A self-made singer murdered by a fan, a rock pioneer’s, cataclysmic crash, fate is something no one has ever been able to conquer. Death is the ultimate truth that every human has to face. Some are lucky enough to live their lives to the fullest, while others, unfortunately, succumbed to an early death. Here are some tragic stories of public figures who didn’t live to see their 30s.
Bobby Christina Brown
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Bobby Christina Brown’s life was tragically cut short at the age of 22. The daughter of the late Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown was found unresponsive in her bathtub in her home in Georgia in January 2015.
She was placed in a medically induced coma for six months and she later died in hospice care on July 26th of the same year. According to ABC News, Bobby Christina’s autopsy report showed “immersion associated with drug intoxication” led to lobar pneumonia. In a civil court hearing in November 2016, Nick Gordon, who had been in a romantic relationship with Brown, was found responsible for her death.
Although he was not charged, he was ordered to pay $36 million to the Brown family. According to the Hollywood reporter, Gordon died of an accidental drug overdose in January 2020.
Mack Miller
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Malcolm James McCormick, better known as Mack Miller was known for his innovative lyrics and experimental rap music. Miller struggled with substance abuse and addiction, which he regularly talked about in his songs.
Miller began to make an even bigger name for himself when he dated Ariana Grande in August 2016. However, according to TMZ, the two split in May 2018, but remained friends. Rolling Stone reported that Miller’s drug addiction played a part in the couple’s separation. A few months later, TMZ reported that Miller died in his San Fernando Valley, California home on September 7th, 2018, from a drug overdose.
He was 26 years old. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner Coroner, Miller died from a mixture of fentanyl, cocaine, and ethanol.
Aaliyah
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Aaliyah Dana Haughton was an R&B royalty in the ’90s and early 2000’s. She was known for her sultry hits like, ‘Are You That Somebody’, ‘If Your Girl Only Knew’ and ‘Try Again’?
By 22, Aaliyah had three successful albums and starred in two films – ‘Romeo Must Die’ and ‘Queen of the Damned’. On August 25th, 2001, Aaliyah flew to The Bahamas Abaco Islands to wrap up the music video for the song ‘Rock the Boat’. According to the New York Times, the singer and eight others boarded a Cessna 402-B to return home.
The plane crashed immediately after taking off from the Marsh Harbor Airport, killing everyone on board. CNN reported that the small plane was overloaded, which led to the crash. Billboard also reported that the pilot’s autopsy showed cocaine and alcohol in his system. Aaliyah’s then-boyfriend Damon Dash revealed on the reel in 2021 that she told him that she was hesitant to board the plane.
Heath Ledger
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It’s been debated that taking on the role of the Joker in 2008’s “The Dark Knight” took a severe toll on Heath Ledger’s health and led to his untimely death on January 22, 2008.
Ledger took his preparation for the role to the extreme, telling Empire he isolated himself for a month to work on the character. However, Ledger struggled with insomnia, revealing in a November 2007 interview with the New York Times that he was taking sleeping pills. Reuters reported that Ledger had also allegedly struggled with substance abuse.
The actor was found dead at the age of 28 in his New York City apartment. According to Wired, the New York City medical examiner’s office concluded in a statement that Ledger’s death was an accident as a result of abusing prescription medications. His role in The Dark Knight earned him an Oscar posthumously for Best Supporting Actor.
Anton Yelchin
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Actor Anton Yelchin, who is best known for starring as Pavel Checkoff in the 2011 ‘Star Trek’ reboot, and its sequels suffered a horrific death on June 19, 2016.
The Los Angeles Police Department reported that Yelchin’s Jeep Grand Cherokee’ rolled down his driveway and trapped him against a security gate around one in the morning. His body was later found by a friend after the actor did not show up for rehearsal. Yelchin was 27 years old, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The Los Angeles coroner’s office stated that Yelchin suffered ‘blunt trauma asphyxia’, and did not put his Jeep in park. When it began to roll down his driveway, his parents filed a lawsuit with ‘Fiat Chrysler’, which stated that the actor’s car was among 1.1 million vehicles that had been recalled because of issues regarding the gear shifters.
According to people, the suit was settled confidentially with the money going towards the Anton Yelchin Foundation and to the 2019 film about his life ‘Love Antasha’.
Thuy Trang
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Actor Thuy Trang is remembered for portraying Trini Quan, the original Yellow Ranger in the beloved 90’s television series ‘Mighty Morphin Power Rangers’. Actor Angela Rockwood was with Trang when she died on September 3rd, 2001 at the age of 27, and recalled to CNN that she was driving to Los Angeles from San Jose with Trang and another friend when their vehicle spun violently out of control and hit the side of a mountain, the car flipped multiple times with Rockwood getting thrown out of the car several feet away and snapping her neck. Trang and the other woman were still in the vehicle when it hit a railing and flew over a bank before hitting a Second Rock face.
Rockwood survived the accident but was paralyzed from the neck down while Trang died from her injuries. Tran’s former Power Rangers cast celebrated the show’s 25th anniversary in 2018. And paid tribute to their dear co-star.
James Dean
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Actor James Dean is widely recognized for starring as the troubled teenager in the film, ‘A Rebel Without A Cause’.
The film would be one of three movies Dean would star in before his tragic death from a car accident on September 30, 1955 at the age of 24. According to his biography, Dean loved fast cars and after receiving a hefty paycheck from his work in the 1955 film ‘East of Eden’, he purchased a Porsche 550 Spider.
