13 Tragic Celebrity Deaths So Unreal They Literally Shocked The Entire World

Buzz Feed

27-02-2025

Death and grief are hard, especially when it's unexpected or sudden. Here are 13 celebrities who heartbreakingly went too soon:
Note: the following submissions were compiled from two separate Reddit threads: this one and this one. The submissions have been edited for accuracy, length, and clarity.
1. Princess Diana died in 1997 while in Paris. According to the New York Times, she was in a car alongside her boyfriend Dodi Fayed, their chauffeur Henri Paul, and Dodi's bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones. The car crashed in a tunnel, and Diana was transported to a hospital, where she later died. Trevor is the sole survivor of the crash. Diana's death made headlines worldwide.
"As any little girl that grew up loving princesses, this broke my heart."
— Ten_Pesos
"I very much remember where I was when I heard about the accident. I still have the VHS tape with her funeral recorded off the TV."
— ChaosAside
"I remember my mom crying for like three full days about Diana. I didn't really understand it when I was young, nor did I really understand Americans's fascination with British Royalty. But I remember feeling really bad for her."
— Ghrave
2. Naya Rivera died in 2020 from an accidental drowning while swimming alone with her son. As BuzzFeed News previously reported, it's believed that the boat had drifted, and she had used her energy to help her son get back into it before disappearing into the water. She was 33.
"I can only imagine how desperate she must have felt. How terrifying it must be to be drowning but also knowing that her son is alone on a boat in the middle of a lake. Knowing those fears and anxieties that she would have had while dying makes me feel so bad for her. Drowning is an awful way to go."
— RisingQueenx
"A mother's love is limitless."
— karma_the_sequel
"The fact that she drowned knowing she was leaving her tiny child alone on a boat in the middle of a lake, that's just heartbreaking and terrifying."
— Veritas3333
3. Natasha Richardson died of an epidural hematoma (a brain bleed) in 2009, following a fall while skiing in Quebec a couple of days prior. She was 45.
Buena Vista Pictures / Via youtube.com
"My HS science teacher died the same week and in the same way."
— HippySwizzy
"This is the one that I thought of! Poor Liam Neeson..."
— rain3y_
"I'm still so sad that she's gone."
— None
4. Paul Walker died in 2013 when a car he was in crashed into a tree and light post before bursting into flames. According to the Guardian, a coroner's report revealed that the driver, who was Paul's friend and financial advisor, was driving at more than 100mph. Both men died. Paul was 40.
Universal Pictures / Via youtube.com
5. Anton Yelchin died in 2016 after his Jeep Grand Cherokee rolled down his driveway, trapping and crushing him between the vehicle and his security gate. His car was included in a recall of 2014 and 2015 models of the SUV around the time of his death. The recall occurred after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigated car-owner complaints of gearshift design confusion on whether their cars were in park. He was 27.
6. Brandon Lee died in 1993 while filming the thriller The Crow. According to NPR, while filming a scene, gunpowder ignited in a triggered prop gun, which caused a bullet fragment to fire. It hit Brandon. He died during surgery. He was 28.
Miramax / Via
7. Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash alongside his 13-year-old daughter Gigi and others in 2020. He was 41.
"His death is the only celebrity death that made me cry. I cried because his 13-year-old daughter was on the helicopter with him. Such a young life with so much potential just cut short in an instant."
— ibn1989
8. Steve Irwin died in 2006 after a stingray stabbed him "hundreds" of times in his chest and pierced his heart, according to the Associated Press. He was 44.
Little Dot Studios / Via youtube.com
9. Aaliyah died in a plane crash in the Bahamas in 2001. She was 22.
Blackground/Virgin / Via youtube.com
"Still it's been 19 years, but she had so much promise."
— Raichu10126
"Talk about someone who had a whole life and career ahead of her. Her cover of 'Journey to the Past' is almost better than the [ Anastasia ] movie version, and she had the makings of a great actress. To see what she would've been like today would be incredible."
— everythinglatte
10. Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes died in a car accident after her vehicle went off the road and flipped over multiple times in Honduras in 2002. She was 30.
LaFace/Arista / Via youtube.com
11. Jeff Buckley drowned after going for a swim in the Memphis harbor. According to the New York Times, he disappeared in the water after a speedboat passed and caused a wake. He was 30.
12. Jayne Mansfield died in 1967 when her car crashed into a tractor-trailer in New Orleans. According to the New York Times, the trailer slowed when approaching a truck spraying a fogging mosquito insecticide; however, the driver of Jayne's car did not see the truck had slowed. Jayne, two other adults, and three of her children were in the car. The children, including Mariska Hargitay, survived. Jayne was 34.
13. Finally, Isadora Duncan was a famous dancer who died in 1927 after a large scarf she was wearing while in a sportscar got caught in one of the rear wheel axles, pulling her out of the car and dragging her. She was 50.