Celebrities who died of fentanyl overdoses

The latest estimates from the US Centers for Disease Control found that fentanyl, the extremely powerful and relatively cheap opioid, killed more than 110,000 people in the past year. Many celebrities have also gotten caught up in the tragedies.

Known as ‘America’s little brother’ for his role in the hit sitcom ‘Eight is Enough,’ he was found dead in his LA home in January 2023. In June, the coroner said he died due to “effects of fentanyl” and ruled his death accidental.

He passed away at age 54, after decades of public struggles with drugs, alcohol, and treatment-resistant depression. The October before he died, he tweeted that he had been sober for seven years after arrests, many rehab stints, and several overdoses.

In Nov. 2023, Dex Carvey, the son of SNL alumn Dana Carvey, died of an accidental overdose. Dex was a comedian in his own right and had opened for his father's special. The LA county medical office found fentanyl, cocaine and ketamine in his system.

In his podcast 'Fly on the Wall,' Dana said two months later that he was still "on the pain train" along with millions of other people who have suffered similar losses.

Bobbie Jean Carter (right in the photo) was Nick and Aaron Carter's sister. Just like her late brother Aaron (middle) and her late sister Leslie, she had been struggling with substance abuse.

She died right before Christmas 2023 at the young age of 41. The cause of death was ruled as an accidental overdose. According to the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner, Bobbie Jean Carter died from "intoxication by the combined effects of fentanyl and methamphetamine."

The young actor Evan Ellingson, who played Horatio's son in C.S.I. The lifeless body of the young actor was found on Sunday, November 5 2023. According to California authorities, the cause of death was an accidental overdose of fentanyl.

A superstar rapper in the 1990s, he was behind the Grammy-winning song ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ and other huge bangers. In Sept. 2022, he was found unresponsive on his friend’s bathroom floor in Los Angeles. He was 59.

Coroners ruled that like the others, Coolio was caught off guard by the extremely potent drug. They ruled he died of an accidental overdose and found fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine in his system.

The 25-year-old actor known for his role as ‘Fez’ on Euphoria was found dead in his family home in July 2023, just a week after his dad died. In Sept. coroners said that they died of an accidental overdose due to the “combined effects of methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, and benzodiazepines.”

“Although my son was in deep grief about his father’s untimely death … his last day was a joyful one,” Lisa Cloud McLaughlin, his mother, said in a statement soon after her son’s death. “He spoke of his intent to help provide for his sisters at college and also help his mom emotionally and financially. He did not intend to end his life.”

The child star known for his role in the hit series NYPD Blue died at the age of 27 in Feb. 2022. While he was very famous in the early 2000s, he was struggling and homeless.

According to TMZ, he fatally overdosed on fentanyl when he was in a temporary residence while he was trying to straighten up and get his life back on track. The cause of his death wasn’t reported until Sept. 2023.

Image: @kaliraglin_ / Instagram

An "acute intoxication due to combined effects of fentanyl and cocaine," is what the New York City medical examiner said killed ‘Green Book’ actor Frank Vallelonga Jr. in April 2023. He was 60 years old.

Vallelonga Jr. was the son of the character that the Oscar-winning film ‘Green Book’ was based on. He also acted in the biopic of his dad and other projects. His body was found in front of a Bronx sheet metal factory, where someone allegedly dumped him after he died.

The actor and rapper best known for his battle against Eminem on '8 Mile' died of an accidental overdose from fentanyl, acetyl fentanyl, cocaine and ethanol in Sept. 2023, according to New Jersey Medical Examiner. His body was found decomposed on his bedroom floor, according to the sad report.

Image: 8 Mile, Universal Pictures

Sanders was just 18 years old when his friend found him unresponsive in his LA apartment. He had appeared on ‘Fear the Walking Dead,’ ‘The Rookie,’ and other shows, and in 2021, he was nominated for an Emmy for his performance in the children’s show ‘Just Add Magic: Mystery City.’

Image: tylermsanders / Instagram

His bright future turned to darkness in June 2022 due to what coroners say was an accidental fentanyl overdose. His family said he had “a bright future” and he appeared posthumously in the 2022 action thriller ‘The Price We Pay.’

Image: tylermsanders/Instagram

Best known for his role as Omar on what many say is the best TV show ever – ‘The Wire,’ Williams also acted in other shows and received Emmy nominations. But he was open about his struggles with drug addiction.

He died in Sept. 2021, and his death was ruled to be an accidental overdose of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and parafluorofentanyl. Four men were arrested for selling him the lethal product, and one 71-year-old was sentenced to 10 years in prison. 'The Wire' creator asked for leniency.

His unique brand of rap got him a Grammy nomination and made him one of the most popular musicians in the years leading up to 2018. But his star burned out quickly, and he died when he was just 26 years old.

Miller had struggled with addiction but was trying to get sober. This was one of his slip-ups, and coroners found he died of an accidental overdose involving fentanyl, cocaine, and alcohol. One of his drug dealers was sentenced to 17.5 years in prison for supplying fentanyl-laced pills.

In 2017, just after completing his 40th-anniversary tour with his band the Heartbreakers, he collapsed in his home and died in hospital. At 66, his family said he had been using pain medication to cope with several ailments including a broken hip. He had previously discussed addiction.

The medical examiner later ruled he died of complications derived from an accidental overdose. Opioids fentanyl, oxycodone, acetyl fentanyl, and despropionyl fentanyl, were found alongside sedatives temazepam and alprazolam and the antidepressant citalopram were all found in his system.

In April 2016, the singer Prince died in his home in Minnesota, just hours after he was seen walking into his doctor’s office. When police showed up to the scene of his death they found pills scattered all over his home, some in blankets and others mixed together in the same bottle.

Police said that Prince thought he was taking Vicodin to manage his pain, but was unknowingly taking counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl. "Prince had no idea he was taking a counterfeit pill that could kill him," one told reporters. But after years of investigation, they couldn’t find out who sold them.

The drugs, often made by gangs with substances from China, have been an increasingly dangerous part of the North American drug supply. Overdose deaths spiked 30% between 2019 and 2020 and rose another 15% between 2020 and 2021.

Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are involved in nearly 70% of overdose deaths, according to the latest data from the CDC. Just ten years ago, it was hardly an issue, and this is reflected in the pace of celebrity overdoses as well.

Image: National Institute on Drug Abuse