Celeb deaths are never easy.
We mourn the loss, just as we would any death. But the ones that sting the most are the ones that happen way too soon. We’ve tragically seen this happen with celebs as young as 20 years old.
They’re gone, but never forgotten. Here are 10+ celebs who died way too soon.
Paul Walker
The Fast and the Furious star was only 40 when he was killed in a deadly crash on November 30, 2013.
He had been sitting in the passenger’s seat of his Porsche sports car when it crashed at a speed of more than 100mph.
Cameron Boyce
The actor, known for his roles on the Disney Channel series Jessie , was just 20 when he passed away in 2019 as the result of a medical condition.
Many mourned his death, including Adam Sandler who played his dad in the movie, Grown Ups .
Mac Miller
The rapper, who had a history of substance abuse, died from an accidental overdose in 2018 .
His sudden death at 26 shook the world, especially ex-girlfriend, Ariana Grande, who paid tribute to him in concert.
Avicii
The Swedish DJ’s suicide in 2018 left fans with many questions.
He was only 28 when he passed away with such a promising career ahead of him. He had even teased new music just days before his passing.
Amy Winehouse
The world lost a legendary talent the day the 27-year-old died from alcohol poisoning in 2011. Her unique voice will never be forgotten.
Unfortunately, the last few years of her life were riddled with substance abuse.
Steve Irwin
The beloved Crocodile Hunter was only 44 when he died doing what he loved: being around animals. He was tragically pierced in the heart by a stingray.
To this day, his wife and kids, Terri, Bindi, and Robert, continue to honor his legacy .
Brittany Murphy
There was a lot of mystery surrounding the actress’s sudden death in 2009. She was 32.
Her untimely death was found to be caused by the combination of pneumonia, an iron deficiency, and “multiple drug intoxication,” according to the Los Angeles County coroner .
Kurt Cobain
To this day, the rock icon’s death at 27 isn’t forgotten.
Sadly, his suicide placed him in the ” 27 Club, ” which refers to popular public figures who have all died at 27, often due to substance abuse or suicide.
Diana, Princess of Wales
The beloved royal was tragically killed in a car crash in 1997 at only 36 years old.
Her sudden passing left the world heartbroken. This especially includes her sons, Prince Harry and Prince William, who honor their mother to this day.
Cory Monteith
There was nothing gleeful about the world losing the Glee actor at 31.
The recovering addict was found dead in his hotel from an overdose of heroin and alcohol in his system. Many mourned his death, including then-girlfriend, Lea Michele.
Luke Perry
The 90210 alum was only 52 when he passed away from a massive stroke .
His death was a shock to fans and his co-stars who worked with him on Riverdale at the time of his passing.
Lisa Robin Kelly
That ’70s Show fans will most remember her as Eric’s sister.
Sadly, the actress left the show twice due to alcohol abuse. When she passed at away the age of 43, it was due to drug intoxication.
Aaliyah
It’s been two decades since her passing , but the young singer’s death still feels like yesterday.
She was only 22 when she was involved in a tragic plane crash in the Bahamas that killed her and eight others.
Selena Quintanilla
The Latin superstar was at the height of her musical career when she was tragically murdered by the president of her fan club, Yolanda Saldívar.
She was only 23. Her sudden passing still stings to this day.
Carrie Fisher
The Star Wars icon was taken from the world in 2016. She died from a sudden cardiac arrest occurred while on board a flight. She was 60.
Her mother, Debbie Reynolds, passed away a day later.
Notorious B.I.G
The legendary rapper had such a promising career ahead of him when he was shot and killed at the tender age of 24.
There’s a lot of mystery surrounding his death, with theories speculating that it was linked to his feud with the late rapper Tupac.
Juice Wrld
Another young talent gone too soon. The famous rapper, also known as Jarad Higgins, died at 27 .
He passed away in December 2019 from an accidental overdose of codeine and oxycodone. He often sang about his drug use in his lyrics.
Anton Yelchin
The Star Trek actor was only 27 when he died during a freak accident . His car had rolled down his driveway and pinned him.
