When a movie star or a beloved celebrity dies untimely, it feels like a meteor has hit Tinseltown. Like everything they did in their lives, their death too makes front page news. This post lists out some popular A-list celebrities who died mysteriously.
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Evening Dresses
Is it mere coincidence?
Amy Winehouse, Brian Jones, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, all died at the age of 27!
Movie stars aspire to remain in the spotlight all their lives. Some celebrities achieve stratospheric heights of popularity and fame, and remain firmly under the public gaze all their lives. While, unfortunately, some remain there even after their death, for all the wrong reasons. They somehow make headlines with everything they do. They are often portrayed to be picky and choosey about the things they do, the words that they say, and the lifestyles that they lead. No one knows what lies beneath the mesmerizing smile and performances that they put up everyday. Well, at least till one of the stars cannot handle the pressure of stardom, and suddenly turns up dead.
Shocked family, friends, colleagues, paparazzi, news, and media concoct stories of what may or may not have happened, to make sense of the loss of their beloved celebrity. Things are made even worse when there's lack of supporting evidence, and speculations, rumors, and conspiracies begin to spin around the cause behind the Hollywood stars' untimely death.
Though the cause of death eventually comes to light, rumors, changing alibis, and the main reason(s) or cause behind the death, often remain unsolved. The following is a chronological list of some famous celebrities who died mysteriously.
Hollywood Actors Who Died Mysteriously
Marilyn Monroe
(June 1, 1926 - August 5, 1962)
On August 5, 1962, Hollywood and the entertainment world was shocked when Marilyn Monroe was found dead at her home in California, at the age of 36. In what seemed to be suicide, preliminary reports suggested that her death was caused due to an overdose of barbiturates. The toxicology report revealed that her system had enough chemicals to kill 10 people. Other reports, however, claimed to have observed no traces of drugs in her stomach. While another independent toxicology report stated that the initial examinations had destroyed her organs. The mystery deepened further when it was revealed that the LAPD officers who were present on the scene, believed that she was murdered via lethal injections. Some say that they discovered bruises on her body.
Several books and documentaries allude that her death was a cover up by the mafia for her alleged affairs with President Kennedy, and his brother Robert. However, the reason and intent (suicide or murder), behind her death, still remains a mystery.
Elvis Presley
(January 8, 1935 - 16 August 1977)
The news of Elvis' death shocked one and all. Reports said that Elvis was found dead in the toilet at his home Graceland. Many claimed that the king of rock and roll had overdosed (OD) on drugs. His untimely death gave rise to speculation and conspiracy theories concerning the ethics of the medical professionals. It was suspected that he had taken a cocktail of prescription drugs like depressants, chloropheniramine, codeine, demerol, ethinamate, morphine, valium, quaaludes, and palacidyl.
When investigation into his death was reopened in the year 1994, it was found that the data behind the drug abuse did not support the evidence. The second investigation concluded that he suffered a heart attack. However, the mystery still lingers as to why his father Vernon Presley sealed the autopsy reports until the year 2027, and why were the medical results tampered with in the first place.
George Reeves
(January 5, 1914 - June 16, 1959)
On the morning of June 16, 1959, TV's very first Superman, George Reeves was found dead in his own home. He was found in a windowless first floor bedroom, laying naked on the bed in a pool of blood. A gun was found between his feet, with the shell casing under him. A bullet was fired through his brain which sprayed blood over the wall and ceiling. All the circumstantial evidence pointed to suicide.
His sudden "suicide" brought his life and a lot of people related to him under the spotlight. Including his fiancee Leonore Lemmon, his longtime lover Toni Mannix and her very powerful husband and MGM studio enforcer Eddie Mannix. When the cops arrived on the scene, Lemmon and a few house guests, that included writer Richard Condon and two neighbors, were present who seemed drunk at the time.
What was believed to be an open-and-shut case later turned on its head when more bullet holes were found in different parts of the house and the floor. Lemmon was questioned in relation to the death. Due to her public image of a headline-hungry gold digger, she was considered the prime suspect. Though no evidence could be found against her. The actual cause of the death remains a mystery even today.
