Hanging, pesticide poisoning, firearms, those three are the most common means for suicide. Taking your own life is an act that according to the Bible, for example, is forbidden. However, there are individuals that sometimes cannot take it anymore, and decide to take their own life. And celebrities, despite all the fame, money, and everything else, are not immune to suicides. It saddens us, but no matter whether you loved or hated them, these celebrities deserved more.
Robin Williams, 63 years old
It is sad that the actor that brought smile to so many homes around the world couldn’t bring a smile to his own face. The brilliant actor took his own life in 2014 by hanging himself in his home in California. After the death, medical reports confirmed that he was battling Parkinson’s disease and dementia. But multiple sources and close friends also confirmed the actor was depressed.
Marilyn Monroe, 36 years old
One thing is certain, Marilyn left this world way too soon. The original bombshell girl was the poster child for beauty magazines and campaigns, and a people’s idol. However, her affair with JFK, and everything that the fame and affair brought to her life was too much for the famous actress to withstand. In the end, she took high dose of barbiturates and put an end to the suffering.
Kurt Cobain, 27 years old
Some conspiracy theorists say that Cobain took his own life at the age of 27 just so he can join the Mysterious club of 27 (famous people dying at 27 years old). Just for info, the club also includes Jimmy Hendrix, Brian Jones, Janis Joplin, Jim Morison, and recently, Amy Whitehouse. Be as it is, in April 1994, Cobain took a gun, and put an end to his life. He was battling depression and drug addiction, and days before the incident he escaped from a detox center in Los Angeles.
Mindy McCready, 37 years old
One can say that this was few years in the making. And it should have been expected, given the fact that the famous singer tried to take her own life two times before the fatal incident. Be as it is, the singer killed herself with a gun shot in 2013. Some say she wanted to honor her former boyfriend, David Wilson, who committed suicide at the same spot.
Jonathan Brandis, 27 years old
Another member of the mystic club of 27, Jonathan committed suicide by hanging himself. Brandis was a young and up and coming actor who got some national recognition with his movie Never Ending Story II. His friends found him in his home, and they took him to a medical center, but it was too late for the young actor.
Sawyer Sweeten, 19 years old
One of the youngest celebrities on the list, Sawyer is famous for his role as Geoffrey Barone, the son of Ray Barone in the mega popular sitcom, “Everybody loves Raymond”. However, despite the success of the sitcom, Sweeten was battling financial problems after the show ended. Many believe his financial troubles got the best of him, as Sawyer shot himself in the head.
Jovan Belcher, 25 years old
The linebacker for the American football team Kansas City Chiefs shot his girlfriend first, before committing suicide. He fired 9 shots at his girlfriend, leaving her three months old daughter without a mother. The same day, he met with the coach and general manager of the club, and shot himself in front of them, leaving his daughter without any parent. His last words were “I wasn’t able to get enough help”. The fun part is that during his college days, Belcher was active in an organization that battled abusive acts. The organization was called Male Athletes Against Violence.
Alexander McQueen, 40 years old
One of the best designers in the fashion world had a weakness, and that was his mother. Just several days after the passing of his mother, the famous designer decided that he can’t take it no more, and took his own life by drinking a deadly cocktail of sleeping pills and cocaine. After drinking the cocktail, McQueen hang himself.
Lucy Gordon, 28 years old
Lucy left not one, but two suicide notes in her apartment in Paris before committing suicide. The actress famous for her role in Spiderman 3, hang herself in the apartment she shared with her boyfriend at the time, Jerome Alveras. The cinematographer was asleep when Lucy committed suicide.
Johnny Lewis, 26 years old
One more year later and Lewis would also be part of the 27 club. He rose to stardom with his role in Sons of Anarchy. He was part only of the first two seasons. Some other notable movies in which the actor played include Alien vs. Predator: Requiem, Underclassman and The Runaways.
Gia Allemand, 29 years old
When Gia took her life by hanging, it was her boyfriend, NBA player Ryan Anderson that found her and took her to the hospital. She is one of the few cases of suicides that was still alive when she made it to the hospital. However, Allemand died the next day. The couple had an argument few days before the incident, with Allemand accusing Anderson of cheating. Gia was part of the Bachelor TV show, and took part in several fashion shows and runways.
Dana Plato, 34 years old
Taking a deadly combination of painkillers and muscle relaxants, Dana died in 1999. She was famous for her role in the sitcom “Different Strokes”. Her son, Tyler Lambert, also committed suicide in 2010, continuing the troubled legacy of the family.
