Bonnie Tyler, best known for her hits Total Eclipse of the Heart, It’s a Heartache, and Holding Out for a Hero, passed away on Wednesday (July 8) at the age of 75.
The Welsh singer, whose raspy voice dominated the charts in the ‘70s and ‘80s, “unexpectedly passed away in hospital in Portugal as a result of the illness that she was being treated for,” her family announced.
The tragic news came after the star was placed in a medically induced coma in May following an emergency intestinal surgery. The procedure was reportedly performed to treat a perforated intestine.
Last month, a spokesperson said Tyler was out of the coma but remained “very unwell” in intensive care.
"Although her condition is improving it is a slow process,” read a statement on her website. “Her doctors remain confident that she will make a good recovery but it is going to take time.”
Image credits: Aldara Zarraoa/Redferns
Her loved ones said they were “heartbroken” over the sudden loss and asked people for privacy as they “deal with this tragedy.”
The hitmaker, whose real name was Gaynor Sullivan, was due to perform at Sunshine Festival in Worcester this summer, along with several European dates.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer described her as "one of Britain's greatest recording artists,” while Rod Stewart honored the star and “good friend” by performing It's a Heartache in Gleneagles.
As fans continue to mourn the musician's loss, let's pay tribute to other talented artists whose unexpected passing stunned the world.
Trigger warning: This article includes details that may be distressing to some readers.
#1 Catherine O’Hara
O'Hara passed away on January 30, 2026, from a pulmonary embolism. She was 71.
At the time, her representatives confirmed that she lost her life “after a brief illness."
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department told People that they received a call at 4:48 a.m. on January 30 for an “approximately 70-year-old” woman who had difficulty breathing and was transported to the hospital “in serious condition.”
A pulmonary embolism is a sudden blockage in an artery in the lung, usually caused by a blood clot. Symptoms include difficulty in breathing, chest pain that increases when breathing, and coughing up blood.
Pulmonary embolisms are common. According to the Cleveland Clinic, they lead to at least 100,000 fatalities in the US per year.
In addition to the blood clot in her lungs, doctors listed rectal cancer as the underlying cause of passing. The star had been receiving treatment for the cancer since March 2025.
O'Hara starred in six seasons of the comedy series Schitt's Creek, for which she won an Emmy for Best Comedy Actress.
She was also known for starring in the Home Alone films, Beetlejuice, and mockumentaries like Best in Show.
© Photo: Getty/Jemal Countess
#2 Bill Paxton
The Twister actor lost his life after a planned heart surgery on February 25, 2017. He was 61.
On February 14, Paxton underwent surgery with the intention of replacing a heart valve and correcting an aortic aneurysm, a bulge that occurs in the wall of the body's main artery, the aorta.
However, complications arose following the operation, and he passed away from a stroke eleven days later.
Shortly after the tragedy, the actor’s family filed a lawsuit against his surgeon, Dr. Ali Khoynezhad, and the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for allegedly giving him "negligent diagnosis, management, and treatment."
Paxton’s family eventually settled the lawsuit with the hospital and surgeon in 2022, one month before they were set to go to trial.
While the open-heart surgery can be lifesaving, it also carries risks, including damage to the blood vessels and blood clots that cause strokes and infection, per Stanford Medicine.
Paxton needed the surgery because he had a damaged aortic heart valve as a result of contracting rheumatic fever as a child.
"I spent a good part of 7th grade in bed,” he said in an interview weeks before his passing. "I’d had a sore throat at Christmas. It had kind of gotten into my wrist, but it usually damages your heart valves.”
In addition to Twister, Paxton was known for Apollo 13, The Terminator, Aliens, and Titanic.
On TV, he played Bill Henrickson in the HBO drama Big Love, which earned him three Golden Globe nominations.
© Photo: Getty/Christopher Polk
#3 Cameron Boyce
The Disney Channel actor’s family announced that he passed away in his sleep on July 6, 2019, "due to a seizure which was a result of an ongoing medical condition for which he was being treated, and that condition was epilepsy.” He was 20.
Days later, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner confirmed that his cause of passing was an epileptic seizure.
