13 Most Heartbreaking Celebrity Deaths

Jake Valentine

June 11, 2025

The death of a beloved celebrity can sometimes hit close to home. Even though we’ve never met them, we’ve welcomed these people into our homes and have grown to love them.

Some have touched our hearts through their on-screen performances, which makes the tragic deaths even more heartbreaking.

These are the celebrity deaths that we’re not over.

Robin Williams

I remember I was out to lunch on a day trip with friends when I heard the news of Robin Williams’ death. I couldn’t concentrate for the rest of the day.

Williams was one of the greatest comedians I’ve ever seen. His talent as an actor was equally impressive in dramatic roles. He had the impressive ability to not just make us laugh and smile, but to move us with his most stirring performances.

Chadwick Boseman

Black Panther remains one of the highest grossing superhero movies of all time, thanks to the way Boseman owns the role of T’Challa. He was likely to play an important role in the future of Marvel movies following Endgame.

His shocking death, following the revelation that he had stage four colon cancer, broke the hearts of millions of fans worldwide, and I can’t help but feel like we were robbed of some truly incredible performances.

Steve Irwin

I was convinced that animals would never harm Steve Irwin.

The man is one of the most beloved celebrities of all time. His passion and genuine excitement for conservation and teaching everyone about wildlife were infectious.

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Carrie Fisher

Say what you want about the Star Wars sequels, but it was great to see Fisher step back into the role of Princess Leia.

It’s clear that she had big plans going into Rise of Skywalker, and I would have loved to see how things turned out.

Fisher is undoubtedly one of the most iconic heroines in movie history, becoming a symbol for countless women.

Brittany Murphy

As Brittany Murphy was on her way to stardom, her life was tragically cut short due to complications from pneumonia.

What’s even more heartbreaking is that she told Access Hollywood about her desire to have a child just 17 days before her death.

Luke Perry

While Perry is best known for his performance in Beverly Hills 90210, he was reaching a new audience playing Fred Andrews on Riverdale.

It seemed that Luke Perry was primed for a career resurgence until suffering a stroke in 2019.

Heath Ledger

When Heath Ledger was cast as The Joker in The Dark Knight, I, like many, had my concerns. Was this going to be one of the biggest miscastings of all time?

Ledger proved us all wrong. We should have known, though, given his impressive career.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman

No matter what you needed from an actor, Philip Seymour Hoffman delivered it.

An award-worthy lead performance? You got it. An intimidating villain that will put the fear of God in you? No problem.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman is one of the most accomplished actors of our generation and is sorely missed.

Kobe Bryant

I learned of Kobe’s death in the most unlikely places: World of Warcraft‘s in-game chat.

Normally, it’s filled with trolls, so I brushed it off as someone joking. When I started getting text messages from friends, I realized it was real.

Outside of his NBA career, Kobe won an Oscar for 2017’s Dear Basketball.

John Candy

I can’t think of a single person who doesn’t love John Candy.

He is one of the most beloved comedians of the 1980s, and all of his movies remain rewatchable today. Whether it’s the leading role like Uncle Buck or a movie stealing cameo in Home Alone, John Candy’s impact was always felt.

Chris Farley

While I was admittedly too young to feel the impact of Candy’s death, Chris Farley is the first celebrity death I remember truly being sad over.

His larger-than-life personality shone through in every project he worked on. The man had a gift for making everyone laugh or smile.

Phil Hartman

You’d be hard pressed to find anyone with something negative to say about Phil Hartman. Whether it’s his impressive ability to hold sketches together on Saturday Night Live or his iconic characters from The Simpsons, Hartman’s career was tragically cut short.

His murder will always be one of the most shocking deaths in entertainment history.

Anthony Bourdain

Bourdain would talk about the joys of fine dining one second and then tell you about the beauty of Waffle House the next.

He taught us to never judge people, food, or places based on appearance. Instead, we should experience everything for ourselves and discover the joy in things we may have scoffed at or ignored.

You are missed every day, Anthony.

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