12 Film Stars Killed by Drug Overdoses

Drug overdoses have claimed the lives of numerous individuals, together with a few of our favourite stars.

Listed below are 12 film stars killed by overdoses.

In case you or somebody you recognize wants assist, a number of assets are beneath.

Judy Garland

One of many biggest of all film stars — and one of many key individuals in making movie what it’s — Judy Garland was born June 10, 1922 and died June 22, 1969, at 47.

The Wizard of Oz icon achieved fame very early, however at a horrible price: She mentioned that she and different younger stars have been prescribed amphetamines to maintain up their busy capturing schedules, and barbiturates to assist them sleep.

Her wrestle with drugs continued by means of her maturity and led to her dying from an unintended barbiturate overdose.

River Phoenix

River Phoenix was born on August 23, 1970 and died on October 31, 1993 at simply 23.

He was the Gen X actor in the course of his brief life, rising up on digicam and delivering iconic performances in movies from Stand By Me to Operating on Empty to Indiana Jones and the Final Campaign to My Personal Non-public Idaho.

He died of a heroin and cocaine overdose on the West Hollywood membership The Viper Room.

John Belushi

Born January 24, 1949, the Saturday Evening Stay star died on March 5, 1982 — a decade earlier than River Phoenix, and a mile up Sundown Boulevard, in the identical approach.

One of the vital beloved comedian actors of the Seventies and early ’80s, he was additionally a grim image of the results of dependancy.

The Animal Home (above) and Blues Brothers icon was 33 when he died of mixed drug intoxication on the Chateau Marmont, after he was injected him with a speedball.

Chris Farley

Chris Farley, who idolized Belushi, was born February 15, 1964 and died December 18, 1997.

One of the vital explosively humorous Saturday Evening Stay stars of the early ’90s, Farley was legendary for his dedication to characters and bits, fortunately diving by means of partitions and low tables to promote a joke.

The Tommy Boy star died of an overdose of cocaine and morphine in Chicago, the Cook dinner County Medical Examiner mentioned.

Like Belushi, he was simply 33.

Heath Ledger

The Australian actor was born born April 4, 1979 and died January 22, 2008 at solely 28.

In his brief life he proved himself one essentially the most dazzling Gen X actors, starring in hits together with 10 Issues I Hate About You, The Patriot and A Knight’s Story earlier than incomes an Oscar nomination for Finest Actor for his position in 2005’s Brokeback Mountain.

He earned a posthumous Oscar for his position as The Joker in The Darkish Knight, launched the summer time after his unintended overdose dying from drugs.

“Mr. Heath Ledger died as the results of acute intoxication by the mixed results of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine,” the New York Metropolis Medical Examiner mentioned in February 2008.

Philip Seymour Hoffman

One other of our biggest actors, Philip Seymour Hoffman, was born July 23, 1967 and died February 2, 2014 at solely 46.

He was generally known as a deeply dedicated, nuanced, and astonishingly versatile actor identified for roles together with The Gifted Mr. Ripley, Mission: Unimaginable 3, the Starvation Video games franchise, and Capote, for which he gained the Finest Actor Oscar in 2006.

He struggled with heroin dependancy early in life, and efficiently abstained from it for a few years earlier than relapsing. He died of overdose from a mixture of medication, together with heroin and cocaine, in keeping with the New York Metropolis Medical Examiner.

Brad Renfro

The star of The Shopper, Sleepers (above), Apt Pupil and Ghost World was born on July 25, 1982 and died January 15, 2008, at simply 25 years of age.

Renfro, who was from Knoxville, Tennessee, made his strategy to Hollywood after a D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Schooling) officer really useful him to a casting agent. (The officer, Dennis Bowman, told the Knoxville News Sentinel that Renfro was “road good and clever past his years.”)

The actor struggled for years with dependancy, and died from acute heroin/morphine intoxication, in keeping with the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Workplace.

Prince

Prince Rogers Nelson was born June 7, 1958 and died April 21, 2016, at 57 years of age.

The star of Purple Rain (above), Beneath the Cherry Moon and Graffiti Bridge — in addition to one of many biggest musicians to ever do it — was identified for clear residing previous to his stunning departure. “He was a Jehovah’s Witness and obsessively wholesome eater. You couldn’t drink, smoke and even curse at his Paisley events,” the New York Times famous. He died the day earlier than he was scheduled to fulfill with a California physician in an try and kick an dependancy to painkillers, according to this report.