He died at the height of his career, as he had recently skyrocketed to fame with several major roles.
Heath Ledger
The talented actor shocked the world when he passed away at 28 from an accidental overdose.
Since his performance as The Joker in The Dark Knight was so compelling, he posthumously won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor that same year.
Prince
Prince is widely considered to be one of the defining artists of his or any generation.
The iconic rock n’ roll superstar had been privately battling an addiction to prescription drugs and at the age of 57 passed away after an accidental overdose of fentanyl.
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Tom Petty
Tom Petty was the man responsible for timeless hits such as “Last Dance With Mary Jane” and “American Girl.”
Just like Prince, Petty also passed away after overdosing on fentanyl . The legendary rockstar was only 66-years-old at the time.
XXXTentacion
At the time of his death, XXXTentacion had amassed an incredibly large following and was being groomed as the next breakthrough artist in the hip-hop community.
He was shot and killed in an apparent robbery at the age of 20.
DMX
Many of us are still drying the tears from our cheeks after learning that DMX, one of the most prolific rappers of the ’90s, tragically passed away at the age of 50.
According to reports, X died of a heart attack , brought on by an accidental overdose.
David Bowie
What made David Bowie’s death that much harder to deal with was the sudden and severe nature of his disease.
David died 18 months after being diagnosed with liver cancer — exactly two days after releasing his 25th and final studio album, “Black Star”.
Michael Jackson
The Prince of Pop left a tainted legacy behind in the wake of his death, mired with controversy and pain.
Michael died after suffering cardiac arrest, brought on by a lethal combination of drugs administered by his own doctor.
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant was a basketball legend, an icon, and a role model to millions of people around the world. After news that a helicopter crash had claimed his life, the entire world stopped to collectively mourn.
To make matters worse, Kobe’s daughter Gianna was also on board.
Phil Hartman
Phil Hartman is best known for his roles on SNL , News Radio , and for voicing Lionel Hutz/Troy McClure on The Simpsons .
When Phil was only 49-years-old, at the height of his career, he was shot and killed by his own wife in a bizarre murder-suicide.
Whitney Houston
Both Whitney and her daughter Bobbi Kristina were taken from this world too soon and died in eerily similar fashions.
Both women were found lying facedown in a bathtub after accidentally overdosing on a combination of prescription and illicit street drugs.
Tupac Shakur
The world may never know the truth about what really happened to Tupac Amaru Shakur on that regretful Las Vegas evening.
The 27-year-old hip-hop icon’s death has been widely speculated upon over the years. There are pages and pages of conspiracy theories dedicated to uncovering the truth.
Brad Renfro
Brad Renfro is perhaps best remembered as the tough-talking ’90s tween heartthrob from films like Tom and Huck , as well as The Client .
In his late teens and early 20s, Brad began experimenting with heroin and sadly died of an overdose at the age of 25.
Stevie Ray Vaughan
The debate as to who is the greatest guitarist of all time is never-ending and without an answer.
But for my money, Stevie Ray Vaughan is easily in the Top 3. Stevie was only 35 when he died in a tragic helicopter crash .
Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix revolutionized rock n’ roll and continues to inspire countless generations of aspiring guitarists. It’s no exaggeration to say that without him — blues rock wouldn’t be where it is today.
Jimi joined the 27 Club after asphyxiating on his own vomit.
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Without a doubt, Philip Seymour Hoffman was one of the greatest actors to step in front of a camera in the past 50 years.
Haunted by his own personal demons, Philip died of a heroin overdose when he was only 46-years-old.
Brandon Lee
The death of Brandon Lee is so unbelievable that it almost sounds made up. While filming a gunfight scene for The Crow , a blank round accidentally malfunctioned and delivered a live round to Brandon’s chest.
He was rushed to hospital and died en route; Brandon was only 28 at the time.
John Lennon
As hard as it is to imagine, it’s been more than 40 years since John Lennon was shot and killed by a deranged fan by the name of Mark David Chapman .
In case you stopped counting, John would have celebrated his 81st birthday this year.
