The tragic and absurd ways in which celebrities have died

Australian television presenter Steve Irwin was nicknamed 'The Crocodile Hunter.' In 2006, at the age of 44, he was fatally stung in the heart by a stingray while diving near a coral reef for a shoot. Experts considered it a rare cause of death.

French filmstar Gaspard Ulliel, internationally known from the series 'Moon Knight' (2022), died in a bizarre skiing accident in January 2022. The 37-year-old actor collided with another skier at a crosspoint, as news outlet France Bleu reported at the time.

Rising star of Hollywood cinema and companion of Roman Polanski, Sharon Tate was brutally murdered in her villa in 1969 by Charles Manson's 'Family.' She was 26 years old and pregnant.

The sect leader didn't aim at Sharon Tate specifically. His group targeted her house because it used to belong to a music producer who had refused to record an album with Manson, Time magazine explains. Charles Manson had aspired to be a pop star but never made it into showbiz.

Former Hollywood star and Princess of Monaco Grace Kelly died at the wheel in 1982, while traveling to Paris with her daughter Stephanie. The car veered off the road and Grace Kelly was thrown out of the vehicle.

Gossip press insinuated that the young Stephanie, a rebellious teen, may have been behind the wheel when the fatal accident happened. Those stories were not based on any evidence, however.

The famous American writer Tennessee Williams died in 1983 in his hotel room in New York by choking on the cap of a nasal spray. It was later found in his larynx.

In 1987, American bassist Jaco Pastorius was beaten up by a bouncer who refused him entry into a bar. At the age of only 35, he succumbed to his injuries.

In 1991, the former Small Faces frontman set his sheets on fire while smoking in bed. Steve Marriott died in the fire.

Bruce Lee's son died accidentally during the filming of 'The Crow' in 1993. He was fatally hit in the midst of a scene by what the film staff thought to be a blank from a gun. After the scene, the actor did not get up. He died of cerebral edema.

The irony of the story is that the emergency services were not notified immediately because the crew first believed the actor was pulling a prank on them by not getting up. Another irony is that Brandon died in a similar way as his father, Bruce Lee (photo), twenty years earlier. Both fell down on set, and both had cerebral edema.

René Goscinny was the comic book author who created the famous Asterix stories. He died in 1977, at the age of 51. The artist had just had a heart attack and performed a series of tests under the supervision of his cardiologist. It was during one of these tests, riding a bike, that he had a second heart attack and died.

R&B singer Aaliyah died at the young age of 22 in a plane crash in 2001. She was on her way to film a music video in the Bahamas.

Heath Ledger died in 2008 at age 28 of poisoning. He had accidentally taken too many prescription drugs together, including painkillers, antidepressants, and anxiolytics. An accidental death caused by a toxic mix.

The Russian-American actor died in 2016 at just 27 years old. He had just gotten out of his car and forgotten to put the hand brake on it. The car kept moving. It descended the slope of the access ramp to the garage and fatally hit the actor.

In January 2020, the former Los Angeles Lakers star died at the age of 41 in a helicopter crash in California. His 13-year-old daughter was there with him and also died in the accident.