24 Stars Who Died Under Mysterious Circumstances
Unlike the roles that some play on-screen, stars don’t always get a happy ending. Too many famous figures die under mysterious circumstances that leave family, friends, and fans wondering what actually happened.
We may never know the truth behind the deaths of celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson, Brittany Murphy, Natalie Wood, Heath Ledger, and others. Conspiracy theories co-mingle with actual facts to create mythologies about the deaths of stars the public wasn’t prepared to say goodbye to.
All of the following movie stars, singers, and public figures left unanswered questions due to the mysterious nature of their deaths. What do you believe happened?
1. Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe is the eternal template for the Hollywood “blonde bombshell.” The legendary actress is best known for her roles in The Seven Year Itch, Some Like It Hot, and Gentleman Prefer Blondes.
Early in the morning on August 5, 1962, Monroe’s psychiatrist broke into her bedroom at her Brentwood home and discovered the movie icon’s lifeless body. Empty prescription bottles were found next to her bed and later toxicology reports indicate that the 36-year-old star died of acute barbiturate poisoning.
The jury is out as to whether Monroe died from an accidental overdose, self-harm, or murder. Some say Monroe seemed depressed and unkempt in the weeks preceding her death, while her sister said that Monroe “had so many things to look forward to and she was so happy.” Other conspiracy theorists have suggested that the CIA killed Monroe to prevent her from talking about her alleged affair with President John F. Kennedy.
2. Naya Rivera
Naya Rivera is best known for playing Santana on Glee. The 33-year-old actress drowned in Southern California’s Lake Piru after venturing out on a boat with her four-year-old son on July 8, 2020.
According to a report obtained by People, Rivera’s son, Josey, told authorities that they jumped off the pontoon together but Rivera quickly helped Josey back onto the boat. Josey said that his mom shouted “help” and reached out her hand before disappearing beneath the water.
Although Rivera was reportedly a good swimmer and went to Lake Piru often, she had a history of vertigo that worsened when she got into the water. The Ventura County coroner ruled her death an “accidental drowning” and that she died in a matter of minutes, but we may never know why she seemed to realize that she wasn’t going to get back on the boat.
3. Heath Ledger
Heath Ledger was a talented young actor best known for his roles in Brokeback Mountain and The Dark Knight. In the latter Christopher Nolan-directed movie, Ledger won a posthumous Best Supporting Actor Oscar for playing the Joker.
On January 22, 2008, Ledger’s lifeless body was discovered in his bedroom inside his Manhattan loft. According to a subsequent toxicology report, the 28-year-old Australian actor died from “acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam, and doxylamine.”
Although Ledger’s substance abuse was widely reported, the actor also complained of respiratory problems in the days before his death. Even though the coroner ruled Ledger’s death “accidental,” some conspiracy theorists question why the people who found him did not immediately dial 911.
4. Princess Diana
Diana, Princess of Wales, was the first wife of Charles III and mother of Prince William and Prince Harry. She died in a car crash in Paris’ Pont de l’Alma tunnel as her car fled from pursuing paparazzi on August 31, 1997. Diana’s companion Dodi Fayed and their driver also lost their lives when the car hit a pillar in the tunnel.
Known as the People’s Princess for her humanitarian work, Diana died tragically and abruptly at the age of 36. Her death shocked the world, and some fans unwilling to accept her death suggested that the British royals wanted her dead to prevent further embarrassment as she pursued a life away from Charles. However, no convincing evidence emerged in the decades following that suggested her death was anything more than an accident that could have and should have been prevented.
5. Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson, aka the King of Pop, is one of the most influential music artists of the 20th century. The “Thriller” singer died at age 50 from acute propofol intoxication on June 25, 2009.
Jackson was less than a month away from starting his sold-out concert residency in London when he died. His doctor, Conrad Murray, had given the singer propofol — a powerful anesthetic used before surgery — to help him sleep. The coroner ruled Jackson’s death a homicide and Murray was later tried and convicted of involuntary manslaughter. Murray served less than two years in prison and is currently a free man.
