To those who follow them, the death of a famous person can be almost as sad as a death in the family. Fans have invested years and sometimes decades following the triumphs and tribulations of a given celebrity, and regardless of their age, their passing can come as a shock. (Especially shocking were these 37 violent celebrity deaths.)
To determine the most shocking celebrity deaths, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on Wikipedia pageviews for all celebrities who have died since 2018. Celebrities were ranked based on the increase in daily pageviews from their pre-death daily average to either the day of their deaths or the day following their deaths. Pre-death daily averages are calculated starting July 1, 2015, when pageview records begin.
Five well-known people on our list were 85 or older when they died, and even though they were at advanced ages, their passing came as a shock to those who cared about them. One of those was Supreme Court judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died of cancer at 87. Another cancer victim, who also left us at 87, was rock’n’roll and R&B pioneer Little Richard.
Suicide claimed the lives of “Austin Powers” actor Verne Troyer, cooking guru and TV personality Anthony Bourdain, fashion icon Kate Spade, and sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein.
Two celebrities of very different kinds – army general and U.S. secretary of state Colin Powell and the singer/actor known as Meat Loaf – both died from complications of COVID-19. (Here’s a list of 30 famous people who died from COVID.)
Two of the youngest people who died on our list, rappers Nipsey Hussle and XXXTentacion, were gunned down.
The death in 2020 from colon cancer of actor Chadwick Boseman, who starred in the groundbreaking Black action film “Black Panther” and was nominated for an Oscar in 2021 for his role in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” was particularly sad and shocking as it came when he was seemingly on the brink of superstardom – and the impact his demise had on fans manifested itself in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of his passing: They soared to 9.9 million, compared with average Wikipedia pageviews prior to his death of 6,726.
The death of NBA superstar Kobe Bryant in a helicopter crash that same year stunned the public, too, causing Wikipedia pageviews to climb to 9.5 million, from 12,133 before his death.
Here is a list of the most shocking celebrity deaths of the past five years.
43. Verne Troyer (1969-2018)
Source: Kristian Dowling / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 1,890
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +1.0 million
- Age: 49 years
- Cause of death: Suicide
42. Tom Lister Jr. (1958-2020)
Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/greg2600
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 1,016
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +1.0 million
- Age: 62 years
- Cause of death: Heart disease
41. Willie Garson (1964-2021)
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 670
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +1.0 million
- Age: 57 years
- Cause of death: Pancreatic cancer
40. Norm Macdonald (1959-2021)
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 2,702
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +1.0 million
- Age: 61 years
- Cause of death: Acute leukemia
39. Gilbert Gottfried (1955-2022)
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 1,840
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +1.0 million
- Age: 67 years
- Cause of death: Type II myotonic dystrophy
38. Ric Ocasek (1944-2019)
Source: Theo Wargo / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 1,062
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +1.0 million
- Age: 75 years
- Cause of death: Heart disease
37. James Caan (1940-2022)
Source: Michael Loccisano / Getty Images
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 3,912
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +1.1 million
- Age: 82 years
- Cause of death: Heart attack
36. Dustin Diamond (1977-2021)
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 1,992
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +1.1 million
- Age: 44 years
- Cause of death: Small-cell carcinoma
35. Rush Limbaugh (1951-2021)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 2,886
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +1.1 million
- Age: 70 years
- Cause of death: Lung cancer
33. William Hurt (1950-2022)
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 2,690
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +1.1 million
- Age: 71 years
- Cause of death: Prostate cancer
33. R. Lee Ermey (1944-2018)
Source: Michael Buckner / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 2,436
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +1.2 million
- Age: 74 years
- Cause of death: Pneumonia
32. Michael K. Williams (1966-2021)
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 2,800
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +1.2 million
- Age: 54 years
- Cause of death: Drug overdose
31. Grant Imahara (1970-2020)
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 666
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +1.2 million
- Age: 49 years
- Cause of death: Brain aneurysm
30. Little Richard (Richard Wayne Penniman) (1932-2020)
Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 3,207
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +1.3 million
- Age: 87 years
- Cause of death: Bone cancer
29. Colin Powell (1937-2021)
Source: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images News via Getty Images
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 3,393
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +1.4 million
- Age: 84 years
- Cause of death: Complications from COVID-19
28. John Madden (1936-2021)
Source: Robert B. Stanton / Getty Images
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 3,028
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +1.4 million
- Age: 85 years
- Cause of death: Not disclosed
27. Kenny Rogers (1938-2020)
Source: Rick Diamond / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 2,870