Chris Benoit, 40 years old
Chris Benoit took the “kill wife and commit suicide act” to another level. After strangling his wife, the WWE superstar also strangled his 7 years old son, and then killed himself. The medical reports showed he was battling dementia, and suffered from severe brain damage.
L’Wren Scott, 49 years old
The longtime girlfriend of Mick Jagger hung herself with a scarf in 2014. The sad part is that her overachieving career and success were thrown in the shadow due to her relationship with Mick Jagger. Her extraordinary life, and her career as fashion designer took a back seat in the months after the suicide. She didn’t leave a note. As in many other cases on this list, depression took the best out of the designer.
Junior Seau, 43 years old
Ten times All-Pro in the NFL, Junior was one of the more famous and successful athletes in NFL. But his success in the sport was not enough, as Junior took his life by gunshot in his home in California.
Misty Upham, 32 years old
Upham was one of the most successful Native American actresses, acting along big names such as Meryl Strip, Julia Roberts and Benicio Del Toro. Her suicide is one of the biggest mysteries in Hollywood. The actress went missing, and few days later, she was found at the bottom of a cliff. Her family revealed that she was battling mental health problems in the past.
Ernest Hemingway, 61 years old
No introduction needed here, as Hemingway is praised as one of the best novelists in the history of mankind. With books as “The old man and the sea”, and “For whom the bell tolls”, Hemingway touched people from age 7 to age 77. However, despite all the fame and success, Hemingway suffered from a severe form of depression. He tried to cure his depression with alcohol, as he was famous for his love for booze. And in the end, he decided to end the suffering and committed suicide by shooting himself.
Hunter S. Thompson, 67 years old
Thompson left one of the most interesting and unique suicide notes to date. His death was tragic, but one cannot ignore the fact that his note is just way too unique. He shot himself during a phone call with his wife, and left a note stating “Football season is over. 67. That is 17 years past 50. 17 more than I needed or wanted. Boring”. He will go down as the founder gonzo journalism movement.
Simone Battle, 25 years old
Money problems and depression were the end for the life of the former X-Factor finalist. She was part of a girl group, the G.R.L, but she just couldn’t fulfil her goals. So, she decided to take end his life in 2014 in her home in California.
Vincent Van Gogh, 37 years old
The founder of impressionism style in art, Vincent will go down as one of the best and painters in our history. It is a known fact that he battled depression, which can be easily seen in his pictures. Even though he often pictures nature, like his paintings “Sunflowers for Amy”, “irises”, “Wheat field with cypresses”, it was his portrait and dark paintings that show his depression. Aside from depression, Van Gogh also suffered from several disorders, including bipolar disorder, acute porphyria, schizophrenia, and epilepsy. In 1890 he put an end to his misery with a gunshot.
Christine Chubbuck, 29 years old
She committed suicide in the same way she lived her life, during live television broadcast. Christine was a successful television news reporter, and just before putting a gun in her head and taking a shot, she said “And now, in keeping with Channel 40’s policy of always bringing you the latest in blood and guts, in living color, you’re about to see another first- an attempted suicide”.
Lee Thompson Young, 29 years old
Thompson didn’t show up for a filming of an episode, so the police was asked to locate him and see if he is in his house. When the police came to the place, they found the dead body of the young actor that was famous for his roles in Disney movies.
Sylvia Plath, 30 years old
One of the most dynamic and admired poets of the 20th century, Sylvia is one of the few celebrities on the list that didn’t commit suicide by gunshot, overdose, or hanging. The short story writer was unique in every sense of the word, her death included. She committed suicide by placing her head in a gas oven. And it wasn’t the first time she tried to kill herself.
Aaron Swartz, 26 years old
Swartz was an internet hacktivist, political organizer, and computer programmer. He shaped the internet era by co-developing Reddit and RSS, the latter at the age of just 14 years. He was arrested in 2011 for computer fraud and illegal obtainment of documents. Faced with a sentence of 50 years in prison, Aaron decided to end his life.
Virginia Woolf, 59 years old
Another popular novelist and author, Wolf also suffered from mental health problems. She has battled mental health problems several times in her life, but at the end, she had no strength to go through the process again. Her suicide note describes her feelings the best “I feel certain that I’m going mad again. I feel we can’t go through another of those terrible times. And I shan’t recover this time. I begin to hear voices”. She filled her pockets with stones, and walked into the river where she drowned herself.
Mike Alfonso, 42 years old
Known as “Mike Awesome”, Alfonso was one of the best wrestlers in the history of the sport. The cause for his death was not publically announced on WWE.com, as the official wrestling organization tried to hide the fact he committed suicide. His friends found Mike hanging in his apartment in Tampa.
