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Suicide is undeniably a complex issue, often surrounded by moral debates. Understanding the reasons behind such actions is challenging, as motivations are rarely straightforward. Discussions about suicide frequently focus on factors like “depression,” “abuse,” or “illness” to explain causes and effects. In the case of celebrity suicides, their fame often overshadows genuine explanations, leading to sensationalized and irrational theories. Whether fueled by malice, confusion, rumors, or even conspiracy theories, the stories below explore these elements in various ways. This list includes both hoaxes and strange suicide attempts.
10. Elton John Attempted to Gas Himself
Elton John has been associated with suicide in the past. In interviews, he has described a failed attempt in the early 1970s, where he took a large number of pills and then jumped into a pool. However, this wasn’t his only attempt. A 2007 biography revealed that in 1969, Elton tried to end his life by gassing himself with an oven, struggling to come to terms with his sexuality. According to close friend Bernie Taupin, the incident was oddly humorous in its peculiarity.
According to the story, “Bernie once walked in on Elton attempting suicide when he was preparing to marry a woman named Linda Woodrow. Elton had placed his head in the oven, but Bernie found it hard to stop laughing. ‘Elton had set the gas on low with all the windows wide open. To make it even more absurd, he was resting his head on a pillow.’ While Bernie found it amusing, Elton’s suicide attempt remains a serious matter, especially for those grappling with deeply personal struggles, and its significance should not be minimized.
9. Jaden Smith Death Hoax App
Jaden Smith, the son of Will Smith, is very much alive. However, he became a victim of a growing trend of online celebrity death hoaxes, where unscrupulous entities exploit famous names for malicious purposes. In Smith’s case, a false claim circulated in August 2016, stating he had died by suicide. The rumor gained traction because Smith hadn’t tweeted since July 8, leaving the hoax unchallenged for some time.
8. Brad Pitt Death Hoax Virus
News outlets swiftly debunked the story, cautioning users to avoid falling for it to protect their devices and personal information.
7. Michael Jackson Trial Suicide Hoax
This hoax occurred earlier than the previous two, coinciding with
Once more, this was a hoax driven by malicious motives. Interestingly, it foreshadowed Jackson’s tragic death in 2009, which itself became the subject of numerous conspiracy theories, including the idea that his passing was an elaborate hoax.
6. Mel Gibson’s Suicide By Cop
Mel Gibson’s 2006 DUI is widely known, often cited as a staple of celebrity scandal. His anti-Semitic outburst during the arrest marked the beginning of a steep decline in his film career and public reputation. Years later, still dealing with the aftermath, Gibson faced another crisis as his relationship with Oksana Grigorieva fell apart, leading to a contentious custody battle over their daughter. Leaked recordings of Gibson’s angry and erratic phone calls to Grigorieva in 2010 further damaged his already fragile public image.
Amid accusations of racism, homophobia, and sexism, as well as concerns for Grigorieva’s safety, a friend of Gibson’s offered a peculiar reinterpretation of his earlier DUI incident. The friend claimed Gibson wasn’t truly anti-Semitic but had hurled racial slurs at the police officer in hopes of provoking the officer to shoot him. According to the friend, Gibson felt he had “utterly failed as a human being” due to his failed marriage and believed that night was his way of saying goodbye.
This attempted suicide claim is hard to take seriously, especially given Gibson’s history of public outbursts. However, it adds another layer of intrigue to the strange spectacle surrounding celebrity suicides.
5. Angelina Jolie’s Hit Man
While Brad Pitt has already appeared on this list due to a celebrity death hoax, Angelina Jolie’s encounter with suicidal thoughts was reportedly real. Before her relationship with Pitt, Jolie allegedly considered ending her life in an unusual way—by hiring a hit man to kill her, believing it would be less painful for her family.
Jolie shared, “This might sound crazy, but there was a time I considered hiring someone to kill me.” She described her strange interaction with the hit man, saying, “He spoke kindly to me and gave me a month to think it over. During that time, my life began to change, and I found the strength to keep going.” This isn’t the first time Jolie has opened up about her struggles during a dark period marked by drugs and depression. Whether fact or speculation, her story is undeniably compelling.
4. Avril Lavigne’s Double
A persistent hoax, which Rolling Stone describes as “refusing to die,” revolves around Avril Lavigne. This theory resurfaced in 2017, coinciding with the 15th anniversary of her hit song “Complicated.” In 2011, a Brazilian post claimed that Lavigne, at the height of her fame in 2003, took her own life following her grandfather’s passing. The twist in the hoax is the claim that her record company allegedly hired a lookalike named Melissa Vandella to impersonate Lavigne for public appearances.
According to the story, Vandella even recorded the song “Under My Skin” as Lavigne, and this deception has supposedly continued ever since. The post included supposed evidence, such as changes in Lavigne’s facial features and handwriting, to support the theory. Ironically, the Brazilian post clarified that its purpose was to demonstrate “how conspiracy theories can appear credible.” Despite this, the theory gained massive traction after a Buzzfeed writer shared it as a joke following a visit to Buzzfeed Brazil, fueling the spread of the conspiracy theory.
3. Chester Bennington And Chris Cornell Murder Cover-Up
These reactions have only strengthened the belief among some that both men were actually murdered as part of a highly elaborate cover-up. An article by YourNewsWire.com, widely dismissed as fake by fact-checking sites, claimed:
The similarities between the two deaths are striking. The close friends, who were working to expose high-profile pedophiles in the entertainment industry, died in identical circumstances—with Bennington’s death occurring on what would have been Cornell’s 53rd birthday.
According to Cornell’s close friends, he was shown a ‘black book’ containing the name of one of his professional associates. After establishing his foundation and digging deeper, Cornell was on the verge of uncovering a network of pedophiles within the entertainment industry—a risky endeavor he viewed as his ‘responsibility’.
However, his friends believe he was silenced before he could complete his mission.
The conspiracy linking Cornell and Bennington’s deaths to murder has gained traction online, despite YourNewsWire.com being widely criticized for unreliable sources and the article being debunked. This highlights the issue of unverified news and the blurred line between fact and fiction. While the exploitation of minors in the entertainment industry is a serious and real problem, stories like this detract from the personal struggles both men faced, reflecting a broader issue of older men being at higher risk for suicide.
2. The Disappearance Of Richey Edwards
This case remains one of the most puzzling mysteries, involving Manic Street Preachers guitarist Richey Edwards. By the time The Guardian reported the closure of his missing persons case in 2008, Edwards had been missing for over 13 years. On the day he vanished, more than £2,000 was withdrawn from his account. His car was discovered near the Severn Bridge in South Gloucestershire 17 days after his disappearance.
The last verified sighting of Edwards was at 7:00 AM on February 1, 1995, when he left the Embassy Hotel in London. Struggling with anorexia, self-harm, and alcoholism, he was scheduled to fly to the US that day. Instead, he reportedly drove to his Cardiff flat, leaving behind his passport, credit card, and Prozac, before heading to the service station near the bridge. After that, he was never seen again.
Suicide was considered a strong possibility, given his history of hospitalizations and the discovery of his car near a bridge, a well-known suicide hot spot. His parents appealed to the media, and the band’s manager enlisted a private investigator, but no leads emerged. Over the years, sporadic sightings have been reported in places like Goa and the Canary Islands. His family eventually resolved his financial affairs, though their lawyer clarified that this did not mean they accepted his death. The mystery of Edwards’ disappearance remains unsolved.
1. Sinead O’Connor’s Online Suicide Threats
