Though we don't know them in real life, a celebrity death can still feel personal. From movie stars to politicians to musicians who changed the world, here are some of the celebrities we lost in 2024.
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00:00Though we don't know them in real life, a celebrity death can still feel personal. From
00:04movie stars to politicians to musicians who changed the world, here are some of the celebrities
00:10we lost in 2024.
00:13One Direction fans were devastated when news broke on October 16th that Liam Payne had
00:17died at 31. The singer fell from the balcony of his room at the Casacer Palermo Hotel in
00:23Buenos Aires. Shortly before the accident, Payne had been removed from the lobby, and
00:27the hotel manager, concerned for Payne's safety, had called the police.
00:31There was an incident where he was very frustrated and was smashing his laptop in the lobby.
00:37The manager noted that the singer had been using drugs and alcohol, saying,
00:40"...I don't know if the guest's life is in danger because he is in a room with a balcony,
00:45and we are afraid he could do something that threatens his life."
00:48Authorities arrived just minutes later. It was too late.
00:51In the wake of the news, fans of the singer congregated outside the hotel to show their
00:55respects. Auditions for Britain's Got Talent were postponed indefinitely, as a mark of
01:00respect by producer Simon Cowell, who was instrumental in Payne's career.
01:04You're 16, right?
01:05Uh-huh, 16.
01:06Right. That was extraordinary.
01:08Payne is survived by his son, Bear, whom he shared with Cheryl Cole. Though Payne and
01:12Cole made a point of keeping Bear out of the spotlight, Payne made no secret of the fact
01:17that he was close with his little boy. In fact, in one video, he talked about his son
01:21in a way that's now bittersweet.
01:23It looks like a mini-meme. As if we needed any more memes in the world.
01:30One Direction fans would beg to differ.
01:33In July, beloved fitness guru Richard Simmons passed away at the age of 76. TMZ was first
01:39to report the news, confirming that authorities were called to Simmons' home, where he was
01:43pronounced dead at the scene. His official cause of death was listed as complications
01:47of a fall and heart disease.
01:49In the 70s, Simmons rocketed to fame as everyone's favorite fitness guru. His flashy, funny character,
01:55which was so different from every other taut, humorless fitness personality at the time,
01:59found a way to make people of all ages, shapes, and sizes laugh and actually enjoy working
02:04out while sweating to the oldies. He created videos, books, and hosted classes with a mission
02:10to get ordinary people in the best possible shape. In 2014, however, Simmons stepped away
02:16the spotlight.
02:17With his sudden disappearance, rumors and conspiracy theories circulated around the
02:21internet. However, in 2016, he reassured the public that he just needed a break, telling
02:26Today,
02:27"'You know, I do what I want to do, as I've always done, so people should sort of just
02:30believe what I have to say, because, like, I'm Richard Simmons.'"
02:33"'No one should feel sorry for Richard Simmons, because I think I'm one of the most loved
02:38people in the whole world.'"
02:40Over the years, Simmons stayed away from the spotlight, occasionally posting updates about
02:44his life on social media up until his death. A Celebration of Life was held on October
02:495th, 2024, in Simmons' hometown of New Orleans. It was followed by a mass workout outside
02:55the cathedral and, in grand New Orleans tradition, a celebratory second-line parade.
03:01On July 13th, Shannon Dougherty died from breast cancer at the age of 53. The Beverly
03:06Hills 90210 star was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. Two years later, she
03:11shared the good news that she was in remission, but the cancer returned with a vengeance in
03:152019.
03:16"'I'm stage four, so my cancer came back. It's a bitter pill to swallow in a lot of
03:22ways.'"
03:23As time went on, Dougherty continued to update the public via social media about her illness,
03:27acknowledging her fears but still managing to hang on to hope that she would beat it.
03:32But it was not to be. Dougherty will forever be remembered as a strong woman and cancer
03:36warrior who starred in some massively popular TV series.
