
It temporarily relieves stress but makes the body desire substances the next time it experiences stress, sadness or unease. Ellingson’s death came just months after his 35th birthday when he was living in a sober-living facility. According to official reports, his death was caused by an accidental overdose of fentanyl. Prince died following an accidental fentanyl overdose in his Paisley Park residence on April 21, 2016. Hours before his death, the 57-year-old musician was seen walking into a doctor’s office.
Musicians Who Tragically Died By Drowning
Her final completed film was the 1961 classic “The Misfits,” written by her then-husband, Arthur Miller. In her heyday, there was nobody more famous in Hollywood — or arguably the world — than Marilyn Monroe. Born Norma Jeane Mortenson, she embarked on a modeling career in the 1940s and became a sex symbol practically overnight. Known for her playful attitude, curvaceous figure, and long flowing locks, Monroe’s name and likeness became synonymous with beauty and glamour. River Phoenix got his big break in Hollywood when he was a child, first appearing as one of the stars of the Joe Dante-helmed “Explorers” alongside a young Ethan Hawke.
- His last appearance on television was in a documentary five years ago that delved into the link between addiction and depression.
- Presley’s body was found in the bathroom of his mansion at Graceland on August 16, 1977.
- Alcoholism is more than simply a lack of self control; today, it is considered an all out addictive disorder.
- In 2008 she even published a book about her struggles, called “Wishful Drinking”.In the book, she writes “Happy is one of the many things I’m likely to be over the course of a day and certainly over the course of a lifetime.
- Errol Flynn was an Australian-born actor who rose to fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood.
- The Academy Award-nominated actor reportedly suffered from heroin addiction in the years leading up to his overdose.
WHITNEY HOUSTON
Parade Magazine once called “The Wizard of Oz” the “World’s Favorite Movie,” and there are good reasons why. Not only was it one of the biggest movies of its era, but it’s since become an enduring classic that has been beloved for decades around the world, continually watched and celebrated by new generations — and it made star Judy Garland a household name. Her rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” made her an instant singing star too, and she quickly became one of Hollywood’s brightest entertainers even though she was barely 17 when the film was released. After a string of musical hits, she achieved more recognition when she led “A Star Is Born,” for which she was nominated for an Academy Award. 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.

Robin Williams
But within just a few short years, Farley was on the outs, dumped from the cast alongside Sandler and others after the 1995 season. Philip Seymour Hoffman, who notably appeared in Happiness and the Big Lebowski, died on February 2, 2014, at the age of 46. He was found lying down with a syringe in his arm following a drug overdose. “I am very sorry for my actions,” dealer Irvin Cartagena told the court after the sentencing. “When we sold the drugs, we never intended for anyone to lose their life.”

- There have been reports that Winehouse went on a bender during her final days.
- He struggled with substance abuse for most of his adult life before his passing.
- Ledger’s former girlfriend and mother of his child, Michelle Williams, forced him to attend rehab in 2007, but on January 22, 2008, Ledger’s body was found by his masseuse in his apartment.
- Including Jack Kerouac, Billie Holiday, Richard Burton, Peter Cook, and Errol Flynn, this list shows the celebrities who, for whatever reason, couldn’t fight the addiction and lost their lives to the disease.
- Williams even found success in movies like “12 Years a Slave,” the “RoboCop” remake, and “Assassin’s Creed” among others.
Emergency responders tried to revive the Brokeback Mountain star but were unable to do so. Juice WRLD was 21 years old (December 2019) when he suffered from a fatal seizure due to a lethal mixture of codeine and oxycodone. ODB overdosed due to the combined effects of cocaine and Tramadol (a painkiller) in November of 2004. As the story goes, Reed, who was renowned for being a heavy drinker but who had apparently been off booze for months prior, got involved in a drinking match that ultimately killed him. She was very successful initially, but her career quickly declined, in part due to her drinking.

While Albert Ayler is recognized as a visionary jazz musician now, not many people realized that during his lifetime. His career saw successes others would kill for, but he also faced a lot of hardship and rejection since he was clearly talented but people just did not get what he was playing. Will Sinnott was born in Scotland in 1960 and in the late 1980s, he joined The Shamen playing bass and keyboards. The band had already been around for several years, but was at a transition point, moving from rock to the kind of music that would become acid house. The Shamen were at the forefront of this new type of indie-dance-DJ mix, and they happily collaborated with others who were just starting out, celebrities who have died from alcohol withdrawal some, like DJ Paul Oakenfold, would go on to have hugely successful careers. Perry was found unresponsive in the pool of his Los Angeles home.

First exposed drug addiction to alcohol years before he even turned 18, he eventually found himself in the throes of addiction. He also developed a drug addiction when he was prescribed Vicodin after a jet ski accident in 1997. His drug and alcohol abuse eventually impacted his work on “Friends,” forcing his costars to intervene. Renfro’s struggles had a major effect on his career, as major movie roles began drying up. In 2007, while on probation, he failed to enter a drug treatment program as instructed, which could have saved his life.
The 2000s were looking to be a definitive decade for Ledger, now in his 20s, as he went on to star in Oscar-nominated films such as “The Patriot” and “Brokeback Mountain,” a title that garnered him a Best Actor nomination. In 2007, production began on the second Christopher Nolan-led “Batman” film, with Ledger cast to play the caped crusader’s most infamous nemesis, the Joker. Many fans of the franchise were livid that the star of teen dramas and rom-coms was playing the iconic Batman villain. But once the movie was released, Ledger’s take on the character immediately became the definitive version, the Joker all other live-action Jokers were measured up against. It was an Oscar-winning performance, but Ledger didn’t live to see the acclaim.
Best known to audiences for his decade-long stint at Chandler Bing on “Friends” beginning in 1994, Matthew Perry first broke into acting on the small screen years earlier. Troyer also dealt with health issues for his entire life due to a rare form of dwarfism that, combined with alcohol abuse, contributed to his death in 2018. The 49-year-old actor suffered alcohol intoxication and was hospitalized not long before his death, which was officially declared to be the result of suicide. The troubled actor, in and out of rehab for most of his adult life, died in 2023 at the age of 54. The autopsy report said the cause was an accidental overdose of fentanyl. She started with small parts before moving into leading roles, and Dandridge’s career is dotted with all-time classics.
