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Celebrity Deaths In 2020: Stars We've Lost

We have lost so many celebrities and famous figures this year — from Kobe Bryant and Ruth Bader Ginsburg to Naya Rivera and Chadwick Boseman.

More than that, 2020 has been devastated by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed millions of lives around the world as well as many of our most beloved stars.

So it is with heavy hearts that we remember the stars we lost this year in our gallery below.

Kobe and Gigi Bryant

The legendary basketball athlete passed away in a tragic helicopter crash in California on January 26 along with his daughter, Gianna. He was 41 and she was 13.

Alex Trebek

The beloved Jeopardy! host died after a years-long battle with stage four pancreatic cancer on November 8. He was 80.

Sean Connery

The actor, best known for starring as the titular character in the James Bond films, died on October 31 following a long illness. He was 90.

Eddie Van Halen

The legendary rocker and Van Halen co-founder passed away on October 6 after battling throat cancer. He was 65.

Chadwick Boseman

The Black Panther star passed away following a secret four-year battle with colon cancer on August 28. He was 43.

Regis Philbin

The beloved actor and television host died of natural causes on July 24. He was 88.

Bill Withers

The “Ain’t No Sunshine” crooner passed away from cardiovascular disease on March 30. He was 81.

Margaret Nolan

The Goldfinger actress died of cancer at her home in London on October 5. She was 76.

Olivia De Havilland

The Gone With the Wind actress died in her sleep in July. She was 104.

Naya Rivera

The Glee alum died by accidental drowning at Lake Piru after going missing for several days during a boating trip on July 8. She was 33.

Kelly Preston

The Jerry Maguire actress died after a years-long battle with breast cancer on July 12. She was 57.

Nick Cordero

The Broadway actor passed away following a months-long fight with COVID-19 on July 5. He was 41.

Charlie Daniels

The country singer-songwriter died of a hemorrhagic stroke on July 6. He was 83.

Hugh Downs

The television broadcaster died at his home in Arizona on July 1. He was 99.

Carl Reiner

The iconic actor-director died of natural causes at his home in Beverly Hills on June 29. He was 98.

Yohan

The K-pop star and TST bandmate was found dead on June 26, though his cause of death has since remained concealed. He was 28.

Ian Holm

The Lord of the Rings star passed away from Parkinson's disease on June 19. He was 88.

Bonnie Pointer

The singer and founder of the sisters’ vocal group, Pointer Sisters, passed away of cardiac arrest on June 8. She was 69.

Johnny Nash

The iconic crooner, popularly known for the 1972 hit “I Can See Clearly Now,” died at his Houston home on October 6. He was 80.

Chris Trousdale

The DreamStreet boy bander died of COVID-19 complications at a hospital in California on June 2. He was 34.

Richard Herd

The Seinfeld actor died due to complications of colon cancer on May 26. He was 87.

Fred Willard

The award-winning actor died of natural causes on May 15. He was 86.

Little Richard

The rock n’ roll icon died of unknown causes on May 9. He was 87.

Jerry Stiller

The beloved actor-comedian, and father of Ben Stiller died of natural causes on May 11. Jerry was 62.

Betty Wright

The famous singer died of endometrial cancer on May 10. She was 66.

Adam Schlesinger

The Fountains of Wayne performer passed away from COVID-19 on April 1. He was 52.

Kirk Douglas

The movie icon, who played in projects like Paths of Glory and Spartacus, died on February 5. He was 103.

James Lipton

The Inside the Actors Studio actor passed away of bladder cancer on March 2. He was 93.

Kenny Rogers

The country music icon passed away of natural causes in Georgia on March 20. He was 81.

Shirley Knight

The Sweet Bird of Youth actress died of natural causes on April 22. She was 83.

Silvio Horta

The Ugly Betty creator died of suicide on January 7. He was 45.

John Prine

The country-folk icon passed away due to complications related to COVID-19 on April 7. He was 73.

Honor Blackman

The Goldfinger actress died of natural causes on April 5. He was 94.