03:42Country music legend Toby Keith died on February 5th at age 62. A somber statement on his official
03:47website read,
03:48"'Toby Keith passed peacefully last night. He fought his fight with grace and courage.
03:53Please respect the privacy of his family at this time.'"
03:56Keith, famous for smash hit tracks like Red Solo Cup and Should've Been a Cowboy, had
04:00been living with stomach cancer before his death. In a June 2022 Instagram post, he reached
04:05out to his fans, writing,
04:07"'I've spent the last six months receiving chemo, radiation, and surgery. So far, so
04:12good. I need time to breathe, recover, and relax, but I will see the fans sooner than
04:16later. I can't wait.'"
04:18Keith's glittering career landed him the No. 96 spot on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Country
04:24Artists of All Time. The publication described Keith's humble upbringings as the source of
04:28his gift, writing,
04:29"'An Oklahoma native and former oil rig worker, Toby Keith has tapped into the blue-collar
04:34lifestyle with humor and sincerity.'"
04:37Over the course of his career, Keith released 19 studio albums, sold more than 40 million
04:42copies, and had 20 No. 1 hits.
04:44"'We hit it off like a house of fire. I couldn't believe how much I enjoyed talking to Toby
04:49Keith.'"
04:50When news of his death broke, the country-Western world flocked to social media to pay tribute
04:54to the late musician. Zach Bryan took to X to write,
04:57"'Too many rides in my old man's car listening to Toby Keith. Really hard thing to hear.
05:02Rest in peace, friend. We love you.'"
05:04Big & Rich's John Rich also took to X to write,
05:07"'He was a true patriot, a first-class singer-songwriter and a bigger-than-life kind of guy. He will
05:12be greatly missed.'"
05:14Acclaimed music producer Quincy Jones died of pancreatic cancer on November 4th in his
05:18Bel Air home at the age of 91. His family released a statement that read,
05:23"'Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother
05:27Quincy Jones' passing. And although this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate
05:32the great life that he lived and know there will never be another like him.'"
05:36"'Love, laugh, live, and give. That's what it's about.'"
05:40Jones was a longtime fixture in the entertainment industry, having worked with legends like
05:44Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, and Ray Charles. In a 2018 interview with Vulture,
05:49he said,
05:50"'Everything was something to be proud of, absolutely. It's been an amazing contrast
05:54of genres. Since I was very young, I've played all kinds of music. Bar Mitzvah music, Sousa
05:58marches, strip club music, jazz, pop — everything. I didn't have to learn a thing to do Michael
06:03Jackson.'"
06:04Along with his music legacy, Jones leaves behind seven children — Jolie, Rachel, Martina,
06:10Quincy III, Kadada, Rashida, and Kenya Jones.
06:14In a poignant last Instagram post, the EGOT winner gave his daughter Martina a birthday
06:18shout-out, writing,
06:20"'Happy birthday to my Tina Bina. So proud to be yo papa. Big hug. I love you eternally.'"
06:27Carl Weathers died in his sleep on February 1st. The Rocky actor was 76 years old. A statement
06:32by his family read,
06:34"'Carl was an exceptional human being who lived an extraordinary life. Through his contributions
06:38to film, television, the arts, and sports, he has left an indelible mark and is recognized
06:44worldwide and across generations.'"
06:46Weathers was a linebacker for the Oakland Raiders before turning to acting, but once
06:50he did, he never looked back. His most famous role was that of Apollo Creed, the heavyweight
06:55boxer who went head-to-head against Sylvester Stallone's Rocky Balboa in the iconic 1976
07:01flick and again in the 1979 sequel.
07:03"'The whole world's gonna see the real Apollo Creed. Lightning fast and hard to catch. No
07:08playin', no jivin', just business.'"
07:11Weathers' character became Balboa's trainer in the third and fourth installments of the
07:15Rocky franchise, but he almost didn't get the role after insulting Stallone during his
07:19audition. In a 2015 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he recalled,
07:23"'There was nobody to read with, and they said, you're going to read with the writer.
