20 Tragic Celebrity Stories

These celebrity backstories will shock you. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re examining well-known celebrities who led lives filled with personal tragedies. Our countdown of tragic celebrity stories includes Matthew Perry, Lindsay Lohan, Keanu Reeves, Whitney Houston, and more! Which celebrity with a tragic past shocked you the most? Let us know below.
Watch more great celebrity videos here:
Top 20 Celebrity Couples You Forgot Are Together: • Top 20 Celebrity Coupl...
Top 20 Craziest Things Celebs Did for Attention: • Top 20 Craziest Things...
Top 10 Celebs Who Keep Getting Cancelled: • Top 10 Celebs Who Keep...
Become a channel member to get access to special perks:
/ @watchmojo
Don't forget to play our Live Trivia games at 3pm EST for a chance to win cash! The faster you answer, the more points you get!: www.watchmojo.com/play
Have your idea become a video!
wmojo.com/suggest
Subscribe for more great content!
wmojo.com/watchmojo-subscribe
Visit our shop for awesome merch!
shop.watchmojo.com/
Your trusted authority for Top 10 lists, reviews, tips and tricks, biographies, origins, and entertainment news
#Tragic
#Celebrity
#Stories
#Celeb
#Celebrities
#Shocking
#Scandal
#Controversy
#Famous

[@WatchMojo]

Which celebrity with a tragic past shocked you the most? Let us know below. For more content like this, click here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m5mpZq1-rr-gZsU Don't forget to play our Live Trivia (www.watchmojo.com/play) games at 3pm EST for a chance to win cash! The faster you answer, the more points you get!

[@Funny.Man101]

Where do hamburgers go dancing? They go to the meat-ball.

[@Reaperguy67]

​@@Funny.Man101 you are not funny. All you do is spam reply in the comments.

[@mlynettepinky595]

I didn't know about Keanu or Kelsy Grammer. It is a lot of other celebrities, who also had tragedy life's 1. Dorothy Dandridge who was friends with Marylin She died the same way Monroe did. Both had a similar life. Dorothy first husband abandoned her and their daughter. She went broke because of her 2nd husband and wasn't able to take care of her daughter, who need 24 hour care. 2.Henry Fonda, actress Jane Fonda father. His was there when Red Summer happened His father made him watch a white crowd lynch a man. 3.Kanye he hasn't been right in the head, since his mother died. He said he sacrifice his own mother 4. Jeanette from Nickelodeon She wrote a book about how Dan Schneider and her mother abused her 5 The DeBarges who was singing group like the Jackson's. Their father abused the, molested and beat them El DeBarge and his brothers had history of drugs abuse because of their childhood

[@vishalkalicharan7710]

Please do Top 10 Games Yet To Receive An Adaptation (God or War, Bioshock, Strider, Fire Emblem, etc.)!!

[@whitleysdollhouse877]

All of them

[@user-sc9dv5ni7c]

RIP to the celebrities who had tragic backstories: Judy Garland (1922-1969) Chester Bennington (1976-2017) Marlon Brando (1924-2004) Brandon Lee (1965-1993) Whitney Houston (1963-2012) Kurt Cobain (1967-1994) Matthew Perry (1969-2023) Michael Jackson (1958-2009) Gary Coleman (1968-2010) Anna Nicole Smith (1967-2007) John F. Kennedy Jr. (1960-1999) Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962)

[@Mikey-mb6lb]

Amy Winehouse too!!

[@akaihanayume]

juice wrld (1998-2019) christina grimmie (1993?-2017? xxtentation (1998-2018)

[@cameronmcmenemy9856]

Elvis Presley as well

[@user-sc9dv5ni7c]

@@akaihanayume Christina grimmie (1994-2016)

[@melskitchenservices5923]

I think an addition to this list could be George Michael and Amy Winehouse

[@siavashranjbar7059]

and robin williams

[@cameronmcmenemy9856]

and Elvis Presley

[@nataliestownsend4211]

Great ideas I would like to watch that

[@joshuaW5621]

I wish Amy was still alive. That new movie about her made me fall in love.

[@a.jthomas6132]

The lost Chester Bennington hits me so hard as a Linkin Park fan! Even after 7 years since his passing, he lives on through his music. RIP 💔😭

[@Shebeast3]

yes he does ❤❤

[@user-em6ie2be7x]

Phil Hartman still makes me sad getting shot by his own wife.

