Numerous celebs have died in their 30’s, but which superstar's untimely
death was linked to a rumored affair with a President? Keep watching to find out!
At the time of his death in 2019, rapper Nipsey Hussle had been successful in multiple
non-artistic ventures, opening a record label and a clothing store, while focusing
mostly on his community work. Snoop Doog said it was all part of his work ethic.
"He had vision to know and understand that, 'I don't want to be handed out nothing.
I'ma come get mine.'"
At his funeral, Nipsey Hussle's brother Samiel talked about how
the rapper hadn't followed the stereotypical route of a star:
"A lot of people thought coming up when he first got signed, he was gonna get some money and leave.
They had no clue what he really was gonna do. I want everybody to know man,
Nip put his heart and soul on Crenshaw and Slauson."
Former president Barack Obama even sent a statement to be read at the artist's funeral.
It emphasized that Nipsey’s was, quote, "a legacy worth celebrating."
The area Nipsey Hussle had grown up in was not the safest, and by his own admission,
Hussle was a member of the Rolling Sixty Crips gang,
though he also worked with authorities to help clean up the streets. Unfortunately,
on March 31, 2019, Hussle had a run-in with fellow Rolling Sixty member Eric Holder.
Shortly thereafter, Holder shot Hussle, who was pronounced dead at the hospital. He was 33.
According to the Guardian, Misty Upham was not short of drive.
She was only 12 years old when she told a class of fellow performers, quote, "My name is Misty Upham,
and someday you will know that name as the best living Native American actress."
Upham did go on to have an impressive career, one that was still on the rise when she died.
She'd just appeared in the film adaptation of "August:
Osage County," which was packed with A-list talent, including Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts.
Upham shone among them in a significant supporting role.
While she was proud of her heritage, the inherent biases of Hollywood meant she
often didn't get the work she deserved. As she explained to Figure/Ground,
"It's frustrating as an actress of Native blood, to go into meetings and casting and have a great
connection and feel like you'll be considered for work — any work — only to hear the person say,
'Well, I don't have any Native roles at the moment, but I'll call you if one comes up.'
It's like Hollywood and the rest of the world
can't get their heads around the fact that Natives are modern."
In 2014, BBC News reports Misty Upham went missing after leaving her sister’s apartment.
Her family organized a search party to look around the Muckleshoot Reservation,
and her body was found at the foot of a cliff. Her death, resulting from blunt
force trauma from the fall, may have been accidental or intentional. She was 32.
Brittany Murphy burst onto the scene with a hilarious and touching performance in
1995's "Clueless," and the next decade and a half saw her star in films like "8 Mile,"
as well as have a high-profile relationship with Ashton Kutcher. But she's probably most famous for
how she died, since it was so sudden and tragic, and has led to plenty of conspiracy theories.
According to “Esquire,” Murphy collapsed in the bathroom of her home in 2009.
The cause of death was pneumonia, which was made worse by anemia
and the legal drugs she'd been taking. Murphy had felt terrible for some time,
and doctors have since said that if she'd gone to the hospital even a day or two before she died,
she may have been saved. When her husband Simon Monjack died in the same home from pneumonia and
anemia six months later, his father called for a more detailed investigation into their deaths.
Rather than focus on the circumstances of her death, though, Murphy's mother hoped
people would focus on her daughter's successes, saying in a statement:
"I want my Brittany to be remembered as the darling person she was, for the giant talent
she showed the world (and left behind in her movie and TV appearances) and for the
friendships and loving relationships that really were part of her life."
Brittany Murphy was 32.
Anna Nicole Smith was one of the first famous-for-being-famous modern socialites.
Smith had a difficult early life, dropping out of school in the 9th grade, marrying at just 16, and
becoming a single mother before 20. While working odd jobs, she sent her photos to Playboy magazine,
and almost overnight everything changed. She was named Playmate of the Year for 1992,
which led to a massive ad campaign with Guess? jeans and small film roles.