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +1.5 million
- Age: 81 years
- Cause of death: Natural causes
26. Larry King (1933-2021)
Source: Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 3,054
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +1.5 million
- Age: 87 years
- Cause of death: Sepsis
25. Pee-wee Herman (Paul Reubens) (1952-2023)
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 3,442
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +1.5 million
- Age: 70 years
- Cause of death: Acute hypoxic respiratory failure
24. Jimmy Buffett (1946-2023)
Source: Rick Diamond / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 2,234
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +1.6 million
- Age: 76 years
- Cause of death: Merkel cell skin cancer
23. Cicely Tyson (1933-2021)
Source: Peters, Hans / Anefo / Wikimedia Commons
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 2,288
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +1.8 million
- Age: 88 years
- Cause of death: Not disclosed
22. Jeffrey Epstein (1953-2019)
Source: Dan Kitwood / Getty Images
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 4,801
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +1.9 million
- Age: 66 years
- Cause of death: Suicide
21. Burt Reynolds (1936-2018)
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 6,689
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +1.9 million
- Age: 82 years
- Cause of death: Cardiac arrest
20. Mac Miller (1992-2018)
Source: Rich Fury / Getty Images
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 3,679
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +1.9 million
- Age: 26 years
- Cause of death: Drug overdose
19. Ray Liotta (1954-2022)
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 4,518
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +2.0 million
- Age: 67 years
- Cause of death: Pulmonary edema, heart and respiratory failure
18. Aretha Franklin (1942-2018)
Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 3,355
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +2.0 million
- Age: 76 years
- Cause of death: Pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer
17. Naya Rivera (1987-2020)
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 2,307
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +2.1 million
- Age: 33 years
- Cause of death: Drowning
16. Meat Loaf (Marvin/Michael Lee Aday) (1947-2022)
Source: Fin Costello / Redferns via Getty Images
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 3,975
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +2.2 million
- Age: 74 years
- Cause of death: Complications from COVID-19
15. Kate Spade (1962-2018)
Source: Matthew Simmons / Getty Images
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 1,369
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +2.2 million
- Age: 55 years
- Cause of death: Suicide
14. Taylor Hawkins (1972-2022)
Source: 91170430@N05 / Flickr
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 1,071
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +2.3 million
- Age: 50 years
- Cause of death: Not disclosed
13. Kelly Preston (1962-2020)
Source: Kevin Winter / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 3,868
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +2.5 million
- Age: 57 years
- Cause of death: Breast cancer
12. Tina Turner (1939-2023)
Source: Dave Hogan / Getty Images
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 8,779
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +2.6 million
- Age: 83 years
- Cause of death: Long illness
11. Luke Perry (1966-2019)
Source: Mark Davis / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 2,455
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +2.7 million
- Age: 52 years
- Cause of death: Stroke
10. DMX (Earl Simmons) (1970-2021)
Source: Kevin Winter / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 4,353
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +3.1 million
- Age: 50 years
- Cause of death: Heart attack
9. Sinéad O’Connor (1966-2023)
Source: Getty Images / Getty Images
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 4,450
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +3.2 million
- Age: 56 years
- Cause of death: Not disclosed
8. Nipsey Hussle (Ermias Joseph Asghedom) (1985-2019)
Source: Neilson Barnard / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 1,816
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +3.4 million
- Age: 33 years
- Cause of death: Fatal shooting
7. XXXTentacion (Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy) (1998-2018)
Source: Bennett Raglin / Getty Images
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 12,021
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +3.4 million
- Age: 20 years
- Cause of death: Fatal shooting
6. Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933-2020)
Source: Tom Brenner / Getty Images News via Getty Images
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 8,846
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +3.6 million
- Age: 87 years
- Cause of death: Metastatic pancreatic cancer
5. Bob Saget (1956-2022)
Source: Leon Bennett / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 2,597
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +4.1 million
- Age: 65 years
- Cause of death: Blunt head trauma
4. Anthony Bourdain (1956-2018)
Source: Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 5,233
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +4.1 million
- Age: 61 years
- Cause of death: Suicide
3. Cameron Boyce (1999-2019)
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 2,257
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +4.1 million
- Age: 20 years
- Cause of death: Epileptic seizure
2. Kobe Bryant (1978-2020)
Source: Eliot J. Schechter / Getty Images
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 12,133
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +9.5 million
- Age: 41 years
- Cause of death: Helicopter crash
1. Chadwick Boseman (1977-2020)
- Avg. daily Wikipedia pageviews prior to death: 6,726
- Increase in Wikipedia pageviews upon news of death: +9.9 million
- Age: 43 years
- Cause of death: Colon cancer
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