Plato died in May 1999 while visiting her fiance’s parents, overdosing on a combination of painkillers and valium. Even after she was released, she still felt trapped, aware that everyone around her perceived her as unstable. Four months later, on August 5, 1962, the legendary actress was found dead in her home of an apparent suicide by barbiturate overdose. Before she became the most famous actress of all time, Marilyn Monroe had a traumatic childhood that haunted her for the remainder of her life. Her mother suffered from schizophrenia and spent years in and out of psychiatric hospitals.
Chris Farley
- In addition to his role in The Wire, Williams won praise for his portrayal of the gang boss Albert “Chalky” White in the hit series Boardwalk Empire and received an Emmy nomination this year for a role in Lovecraft Country.
- Philip Seymour Hoffman, who notably appeared in Happiness and the Big Lebowski, died on February 2, 2014, at the age of 46.
- The legendary Michael Jackson’s life was cut short by an overdose of propofol in 2009.
- Tributes poured in from Hollywood, with Renfro’s first co-star Susan Sarandon calling him the “most incredibly gifted young actor.”
Singer-songwriter, dancer, and musician, Prince is is widely regarded as one of the greatest musicians of his generation. He was considered a guitar virtuoso and could also play several other instruments. With worldwide sales of over 150 million records, he is ranked among the best-selling music artists of all time. Right IconThis ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including actors who died from drugs the votes of our users and search trends on the internet.
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In his memoir, Spare, Harry extensively elaborates on how he used recreational drugs to cope with mental health issues and trauma. Moreover, he even disclosed this information in his visa application which may put his residency in California under questioning. Drug addiction is a pervasive problem that has plagued millions of people around the world, and celebrities have not been immune to it. According to studies, the number of famous people who’ve succumbed to their addictions has nearly doubled, and there is a notable rise in the involvement of prescription opioids. Janis Joplin died of a heroin overdose in her Los Angeles home on Oct. 4, 1970.
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- The cause of death was determined to be acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication, administered by Jackson’s personal physician, Conrad Murray.
- “When we sold the drugs, we never intended for anyone to lose their life.”
- Kelly checked into a rehab facility — Pax Rehab House in Altadena, California — after her DUI arrest in 2013, but she died in August that year.
- And even though Mr. Depp has not been officially classified as a drug addict, it’s obvious he has a particular preference for drugs.
- Since it can be mixed with an opioid like fentanyl and go undetected, some celebrities have been unintentionally taking the opioid and overdosing by accident.
- Like many other famous people who died from drugs before her, she had a history of substance abuse and had sought treatment for addiction.
The exact cause of death remains unknown, but it is believed that he died of a heart attack, likely brought on by a combination of alcohol and drugs. Another name on our list of celebrity drug addicts only recently admitted to using prescription and other A-class drugs, including magic mushrooms, which he enjoyed at a party in the home of Courteney Cox. Bradley Nowell died from a heroin overdose on May 25, 1996, in a San Franscico motel while on tour with his band Sublime, who would go on to achieve widespread success following his death. Ol’ Dirty Bastard died from a mixture of cocaine and a prescription pain killer on Nov. 13, 2004, in New York. The rapper, real name Russell Tyrone Jones, died just two days short of what would have been his 36th birthday.
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The musical realm suffered an enormous loss with the sudden passing of Prince, the multi-talented musician and performer, in 2016. An innovator in every sense, Prince seemed almost otherworldly in his ability to cross genres and dazzle audiences. Marilyn Monroe, a legendary figure in the entertainment world, passed away in 1962 amidst a cloud of uncertainty.
According to official reports, his death was caused by an accidental overdose of fentanyl. It happened on September 8, 1965, when her manager, Earl Mills, couldn’t get in touch with her. Using a tire iron, Mills broke down the door to Dandridge’s apartment to find her dead, the result of an accidental antidepressant overdose. Decades later, she was played by Halle Berry alcoholism symptoms in her breakout role in the 1999 television movie “Introducing Dorothy Dandridge.”
‘Rare talent’ of The Wire star Williams remembered
- From easy access to drugs and other harmful substances to no-money issues and the stress of constantly being in the public eye, there are many celebrities struggling with depression, anxiety, and substance abuse.
- Despite his rising stardom, Phoenix couldn’t escape the pitfalls that often accompany youthful fame in Hollywood.
Until his death, he had convinced nearly everybody, including the newspapers reporting on his passing, that he was an Australian native, born in Perth. Your fame and fortune can get you whatever you want, including drugs. For many Americans, a drug habit can set you back financially, but not celebrities. They have access to substances the average person can’t get their hands on.
- Brad Renfro was living in a trailer park when director Joel Schumacher spotted him and cast him in The Client.
- Williams shot to fame for his role as Omar Little in HBO’s The Wire.
- Their fatal drug overdoses highlight the darker side of stardom and the vulnerability that comes with it.
- Throughout history, drug addictions have plagued the lives of so many celebrities.
- A coroner’s report later revealed that he died of an accidental overdose of cocaine and morphine, per The Washington Post.
According to autopsy results, her death was attributed to an accidental overdose of several prescription drugs, primarily chloral hydrate (per The New York Times). On the night of her death, she was running a high fever, but reportedly denied medical help (via Today). One of the most memorable child stars from the 1970s and ’80s, Dana Plato gained fame as Kimberly Drummond on the classic sitcom “Diff’rent Strokes.” According to the Los Angeles Times, Plato stepped into showbiz at age 6. In addition to commercials for Fotomat and Wrigley, she had multiple roles for television and film before finding big success in “Diff’rent Strokes” in 1978. While on the show as a teenager, Plato got into drugs and alcohol, even overdosing at the young age of 14 (per USA Today). Hollywood was rattled when Belushi died of an overdose on March 5, 1982, at 33 years old.
Known for her playful attitude, curvaceous figure, and long flowing locks, Monroe’s name and likeness became synonymous with beauty and glamour. Years after leaving “That ’70s Show,” Kelly admitted that her struggle with alcohol had contributed to her departure. During an interview years later, Kelly said she’d turned to alcohol after losing a baby in a miscarriage but was working to turn her life around. Kelly was arrested in 2012 on a felony charge of corporal injury upon a spouse, but the district attorney didn’t press charges. She was arrested again a few months later and charged with assault alongside her husband. Sanders died this past June in his Glendale apartment at the age of 18.