But she would quickly become most famous for her personal life when she met and married
a billionaire oil tycoon who was an astonishing 63 years her senior. After he died barely a year
later, Smith would end up spending what would be the rest of her life in court trying to get part
of his fortune. She also got her own reality show because people were fascinated with the spectacle.
When Anna Nicole Smith died on February 8, 2007, she'd recently been making headlines again,
this time for the drama surrounding the birth of her daughter. Three men claimed to be the father,
including the husband of actress Zsa Zsa Gabor. But according to “Today,” in the middle of that
drama, Smith got really sick, and chose to self-medicate at a hotel rather than go to the
hospital. She would end up accidentally overdosing on nine different drugs. She was just 39.
At the time of her death in 2002, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes was part of
one of the most successful girl groups of all time, TLC. The group sold 21 million copies
total of the three albums they released in the '90s and won four Grammy awards.
Despite how good all that looked on paper, Lopes' life was extremely difficult, and she
kept making headlines for the wrong reasons. After a difficult childhood, she couldn't even
celebrate getting a record deal with TLC, as her father was killed the same day. Her relationship
with football player Andre Rison eventually led to an argument where she burned down his house,
and was later fined for arson. TLC also filed for bankruptcy.
Less than a year before she died, Lopes told an interviewer,
"Everyone feels like they know me because they follow the news,
and they don't have a clue as to who I am."
Sadly, and according to CNN, Lopes was on an extended trip to Honduras for a, quote, "spiritual
retreat," when she was involved in a head-on collision and died at the scene. She was 30.
As the son of President John F. Kennedy and Jaqueline Kennedy, JFK Jr. was the closest
thing America had to a royal heir. The country had seen him grow up, and iconic moments came early.
Who could forget his famous salute — as a 3-year-old — of his father's coffin?
After a life in the spotlight, JFk Jr. finally settled down,
having a secret wedding with publicist Carolyn Bessette.
They lived the life of beautiful young socialites in New York City, although
according to “Harper's Bazaar,” their marriage was rocky and they may have been headed for divorce.
Then, on July 16, 1999, the couple took off for the wedding of one of the many Kennedy cousins.
Carolyn's sister Lauren came with them in the small plane, flown by JFK Jr.,
even though he was a novice pilot and the weather was bad. The plane never arrived at
its destination, and the wreckage was recovered five days later. Carolyn was 33; JFK Jr. was 38.
Princess Diana's dramatic life needs no introduction,
as her story has been told in innumerable books, movies, and documentaries,
and splashed across the headlines of both tabloids and legitimate newspapers.
After finally divorcing Prince Charles in 1996, it seemed like Diana might get to live the life
she wanted for the first time. Instead, it would come to a violent and tragic end.
On August 31, 1997, Diana was in Paris with her new boyfriend, Dodi Al-Fayed. They tried
to have dinner at a hotel restaurant, but the press and onlookers made it impossible, so they
left in a car. Shortly after, that car crashed in a tunnel, killing three of the four people inside,
including Diana and Al-Fayed. The Princess was 36. They'd been pursued by photographers
when the crash happened. At Diana's funeral, her brother would eulogize her as the, quote,
"most hunted person of the modern age." And her son, Prince Harry, later said of the paparazzi,
"Those people that caused the accident instead of helping were
taking photographs of her dying on the back seat."
An inquest into the death stretched on for years. Blame was thrown around. The inquest
found the car's driver was drunk, he was speeding to get away from the paparazzi,
and that Diana and Al-Fayed might have survived if they had been wearing their seatbelts.
But Diana had also refused to have police bodyguards,
and the former chief told the inquest that decision also contributed to the tragic outcome:
"If, as it was my wish, she had had police protection in Paris,
then I am absolutely convinced those three lives would not have been tragically lost."