Jimi Hendrix
(November 27, 1942 - 18 September 1970)
As with his life, Jimi Hendrix's death too involved drugs and controversy. Though the official report states his death to be due to an overdose of drugs, some believed foul play involving his girlfriend at the time Monika Dannemann.
Hendrix was known for doing recreational drugs and so his death due to an overdose was not much of a surprise. However, what further compounded the mystery was the inconsistent versions of the incident given by the people close to him.
They said that after a night of drinking, Hendrix helped himself to about nine of his girlfriend's sleeping pills. The next morning when she (girlfriend) returned after buying a pack of cigarettes, found him sleeping, covered in vomit, unresponsive, having difficulty in breathing. Her constantly changing story confused the investigators. At one point, she even claimed that he was alive till he was put in the ambulance and he died en route to the hospital. However, the autopsy concluded that he died of asphyxiation shortly after midnight. Though the question of how and when might have been answered, but the reason behind the changing alibi wasn't. Official investigation, however, have left the case an open verdict.
Bruce Lee
(November 27, 1940 - July 20, 1973)
When the death of Enter the Dragon star Bruce Lee was announced, rumors began to circulate that the Oriental star was murdered by the Hong Kong mafia for refusing to pay them "protection" money. There were even rumors that he was cursed by the haunted house that he had bought; the curse was because he had angered the Chinese martial arts community by teaching foreigners. A rumor also stated that he was a victim of intensity training; drug abuse, etc.
People close to Bruce said that on the day of his death, he complained of a headache and took a painkiller for it. Later, he laid down for a nap but never woke up. He was believed to have died due to an allergic reaction to the medicine, and the official report states "death by misadventure". Later investigations and inquiries also revealed that he had significant amounts of cannabis in his system. What makes his death a mystery is the fact that the mere presence of these (painkiller and cannabis) substances in the body is not fatal. Not to mention the rumors surrounding his untimely death.
Anna Nicole Smith
(November 28, 1967 - February 8, 2007)
Anna Nicole Smith's life seemed like a story straight out of the tabloids; forever making headlines, be if for marrying a wealthy man three times her age, or for fighting for her share of his fortune. The stripper-turned-Playboy model made even bigger headlines when her son died while visiting her while she was in hospital for the birth of her second child. Reports claimed that Anna Nicole couldn't get over that shock of his death. A couple of months later, she made headlines again when only 3 days after giving birth to a girl, she was found dead in a hotel room.
Speculations were rife about the cause of her death. A possible drug overdose was being speculated as the cause behind her untimely death. But autopsy reports ruled out any signs of drug injections or medication in her stomach. Stories circulated that liquid methadone along with mixed drugs might have been the cause of her premature end. While another report claimed an overdose and cocktail of antidepressants to be the cause, but the reason behind her death still remains a mystery.
Heath Ledger
( April 4, 1979 - January 22, 2008)
The 28-year-old Australian actor was found naked and unconscious lying on the floor, at the foot of his bed. There were prescription and non-prescription pills lying around, and no signs of a suicide note.
Sources close to him mentioned his spiraling personal and professional life to be the cause behind his drug problem. Family and friends claimed that after he had finished shooting for his role for The Dark Knight, he had been suffering from insomnia, while facing his own demons brought to life due to his research. Along with this, he was also involved in a legal battle with his ex-fiance to gain custody of his daughter. To make things worse, his career wasn't heading in the direction he wished.
Rumors of prescription drug abuse, ecstasy, cocaine, all swarmed the newspaper articles. Ex-girlfriends and dates narrated contradicting stories regarding his substance abuse.
The toxicology reports confirmed that he had multiple prescription drugs that were meant for pain, anxiety, insomnia, and even the common cold. While most of the drugs found in his body were accounted for, there was no explanation for certain painkillers and vicodin found in his stomach. Though none were in excess, the sheer presence of all the drugs caused the up-coming actor's untimely death.
