19 Celebrity Deaths That We'll Never, Ever Get Over

    "His passing felt like losing a part of my childhood."

    Elizabeth Cotton
    by Elizabeth Cotton

    BuzzFeed Staff

    Recently, u/Consistent-Wafer4092 asked "what celebrity death was the hardest for you?" and we decided to round up some of the most upvoted answers:

    1. Steve Irwin

    Man in khaki shirt posing excitedly with an alligator
    Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

    "Sure, he messed with deadly animals. But he actually cared about them." 

    u/psilocibic_mind_69  

    "Yup. Steve was a good human who genuinely cared about the environment. He’s got two great kids who do too. Just an unimaginable reach to our generation on wildlife and conservation issues. He is a true class act."  

    u/Kitosaki

    2. Matthew Perry

    Man in black suit smiling at event
    Phillip Faraone / Getty Images for GQ

    "Friends was such a big part of my teenage years, and I enjoyed Studio 60. He was the best part of both." 

    u/myevillaugh

    "I felt like I had lost a personal friend when he died." 

    u/Footelbowarmshin

    3. Mac Miller

    Mac Miller performing on stage, wearing a hoodie and baseball cap, holding a microphone
    Jeff Kravitz / Getty Images

    u/qwerty78643

    "I was a relatively new fan, and I just couldn’t believe it. His musical trajectory was just starting to shift. There’s no doubt he’d be making incredible stuff today."  

    u/AJVenom123

    4. Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds

    Two women embracing, one in gold patterned attire and the other in a black lace dress
    Jeff Kravitz / FilmMagic / Getty Images

    u/apple_atchin 

    "They died a day apart. It was so sad."  

    u/ExxoMountain

    5. Phil Hartman

    Person in a suit with a striped tie
    Ron Galella / Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

    u/aixelsydTHEfox

    "I still remember exactly where I was when it came on the radio that he had died. What a senseless tragedy." 

    u/lemon-rind

    6. Robin Williams

    Robin Williams in a checkered jacket at an event
    Albert Chau / FilmMagic / Getty Images

    u/conditerite

    "His passing felt like losing a part of my childhood and a beacon of laughter in a sometimes dark world." 

    u/CarrotOutrageous6864

    7. Alan Rickman

    Mike Marsland / WireImage / Getty Images

    u/Think-Ad8712

    "Every few months I remember that he’s dead and I get sad." 

    u/cherrybombbb 

    8. Grant Imahara

    Gabe Ginsberg / FilmMagic / Getty Images

    u/UnlikelyBitz

    "That one hits hard. He was a big part of my teens for sure."  

    u/CoryBlk

    9. Anthony Bourdain

    Person smiling, seated in a casual pose, wearing a graphic t-shirt and blazer
    Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images

    u/Yousernaim

    "He had a really beautiful way of seeing humanity everywhere, and my takeaway from Parts Unknown especially was always that our cultural differences make us interesting, but our struggles and hearts are the same no matter where you look in the world." 

    u/LetsGoGators23

    10. Brittany Murphy

    Woman in black off-shoulder dress posing at an event
    James Devaney / WireImage / Getty Images

    u/Tiny_Entrepreneur570

    "This one sticks with me."

    u/ArseBlarster420 

    11. Chester Bennington

    Person singing passionately into a microphone on stage, with stage lights in the background
    Junko Kimura / Getty Images

    "His music and lyrics got me through a lot of hard times in mental illness." 

    u/abz_67456

    "This is the only one that’s really ever hit me hard. I never felt a connection with other celebrities."  

    u/conspiracyeinstein

    12. Chadwick Boseman

    Chadwick Boseman in a patterned suit at the Film Independent Spirit Awards
    Kevin Mazur / Getty Images

    u/AclysmicJD

    "I was just in utter shock when I heard the news. He was a true icon."  

    u/Remarkable_Board_241

    13. Betty White

    Betty White smiles in front of a wall with framed photos, wearing a floral blouse
    Bob Riha Jr / Getty Images

    "She was a kind soul, lived to make humans and animals happy, wish there were more people like her in this miserable world." 

    u/whore-for-mango

    14. Selena Quintanilla

    Woman holding a Grammy Award, wearing a sequined gown with spaghetti straps
    L. Busacca / Getty Images

    u/gmoral3s

    "I swear every time I hear her beautiful songs on the radio, I tear up, still. Such a tragic, senseless loss. I know we should all be over it, but she was a bright star and I wish she were still with us." 

    u/Catwoman1948

    15. Heath Ledger

    Man in leather jacket and wavy hair standing outside
    Bob Riha Jr / Getty Images

    u/Consistent_Cod_4991

    "Same. It’s weird but I struggle to watch his films now. He was cut down in his prime. He deserved to be happy, healthy." 

    u/garden-armadillo

    16. Princess Diana

    Princess Diana wears a white dress with red trim and a wide-brimmed hat at an event
    Bettmann / Bettmann Archive / Getty Images

    u/dahlia6767

    "I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing."  

    u/MaleficentExtent1777

    17. David Bowie

    David Bowie in a suit, pointing, with a microphone in front
    Patrick Riviere / Getty Images

    "I go to a lot of concerts and in the year after his death, every artist I went to see played one of his songs as a tribute, which I found very moving." 

    u/Slayerofdrums

    18. Naya Rivera

    Imeh Akpanudosen / Getty Images

    "Santana’s big sexuality arc happened when I was in a closeted teenager with a lot of similar feelings. I hadn’t thought about her or Glee in years but felt weirdly sad and empty when I heard about her death and ended up actually finishing the show." 

    u/redesigncherry

    19. John Candy

    Man in suit making a surprised expression with hands on cheeks
    Patti Gower / Toronto Star via Getty Images

    u/Upset-Item9756

    "I still get sad when I think about him. It felt like he was a family member. I loved that guy."  

    u/PhilosopherExpert625

    H/T to u/Consistent-Wafer4092 and AskReddit for having this discussion!

    Note: All submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.

    Do you have any more to add? Let us know in the comments below.