Chris Farley made viewers cry with laughter during his stint on "Saturday Night Live"
and in classic films like "Tommy Boy." But like many of the funniest comedians, his humor masked
a lot of pain. After he died, The Los Angeles Times reported that Farley's loved ones said
he had been, quote, "wag[ing] a battle against overeating, drugs, and alcohol." Ultimately, the
cause of death was determined to be an accidental overdose of morphine and cocaine. Farley was 33.
Comedian and politician Al Franken told the Chicago
Tribune that his friends had tried to help Farley.
"This was not something where people around him ignored [his problems].
It wasn't something where he ignored it. It was something he didn't have power over."
The comedian's influence was still felt long after he died. On the anniversary of Farley's
death in 2018, friends took to social media to remember him. Stephen Colbert tweeted,
"Chris Farley and I started at Second City on the same day.
You knew the minute you saw him on stage he was great. He was sweet and smart and
funny. When I heard he had died, 21 years ago today, I fell to the ground. Rest In Peace."
On August 26, 1990, Stevie Ray Vaughan played a concert in Wisconsin with other musicians,
including Eric Clapton. According to Guitar World, Vaughan had mentioned that day a weird
dream he had where he'd died and was watching his own funeral. Sadly, that dream would be prophetic.
After the show ended, they all wanted to get back to Chicago quickly,
and piled into helicopters. Clapton said,
"There was a convoy of helicopters, about five of them, and they had to go back through this
very thick fog up to about 100 feet above the ground. And once we came out of that,
we just took off for Chicago. When I got back, I went straight to bed. And I was woken about seven
in the morning by my manager, Roger Forrester, saying that the helicopter with Stevie Ray and
our chaps hadn't come back. And then a bit later, someone discovered the wreckage. That was it."
The helicopter carrying Vaughan and others crashed into a mountain,
killing all on board. Vaughan was just 35.
Andy Kaufman was one of the most influential and controversial comedians of all time,
pioneering a type of performance art that changed how comedy is performed and understood.
Tragically, Kaufman died of cancer on May 16, 1984, at the age of 35. The problem is
that Kaufman committed so fully to his bits and characters, that urban legends say he faked his
death as part of another weird performance piece to trick his audience, which in this case was
the entire world. Even some of his family members aren't necessarily convinced he's actually dead.
"There are people that believe he's been hiding out right here in Albuquerque!"
Whether or not he faked his own death, though,
the fact that people believe he might have is maybe the greatest testament to his talent.
Bob Marley introduced a global audience to reggae. And he also became a counter
culture icon with his messages about alternative lifestyle choices.
"Herb is that thing that will give you a little time for yourself so you can live if you use it."
In his next to last concert, at the iconic Madison Square Garden in 1980,
Marley was opening for the Commodores, but according to The New York Times,
it sounds like he was really the main event. The review wrote,
"The reggae star had the majority of his listeners
on their feet and in the palm of his hand. After this show of strength,
and Mr. Marley's intense singing and electric stage presence, the Commodores were a letdown."
The fact that he was able to play at all, let alone at the top of his game,
was made even more astonishing considering what happened next.
Only a few days after that performance, Marley collapsed and was taken to the hospital,
where he learned that a small cancerous growth on his toe, that he'd been diagnosed with in 1977,
had metastasized. There was no hope, as it had already spread to many of his major organs.
Eight months later, on May 11, 1981, Bob Marley died, aged 36.
Of all the actors one would think could live forever, Bruce Lee would be top of that list.
His extreme devotion to fitness is legendary, with Biography recording
that he didn't drink or smoke and ate a specific regimen, including raw meat,
so that his body was perfectly toned. His films reflected this, with Lee showing off
his moves and strength in classic action scenes. And he honed his mind as well.
"Running water never grows stale, so you gotta just keep on flowing."
And then, suddenly, he was dead. Lee was in Hong Kong on June 20, 1973,
when he took a pill and lay down, and never woke up. He'd been suffering from headaches
and seizures for a few weeks and had been diagnosed at a hospital with cerebral edema.