[@hydrangeas_lover]

This definitely needs a Part 2

[@jaylene.turner6524]

Karen Carpenter had a very sad story. (March 2nd,1950- February 4th,1983)

[@hydrangeas_lover]

Omg, incredibly heartbreaking💔💔💔

[@TyeArtisik]

Indeed

[@Snake3yesEddie]

Suggestions for a part 2: Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopes, Choi Jin-ri aka “Sulli”, Britney Spears, Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Gordon Ramsey, Missy Elliott, James Dean and Sharon Tate.

[@hannahlowe794]

You should’ve updated Jennifer Hudson’s thing. She’s now a talk show host, not a coach on The Voice.

[@sophiac8824]

Yeah same with Lindsay Lohan, she's now married, has just given birth and lives in the Arab Emirates. Also @watchmojo LL speaks Arabic. She turned it around amazingly ❤ shout out to her therapist x

[@chrismeulen8108]

you idiots DO realize these videos are often thought up way in advance, right? the footage has to be edited, the narrator script has to be made, the voice-over has to be done, etc, etc..... there's a production cycle with these things, they don't just go "hey, let's make a video" and then upload said video the next day...

[@xCoolguy101x]

No mention of Macaulay Culkin? Pressure from his father to appear on more movies and taking almost all of the profits, struggle to break from drug abuse, and suffering from mental breakdowns. The dude is in much better place now, but he is prime example of how childhood acting can go wrong

[@KickYourFace10]

That’s probably why. It was a good ending.

[@user-sc9dv5ni7c]

His father was also abusive

[@hydrangeas_lover]

Absolutely

[@lolariver]

I thought the same thing

[@minilea144]

You do realize they do MULTIPLE of these? Why you expect every celebrity in one go is something I can't fathom.

[@ToniWellons]

Amy Winehouse, Britney Spears, Aaliyah, Dorothy Dandrige, Billie Holiday

[@alexflowers97]

Yeasss Billie Holiday! Dandridge and Winehouse are severely missing.

[@lessismore8533]

Hmm don’t know about Brit having a tragic backstory. Yes her CAREER turned tragic by the media and her family, but I don’t remember hearing her childhood being bad…

[@COMPFUNK2]

@@lessismore8533 The video discusses tragic celebrity stories in general ; it doesn’t specifically discuss tragic childhoods.

[@frankbrodie5168]

Amy's story, whilst having a tragic end, was pretty much just a predictable result of substance abuse by a weak willed person. She suffered no abuses that made her that way. She made a selfish choice to behave that way. If they made a list of all the celebrities who sadly curtailed their own lives due to such choices, it would be a wee bit longer than 20 I reckon

[@minilea144]

​@@frankbrodie5168not to mention, Amy has been and always will be on lists like these. They just recycle and repost. Just wait and people will see their suggestions if they haven't already from older uploads.

[@Fin745]

I hope Chester Bennington knew how many lives he saved with his music. I know it saved mine! During the worst times of my life when I was on the edge I'd put on my headphones and just cried my eyes out listening to his music and it would pull me back and keep me going for just one more day and then another and so on. RIP 💔

[@dakkuri1]

I feel you here man. I still listen to Linkin park today.

[@maevependragon]

🙋🏻‍♀️

[@thereallg4587]

*you have to feel bad for the ones that past away with such trauma like Matthew, Chester, Judy, Whitney etc.💔*

[@Noname-ml6fd]

Absolutely love Keanu. I'm glad he has kept himself together after all that has happened.

[@jillb3072]

Chester is such a tragedy with so much potential

[@user-sc9dv5ni7c]

So is Kelsey Grammer's😢

[@kamsismith]

Rest in peace to everyone featured in the video and to the people who are still alive, I salute you for going forward despite your demons and challenges.

[@gfear24]

A lot of people thought Matthew Perry was under the influence of something at the Friends reunion because of how he was slurring his speech. Fact is, he had gauze in his mouth due to a root canal less than 24 hours before the reunion was filmed. The slurring was him trying to not let the gauze to fall out.

[@TyeArtisik]

That sounds horrible

[@seanmccormick3270]

Not many remember what tragedies Bill Bixby had to go through. For those who might not know who he was, he was an actor who was best known for playing David Banner on the TV series The Incredible Hulk His son Christopher died from a rare infection when he was only 6 years old Then the following year, his ex-wife (Christopher's mother) committed suicide. Bill died at the age of 59 from prostate cancer.

