Suicide is a tangled, delicate subject, and when a famous face is involved, the narrative often spirals into speculation. From alleged depression to alleged conspiracies, the world watches, debates, and sometimes sensationalizes. Below we dive into ten bizarre celebrity suicide tales—some hoaxes, some real attempts, all strangely unforgettable.
Why These Bizarre Celebrity Stories Capture Our Attention
10 Elton John Tried To Gas Himself
Elton John’s relationship with suicide is as flamboyant as his stage persona. He once confessed to a botched 1970s attempt where he gulped a mountain of pills and then leapt into a pool. But the drama didn’t stop there. A 2007 biography alleges that back in 1969, the then‑young Elton tried to gas himself in his kitchen oven while wrestling with his sexuality. According to close friend Bernie Taupin, the scene was absurdly bizarre: Elton allegedly stuck his head in the oven, set the gas on low, left the windows wide open, and rested his head on a pillow. Bernie supposedly burst out laughing, describing the whole episode as a darkly comic mishap. While the anecdote sounds almost cartoonish, it underscores how serious personal struggles can manifest in the strangest ways.
9 Jaden Smith Death Hoax App
Jaden Smith, the son of Will Smith, never actually died—at least not in the way some malicious websites claimed. In August 2016, a slick‑looking site announced that the 18‑year‑old had taken his own life. The hoax lingered because Jaden hadn’t posted on Twitter since early July, giving the rumor a veneer of credibility. The scam went a step further: the site masqueraded as an “app,” urging visitors to grant permissions before unlocking the story. Once users complied, the “app” auto‑shared the fake news on their Facebook feeds, spreading like wildfire and even attempting to install malware on unsuspecting devices. It’s a textbook example of how clickbait can weaponize grief for profit.
8 Brad Pitt Death Hoax Virus
Brad Pitt fell victim to the same digital prank circus. A bogus Fox News article, hosted on a sketchy site, claimed the Oscar‑winner had shot himself at a firing range, supposedly driven to despair by his divorce from Angelina Jolie and a past history of depression. The story wasn’t just false—it carried a hidden virus that could hijack Facebook profiles. News outlets were quick to debunk the claim, warning readers to steer clear of the malicious link to protect both their devices and personal data.
7 Michael Jackson Trial Suicide Hoax
In the frenzy surrounding Michael Jackson’s 2005 child‑molestation trial, a crafty email circulated a link purporting to reveal the pop star’s suicide note. Clicking the link didn’t expose a heartfelt confession; instead, it unleashed a virus that gave hackers remote access to victims’ computers. Though the hoax was purely malicious, its timing fed into the swirling conspiracy theories that later surrounded Jackson’s 2009 death, where some still whisper that his passing was “just another hoax.”
6 Mel Gibson’s Suicide By Cop
Mel Gibson’s 2006 DUI—complete with an anti‑Semitic tirade at the arresting officer—still provides endless fodder for tabloid drama. Five years later, amid a bitter custody battle with Oksana Grigorieva, Gibson’s anger boiled over. Recordings from 2010 capture him hurling vitriolic abuse at police, but a close friend later claimed the outburst was a desperate ploy: Gibson allegedly wanted the officer to draw his gun, hoping for a “suicide by cop” ending. According to that friend, Gibson felt he had utterly failed as a human being after his marriage collapsed, and the rant was a covert farewell.
5 Angelina Jolie’s Hit Man
Before her high‑profile romance with Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie opened up about a dark chapter: she once considered hiring a hit man to end her life, believing it would spare her family the pain of her suicide. Jolie recalled the unsettling conversation, noting that the would‑be assassin spoke “very sweetly” and kept her contemplating the idea for a month. Eventually, circumstances shifted, and she chose survival over the contract. The revelation adds another layer to Jolie’s already complex public narrative, which includes battles with substance abuse and bouts of depression.
4 Avril Lavigne’s Double
A long‑standing hoax about Avril Lavigne’s death refuses to die. A 2011 Brazilian post claimed the pop‑punk star had taken her own life after her grandfather’s passing, and that her record label had recruited a look‑alike—Melissa Vandella—to pose as Lavigne for paparazzi. Supposed “evidence” included altered photos of Lavigne’s face and handwriting. The post even warned readers that the story was a demonstration of how conspiracy theories can appear convincing. Buzzfeed’s Brazilian team later shared the rumor as a joke, inadvertently helping it spread like wildfire.
3 Sinead O’Connor’s Online Suicide Threats
Sinead O’Connor’s social‑media history is a rollercoaster of alarming posts and fierce denials. In 2016 she allegedly told her Irish family she would jump off a Chicago bridge, only to later label the claim “bull‑shit” on Facebook, blasting the gossip as “stupid” and “malicious.” Chicago police stayed on alert just in case. This wasn’t her first brush with self‑harm: a month earlier she was reported missing for 24 hours, and in November 2015 she posted about overdosing, later receiving medical attention. The pattern of threats and retractions makes it hard to separate fact from performance.
2 The Disappearance Of Richey Edwards
Manic Street Preachers guitarist Richey Edwards vanished without a trace on February 1, 1995. That morning he withdrew over £2,000, left his passport, credit card, and Prozac at his Cardiff flat, then drove to a service station near the Severn Bridge—an infamous suicide hotspot. His car was discovered 17 days later near the bridge, but no body was ever found. Edwards had a history of anorexia, self‑harm, and alcoholism, fueling speculation that he deliberately ended his life. Yet sightings in Goa, the Canary Islands, and elsewhere have kept the mystery alive. In 2008, his family finally closed the missing‑persons case to settle financial affairs, though they stopped short of declaring him dead, leaving fans forever wondering.
1 Chester Bennington And Chris Cornell Murder Cover‑Up
The 2017 deaths of Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington and Soundgarden legend Chris Cornell still send shivers down the spine of music lovers. Cornell was found hanging on May 18, 2017; Bennington followed two months later, on July 20, 2017—coincidentally, Cornell’s birthday. The eerie timing sparked a wave of conspiracy theories alleging murder. One dubious article from YourNewsWire claimed the duo were killed because they were about to expose a pedophile network within the entertainment industry. It cited a “black book” Cornell allegedly possessed and suggested both men were silenced before completing their expose. Fact‑checkers have since debunked the piece, but the theory persists, highlighting how tragedy can breed sensational speculation.