The documentary film Michael Jackson’s This Is It was released after Jackson’s death and chronicles the King of Pop’s preparations for the residency that never happened.
6. Thelma Todd
Actress Thelma Todd appeared in approximately 120 feature films and shorts before her sudden death in 1935 at age 26. Known as Hot Toddy and the Ice Cream Blonde, Todd had comedic roles in Marx Brothers films such as Monkey Business and Horse Feathers.
On the morning of December 16, 1935, Todd’s lifeless body was discovered inside her 1934 Lincoln Phaeton convertible parked inside a friend’s garage. LAPD detectives concluded that she died from carbon monoxide poisoning. Police theorize that she could have turned on the car to run the heater and keep warm, resulting in her death. The Homicide Bureau ruled her death accidental, but indicated there was a possibility of self-harm.
Some conspiracy theorists suggest there was a cover-up for a studio executive or angry ex who may have killed her, but a long investigation found no evidence of foul play.
7. George Reeves
George Reeves is best known for playing Superman on the 1950s TV series Adventures of Superman. Reeves died from a gunshot wound to the head in his L.A. home on June 16, 1959. The actor was 45.
Based on witness statements from party guests present at the time of the shooting as well as physical evidence and an autopsy report, officials ruled Reeves’ death as ending his own life. Some suggest that Reeves was depressed about his career and not getting the roles he wanted, while those closest to him insist that the actor would never take his own life.
In the movie Hollywoodland, three potential scenarios are suggested as to how Reeves died: accidental shooting by fiancée Leonore Lemmon, a hit ordered by a Mafia-tied man named Eddie Mannix, or taking his own life.
8. Brittany Murphy
Brittany Murphy lit up movies such as Clueless, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Freeway, and Girl, Interrupted with her infectious laugh and kooky personality. Murphy also voiced Luanne Platter for the entire run of the animated series King of the Hill.
On December 20, 2009, Murphy collapsed in her bathroom in the home she lived in with her mother and husband. Firefighters attempted to resuscitate Murphy before taking her to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where she died after going into cardiac arrest. The actress was 32.
The coroner ruled that Murphy, who was suffering from the flu at the time, died as a result of pneumonia exacerbated by anemia. Murphy also had a combination of over-the-counter and prescription drugs in her system at the time to treat her flu symptoms.
Because Murphy’s husband, Simon Monjack, also died less than six months later from pneumonia exacerbated by anemia, some suggest that he or her mother may have played some part in Murphy’s death. The documentary What Happened, Brittany Murphy? dispels most of these conspiracy theories.
9. Brian Jones
English musician Brian Jones was a founding member of the Rolling Stones. Less than a month after getting fired by the band, Jones drowned in his home pool, joining the notorious 27 Club of famous people who died at that age.
The coroner ruled Jones’ drowning as “death by misadventure” and noted that his liver was enlarged due to alcohol and drug abuse, but some still believe that Jones was murdered and police did not properly investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.
10. David Carradine
David Carradine is best known for his role on the TV series Kung Fu and for playing the titular character in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill movies.
On June 4, 2009, Carradine was found dead in his Bangkok hotel room. Since a rope was tied around his neck and privates and no note was found, police ruled the death accidental asphyxiation. Although some have suggested that Carradine could have been murdered, he is not the first celebrity to have died in this unusual manner.
11. Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix was arguably the best rock guitarist of all time and one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. The “Purple Haze” singer and Woodstock headliner died in 1970 at the age of 27 as the result of choking on his own vomit after taking barbiturates.
Hendrix’s girlfriend, Monika Dannemann, was the only person present during Hendrix’s final hours. She said that they shared a bottle of wine earlier and that he took 9 of her prescribed Vesparax tablets, which is 18 times the recommended dosage.
Some have suggested foul play or a mob hit, saying that Hendrix didn’t even drink red wine yet it was found coming out of his nose and mouth. The truth is that Hendrix had a well-reported substance problem and used drink and drugs to cope with the pressures of fame. Like other members of the 27 Club, his death is most likely a tragic accident.