Tony Scott, 68 years old
Tony Scott is brother with another famous director, Ridley Scott. Tony was responsible for directing Top Gun and True Romance. He committed suicide by jumping off the Vincent Thomas Bridge into the Los Angeles Harbor. There was no suicide note left behind, but his brother Ridley said that Tony was battling cancer and was losing the battle.
Don Cornelius, 78 years old
The “Don” created one of the most famous and successful shows in American television history, the “Soul Train”. He hosted the show from 1971 to 1993. In 1982, Cornelius underwent a brain operation, and according to his son, the TV host experienced seizures in his later life due to the operation. The seizures were extremely painful, and weeks before the death, Don was in pain. At the end, in 2012, he pointed a gun to his head and fired a shot.
Michael Hutchence, 41 years old
The founder, lead singer and lyricist of the rock band INXS, Michael took his life in 1997. After his death, it was revealed he was obsessed with Kylie Minogue, as the pair was in a five years relationship during the 80s. For his suicide, Hutchence used a heavy dose of alcohol and drugs.
Jon-Erik Hexum, 26 years old
Technically speaking, Jon-Erik didn’t commit a suicide. He died from shooting himself, but it was during a set for the Covers up show. His character was playing a game of Russian Roulette. Shooting a blank, he suffered injuries that led to his death six days after the incident.
Jeff Alm, 25 years old
Jeff just couldn’t live with the fact that he was responsible for the death of his friend. He lost control of his vehicle, which resulted with his childhood friend, Sean P. Lynch being thrown out of the vehicle and dying. After witnessing the death of his friend, Alm shot a gun in his head.
Freddie E, 22 years old
The hip-hop artist posted several tweets before committing suicide. One of them read “If there’s a God then He’s calling me back home. This barrel never felt so good next to my dome. It’s cold & I’d rather die than live alone”. He texted his girlfriend earlier in the day, saying he feels like everyone is out there trying to get him. At the end, he said to his family he loved them, and wrote “I’m sorry” before shooting his head.
David Foster Wallace, 46 years old
His father said the former novelist ,essayist, and teacher battled with depression long before committing suicide. After his death, Foster Wallace became an icon, a character, and for some people, and even a saint. He satirized the entertainment industry in his books, and one might say that became martyr of his death.
Freddie Prinze, 22 years old
Another comedian on the list that brought so many laughs into the world. However, his humor couldn’t cure his depression. The stand-up comedian also suffered from drug addiction.
Diane Arbus, 48 years old
The famous photographer was one of the rare people in the industry that photographed people like dwarfs, transgender people, nudists, giants and many other that were considered surreal and perceived ugly by the general public. She took her life by slashing her wrists.
Terry Kath, 31 years old
Another death on the list that technically is not a suicide. Terry fooled around with a gun, and he then accidently shot himself in the head. The lead singer and founder of the rock band Chicago died instantly on the spot.
Reinaldo Arenas, 47 years old
Back in the late 80s and early 90s, AIDS was something new for the world. For every Magic Johnson example out there, there is Reinaldo Arenas example as well. While Johnson battled away with AIDS and conquered the disease and still lives with it, Reinaldo took his life shortly after he was diagnosed with AIDS. In his suicide note, the poet and novelist revealed he couldn’t handle everything that comes with the disease.
James Whale, 67 years old
One can say he was the founder of Frankenstein, as the actor and director worked on the very first movie about Frankenstein in 1931. After a series of strokes, James was in severe pain, and decided to put an end to his misery by drawing in his swimming pool.
Assia Wevill, 44 years old
Fun fact: Assia Wevill was also in relationship with Ted Hughes, same as Sylvia Plath. One of the reasons Plath committed suicide is believed to be Assia’s pregnancy. Wevill was also a celebrated poet. When she committed suicide, she also killed her young daughter by using a gas oven. For those keeping score, Sylvia used the same method to take her life.
Hart Crane, 32 years old
Before he jumped from a cruise ship into the Gulf of Mexico, Crane shouted “Goodbye everyone”. The reason why the modernist poet took his own life is unknown to this day.
Wendy O. Williams, 48 years old
As a teenager who felt there is something bigger out there than college and university degree, so she left school to form a rock band, the Plasmatics. With her Mohawk haircut, Wendy quickly became a poster child for rebellious movement. Years later, in 1998, the singer took her life with a single gunshot to the head. According to her friends, social and personal dichotomies caught up her.
