As we all know, the endless stream of celebrity gossip doesn't stop when an A-lister suddenly
passes away. Let's take a look at some of the weirdest tidbits that came out about celebrities
after they died.
Musical sensation Amy Winehouse left us far too soon. On July 23rd, 2011, she lost her
life to alcohol poisoning at the age of 27.
"Yeah, I'm a jazz singer, you know, that's what I come from, even though I'm really young."
Beyond her passion for jazz and R&B, Winehouse was also a fan of hip-hop. In 2014, HuffPost
posted a previously unpublished interview with Winehouse from ten years prior. Still
a relative unknown, Winehouse opened up about her idols growing up, revealing that,
"I wanted to be Snoopy’s girlfriend and when I got older I wanted to be Bart Simpson’s
girlfriend. Then I couldn’t decide whether I wanted [to] marry Snoopy or Michael Jackson
– because he was God to me - or to just be them. When I got older it was Salt-n-Pepa
and Madonna. I wanted to be in Salt-n-Pepa so much that my friend Juliet and I started
our own band, Sweet-n-Sour, when we were nine."
Sweet-n-Sour songs were even performed during school assemblies, with epic dance routines
thrown in for good measure. Who knew?
On April 9th, 2021, rapper DMX passed away after overdosing on drugs and suffering a
heart attack. He was only 50 years old.
"This is the news that fans had been dreading all week, as DMX, who had been on life support,
has officially died, the statement put out just moments ago."
He'll be remembered for his powerful lyrics, his disarming sincerity, and his trailblazing
contributions to the world of music. On a much lighter note, he'll also be remembered
for abruptly barging into restaurant kitchens to whip up a hearty meal on the fly.
Shortly after DMX was released from jail in 2015, TMZ reported that
"[The rapper] was spotted behind [an] IHOP serving window over the weekend, days after
his release, leading folks to think he'd gotten himself a new post-prison gig as a line cook.
Not so ... we're told he was there to meet his manager and after the meal wanted to meet
the cooks who made his meal, and that's when he got a little too comfortable with the grease
and pan."
If the report can be believed, the rapper really warmed up to the staff and was soon
preparing his own, quote, "chicken fajita omelet."
It sounds like he did this sort of thing rather a lot. Shortly after his death, a close friend
recalled arranging to meet DMX at a KFC in Baltimore. As she tells it, there was quite
a scene when she arrived:
"When I got to KFC he was behind the counter taking orders with a badge they made him.
You can only imagine how happy the customers were when they [saw DMX] getting their food."
You have to admit that is totally awesome.
On April 21st, 2016, musical icon Prince died shortly after being found unresponsive in
his Minnesota compound. The singer's cause of death was listed as "accidental" and the
result of fentanyl toxicity.
Months after his passing, Prince's ex-girlfriend Charlene Friend told People that it was only
after their split that she began to realize the extent of Prince's hidden life. She claimed
he would sometimes go days without sleep, and when he did manage to finally get some
rest, it sounds like his sleeping habits were still rather peculiar. As Friend told People,
"He would be shaking all through the night. The first time that happened, I asked him
if he was having a nightmare and he said, ‘No. I was dreaming music'. Even in his
sleep, the music just poured out of him.”
When singer and actress Aaliyah passed away in a 2001 plane crash at 22 years old, she
left behind three award-winning albums, multiple hit songs, and millions of heartbroken fans.
In the years since her untimely passing, some fascinating details about her life have come
to light. There's one tidbit in particular that has stayed with us over the years.
10 years after Aaliya's death, her longtime makeup artist Eric Ferrell opened up about
the star in an interview with The Fader. Ferrell revealed that she always traveled with a family
member. And that's not all: The Brooklyn native apparently couldn't leave home without one
particular item that was very dear to her. As Ferrell revealed,
"She had this pillow named Wilson, like in the movie 'Castaway' where Tom Hanks has a
Wilson volleyball that he paints a face on and talks to because he's been isolated for
so long. So she had this pillow that she would take everywhere — on the plane, to the hotel,
everywhere."
Actor and comedian Robin Williams tragically died by suicide in 2014. His prolific body
of work touched the hearts of fans all over the world – and at least one of those fans
happened to be a card-carrying member of the animal kingdom.
In 2001, Williams paid a visit to the Gorilla Foundation in Northern California, befriending
an unusually famous and intelligent gorilla named Koko, a sensitive soul who excels at
sign language. News of Williams' death apparently hit Koko very, very hard. Animal psychologist
Dr. Penny Patterson revealed to Entertainment Tonight:
"Koko has been really somber and lowkey. She's, needing a lot of support."
In a statement, the foundation said that,
"Robin's ability to just 'hang out' with Koko, a gorilla, and in minutes become one of her
closest friends, was extraordinary and unforgettable for Koko. We hope that it now becomes unforgettable
for you, too. And when you remember Robin Williams, remember that he is not only one
of the world's most beloved entertainers, he is also one of the world's most powerful
ambassadors for great ape conservation."
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide
Prevention Lifeline​ at​ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​ or text HOME to the Crisis Text
Line at 741741.