12. Natalie Wood
Natalie Wood is best known for her roles in Rebel Without a Cause and West Side Story. She died under very mysterious circumstances in 1981 when she drowned near Catalina Island. She was 43.
Wood was on a yacht with her husband, Robert Wagner, and their friend Christopher Walken. Although authorities initially ruled Wood’s death an accidental drowning, bruises and other abrasions on her body suggest she may have had a physical altercation before falling into the water. What has not yet definitively been determined is whether Wood fell off the boat due to intoxication or someone pushed her into the water.
In 2018, Wagner was named as a person of interest in Wood’s death after it came out that the couple argued before her death. Investigators say that Wood could have been assaulted before she drowned, but authorities have not yet officially charged Wagner, 94, with a crime.
13. Jack Nance
Jack Nance is best known for his roles in David Lynch projects such as the cult classic Eraserhead and the TV series Twin Peaks.
Nance, who had a serious drinking problem, got into a brawl outside a donut shop in Pasadena on December 29, 1996. The brutal punch he sustained to his face caused a subdural hematoma. A friend found Nance’s lifeless body on his bathroom floor the next day. “Blunt force trauma to the brain” was the official cause of death of the 53-year-old actor who had a blood alcohol level of 0.24% according to his autopsy.
Police did not find evidence of the fight and never found the people with whom Nance allegedly brawled, so they could not list his death as either an accident or a homicide. If the person who delivered the fatal punch to Nance is still alive, he has not yet turned himself in to authorities.
14. Elizabeth Short
Elizabeth Short was an aspiring actress who finally achieved the fame she so desired because of the gruesome nature of her death. Known as the Black Dahlia, Short’s mutilated body bisected at the waist was found in Los Angeles’ Leimert Park on January 15, 1947. The Black Dahlia case remains one of the oldest unsolved murder mysteries in the City of Angels.
Although there are numerous suspects and even more out-there theories about the Black Dahlia case, so much time has passed that it is unlikely police will ever identify Short’s killer. However, books, movies, documentaries, and TV series keep Short’s story alive many decades later.
15. Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur is considered one of the most influential rappers in history. The actor-rapper-poet was shot four times when a car pulled up next to his and opened fire on Las Vegas Boulevard. Shakur died several days later on September 13, 1996. He was 25.
The mystery surrounding the drive-by shooting continued for decades until Las Vegas police arrested Duane Keith Davis in 2023 and he was indicted for the murder. Although other people were in the car that shot at Shakur, Davis is the only one still around who will stand trial for the crime. Davis pleaded not guilty on November 2, 2023.
16. Johnny Stompanato
U.S. Marine-turned-gangster Johnny Stompanato was in a well-publicized abusive relationship with screen goddess Lana Turner in the 1950s.
On April 4, 1958, Turner’s 14-year-old daughter Cheryl Crane reportedly stabbed Stompanato to death because he was attacking her mother. Authorities did not charge the teenage girl and ruled the killing a “justifiable homicide.”
Conspiracists have suggested that Crane lied about killing Stompanato to protect Turner, whom they believe stabbed Stompanato. His family later sued Turner for $750,000 but settled for $20,000.
17. Prince
The world is a less purple place without Prince in it. The flamboyant and ridiculously talented singer-guitarist-actor-producer is one of the most influential musicians of the previous century.
Prince was battling influenza as well as a secret opioid addiction in April 2016. On April 15, Prince became unresponsive on his private jet, forcing an emergency landing. After being hospitalized and treated with naloxone, Prince left against medical advice and returned home. On April 21, he was found dead at age 57 in his home’s elevator. The Anoka County medical examiner concluded that Prince died of an accidental overdose of fentanyl and that he did not take his own life.
Many have questioned where Prince got the fentanyl or if he even knew that he was taking the dangerous drug. After a police investigation, no criminal charges were filed.
18. Elvis Presley
Singer-actor Elvis Presley, aka the King, was one of rock and roll’s early pioneers and one of the most influential singers in history.