[@abigailalexis735]

Ted Healy had some sad moments with his father dying at a young age, and he would die at the age of forty after welcoming his only child days earlier. Charlie Chaplin had a hard life with growing up poor, his father died of alcoholism, his mother had mental health issues, losing his love, losing his first child, divorcing three times and was banned from America for 20 years. Nonetheless, he ended up with a happy wife and many children.

[@Trinny1978]

I miss Kurt Cobain so much. Still. And every time I hear Chester Bennington's voice I feel so sad. They both deserved so much more.

[@funnelwebspider9078]

What about Amanda Bynes?. It's sad what's happened to her, had such potential.

[@hayeonkim7838]

Thanks for meaningful and valuable video as always ❤❤❤

[@doorattachment6926]

Chester will forever be missed dearly he was an amazing mam and inspiration to people like me. I was abused by my uncle for years and LP music helped me through it. Chester is my HERO

[@archersmith869]

Glen in hook was mind blowing

[@a.jthomas6132]

Who is excited to see Keanu Reeves (Neo, John Wick, Johnny Utah, John Constantine, and Jack Traven) becomes Shadow the Hedgehog in Sonic the Hedgehog 3?!

[@Rodeo_Wizard]

I thought Robin Williams would be on this list, and maybe, Chris Farley.

[@107ashbash]

Although I don't knoe if they had any tragic childhoods or tragic events prior to their deaths. I think that was the requirements

[@kendra.1]

Chester Bennington left us with a musical legacy that can never be forgotten or duplicated.

[@Baseds__Backup_Account_3]

Being a celebrity is more of a curse than it is a blessing, it would seem unfortunately, lol.

[@user-sc9dv5ni7c]

That is why some haters should not envy them without knowing what they went through.

[@leslieannvanhumbeck7630]

No. Everyone sufferers.

[@selfan2005]

Tupac Shakur should be on this list. Layne Staley as well.

[@sjk6101983]

This could be a whole book!

[@BlenderStudy]

Thank you for the update, WatchMojo..!! I learn new things each day by watching WatchMojo videos..!! 🤣

[@maevependragon]

❤❤Chester❤❤

[@sunshinehoover4630]

Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston gutted me! 😢😢😢

[@freyasangria]

Some of these people I feel sorry for, some celebrities I don't feel sorry for at all

[@cailieisidro5758]

Why’s Bobby Brown not here? Not only did he had to witness his ex wife and two of his children dying but he even had a rough childhood as well. One example is some attempted rape at church when he was just a kid. Not to mention, when the clip of Whitney Houston said about substance abuse, Bobby stopped taking drugs and was rethinking his life choices after prison. However, when he reunited with Whitney, there were drugs at the back seat of the car. If you want to know more information, it’s from the Bobby Brown story

[@cocoaorange1]

Besides Bobbi Christina, which other kid died. That is sad.

[@cailieisidro5758]

@@cocoaorange1 The other kid is Bobby Brown Jr. He died of opioid overdose at the age of 27

[@TyeArtisik]

They're always pushing him aside

[@maxmarangella9412]

@WatchMojo How could you not bring up Mariska Hargitay? She lost her mother Jayne Mansfield in a car accident when she was only 3 1/2 years old so tragic

[@tateloop1015]

Saltburn actor Barry Keoghan’s mother died of a drug overdose when he was 12 and he lived in 13 different foster homes over the course of 7 years

[@hydrangeas_lover]

Oh God, how heartbreaking

[@jystme2437]

They gave us enjoyment in each their own way rest peacefully now ⚘️🦋 😢

[@Bobmacca64]

If I'm not mistaken, Roy Orbison had a wife who died in a motorcycle accident. A few years later, two sons of his died in a domestic fire. Also, he himself suffered from health issues and died of a heart attack at 52. That's pretty tragic in my book.

[@michellegray7892]

Robin Williams should have made this list.

[@Djoker99]

Matthew Perry ♥️🥺

[@Elitist20]

If there's a 'Kennedy curse' it could be the belief that the rules don't apply to them - so often, they took insane risks, such as JFK Jr trying to fly to Martha's Vineyard while still an inexperienced pilot.

[@christinahosey9746]

I always thought it was unfair that Joe Kennedy lived far longer than several if his children and made a comment to my husband and he said maybe it was God's punishment since some of the tragedies were from him pushing them into things they never wanted to do in the first place.

