Celebrities Who Died Before Their 25th Birthday

Tragic Fates. The celebrities in our gallery never made it to their 25th birthday and left us far too soon. We remember them...

Anissa Jones (left) played little Buffy Davis on the U.S. series “Family Affair” starting in 1966, becoming one of the most famous child stars of her time. After the show ended in 1971, she largely withdrew from the spotlight. On August 28, 1976, she died of a drug overdose at the age of 18.

Dominique Dunne (from right) enjoyed her greatest success on the big screen in 1982 with a leading role in “Poltergeist.” Prior to that, she had appeared in the series “Hill Street Blues,” among other projects, and was considered a rising star in Hollywood. Just a few months after the film’s theatrical release, she died in November 1982 at the age of 22. She was strangled by her ex-boyfriend, John Thomas Sweeney, outside her home in West Hollywood and later died in the hospital. Her death sparked a broad public debate in the U.S. about domestic violence.

Rebecca Schaeffer rose to fame through the sitcom “My Sister Sam,” which aired on American television from 1986 to 1988. The series made her one of the most sought-after young stars of her generation. In July 1989, her life came to an end at the age of just 21. She was shot and killed by an obsessive fan outside her apartment door. The case led to the introduction of new anti-stalking laws in California. To this day, her death is considered a turning point in how the safety of celebrities is addressed in the United States.

River Phoenix rose to fame in 1986 with his role in “Stand by Me” and was soon regarded as one of Hollywood’s greatest up-and-coming talents. In 1991, “My Own Private Idaho” earned him international recognition and a Golden Globe nomination. On October 31, 1993, he died of an overdose outside a nightclub in Los Angeles at the age of 23. His untimely death is still considered one of the most profound losses to American cinema in the 1990s.

Selena Quintanilla helped shape Tejano music in the early 1990s and sold millions of records with albums such as “Amor Prohibido.” Her crossover success made her one of the most influential Latin American artists of her generation. She died on March 31, 1995, at the age of 23. She was shot by the president of her fan club. Her life was later honored in films and a TV series, and her influence on Latin American pop culture continues to this day.

The Notorious B.I.G. released his debut album, "Ready to Die", in 1994 and quickly became one of the defining voices of American hip-hop. His second album, "Life After Death", was released a few weeks after his death and became one of the most successful rap albums of the 1990s. On March 9, 1997, he died in Los Angeles at the age of 24. He was shot. To this day, the case remains unsolved.

In 2000, Aaliyah scored an international hit with the song “Try Again” and established herself as one of the defining R&B voices of her generation. Shortly before her death, her self-titled third album was released, which also reached high positions on the charts. On August 25, 2001, she died at the age of 22 in a plane crash in the Bahamas.

Christina Grimmie became famous for her cover songs on YouTube and placed third on the U.S. reality singing competition “The Voice” in 2014. She then launched her own music career and toured the U.S. On June 10, 2016, her life came to an end at the age of 22 after a concert in Orlando. She was shot during a meet-and-greet.

XXXTentacion made his first chart appearances in 2017 with his debut album “17” and quickly became one of the most-streamed artists in the SoundCloud rap scene. His song “Sad!” reached number one on the U.S. Billboard charts posthumously. On June 18, 2018, he died at the age of 20 after being shot during a robbery in Florida.