What would drive a celebrity to take his or her own life? They seem to have everything, and yet they end their lives, which is why it’s so interesting to read about celebrity suicides. It is mind-boggling, yet (at times) enlightening. There really is no such thing as having it all after all.

1. Kurt Cobain (1967-1994)

When Kurt Cobain was alive, the iconic American musician used to claim that he had “suicide genes”, as he had a number of family members who had already gone that dark route. In 1994, the world realized that he wasn’t kidding. On April 5th of that year, the front man of the famous grunge band “Nirvana” was found in the spare room of his garage. Cobain’s death was concluded to have been a result of a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head.

2. Michael Hutchence (1960-1997)

In 1997, the lead singer of Australian rock band “INXS” was found kneeling on the floor of his room at the Ritz-Carlton hotel, hung by his own belt. Hutchence was said to have killed himself after combining alcohol and an aggressive antidepressant. A coroner said that his death was the result of suicide, but witness statements, the lack of anecdotal evidence, plus the fact that Hutchence’s body was found nude, led some to believe the possibility that the rocker died from autoerotic asphyxiation, or self-strangling during a sexual act.

3. Sylvia Plath (1932-1963)

American poet, novelist, and short story writer Sylvia Plath took her own life on the morning of February 11, 1963 by placing her head in the oven of her kitchen while inhaling the gas that was turned on.

A picture of the late novelist, Sylvia Plath

4. Sid Vicious (1957-1979

Sid Vicious, bass player of the English punk band the “Sex Pistols”, overdosed on heroin obtained from his mother at an intimate gathering in celebration of his release from jail. He had just done his behind bars, where he had been weaned of the drug. Forensic experts later found that the heroin he had taken was 80% pure, which was much higher than the normal 5%. Sid’s lungs were found full with fluid and water and this caused him to drown. Many say that his death was a suicide as he had overdosed before and knew the dangers.

5. Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961)

Three weeks shy of his 62nd birthday, American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist Ernest Hemingway, took his own life with a shotgun blast to the head. He was receiving electroshock treatments at the time, and he blamed the process for “putting him out of business”. In a gruesome turn of events, the writer rested the butt of the double-barreled shotgun on the floor of his home’s hallway, leaned over to put the muzzles just above his eyes, and pulled both triggers.

6. Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962)

Golden Globe award-winning actress and Hollywood icon, Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her home in the morning of August 5, 1962. The cause of death was classified as a case of “acute barbiturate poisoning”, and thought of as a “possible suicide” by authorities. However, because of a lack of evidence, this could not be confirmed. To this day, many questions remain unanswered about the circumstances surrounding the death and the timeline of this sex symbol’s demise.

7. Jonathan Brandis (1976-2003)

On November 12, 2003, American film and television star Jonathan Brandis went for a normal night out with his friends. Other than a slight show of agitation and quite a bit of pacing, there seemed to be nothing different with the actor. After a while, he left the group and, 15 minutes later, was found hanging by a nylon rope from the second floor hallway of his building. His friends cut him down and tried to revive him, but to no avail.

8. Virginia Wolfe (1882-1941)

Due to the war, the destruction of her London home, and the cold reception given to her biography of her late friend, Roger Fry, English novelist and essayist Virginia Wolfe’s depression worsened until she was unable to work. On March 28, 1941, one of the foremost modernist literary figures of the twentieth century opted to take her life rather than suffer another nervous breakdown. She weighed her pockets down with stones and walked into the River Ouse near her home. Her body was not found until April 18th of the same year.

9. Adolf Hitler (1889-1945)

Adolf Hitler is anything but a well-loved figure in world history. On April 30, 1945, when the Soviet troops were within a block of the Reich Chancellory, the dictator committed suicide. He ended his reign and his life by shooting himself while biting into a cyanide capsule. Hitler and his mistress’s body, whom he married the day before, were then put in a bomb crater, doused in gasoline, and set alight as the Red Army advanced and the shelling continued.

10. Chris Benoit (1967-2007)

On June 25, 2007, professional wrestler Chris Benoit was found dead in his home. The bodies of his wife and their seven year old son were found alongside his. The three were discovered when police entered Benoit’s home on a “welfare check”. As the instruments of death were all located at the scene of the crime, investigators did not search for any suspects outside of their house in Fayetteville, Georgia. They later confirmed that the wrestler, over a period of three days, murdered his family and then shortly after killed himself.

 

It is always shocking, ugly, and sad when someone commits suicide, all the more when it is a celebrity who does so. They’re idolized and envied by many, but at the end of the day, even celebrities are only people struggling in a world that could be so cruel.

 

Another shocking Celebrity list is up for you, the Top Ten Most Shocking Hollywood Divorces. See who’s on the top of the list.