[@jillb3072]

Joe Jackson is the example of toxic parenting and what Changed Michael from his full potential from not knowing his true worth. It definitely makes it worsened when your witnessing siblings discounted your trauma they witnessed!

[@ToniWellons]

Yes!!

[@emannabilalgahrabi6937]

Thank you ❤

[@roshawnda97]

This list needs an automatic sequel also do 20 wrestlers with tragic stories as well great video🌹

[@corymorimacori1059]

“You still got no children after your third marriage, you lost so many babies we should call you miss carriage!” Cleopatra

[@DJ-ew8fd]

A bit of a terrible thing to repeat/propagate. Cancerous.

[@jaimonjohn2516]

Montgomey clift lived a hard life

[@GingerWizzard1994]

Judith Barsi deserved a spot on here.

[@Jeremiah_Rivers76]

I feel like Chester Bennington’s music, most notably “What I’ve Done” from the 2007 _Transformers_ movie and Linkin Park’s _Minutes to Midnight_ album, was a call for help we all ignored.

[@trusha_tungare]

There is Amy Winehouse, jane fonda, James Dean, Alan Rickman, Charlize Theron, Sandra Bullock and many more actually!

[@a.jthomas6132]

Jason David Frank (aka Tommy Oliver/The Green Ranger)should be in a honorable mentions.

[@josh72456]

I didn’t know about Glenn Close, Rose McGowan, Jennifer Hudson and Anna Nicole Smith. I knew partially of Kelsey Gramer and Marlon Brando.

[@jackiegillies4165]

What breaks my heart about MJ, is he didn't know how handsome he was before plastic surgery 😢

[@mikememine1423]

Keith Morrison from Dateline NBC is Mathew Perry's stepdad, he does not seem to be a bad person at all. Why was he portrayed as a bad guy?

[@tiaremorales3187]

Tragedy and heart break are one the most depreciating and driving forces you will ever feel in life

[@jaxjaxattaxx]

Anytime I see anything about Chester or Whitney, all I can think is, “Give them back.” But then I think is it fair to ask them to come back when they wanted to leave so much and were in such pain.

[@MikeEdwards-kj4dh]

Whitney was an accident chester was a coward

[@alexflowers97]

Billie Holiday, Macaulay Culkin, James Dean, Jean Harlow, Britney Spears, Robin Williams, Virginia Wolf, Karen Carpenter, Janis Joplin, Frida Kahlo, Jackie Robinson, Oprah, Natalie Wood, Roman Polanski, Dana Plato, Roy Orbison, Zelda Fitzgerald, Nelly, Charlize Theron, Ernest Hemingway, Jackson Pollock, 50 cent, Sylvia Plath, Dorothy Dandridge , Tennessee Williams….

[@robertdeniro_]

Marilyn monroe is my love

[@dinocub1]

Surprised Amy Winehouse didn't make the list.

[@kimystery4020]

Chester 😔

[@TheMassEffectKrantt]

What about Selena?

[@CreepyGnocchi]

No Britney?

[@ROCKONplaceboforever]

Rip to these legends 🙏❤

[@SPAnComCat]

That Video was Heartbreaking and Heartwrenching to Watch...

[@COMPFUNK2]

The really sad thing about Matthew Perry is that in his last few years, he still sounded like he was under the influence during interviews.

[@leslieannvanhumbeck7630]

Lindsay Lohan is doing great. She moved to Dubai, got married, and just had a baby boy.

[@nerdynekogirl4299]

Michael Jackson, Lindsey Lohan, Whitney Houston and Chester Bennington had it more harder than anyone else.

[@alancrisp1582]

😂 What an absolute nonsense comment. How did they have it harder ?. The rest of us mere mortals should be so lucky !..

[@JP-wx8nx]

More harder? Who learned you how to spoke?

[@vadasyt7843]

@@JP-wx8nxtaught **

[@nerdynekogirl4299]

@@JP-wx8nx shouldn't be talking

[@nerdynekogirl4299]

@@alancrisp1582 if you LOOK THEM UP like a SMART ASS U THINK U ARE. Then come back when you found that out

[@Teflon_tone]

Marvin Gaye

[@stephanieoregan]

There are so many you guys can do a Part 2 😞

[@leslieannvanhumbeck7630]

Keanu Reeves also has a sister who got cancer.

[@Gielderst]

Fame doesn't always mean Fortune.