David Carradine
(December 8, 1936 - June 3, 2009)
Early news reported that the Kill Bill star was found dead at a Bangkok hotel room. He was found hanging in the closet with his hands tied behind his back and a rope tied around his genitals, while wearing fishnet stockings and a woman's wig. Reports claimed that he had died of auto-erotic asphyxiation, in which oxygen is intentionally restricted to raise the sexual arousal.
The Bangkok police were not sure if it was suicide or an accidental death. Reports did not say anything about who was with him during his death. His friends and family are skeptical about the actor's death to have been a suicide.
Michael Jackson
(August 29, 1958 - June 25, 2009)
Many could not believe their ears, when they heard that their beloved King of Pop had taken his last bow. Michael was found lying on his bed, unconscious, and not breathing, at his home in California. According to the preliminary reports, Jackson had died of a heart failure. The coroner's full report that was released weeks later, indicated there were no signs or indications of foul play. The second autopsy too showed similar results.
Witnesses claim that Michael seemed very excited about his upcoming This Is It Tour, while others claimed that he was acting confused and disoriented.
But a private tests carried out months later revealed that the Pop icon's death was caused due to acute intoxication and an overdose and cocktail of many medication. The mystery behind why and who tampered with the results and many other questions sprung up like mushrooms. A year later, his doctor was convicted to have prescribed these medicines. However, why did he prescribe these lethal medicines still remains a mystery.
Brittany Murphy
(November 10, 1977 - December 20, 2009)
The death of the 32 year old A-list actress surprised many. What got the reporters buzzing was that she had died of the same cause as her late husband who had died only five months earlier. It was reported in the autopsy that both died of anemia, pneumonia, and over-the-counter prescription drugs.
Angelo Bertolotti, father of the actress, believed Brittany's death to be a government conspiracy. He believed that both, his daughter and son-in-law, were poisoned. However, these claims have been dismissed as they lacked evidence of actual poison to support the poisoning claims. But another set of tests were conducted on the actress, and the reports revealed that Brittany's hair had higher-than-normal levels of 10 heavy metals.
The second autopsy results too claimed that Brittany had died of natural causes. This time, however, Brittany's mother believed that her daughter and her deceased husband had died of a toxic mold.
Whitney Houston
(August 9, 1963 - February 11, 2012)
It was hard to believe that The Bodyguard actress and singer of, "I will always love you", was no more. Whitney was found unconscious, underwater, in her bathtub. However, the coroner's office told the Houston family that there wasn't sufficient water in the singer's lungs for her death to have been caused by drowning.
The coroner's reports later found traces of cocaine in her system, along with marijuana, benadryl, and several other prescription pills. However, they were insufficient to cause death. They also ruled out foul play and trauma. The coroner's office believed that her untimely death was caused due to a weak heart which turned the medicines and drugs lethal.
Some blamed her untimely death to be a carefully planned conspiracy by the Illuminati who are linked to the music business.
Some More Stars Who Died Mysteriously
❖ Andy Kaufman
❖ Bobby Fuller
❖ Bonny Lee Bakley
❖ Michael Hutchence
❖ Brandon Lee
❖ Johnny Stompanato
❖ Jon-Erik Hexum
❖ Corey Haim
❖ Thomas H. Ince
❖ Thelma Todd
❖ Lana Clarkson
❖ Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle❖ Sonny Bono
❖ Cory Monteith
❖ Jim Morrison
❖ Kurt Cobain
❖ Bob Crane
❖ Elizabeth Short
❖ Jack Nance
❖ William Desmond Taylor
❖ Amy Winehouse
❖ JonBenét Ramsey
❖ Natalie Wood
❖ Jeff Buckley
Evening Dresses
These stars might have been plucked out of the sky prematurely, but they have left behind legacies of their lives and deaths. Their stories are a constant reminder that even though they might have shed their mortal coils, they will always remain immortal in the hearts of their fans.
