Us plebeians often think of celebrities as faraway people who remain untouched by the stresses and difficulties of average life.
But there is a different way we can view the spectacular aspects of celebrity lives.
In some cases, the life stories of famous musicians, artists, and actors are overshadowed by the even more spectacular ways those lives ended.
A recent Reddit thread explored those tragic deaths.
Redditor oozingmachismo asked:
"What celebrity suffered the worst death?"
Many Redditors talked about the celebrities who struggled with painful, tragic medical difficulties throughout their lives.
When Hugeness Hurts
"Andre The Giant was pretty bad. Poor guy was in pain all his life because he just never stopped growing. That scene in Princess Bride where he catches Robin Wright? He literally couldn't do it. They had to have her in a harness or something and lower her into his arms."
"And he was still wrestling on top of everything else. He died only a few days after going home to his father's funeral."
"People always tout his drinking ability, being able to knock back over a hundred beers in a single sitting, or 4-5 bottles of wine with dinner, but he drank to numb the pain."
-- troysplay
One Thing After Another
"Daniel von Bargen who most people recognize from Seinfeld, Supertroopers, or Malcolm in the Middle. He had diabetes and had to have a limb amputated."
"Depressed, he shot himself in the temple, but survived and lived another three years. Just a really rough end for a beloved character actor."
-- konfetkak
A Terrifying Rarity
"Manute Bol, NBA player. Died of a disease (Stevens-Johnson Syndrome) where your skin slowly sloughs off your body."
"Horrifying."
Other people shared the stories of famous people who died in sudden, freak accidents. These were often lives cut shorter than they otherwise would have been, and in the most gruesome possible way.
On the Other Side of the Glass
"F1 driver Roger Williamson. Motor racing is dangerous, but most deaths are quick."
"Williamson flipped his car and it caught fire, back then none of the marshals were adequately trained or equipped in dealing with this situation."
"Fellow driver David Purley tried to save him but even with his fireproof gear couldn't get close enough. Roger burned/asphyxiated to death only feet away from multiple people who were powerless to help."
"The video is online, but it's horrific to watch."
-- Mackem101
Sacrifice
"Kirsty MacColl. She was swimming with her children and a powerboat came towards her son. She managed to push him out the way. She was not so lucky."
"What makes it worse is the man who killed her paid 1,034 pesos to get out of jail"
Unable to Escape
"Swedish jazzlegend Monica Zetterlund died when her apartment caught fire."
"She was unable to get out since she was in a wheelchair due to severe problems with scoliosis."
The Danger of Scarves
"Isadora Duncan, a famous dancer back in the early 1900s used to wear long flowing scarves and drive a convertible. In 1927 her scarf got caught in the real wheel of her car, pulling her from the car and breaking her neck."
"My grandmother always told us kids to be careful wearing scarves. We thought she was crazy."
-- thesixgun
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Others discussed the celebrities who died at the hands of another human being. These murders are, of course, well-known.
But their mentioning reminds us how shocking it was all over again.
And It Was On His Birthday
"Marvin Gaye was shot dead by his own dad." -- Ronaldo_McDonaldo81
"On April Fool's Day, no less. I remember the morning DJ announcing what happened on the drive to school and I thought it was the most tasteless April Fool's gag ever."
"Then my mom changed the station and someone else was announcing it on another station. And crying." -- NotDaveBut
A Struggle the Whole Time
"Probably the death of Judith Barsi from The Land Before Time is the worst I know. Shot in the head by her own father after being abused all her life."
"She was 10 years old."
-- Brave2512
A Famous Case
"Sharon Tate."
"Everyone else listed on here died horrible but mostly quick deaths. Tate was literally begging for her life as she was being murdered."
-- schewbacca
These deaths were tragic, whether we knew or were fans of the person or not. At the end of the day, these lives ended with pain, they ended too short, or they were ended unjustifiably.
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