07:27We read through the scene, and at the end of it, I didn't feel like it had really sailed,
07:30so I just blurted out, I could do a lot better if you got me a real actor to work with.'"
07:34"'I said, no, he's Rocky. It was, all right, how you doing, Rocky?''
07:39Actor Donald Sutherland died at 88 years of age on June 20th, after what his agency described
07:45as a long illness. He is survived by his wife, Francine Rossette, his five children, Rogue,
07:50Rosif, Angus, Rachel, fellow actor Kiefer, and four grandchildren. After the news broke,
07:56Kiefer took to X to share a childhood photo of himself and his father, writing,
07:59"'One of the most important actors in the history of film. Never daunted, by a role,
08:04good, bad, or ugly. He loved what he did, and did what he loved, and one can never ask
08:09for more than that, a life well lived.'"
08:11Sutherland had many noteworthy film and TV credits to his name, including The Dirty Dozen,
08:17MASH, Pride and Prejudice, and The Hunger Games franchise.
08:20"'Let it fly, Miss Everdeen. Let it fly.'"
08:25He won both an Emmy and a Golden Globe Award for his role in the 1995 HBO film Citizen
08:31X, and received an Honorary Academy Award in 2017, where he was introduced by his Hunger
08:36Games co-star, Jennifer Lawrence.
08:39Broadway icon Chita Rivera died on January 30th at the age of 91. The Tony Award-winning
08:44star passed away following a short illness, according to her daughter.
08:48Rivera, born in Washington, D.C., in January 1933, led a glittering theater career that
08:54spanned nearly seven decades. She won two Tony Awards and was most famous for playing
08:58Velma in Chicago, Rose in Bye Bye Birdie, and Anita in West Side Story.
09:04She was the most powerful human being ever to step on a stage. I've never known anybody
09:10like her."
09:11Following the sad news, tributes flooded in from fans and fellow celebrities. Rita Moreno,
09:16who took over the role Rivera originated on stage for the iconic 1961 film version of
09:22West Side Story, posted on Instagram,
09:24"'She was the essence of Broadway. As I write this, I am raising a glass to this remarkable
09:29woman and friend.'"
09:30Catherine Zeta-Jones, who won an Oscar for her portrayal of Velma in the film version
09:34of Chicago, poured her heart out in an Instagram tribute, writing,
09:37"'There will never, ever be anyone like you, Chita, ever. Dim the lights on Broadway, or
09:42may I suggest we just pull the plug? I love you, Chita. Sleep tight, my queen.'"
09:47Beloved sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer died in July at 96. The 4-foot, 7-inch-tall
09:53powerhouse led an extraordinary life. Born in 1928 to a Jewish family in Germany, her
09:59parents sent her to Switzerland for her safety when she was just 10 years old. Both parents
10:04were murdered in a concentration camp.
10:07After living in several different countries, including Palestine, where she was trained
10:10as a sniper and fought in the Israeli War of Independence, Westheimer eventually landed
10:15in New York City. There, she began her life's work as a sex therapist. Ultimately, she hosted
10:20a groundbreaking call-in show focusing on relationships and human sexuality.
10:25I do believe in, let's make love instead of, let's make war. There's nothing more interesting."
10:33At a time when sex was a relatively taboo topic, Westheimer would talk about all of
10:37it. She told USC's Shoah Foundation,
10:39"...I think everyone liked my show because I was honest. I listened to people's problems
10:44and gave them practical ways to solve them."
10:46"'Course I read that Fifty Shades of Grey. Not great literature, but interesting to read."
10:53But it wasn't just her expertise that drew people in. Her personality was infectious,
10:58and her grandson wanted her to remember it, adding,
11:00"...Plus, we were funny."
11:03Dexter Scott King, the youngest son of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, died
11:07on January 22nd from prostate cancer. His wife, Leah Weber King, shared the news, announcing,
11:13"...he transitioned peacefully in his sleep at home with me in Malibu. As with all the
11:17challenges in his life, he faced this hurdle with bravery and might."
