Do Celebrity Deaths Really Come in Threes?
Have you heard of the “Celebrity Deaths Come in Threes” phenomenon? Well, it’s less about supernatural timing and more about how the human brain processes randomness and probability, or maybe it really is just that old rule our grandmothers warned us about. Either way, as we get older, whenever something like that happens, we just go, “Well, they always go in threes.” To many, It’s one of the most interesting superstitions. But is there anything to it? And if not, why does it feel so true?
In the U.S., there’s some suggestion that the belief has European and Scots-Irish roots, where a religious and cultural emphasis on the number three, including the Holy Trinity, may have shaped how people made sense of the world.
Deaths of famous people occur randomly, the same as deaths in the general population, it’s just easier to notice as these people are famous, and the way the brain ties randomness so it’s more familiar and understandable.
So, celebrities don’t really die in 3’s, but here are some examples to prove why we think they do.
JFK, C.S. Lewis & Aldous Huxley – November 22, 1963
John F. Kennedy (1917–1963): Assassinated in Dallas, Texas
C.S. Lewis (1898–1963): A British author, most famous for writing the fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia and for his Christian apologetics work Mere Christianity. He passed away at his home near Oxford, England, following a collapse from kidney failure.
Aldous Huxley (1894–1963): An English writer and philosopher. He died in Los Angeles, California, after a long battle with cancer.
The “Summer of Death” – June 2009
New York Magazine and its Daily Intel blog team claimed the trademark for the catchphrase “Summer of Death”.
Ed McMahon (1923–2009): An American announcer, game show host, comedian, actor, singer, and combat aviator. He passed away peacefully following a multitude of severe health complications in his final months.
Mary Ferrah Leni Fawcett (1947–2009): an American actress. A four-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee and six-time Golden Globe Award nominee. Ferrah passed away after a three-year battle with cancer.
Michael Jackson (1958–2009): An American singer, songwriter, and dancer. Jackson died from acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication, which caused cardiac arrest
Lisa Robin Kelly, Lee Thompson Young & Elmore Leonard – August 2013
Lisa Robin Kelly (1970–2013): Best known as Laurie Forman on That ’70s Show, Lisa passed away at age 43 in an Altadena, California rehab facility from an accidental drug overdose.
Lee Thompson Young (1984–2013): An American actor and star of Disney’s The Famous Jett Jackson and TNT’s Rizzoli & Isles.
Lee took his own life at age 29 in his Los Angeles apartment.
Elmore Leonard (1925–2013): an American novelist, short story author and screenwriter. Leonard wrote 45 novels and numerous short stories. He died at his home in the Detroit suburb of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Noll, Kasem & Gwynn – June 2014
Chuck Noll (1932–2014): Hall of Fame head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the only NFL coach to win four Super Bowl titles without ever losing. Noll died of natural causes at his home in Pennsylvania.
Casey Kasem (1932–2014): An American disc jockey, actor, and radio presenter who created and hosted several radio programs.
Kasem created the countdown program American Top 40 and was the original voice of Shaggy in Scooby-Doo.
The cause of death was sepsis from an ulcerated bedsore. Kasem had also been suffering from advanced Lewy body dementia.
Tony Gwynn (1960–2014): nicknamed “Mr. Padre”, an American professional baseball player.
Mr. Padre passed away at Pomerado Hospital in California after a battle with cancer.
Doris Roberts, Chyna & Prince – April 2016
Doris Roberts (1925–2016): or Marie Barone from the CBS sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, the American actress and comedian with seven decades of television and film.
She died in her sleep at her home in Los Angeles. According to her death certificate, she had also suffered from chronic high blood pressure for several years prior to her death.
Chyna (1969–2016): Also known as Joanie Laurer, she was an American professional wrestler, fitness model, and actress.
Chyna died from an accidental overdose, according to an autopsy report from the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner
Prince (1958–2016): Rogers Nelson was an American singer, songwriter, musician, actor, and filmmaker.
Prince died from an accidental fentanyl overdose at his place.
Ali, Grimmie & Howe – June 2016
Muhammad Ali (1942–2016): An American professional boxer and social activist. Considered one of the greatest boxers in history, Ali was the first to win the world heavyweight championship on three separate occasions, he successfully defended this title 19 times.
Ali died from septic shock following a respiratory illness and a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.
Gordie Howe (1928–2016): A Canadian professional ice hockey player, famously nicknamed “Mr. Hockey”. Howe passed away peacefully at his son’s home in Ohio
Christina Grimmie (1994–2016): an American singer and songwriter. Grimmie was famous for her YouTube cover songs, and her appearance on season six of The Voice.
Grimmie died when she was only 22 after being shot by an obsessive fan during an autograph signing in Florida.
Cohen, Russell & Ifill – November 2016
Leonard Cohen (1934–2016): A Canadian singer-songwriter, poet, and novelist known for his song “Hallelujah” and for his deep voice. He passed away in his sleep after a fall at his home in Los Angeles.
Leon Russell (1941–2016): An American musician and songwriter, his most famous songs include A Song for You, This Masquerade and Stranger in a Strange Land.
He died in his sleep at his home in Tennessee, while recovering from heart surgery.