A press launch from the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Workplace, which dealt with the investigation, concluded that he died from an unintended overdose of fentanyl.

Elvis Presley

Like Prince, Elvis Presley was such a vital determine in music historical past that it’s straightforward to overlook that he was additionally a film star. Born January 8, 1935, he died on August 16, 1977, at simply 42 years of age.

The King’s reason behind dying has all the time been in dispute — and should you learn lots of grocery store tabloids within the Eighties, you in all probability observed that even his dying itself was in dispute.

Quickly after he died, Shelby County medical expert Jerry Francisco declared that Elvis Presley died of “cardiac arrhythmia” and that medicine weren’t an element.

However in a chunk for PBS News Hour, Dr. Howard Markel argues that this looks like an try to guard Presley’s status. He notes {that a} toxicology report discovered that Elvis’ blood contained very excessive ranges of the opiates Dilaudid, Percodan, Demerol, and codeine — in addition to Quaaludes. Two pathologists additionally finally disclosed that that they had discovered proof of extreme and persistent constipation, diabetes, and glaucoma throughout their examination.

Extra on Elvis Presley

Presley was additionally “straining very arduous to have a bowel motion — a maneuver that put a large amount of stress on his coronary heart and aorta,” Markel notes. “Thus, he probably died of an enormous coronary heart assault and keeled over onto the ground. However Elvis was not affected by garden-variety constipation on the time of his dying. Certainly, his medication chest was crammed with amber-colored, white-topped vials of medicines, in doses no accountable physician would have prescribed.”

Markel provides: “Presley was a long-time abuser of opiates, which not solely kill ache but in addition trigger savage constipation.”

Edie Sedgwick

Born April 20, 1943, Sedgwick died November 16, 1971 at simply 28.

Her brief, spectacular life included changing into a famed It Lady of Manhattan nightlife as she collaborated with Andy Warhol and shortly grew to become generally known as some of the influential vogue figures of the Sixties. (Vogue cited her because the “poster woman” for a latest vogue pattern simply final yr.)

She break up off from Warhol to start an unbiased film profession that resulted in a single cult traditional: Ciao Manhattan (above), a tragic, astonishing time capsule of what might need been. It was launched after she died by what her dying certificates lists as “possible acute barbiturate intoxication” as a result of ethanol intoxication — which means she died of each barbiturates and alcohol.

Marilyn Monroe

Maybe essentially the most iconic movie star of all time, Marilyn Monroe, born Norma Jeane Mortenson on June 1, 1926, died on August 4, 1962 at simply 36 years of age.

A Los Angeles County toxicology report discovered that the reason for dying was acute barbiturate poisoning, and deputy coroner Thomas Noguchi decided her dying was a possible suicide.

Matthew Perry

Although finest identified for his decade starring as Chandler Bing on the hit sitcom Buddies, Matthew Perry was additionally a Hollywood main man identified for roles in Fools Rush In (1997, above), Three to Tango (1999), The Complete 9 Yards (2000) and extra. He additionally starred with Chris Farley in Nearly Heroes (1998).

Born August 19, 1969, he died on October 28, 2023 at simply 54.

Perry was discovered unresponsive within the pool of his Los Angeles house. His dying was brought on by an accident brought on by the “acute results of ketamine,” in keeping with Los Angeles medical officers. Drowning was listed as a contributing consider his dying.

Overdose Deaths and Habit Assist

Opioid-involved overdose deaths climbed from 21,089 in 2010 to 47,600 in 2017 and remained regular by means of 2019, in keeping with the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The variety of deaths considerably elevated in 2020, with 68,630 reported deaths and once more in 2021 with 80,411 reported overdose deaths, the NIDA studies.

Additionally from the NIDA web site: If you’re experiencing extreme signs or are at risk, please name 9-1-1, or name poison management at 1-800-222-1222. It’s also possible to go to www.poison.org.

For therapy, name the Substance Abuse and Psychological Well being Administration (SAMHSA) Nationwide Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or go to www.FindTreatment.gov to discover a certified healthcare supplier in your space.