-old actor's spokesperson later told reporters, "Today we received the results of the autopsy, which stated he died of a heart attack, of natural causes. The autopsy further states that nothing else was found in his system." He added, "We are all devastated by this loss. James was a devoted husband, a loving father of two children, a brother, and cousin you could always count on."
7 James Dean
On September 30th, 1955, screen legend James Dean stopped at a gas station to pose for a photograph with his silver Porsche Spyder. Shortly after, he died in a fatal collision aged just 24-years-old. The above vehicle was named "The Little B***ard" by fans who believed it was cursed.
One week before his death, Dean met with fellow actor Alec Guinness, who played Obi-Wan Kenobi, to show off his new motor. Guinness told him, "If you get in that car, you will be found dead in it by this time next week." Exactly seven days later, the crash that killed Dean took place. To add to the curse, parts rescued from the wreckage of the vehicle were used in other cars - one of those customized cars rolled over during a turn causing serious injury to the driver and the other had hit a tree instantly killing the driver behind the wheel.
6 Chris Benoit
This photo taken of pro-Wrestler Chris Benoit has quite a creepy backstory. During a three-day period between June 22nd - 25th, 2007, Benoit had murdered both his wife and son before committing suicide at their Georgia, Texas, home. The week before he had visited Dr. Phil Astin's office when a fan snapped the photo of Benoit smiling on his phone.
At some point during the three dates, Benoit strangled his wife, Nancy, and his 7-year-old son Daniel. He then called his close friend and wrestler Chavo Guerrero to say he had missed his flight and couldn't meet with him as arranged. Guerrero said he was "concerned about Benoit's tone and demeanor." Later Benoit used his computer to search "the quickest and easiest way to break a neck" and fixed a towel from his neck to a weight lifting machine, dropped a large weight, and killed instantly.
5 Jimi Hendrix
Guitar legend Jimi Hendrix, known for his alcohol and substance abuse as much as his music, was pronounced dead on September 18th, 1970, in Kensington, London. A coroner ruled that he had choked to death on his vomit following a sleeping pill-induced coma, which is still undetermined if this was either accidental or suicide. The above photo was taken at his London home days before where he stayed with his girlfriend, German figure skater Monika Dannemann.
Hendrix was one of the most influential electric guitarists in the history of popular music and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame describes him as "arguably the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock music." Alongside iconic musicians like Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse, and Janis Joplin, Hendrix was aged 27-years-old when he died, adding to the urban legend that is '27 Club.'
4 Elvis Presley
Much like fellow icon Michael Jackon, Elvis Presley was also addicted to prescription drugs and during the time of his death was exhausting himself on tour. Aged 42-years-old, Presley was suffering from glaucoma, an enlarged heart, liver damage and an enlarged colon. He was also becoming increasingly paranoid and audiences at his gigs were angered he struggled to make it through a show without walking off stage.
The last photo of him above was captured as he drove back to his home of Graceland in Memphis with his fiancee, beauty queen Ginger Alden. On August 16th, 1977, he was declared dead after he had been found by Alden slumped on the bathroom floor. Alden was Presley's last love, she said, "I know this sounds funny but when Elvis entered the room, I thought trumpets would sound. He looked so handsome." His body was buried at his Graceland home.
3 John Lennon
On December 8th, 1980, the world mourned the loss of one of the most iconic musicians of all time. Days before his death, a man named Mark Chapman, who suffered from depression and suicidal tendencies, sat outside Lennon's apartment in New York City. The above photo was taken the day Lennon died and also pictured is Chapman who stopped his idol for an autograph.
Late in the evening, as Lennon exited his apartment, Chapman took a gun and fired at him five times, fatally wounding him. Chapman remained at the crime scene even when police arrived and they found him reading J. D. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye before his arrest. Chapman to this day remains incarcerated at a correctional facility and has been denied parole nine times. Lennon was survived by his wife, Yoko Ono, and their son, Sean Lennon.
2 Tupac Shakur
On September 7th, 1996, Tupac Shakur left a boxing match between Bruce Seldon and Mike Tyson at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, and got in his car with CEO of Death Row Records, Suge Knight. Both of them were pictured above in what they didn't know was to be the rapper's final photo.
At around 11 pm, Shakur's vehicle stopped at traffic lights on Las Vegas Boulevard. According to witnesses at the scene, a white Cadillac rolled down a window and fired gunshots at Shakur - four of which wounded him. Six days later, Shakur died from internal bleeding at University Medical Center of Southern Nevada. Still, to this day, nobody knows who murdered Tupac although there have been many conspiracies including the theory that he faked his own death.
1 Princess Diana
Princess Diana was known as the "People's Princess". Before their divorce, she was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, who is the eldest child Queen Elizabeth II and heir to the British throne. Following their separation, she fell in love with Dodi Al-Fayed, the son of London Harrods owner, Mohammed Al-Fayed. The press attention surrounding the couple was so frenzied they would often have to escape the paparazzi at high speeds.
Tragically on August 31st, 1997, both Princess Diana and Dodi Al-Fayed died after a fatal car crash in a Paris tunnel following a paparazzi chase. Following an investigation by the French police, their deaths were ruled as accidental two years later. However, a separate British inquiry found that Diana's driver, Henri Paul, had caused the collision by dangerous driving and a jury ruled the incident as an "unlawful killing." She will always be remembered for her humanitarian work and kind heart.