On August 16, 1977, Presley’s fiancée, Ginger Alden, found him unresponsive in his bathroom at Graceland. Presley’s health had deteriorated after years of overmedicating on a cocktail of prescription pills. Efforts to revive him failed and he was pronounced dead later that afternoon at age 42.
Contrary to popular belief, Presley did not die of an overdose. He suffered from diabetes, glaucoma, constipation, and coronary heart disease and most likely died from a sudden and massive heart attack. Although authorities did not find Presley’s primary physician, George C. Nichopoulos, criminally liable for the King’s death, the doctor’s medical license was suspended and later revoked due to overprescribing medication to patients.
19. George Michael
Pop superstar George Michael scored many hits as the lead singer of Wham! and as a solo artist in the 1980s and 1990s. The 1984 Wham! hit “Last Christmas,” in which Michael sings “Last Christmas I gave you my heart,” eerily predicted his death on Christmas Day in 2016 when his partner Fadi Fawaz discovered Michael dead in his bed.
Although medical examiners concluded that Michael died from dilated cardiomyopathy with myocarditis and a fatty liver, Wham! bandmate and close friend Andrew Ridgeley questions the investigation.
In his autobiography, Ridgeley wrote, “A heart condition was eventually recorded as the cause of death, but there are still a number of questions. It now seems as if we may never know what really happened.”
20. Matthew Perry
Friends star Matthew Perry died in his pool on October 28, 2023. He was 54.
Perry had a long struggle with drug addiction that he detailed in his 2022 memoir. On the day of his death, Perry played pickleball and returned home and got into his pool. Perry’s personal assistant returned after running an errand and found Perry’s lifeless body floating face down in the pool. An autopsy report concluded that Perry died from the “acute effects of ketamine” and noted that Perry suffered from coronary heart disease.
Police have indicted several people, including doctors and drug dealers, for supplying the troubled actor with ketamine.
21. Sinéad O’Connor
Fiery Irish singer Sinéad O’Connor, best known for her hit cover of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U,” died at her London flat on July 26, 2023. She was 56.
Although the official cause of death is “natural causes,” specifically chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and bronchial asthma, fans have their doubts. In 2017, O’Connor appeared on Dr. Phil to “destigmatize mental illness” and discuss her own self-harming thoughts. Some speculate that O’Connor, a devout Christian, may have taken her own life and the circumstances surrounding her death were purposely made vague by sympathetic examiners since taking one’s own life is one of the greatest sins a Christian can commit.
22. Bobbi Kristina Brown
Bobbi Kristina Brown, the only child of Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston, died on July 26, 2015, at age 22 after spending six months in a coma. Earlier that year, she was found unconscious in her bathtub after ingesting drugs and alcohol.
The eerie aspect of Bobbi Kristina Brown’s death is that her mother died in a similar fashion at the Beverly Hilton in 2012. No note was found with Brown, so we may never know if her death was intentional or a tragic accident.
23. William Desmond Taylor
William Desmond Taylor directed and acted in a number of silent films between 1913 and 1922. On February 2, 1922, Taylor’s body was found in his Los Angeles bungalow. Someone had shot Taylor in the back and killed the 49-year-old star.
The Taylor murder is one of the oldest and most infamous cold cases in Hollywood history. Due to poor crime-scene management and a mishandling of evidence, the identity of Taylor’s killer is likely to remain a mystery now that more than a century has passed. There are many theories about possible suspects, but investigators never found the pistol, and robbery was not the motive since Taylor’s body was discovered with a wallet and diamond ring.
24. Virginia Rappe
Silent-film actress Virginia Rappe died under mysterious circumstances at age 30 after attending a party on September 9, 1921 with Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle. Although Arbuckle was later accused of manslaughter and assault for Rappe’s death, he was acquitted of both charges.
Rappe died from a ruptured bladder and secondary peritonitis, but what caused her internal trauma still puzzles people more than 100 years later. Did she have an infection or disease as the result of consuming too much alcohol, or was her death the result of a violent assault? The mystery continues.