• 5 minutes ago
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.

Category

People
Transcript
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.

Recommended