11:21Dexter was both the chairman of the King Center, an organization that promotes and protects
11:25the King family legacy, and president of the King Estate. A statement released by the center
11:30read,
11:31"...he devoted his life to the continued perpetuation of his father's legacy and the protection
11:35of the intellectual property his father left behind."
11:38"...where others preached hatred, he preached and taught the principles of love."
11:44Of course, the King family are no strangers to struggle and tragedy. During a 2018 joint
11:49interview with his siblings, Dexter spoke about learning of his father's death when
11:53he was only 7 years old, admitting,
11:55"...even to this day, when I see a breaking news flash, I have PTSD."
12:00Alec Musser, best known for his work as Del Henry on All My Children, died by suicide
12:05on January 12th at the age of 50. His fiancée, Paige Press, grieved on Instagram, posting,
12:11"...RIP to the love of my life. Alec Musser, I will never stop loving you. My heart is
12:16broken."
12:17As an actor, Musser had appeared in shows like Desperate Housewives and Rita Rocks,
12:21as well as the 2010 comedy-drama Grown Ups, in which he starred alongside Adam Sandler.
12:26Following news of Musser's death, Sandler took to Instagram with a touching tribute,
12:30writing,
12:31"...I loved this guy. Cannot believe he is gone. Such a wonderful, funny, good man. Thinking
12:36of Alec Musser and his family and sending all my love. A true great sweetheart of a
12:41person."
12:42"...Oh my God. Del Henry as I live and breathe."
12:46Beyond acting, Musser also made a name for himself as a model, working with brands like
12:51Abercrombie & Fitch, Target, and a few major magazines, including GQ and Men's Health.
12:57On March 12th, 64-year-old General Hospital star Robin Bernard was found dead in an open
13:02field in Riverside County. The cause of death was acute alcohol intoxication. She made her
13:07acting debut in the 1981 French thriller Diva before getting her big break in 1984,
13:13when she was cast as Terry Brock in General Hospital.
13:16In the six years that followed, Bernard appeared in 172 episodes of the show before exiting
13:22in 1990. In addition to The Soap, Bernard made appearances in films and series, including
13:27Simon & Simon, Kings for a Day, The Facts of Life, and Tour of Duty.
13:32Dabney Coleman, the comedic character actor who appeared in films like 9 to 5 and Tootsie,
13:37died of cardiac arrest on May 16th at age 92.
13:41Throughout his career, Coleman received six Primetime Emmy nominations, winning once for
13:45the 1987 TV movie Sworn to Silence. In more recent years, he appeared on shows like Boardwalk
13:51Empire and Yellowstone, in which he played Kevin Costner's character John Dutton's father.
13:56In addition to his Emmy nods, Coleman was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards, winning
14:00Best Actor in a Television Series, Musical, or Comedy for 1987's The Slap Maxwell Story.
14:08Coleman is survived by his four children — Megan, Kelly, Randy, and Quincy — and five grandchildren.
14:12In a statement, Quincy wrote,
14:14"...a teacher, a hero, and a king, Dabney Coleman is a gift and blessing in life and
14:19in death, as his spirit will shine through his work, his loved ones, and his legacy eternally."
14:25Comedy fans across generations grieved when comic giant Bob Newhart died on July 18th,
14:302024, at age 94. According to his publicist, he'd recently suffered a series of short illnesses.
14:37Newhart was known for his dry wit, soft-spoken delivery, and one-sided phone conversation
14:42bit that left audiences roaring with laughter.
14:45"...Pan American 715. You haven't seen United 209 up there anywhere, have you?"
14:52His career highlights include the 70s sitcom The Bob Newhart Show, in which he played psychologist
14:57Bob Hartley. In his follow-up sitcom Newhart, he played innkeeper Dick Loudon, which ended
15:03with a now-legendary callback.
15:04"...Honey, wake up. You won't believe the dream I just had. I was an innkeeper in this
15:11crazy little town in Vermont."