On the day of his death, Dean was ticketed for speeding a mere few hours before his car collided with a Sedan killing The actor instantly. ‘A Rebel Without A Cause’ was released a month after he died, for which he received an Oscar nomination. Before his death, the actor had also finished filming the Western drama ‘Giant’ alongside Elizabeth Taylor, which was released in November 1956. The film also earned the Star and Oscar nominations.
Buddy Holly
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Buddy Holly was a rising rockstar in the mid-1950s. His most defining songs such as ‘Peggy Sue’, and ‘That’ll Be The Day’ were recorded with his band, ‘The Crickets’. Holly was destined to do big things in the music industry, but it all came to a tragic end one fateful day in 1959. On February 3rd of that year, while flying to make a last-minute gig, Holly was killed in a plane crash. According to history, Richie Valens and JP Richardson, also known as the ‘Big Bopper’, were also on the plane. Valens, who like Holly, is known as a pioneer in rock and roll, was only 17. Richardson, a singer, and popular disc jockey, was 28. Don McClean’s 1971 hit American Pie references that tragic day.
Pop Smoke
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Rapper Pop Smoke, whose real name was Bashar Barakah Jackson was an up-and-coming rapper who rose to stardom with the 2019 singles – ‘Welcome to the Party’ and ‘Dior’.
According to TMZ, Pop Smoke was killed on February 19th, 2020 when he was shot during a home invasion while staying in a rental in the Hollywood Hills. The rapper was rushed to ‘Cedars-Sinai Medical Center’ but did not survive. Jackson was 20 years old. According to the Los Angeles Times, before the rapper was killed, he had posted a photo on Instagram revealing the address of the California home.
According to XXL, 5 people have since been arrested for killing the rapper. After his death, his posthumous debut album, ‘Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon’, was released in July 2020. His second album, ‘Faith’ was released in July 2021.
Cameron Boyce
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Actor Cameron Boyce, the Disney Star, best known for his roles in the ‘Descendants franchise, died at the age of 20 in his sleep at his Los Angeles home on July 6th, 2019.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner determined the cause of death was complications due to ‘Epilepsy’. Many stars publicly reacted to the news of Boyce’s death, including Adam Sandler, who acted alongside Boyce in ‘Grown Ups and ‘Grown ups 2’. He paid tribute to his young co-star in a tweet writing,
“Loved that kid. Cared so much about his family. Cared so much about the world. Thank you, Cameron, for all you gave to us. So much more was on the way. All our hearts are broken”.
Brandon Lee
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Brandon Lee was the son of actor and martial artist ‘Bruce Lee’, who himself suffered a tragic death at 32. According to Entertainment Weekly, Brandon was filming a scene in the 1993 film, ‘The Crow’ in which his character gets shot multiple times.
By actor Michael Massey. Massey fired the 44 Caliber revolver and unknowingly struck Brandon, who fell to the ground and started bleeding. Brandon was rushed to the hospital, but he did not survive. He died on March 31st, 1993. He was 28 years old. The actor’s death was ruled an accident. According to history, Brandon was struck by a bullet that was lodged in the gun, although the weapon was supposed to be loaded with blanks. In 2005, Massey shared that Brandon’s death still haunted him.
Christina Grimmie
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In 2014, Christina Grimmie showed the world her singing talents when she appeared in season six of ‘The Voice’. Although she didn’t win, Grimmie already had millions of fans, thanks to her YouTube channel. In 2013, she released her debut album ‘With Love’.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the 22-year-old vocalist was doing a meet and greet with her fans in Orlando, Florida on June 10, 2016. When Kevin James Loibl approached her. Loibl then proceeded to fatally shoot the singer. Grimmie’s brother was able to tackle Loibl after he shot her, but he turned the gun on himself and died. As per CNN, a friend of Loibl told authorities that he was obsessed with the singer. He spends much of his time watching her on YouTube and following her on social media. After her death, the Grimmie family launched the Christina Grimmie Foundation, which helps families impacted by gun violence.
Avicii
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The world mourned the death of DJ Tim Bergling, better known as Avicii when he died on April 20th, 2018. TMZ reported that Avicii died by suicide in Muscat, Oman. Avicii had achieved widespread success as a DJ with hits like ‘Wake Me Up’ and ‘Levels’. However, as Avicii continued to tour around the globe, his health began to deteriorate.
According to Billboard, Avicii was first hospitalized in New York City in 2012 with acute pancreatitis caused by alcohol. By 2014, his pancreatitis had returned. And he had to have his appendix and his gallbladder removed. Many of his gigs were canceled so that he could recover. But by 2016, Avicii announced that he was retiring from live performances.
In 2017, Avicii released his documentary ‘True Stories’, which showed the DJ being pressured to perform despite his failing health. At one point in the film, he makes an eerie prediction saying, “I’ve told them over and over I won’t be able to play anymore. I’ve told them it will kill me”. Those who grew up watching the Disney Channel in the ’90s might remember the 1998 show, ‘The Famous Jet Jackson’ starring actor Lee Thompson Young.
After the show concluded, Young continued to work his way up in Hollywood, starring in television shows like ‘The Guardian’, ‘Scrubs’ and ‘Smallville’, as well as movies like ‘Friday Night Lights’ and ‘The Hills Have Eyes Too’. In 2010, Young landed the role of Detective Barry Frost on TNT’s ‘Rizzoli & Isles’. TMZ reported that on August 19, 2013, Young was found dead in his Hollywood home by his landlord after he failed to appear for work.
The actor reportedly died by suicide. A coroner’s report from the New York Daily News reported that Young had Bipolar Disorder and struggled with Depression. According to WIS News 10, his mother shared to see everything he accomplished in 29 years. It’s more than some people accomplished their whole lives.
He was able to do that with a mental illness, and yes, it ended tragically, but through that, we are inspired.