Gwen Ifill (1955–2016): An American journalist, television newscaster, and author best known as the co-anchor of PBS NewsHour and moderator of Washington Week.
She passed away in hospice care in Washington, D.C., following a battle with cancer.
George Michael, Carrie Fisher & Debbie Reynolds – December 2016
George Michael (1963–2016): An English singer, songwriter, and record producer who started as a member of Wham! before his solo career with hits like “Faith” and “Careless Whisper.”
He died peacefully in his sleep at his home in England, from dilated cardiomyopathy with myocarditis and a fatty liver.
Carrie Fisher (1956–2016): An American actress, author, and comedian best known for playing Princess Leia in the Star Wars film franchise.
She suffered a medical emergency on a transatlantic flight and passed away four days later in a Los Angeles hospital from cardiac arrest.
Debbie Reynolds (1932–2016): An American actress, singer, and dancer who starred in classics like Singin’ in the Rain and was nominated for an Academy Award for The Unsinkable Molly Brown. She suffered a fatal stroke just one day after her daughter Carrie’s death, passing away at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Kate Spade, Anthony Bourdain & Jackson Odell – June 2018
Kate Spade (1962–2018): An American fashion designer and entrepreneur who co-founded the designer brand Kate Spade, New York.
She ended her own life in her Manhattan apartment.
Anthony Bourdain (1956–2018): A celebrity chef, author, and travel documentarian best known for his television series No Reservations and Parts Unknown. He took his own life in his hotel room while on location filming in France.
Jackson Odell (1997–2018): An American actor and singer-songwriter known for his role as Ari Caldwell on the ABC sitcom The Goldbergs and his appearances on Modern Family. He died at a sober living facility in Tarzana, California, from an accidental drug overdose.
Gene Okerlund, Bob Einstein & Daryl Dragon – January 2, 2019
Gene Okerlund (1942–2019): A professional wrestling interviewer and announcer, nicknamed “Mean Gene,” who became a staple of both WWE and WCW broadcasts.
He passed away in a Sarasota, Florida hospital after complications from a fall, combined with kidney disease.
Bob Einstein (1942–2019): An American actor, writer, and comedian who created the satirical stuntman character Super Dave Osborne and played Marty Funkhouser on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm.
He died at his home in California, shortly after being diagnosed with leukemia.
Daryl Dragon (1942–2019): An American musician and songwriter best known as “Captain” from the Grammy-winning 1970s pop duo Captain & Tennille, famous for hits like “Love Will Keep Us Together.” He died of kidney failure in Prescott, Arizona.
Buffett, Wright & Harwell – September 2023
Jimmy Buffett (1946–2023): An American singer-songwriter, author, and businessman who created the “tropical rock” genre and built a franchise centered around his hit song “Margaritaville.”
He passed away at his home in Sag Harbor, New York, after a four-year battle with Merkel cell skin cancer.
Gary Wright (1943–2023): An American musician, composer, and singer-songwriter best known for his 1970s mid-tempo synth-pop hits “Dream Weaver” and “Love Is Alive.”
He passed away at his home in California, following a long battle with Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia.
Steve Harwell (1967–2023): An American musician and co-founder of the rock band Smash Mouth and a lead vocalist for hits like “All Star” and “Walkin’ on the Sun.”
He passed away at his home in Idaho from acute liver failure.
Warner, Osbourne & Hogan – July 2025
Malcolm-Jamal Warner (1970–2025): An American actor and musician best known for his role as Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show and AJ Austin on Fox’s medical drama The Resident.
He passed away in Los Angeles after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
Ozzy Osbourne (1948–2025): An English heavy metal lead vocalist of Black Sabbath and solo artist known as the “Prince of Darkness”.
He passed away at his home in England, following health complications due to Parkinson’s disease.
Hulk Hogan (1953–2025): Born Terry Bollea, he was an American professional wrestler who became famous in the ‘80s as the face of the WWF.
He died at his home in Clearwater, Florida, from sudden cardiac arrest.
Keaton, D’Angelo & Frehley – October 2025
Diane Keaton (1946–2025): An American actress and fashion icon who won an Academy Award for her role in Annie Hall and starred in classics such as The Godfather trilogy and The First Wives Club.
She passed away at her home in California.
D’Angelo (1974–2025): Born Michael Eugene Archer, he was a Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, and a pioneer of the neo-soul movement with albums like Voodoo.
He passed away in Virginia, following complications from a severe respiratory illness.
Ace Frehley (1951–2025): An American musician best known as the co-founding lead guitarist and “Spaceman” of the rock band KISS. He passed away at his home in New Jersey following a battle with liver cancer.
Coincidence or Curse?
The rule of three isn’t a law of nature, it’s our brain trying to find a pattern and maybe a story we tell ourselves to make sense of loss, and the number three just happens to be the size story our brains like best.
But even knowing that, it’s hard not to remember what your grandma said the next time it might happen, “Well, they always go in threes.”
Related:
- Watch Dolly Parton shut down Barbara Walters with style & grace
- 9 car features from the ’90s aren’t legal today
Ask us! What questions do you have about content, strategy, pop culture, lifestyle, wellness, history or more? We may use your question in an upcoming article!
Like MediaFeed’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was syndicated by MediaFeed.co