15:15Fans who watched the finale live will never forget the moment they realized where the
15:18story was going. The ending was as bold as Newhart himself, who was working as an accountant
15:23when he decided to pursue a career in stand-up. In 1960, he released The Button-Down Mind
15:28of Bob Newhart, a comedy album that became a smash hit and helped him get a foothold
15:33in television. Newhart's career spanned six decades and included memorable appearances
15:38in the movie Elf, The Big Bang Theory, and its spinoff Young Sheldon. When it came to
15:42playing the straight man, Newhart was the master of deadpan. He always strove to make
15:47fans laugh without relying on material that might shock or offend.
15:50"...Appreciate them, Sheldon."
15:53In a CBS Sunday Morning interview, Newhart shared,
15:55"...People come up to me and they say, thanks for all the laughter, and I say, it was my
15:59pleasure. And that's the truth."
16:02Entertainment star of the screen and stage Jenna Rollins died at age 94 on August 14th,
16:082024. Two months prior, her son, director Nick Cassavetes, told Entertainment Weekly
16:12that Rollins had been living with Alzheimer's disease for half a decade. Nick directed his
16:17mother in the popular 2004 film The Notebook, in which she played a woman suffering from
16:22dementia. Speaking about her condition, he shared,
16:25"...It's so crazy. We lived it, she acted it, and now it's on us."
16:29"...Would love be considered an art?"
16:32Less than half a century before she helped her son bring his epic romance to life, Rollins
16:35embarked on a Hollywood love story for the ages, as a muse for his father, acclaimed
16:40indie film director John Cassavetes. The couple married in 1954, after which they collaborated
16:45on 10 movies, including A Woman Under the Influence. In the 1974 drama, Rollins gives
16:51a riveting performance as a wife and mother struggling with severe mental illness. Speaking
16:56to Beverly Cinema, she said,
16:58"...It's my favorite role of all time, because it was just so well-written and it felt so
17:01real."
17:02The Academy agreed. The role earned her an Oscar nomination, and six years later, she
17:07earned another nod for playing a woman running from the mob with a kid in tow, in her husband's
17:11crime thriller, Gloria. Reflecting on the work she did with John before his 1989 death,
17:17Rollins said,
17:18"...We just wanted to write and act what people actually say and do. People who were living.
17:22John and I were really on the same wavelength."
17:25Beloved actor Teri Garr, known for her roles in Young Frankenstein and Tootsie, died on
17:29October 29th at the age of 79. According to her publicist, Garr's cause of death was complications
17:36from multiple sclerosis, with which she was diagnosed 25 years ago.
17:41Garr went public with her diagnosis in 2002, telling Larry King that she'd been experiencing
17:45symptoms for years.
17:46"...I would run, jog in the park, and I just started tripping. It was just like my toe.
17:51I would start to trip, and then that would go away. Then I would get some tingling in
17:55my arm."
17:56After several misdiagnoses, the doctors finally pinpointed her symptoms as MS. Garr told Closer,
18:01"...I went to 11 doctors. It's a very hard diagnosis."
18:05Unfortunately, after going public with her disease, Rolls was scarce. However, she channeled
18:10her energy into raising awareness for MS, sharing,
18:12"...I thought I could show what a difference a positive attitude could make."
18:16In conjunction with drugs and medical treatment, a positive attitude and a sense of humor go
18:21a long way.
18:22"...Hello. Would you like to have a roll in the hay?"
18:26One of Garr's most notable roles towards the end of her career was in Friends as the kooky
18:30mom of Lisa Kudrow's Phoebe Buffay. After learning about Garr's death, Kudrow told People
18:35magazine,
18:36"...Terry Garr was a comedic acting genius, who was and is a huge influence on me. And
18:41I know I'm not alone in that. I feel so lucky and grateful I got to work with Terry Garr."
18:48Television host Lou Dobbs died at age 78 on July 18, 2024. His death was announced
18:54on his ex-account in a post, reading,
18:56"...he was a fighter till the very end. Fighting for what mattered to him the most, God, his
19:01family, and the country."
