The official cause of death was heart failure, though no autopsy was performed. It’s been suggested that Morrison might have instead succumbed to a heroin overdose. Novelist Truman Capote, known for his 1966 true crime novel ‘In Cold Blood,’ was in and out of drug rehabilitation clinics for most of the 1970s. His cause of death at age 59 was due in part to multiple drug intoxication, although the death certificate noted liver disease as the principal contributory factor. Born in the United States but choosing to live half of her life in France, actress Jean Seberg decided to end it there with an overdose of barbiturates at age 40. Seberg had been under FBI surveillance because of her support for the Black Panther Party.
- Rich was barely 9 years old when he was cast in the part, and he grew up on screen during the show’s five years on the air.
- The original lead vocalist of the Australian band AC/DC, 33-year-old hard-drinking “Bon” Scott met a sad end, dying alone in the back of car from acute alcoholic poisoning.
Notable Black People Who Have Died From Drug Overdoses
Equally popular were his unique dance moves that created sensation and shaped future dance styles. Amongst the most successful entertainers of all time, Jackson was later accused of child molestation. Addiction has affected some of the greatest celebrities who died due to drugs entertainers of all time. It’s taken the lives of cultural icons and devastated fans across the world. However, some have overcome addiction and inspired others by proving that recovery is possible. The actress played a recovering sex addict in the indie film “Thanks for Sharing.” She said she took the role because she understood addiction and she believed it would help someone.
Celebrities Who Survived Drug Overdoses
Between 2013 and 2014 drug overdose deaths in the general public involving synthetic opioids increased even more rapidly, most likely due to “illicit fentanyl” entering the black market. The term “illicit fentanyl” refers to a non-pharmaceutical version of prescription fentanyl and is manufactured in illegal laboratories. Toxicology tests used by coroners and medical examiners are unable to distinguish between prescription and illicit fentanyl. It is often combined with heroin or sold as heroin, posing a lethal threat to the inexperienced user 17. This collection of famous people who died of overdoses, together with other prominent figures, sheds light on the complex and often heart-wrenching relationship between fame, addiction, and untimely death. Your fame and fortune can get you whatever you want, including drugs.
Treatment Process
From the 1990s, efforts to improve pain therapy did not adequately take into account opioids’ addictiveness and the lack of documented effectiveness in the treatment of chronic pain 16. Also, aggressive and sometimes misleading marketing of long-acting opioids to physicians increased prescription rates. We made a distinction between prescription and illicit opioids, although this distinction will be increasingly hard to maintain.
- However, a toxicology report revealed that he had 10 prescription medications his body when he died, including codeine at 10 times the therapeutic level.
- There he played parts in episodes of “The Commish,” “Murphy Brown,” “Baywatch,” and “Murder, She Wrote.”
- The drugs were administered to the singer by Conrad Murray, his personal physician.
We searched public databases for drug-related celebrity deaths between 1970 and 2015. They were categorized for sex, profession, age at death, year of death and substances involved. The main outcome measures are descriptive values including number of drug deaths per year and substances involved. Secondary outcome measures are analytical questions to examine whether and which factors influence age at death and year of death (e.g. type of substance use disorder). Throughout history, drug addictions have plagued the lives of so many celebrities. Actors, singers, politicians, even social media influencers have all abused drugs, which has led to the deaths of some of our favorite celebrities.