After his death, all sorts of crazy rumors sprung up, but Bruce Lee's official site
debunks those conspiracy theories with a description of the true cause of death:
"He was offered a prescription painkiller called Equagesic. After taking the pill,
he went to lie down and lapsed into a coma. He was unable to be revived. The determination was
that Bruce had a hypersensitive reaction to an ingredient in the pain medication
that caused a swelling of the fluid on the brain, resulting in a coma and death."
Lee was only 32 years old.
When you are a famous professional athlete, it can be easy to forget the
little people. But that's something legendary baseball star Roberto Clemente never did.
Clemente was famous not just for playing on the Pittsburgh Pirates,
but equally for his charity work, especially in Latin America and the Caribbean. In 1972,
there was a large earthquake in Nicaragua and Clemente was sending supplies for the survivors.
However, there had been issues, as Clemente got word that profiteers had been stealing
those charitable donations. So to make sure the supplies got into the hands of the needy,
Clemente decided to fly to Nicaragua and handle it himself.
Tragically, the plane exploded after takeoff, killing all on board. Clemente was 38. He was
soon inducted into the Hall of Fame, and in his memory, Major League Baseball gives the
annual Roberto Clemente Award to the player who, quote, "best exemplifies the game of baseball,
sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual's contribution to his team."
Marilyn Monroe was one of the biggest movie stars in the world, practically re-inventing
the very concept of sex symbol with her iconic looks and underrated acting skills.
So her death at just 36 in 1962 sent shockwaves around the world. The iconic
actress who would inspire songs, films, and endless imitators was found in her bed,
holding the phone as if she was trying to call for help before she died. She was surrounded
by empty pill bottles. According to “History,” an investigation found her death was, quote, "caused
by a self-administered overdose of sedative drugs and that the mode of death is probable suicide."
But many people found her death to be suspicious.
True, some people agreed Monroe was in a bad place at the time. For instance,
one photographer said, quote, "Life had put her in a corner and she was trying to get out."
But others thought the idea Monroe would actually kill herself was ludicrous. Her
live-in housekeeper said, quote, "It is my feeling that Marilyn looked forward to her tomorrows."
And photographer George Barris recalled, quote, "She told me, 'These are my champagne days.'"
Still others think there is something very sinister about her death,
and there are plenty of unanswered questions. The most common conspiracy theories revolve
around Monroe's romantic involvement with President John F. Kennedy, with the suggestion
that her death could’ve been murder. But no real evidence has ever proved a link,
and despite the conspiracy theories, it was probably an accidental overdose.
How good was jazz legend Charlie Parker? Miles Davis, one of the best jazzmen there ever was,
once said, "You can tell the history of jazz in four words: 'Louis Armstrong.
Charlie Parker.'" Considering that company and the person saying it,
you know Charlie Parker had to be exceptional. And he was. But he was also deeply troubled,
and his life was filled with the excesses that many musicians fall victim to. And it was bad. So
bad, that almost 40 years after he died, Parker's widow told “The Independent” that she just hoped,
quote, "Maybe he'll be remembered as not just the most famous junkie of his time."
While Parker was reinventing jazz and how music was played and showing off
his brilliant improvisational skills, he was also a hedonist.
A psychiatrist who examined him called him a "sociopath," saying he was
" [...] a man living for the pleasure principle [—] music, food, sex,
drugs, kicks [—] his personality arrested at an infantile level.
A man with almost no feeling of guilt and only the smallest, most atrophied nub of conscience."
A member of Parker's first band said, quote,
"The way he was going with that dope and all, he could only last so long."
The hard-living in between his brilliant concerts took such a toll on Parker's body that during
his last few days, the doctor who attended him thought Parker was in his 50s or 60s.
Physically worn out, the jazz great died on March 12, 1955, aged just 34.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please call the Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Administration's 24/7 National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP. That's 1-800-662-4357.