19:03The conservative commentator began hosting the CNN series Moneyline in 1980. Initially,
19:08the show focused on business news, but later became more politically slanted and was renamed
19:13Lou Dobbs Tonight in 2003. In 2011, Dobbs moved the show to Fox Business, but kept the
19:18same title.
19:19Dobbs lost his job at Fox in 2021 after being named in a defamation suit by the voting machine
19:25company Smartmatic. He'd used his platform to promote the false claim that Smartmatic's
19:29software had been used to commit voter fraud by altering votes. Dobbs was known for pushing
19:34conspiracy theories, such as the debunked claim that former President Barack Obama wasn't
19:40The birtherism movement was also popular with Donald Trump, who was Dobbs' first guest when
19:44he joined MyPillow creator Mike Lindell's right-wing streaming network, Frank Speech,
19:49in January 2024.
19:51Days before his death, Dobbs further demonstrated his support for Trump by peddling another
19:56conspiracy theory. He tweeted that Democrats were to blame for the assassination attempt
20:00on the ex-president.
20:01Dobbs' allegiance to the MAGA cause was rewarded with a posthumous tribute from Trump on Truth
20:06Social, where he wrote, in part,
20:08"...he understood the world and what was happening better than others."
20:12Barbara Rush was an iconic figure of 1950s cinema, celebrated for her roles in dramas
20:17like Magnificent Obsession and The Young Philadelphians, as well as her appearances in the soap operas
20:23Peyton Place and All My Children. She died on March 31st at the age of 97.
20:28Her daughter, news reporter Claudia Cowan, released a statement to Fox News Digital,
20:33saying,
20:34"...my wonderful mother passed away peacefully at 5.28 this evening. It's fitting she chose
20:38to leave on Easter as it was one of her favorite holidays, and now, of course, Easter will
20:42have a deeper significance for me and my family."
20:45On Instagram, Cowan referred to her mother as, among the last of old Hollywood royalty,
20:51a nod to her fame during Hollywood's golden age.
20:53During that time, Rush was under contract with major studios such as Paramount, Universal,
20:58and 20th Century Fox, and shared the screen with some of the industry's most sought-after
21:02leading men, including Paul Newman, Dean Martin, Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, and
21:07Rock Hudson. She also worked onstage, starring in 40 Carats and Broadway's A Woman of Independent
21:13Means.
21:14All right, how do you want to handle this, pleasant or unpleasant?"
21:16Despite not winning an Oscar or an Emmy, Rush's love for her craft never faltered. In an interview
21:21with film historian Dan Miller, she explained,
21:24"...I was just realistic. I loved to work, I enjoyed being there, and I would have happily
21:28done anything they asked me to. I never refused a role."
21:32Rush is survived by Cowan, her son Christopher Hunter, and four grandchildren.
21:36On January 13th, The Honeymooner star Joyce Randolph died at home of natural causes at
21:41the age of 99. Randolph was the last surviving star of the groundbreaking CBS sitcom that
21:47premiered back in 1955. After a short-lived career, however, Randolph eventually quit
21:52showbiz, taking a step back to focus on marriage and motherhood. Speaking with The New York
21:57Times in 2007, she shared,
21:59"...I didn't miss a thing by not working all the time. I didn't want a nanny raising my
22:03wonderful son."
22:04Born in 1924, Randolph's acting career took off in the 40s, when she moved to New York
22:10to work on Broadway. A few years later, Randolph landed the role of Trixie Norton on the short-lived
22:14NBC show that is, ironically, still airing today.
22:18"...Hint to Ralph, always to face the camera. Because when he turns profile, brother, he's
22:23the biggest thing on television."
22:27In addition to The Honeymooners, Randolph also played Trixie on The Jackie Gleason Show,
22:31appearing in a total of 59 episodes between 1952 and 1957.
22:36In memoriam
22:37of Randolph.