[@shesverydelusional]

Bobby Brown too. He lost a lot of people he loved like Whitney Houston

[@tylergoodman3560]

It takes courage to keep going in the face of pain and heartache. 😢🎉

[@zombiebhw]

Y’all should do a I love Lucy top 20

[@nyahgirl4105]

Is MARVIN GAYE ON HERE??

[@cameronmcmenemy9856]

There are many who are not listed who had tragic stories. Roy Orbison, was one of the rock n roll greats, In 1966, he lost his first wife in a motorbike accident and then two children in a home fire in 1968 while he was on a tour in the UK. Elvis Presley was another example, his mother died in 1958 when he was 23, then in 1973 Elvis and his wife Priscilla divorced and Elvis also had a prescription drug addiction and sadly died in 1977.

[@siavashranjbar7059]

why not mention Robin Williams?

[@aaronmartin7086]

It's kind of unnerving to watch The wizard of oz because the whole cast is dead and the disturbing things behind the scenes.

[@kimtee8961]

Chester 😭

[@martinconnors5195]

I have experienced tragedies. Losing my Paternal Grandmother before my 2nd birthday on (22/07/1986). Then Maternal Grandparents to Coronavirus in Late January 2021

[@randomdefender1532]

Jonathan Davis (+other Korn members), Judith Barsi?

[@christiancastro2442]

Karen carpenter Tina turner Eric clapton Rob pilatus Badfinger Ritchie valens Charles lindburgh Marvin gayye

[@mylsyl]

Other mentions; Shia labeouf Dave mustaine Will smith Judith barsi Dr dre Sir Elton John Elvis Presley

[@whitleysdollhouse877]

RIP to the Celebrities that was featured in the video

[@alexflowers97]

Jean Harlow (1911-1937) was the biggest sex symbol of the 30s and an international superstar. She also had a very glamorous, short tragic life like her derivative Marilyn Monroe. Harlow had the queen of stages moms, she always had intense old timey illnesses, on of her husbands was a big shot producer who either shot himself or was killed by his OTHER wife!, she was also an alcoholic who died in her 20s in a very dramatic. KZbin has a lot of great documentaries about her.❤

[@chelseacanales8763]

😢😢😢😢😢

[@dorarobertson2897]

Jonathan Davis from Korn could easily be here, too. He had a horrible childhood and also had traumatic events as an adult.

[@tateloop1015]

Oscar winning director Roman Polanski survived the holocaust and his pregnant wife was murdered by Charles Manson

[@cocoaorange1]

It is sad he turned into a pervert, and molesting a13 year old.

[@captainhaddock6435]

And he dealt with his problems by becoming a child r*pist

[@gregorious111]

For real

[@kyanacampbell4954]

No Marvin Gaye?

[@andrewharper1609]

Not to diminish any respects due to any of these, you could have mentioned any of these too: Tony Iommi - lost his fingertips in an industrial accident Django Reinhardt -was so badly burned he had to relearn to play his guitar with only 2 fingers Me (the guy who invented KZbin, Bitcoin, Disney's Frozen, John Wick, La La Land & a host of other things)- deaf by the age of 5, lost all my friends in one year (they left town) after my hearing was restored then over my university years and the start of my career we lost all of my Grandparents, my uncle and several pets including the rabbit who we got when I was 9 years old. I have IBS related depression and it took 5 years to diagnose and treat it. This is just scratching the surface. The truth is people endure tragedies and celebrity doesn't exempt you from it.

[@lessismore8533]

Umm what do you MEAN you invented KZbin? Lol…

[@leslieannvanhumbeck7630]

Clars Bow Rita Hayworth Veronica Lake

[@AlexysB]

I would have loved to see 40's/50's Hollywood starlet, Barbara Payton on this list.

[@britneylapierre2134]

I was thinking Sherly Temple was going to be on here

[@Simcitywok]

Michael Jackson died in a room surrounded by posters of newborn babies. He also had a laptop open on the bed (no one ever checked what was on it). No one remembers this part.

[@leslieannvanhumbeck7630]

Dana Plato Erin Moran Layne Staley

[@Shebeast3]

brandon lee was taken too soon as was Bruce ❤❤

[@jorgeadairramos7469]

Hello good afternoon 😮😮😮🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@user-fi6vl6uf5g]

How about the entire 90's Seattle Grunge Movement (+Scott Weiland) How many did we lose?

[@bshane1993]

what about elton john?