Alan Merrill

The “I Love Rock ’n’ Roll” songwriter died due to complications of coronavirus on March 29. He was 69.

Mark Blum

The Desperately Seeking Susan actor died of coronavirus-related complications on March 25. He was 69.

Zoe Caldwell

The four-time Tony Award winner died of Parkinson’s disease on February 16. She was 86.

Ja'net Dubois

The Good Times actress passed away — presumably of natural causes — at her home in Southern California on February 17. She was 74.

Esther Scott

The Dreamgirls actress died of a heart attack at the age of 66 on February 14.

Neil Peart

The Rush drummer died after a years-long battle with brain cancer in January. He was 67.

Max Von Sydow

The Exorcist actor was 90 years old when he died on March 8. He was 90.

Irrfan Kahn

The famous Bollywood icon died on April 29 after battling a neuroendocrine tumor. He was 53.

Andre Harrell

The iconic music executive and founder of Uptown Records died of heart failure on May 7. He was 59.

Anthony Chisholm

The Oz actor died at 77 years old on October 16. No cause of death has been given as yet.

Nikki McKibbin

The American Idol contestant, who finished third on the show’s inaugural season in 2002, died of a brain aneurysm on November 1. She was 42.

Helen Reddy

The “I Am Woman” icon passed away on September 29 after battling dementia. She was 78.

Herman Cain

The former presidential candidate died of COVID-19 complications on July 30. He was 74.

Katherine Johnson

The legendary NASA mathematician and Hidden Figures inspiration died of natural causes on February 24. She was 101.

George Floyd

The unarmed Black man died on May 25 during a fatal arrest after a white police officer named Derek Chauvin kneeled down on his neck for nearly 9 minutes. Floyd’s death sparked global unrest and fueled the ongoing movement to fight against police brutality and racial injustice. He was 46.

Breonna Taylor

Taylor was a 26-year-old Black woman who was fatally shot by cops who broke into her home in Louisville, Kentucky, on March 13. Three detectives wearing plainclothes entered her apartment to serve a “no-knock warrant,” leading cops and Taylor’s boyfriend to exchange gunfire that resulted in Taylor being shot eight times.

Pop Smoke

The up and coming rapper was fatally shot and killed in his home in an alleged home invasion on February 19. He was 20.

Chi Chi Devayne

The RuPaul's Drag Race star, who was diagnosed with scleroderma in 2018, died following a bout of pneumonia on August 20. She was 34.

Kenzo Takada

The Japanese designer passed away from coronavirus complications on October 4. He was 81.

Terry Jones

The Monty Python co-founder died on January 21 after an ongoing battle with dementia at the age of 77.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

The Supreme Court Justice died on September 18 due to complications from metastatic pancreas cancer. She was 87.

John Lewis

The congressman and civil rights legend died at age 80 after battling stage four pancreatic cancer.

Larry Kramer

The world-renowned playwright and AIDS activist died of pneumonia on May 27. He was 84.

Ashley 'Minnie' Ross

The Little Women: Atlanta star died at the age of 34 after succumbing to injuries related to a car accident on April 27.

Joe Diffie

The “Pickup Man” country star died just two days after being diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 29. He was 61.

B. Smith

The businesswoman, entrepreneur and model passed away at 70 due to early-onset Alzheimer’s disease on February 22.

Mary Higgins Clark

The Queen of Suspense and bestselling author passed away on January 31 at the age of 92.

Nick Gordon

The former boyfriend of the late Bobbi Kristina Brown died from a heroin overdose at the age of 30 on January 1.

Roy Horn

The Siegfried and Roy member died of COVID-19 on May 8. He was 75.

Huey

The "Pop, Lock & Drop It" rapper was shot and killed in his home state of Missouri on June 25. He was 31.

Cady Groves

The country singer died of ethanol abuse on May 2, according to the Davidson County Medical Examiner’s Office. She was 30.

Benjamin Keough

The son of Lisa Marie Presley, and grandchild of the late Elvis Presley, died by suicide by a self-inflicted gunshot wound on July 12. He was 27.

Photo: Getty Images/YouTube/Instagram


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