Whether it's a Hollywood celeb or another famous figure, this list of famous suicides goes to show fame doesn't always buy happiness. From Robin Williams to Swedish DJ Avicii, plenty of rich & famous stars struggle with mental health—among other hardships. To put things into perspective, just check out this complete list of the most famous suicides in history, including a lot of Hollywood suicides.
Some of these famous suicides happened by overdose, as many of those who took their own lives were consumed by depression. An actor or two on this list was also believed to have killed himself, though the results of his death report has been disputed. The list below shows all celebrity suicides and all other notable people who ended their lives. What celebrities have committed suicide? This list also includes information about the methods of committing suicide used by each of these famous people who killed themselves. In short, numerous notable actors, musicians, and other famous professionals have become victims of suicide.
If you find this list interesting, check out these lists of famous suicide notes and of these suicidal celebrities who attempted to kill themselves.
Aaron SwartzDec. at 27 (1986-2013) Aaron Hillel Swartz was an American computer programmer, entrepreneur, writer, political organizer and Internet hacktivist who was involved in the development of the web feed format RSS and the ...more
Abbie HoffmanDec. at 53 (1936-1989) Abbot Howard "Abbie" Hoffman was an American political and social activist who co-founded the Youth International Party. Hoffman was arrested and tried for conspiracy and inciting to ...more
Ahn Jae-hwanDec. at 36 (1972-2008) South Korean actor, carbon monoxide poisoning Ahn Jae-hwan was a South Korean actor. His wife was comedienne Jung Sun-hee. Ahn was found dead in his car on September 8, but the exact time of his death has not been revealed; police confirmed ...more
Albert AylerDec. at 34 (1936-1970) American jazz saxophonist, jumped into New York City's East River Albert Ayler was an American avant-garde jazz saxophonist, singer and composer. Ayler began recording music during the free jazz era of the 1960s, but some critics claim that, although his style ...more
Alice de JanzéDec. at 42 (1899-1941) American heiress, committed suicide with a firearm. Alice de Janzé, née Silverthorne, also known as Alice de Trafford and holder of the noble title Comtesse de Janzé for a few years, was an American heiress who spent years in ...more
Alfred Henry MaurerDec. at 64 (1868-1932) Alfred Henry Maurer was an American modernist painter. He exhibited his work in avant-garde circles internationally and in New York City during the early twentieth century. Highly respected ...more
Alfred, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and GothaDec. at 25 (1874-1899) Member of the British Royal Family, shot himself Alfred, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, born Prince Alfred of Edinburgh, was the only son and heir apparent of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, later Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.
Allyn KingDec. at 31 (1899-1930) Allyn S. King was an American stage and film actress and singer who began her career in vaudeville, and later as a Ziegfeld Follies performer. King's 1930 suicide was the end result of her long ...more
Ambrose OlsenDec. at 25 (1985-2010) Ambrose Olsen was an American male fashion model. He was known for appearing in dozens of ad campaigns for Armani and Hugo Boss.
Andre WatersDec. at 44 (1962-2006) Andre Waters was an NFL safety who played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals from 1984 to 1995. Waters was regarded as one of the NFL's hardest-hitting defenders, serving as an ...more
Anne SextonDec. at 46 (1928-1974) Anne Sexton was an American poet, known for her highly personal, confessional verse. She won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1967 for her book Live or Die. Themes of her poetry include her long ...more
Andrew KoenigDec. at 42 (1968-2010) Joshua Andrew Koenig, was an American character actor, film director, editor, writer, and human rights activist.
Anthony Michael Bourdain is an American chef, author, and television personality. He is a 1978 graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and a veteran of numerous professional kitchens, ...more
Antonin MoineDec. at 53 (1796-1849) Antonin-Marie Moine was a French romantic sculptor in the first half of the 19th century.
Assia WevillDec. at 42 (1927-1969) German born lover of English poet Ted Hughes; murder-suicide of her daughter with Hughes, gas Assia Wevill was a German-born woman who escaped the Nazis, living in Mandate Palestine and later in Britain, where she had a relationship with the English poet Ted Hughes. She killed herself ...more
Aviciiage 29 Tim Bergling, better known by his stage name Avicii, is a Swedish EDM DJ, remixer, and a country and electro house record producer. Avicii ranked 3rd on DJ Magazine 's annual Top 100 DJs in ...more
Beatrice HastingsDec. at 64 (1879-1943) Beatrice Hastings was the pen name of Emily Alice Haigh an English writer, poet and literary critic. Much of her work was published in The New Age under a variety of pseudonyms, and she lived ...more
Benjamin HendricksonDec. at 56 (1950-2006) Benjamin Hendrickson was an American actor known for playing Harold "Hal" Munson, Jr., the Chief of Detectives for the mythical town of Oakdale on the daytime soap opera, As the World
Bob WelchDec. at 67 (1945-2012) Robert Lawrence "Bob" Welch was an American musician. A former member of Fleetwood Mac, Welch had a successful solo career in the late 1970s. His singles included "Hot Love, Cold ...more
Brian BianchiniDec. at 26 (1978-2004) Brian Leo Bianchini was an American male model, and occasional film actor, active from the late 1990s through the mid-2000s.
Brad DelpDec. at 56 (1951-2007) Bradley Edward Delp was an American musician, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock bands Boston and RTZ.
Drummer for the Allman Brothers Band, shot himself in West Palm Beach, FL, on January 24, 2017.
Claude Hudson "Butch" Trucks is an American drummer who is one of the founding members of The Allman Brothers Band. One of Trucks' first bands was local Jacksonville band The Vikings, ...more
Carole LandisDec. at 29 (1919-1948) Carole Landis was an American film and stage actress, who worked as a contract-player for Twentieth Century-Fox in the 1940s. Her breakthrough role was as the female lead in the 1940 film One ...more
Charles RocketDec. at 56 (1949-2005) Charles Adams Claverie —known by such stage names as Charlie Hamburger, Charlie Kennedy, and, most famously, Charles Rocket—was an American film and television actor. He was best known for his ...more
Charlotte DawsonDec. at 48 (1966-2014) Charlotte Dawson was a New Zealand–Australian television personality. Her death by suicide attracted Australia-wide news coverage. She was known in New Zealand for her roles as host of Getaway, ...more