"We are still trying to navigate our way through this extremely heart-wrenching time, and continue to ask for privacy so that the family, and all who knew and loved him can grieve his loss and make arrangements for his funeral—which in and of itself, is agonizing,” Boyce’s family stated.
Authorities were called to the actor's North Hollywood home after he was found unresponsive. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Boyce made his acting debut in the horror film Mirrors at just 9 years old. Two years later, he appeared in the Adam Sandler film Grown Ups as one of Sandler's children.
He was best known for his roles in the Disney franchise Descendants and the TV show Jessie.
In the days following the tragedy, many of his Descendants co-stars paid tribute on social media.
"Cameron was one of my favorite people alive in the world, though I know that's not unique to me. Cameron was magic, an earth angel," said actress Dove Cameron.
"He was an incredibly talented performer, a remarkably caring and thoughtful person and, above all else, he was a loving and dedicated son, brother, grandson and friend,” a Disney spokesperson stated.
© Photo: Getty/Kevin Mazur
#4 Joan Rivers
The comic legend passed away on September 4, 2014, after a minor throat procedure to evaluate her “voice changes,” according to the New York City medical examiner. She was 81.
During the procedure, she was sedated with propofol before she suffered from low blood oxygen.
Rivers was resuscitated and put on life support but lost her life in Mount Sinai Hospital, never having awakened from her medically induced coma.
The medical examiner’s office listed her cause of passing as brain damage caused by a lack of oxygen.
"We continue to be saddened by our tragic loss and grateful for the enormous outpouring of love and support from around the world,” stated her daughter, Melissa Rivers.
"My mother’s greatest joy in life was to make people laugh. Although that is difficult to do right now, I know her final wish would be that we return to laughing soon."
After investigating the case, federal officials found that the clinic had made a number of errors before and during the procedure, including failing to respond to Rivers's deteriorating vital signs and possibly administering an incorrect anesthetic dosage.
On January 26, Melissa filed a malpractice lawsuit against the clinic and the doctors who operated on her mother. The lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed sum in May, with the doctors accepting responsibility for Rivers’ passing.
Rivers was the first woman to host a late night network television talk show in the United States. She was also known for her red carpet celebrity interviews and shows like Fashion Police, How'd You Get So Rich? and Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best?
© Photo: Getty/Ben Hider
#5 Bob Saget
Saget suddenly passed away in his hotel room at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes in Florida on January 9, 2022. He was 65.
“We are devastated to confirm that our beloved Bob passed away today,” Saget’s wife Kelly Rizzo and his family stated.
“He was everything to us and we want you to know how much he loved his fans, performing live and bringing people from all walks of life together with laughter.”
The star, who was in the midst of his I Don't Do Negative comedy tour, reportedly lost his life from blunt head trauma sustained from an accidental fall in his hotel room.
His family stated that Saget “hit the back of his head on something, thought nothing of it and went to sleep” and that he had not taken any substances before the tragedy.
An autopsy found that the comedian had fractures to the back of his head and around his eyes, leading doctors to believe he had likely fallen backward.
The autopsy also noted that “nothing was located” in his hotel room that “allows for a definitive conclusion” to be made on how the accident happened.
According to the report, “most of the suite was carpeted” and “the headboard of the bed was lightly padded and set slightly out from the wall,” per People.
It is believed that Saget lost consciousness in the bathroom and fell backward onto the marble floor. He then supposedly regained consciousness and stumbled into bed, where he lost his life around 4 a.m.
The autopsy revealed that the star had cardiomegaly (an enlarged heart), coronary artery atherosclerosis (damage or disease in the heart's major blood vessels) and aortic atherosclerosis (plaque build-up inside the wall of the aorta).
© Photo: Getty/Phillip Faraone
#6 John Ritter
Ritter lost his life on September 11, 2003, after receiving a misdiagnosis of his heart condition. He was 54.
The actor began suffering from chest pains and vomiting while on the set of 8 Simple Rules and was rushed to the hospital.
He passed away from an undetected aortic dissection, a tear in the body’s main artery, the aorta.
At the hospital, the complication had been misdiagnosed as a heart attack.
“John didn’t have a chance,” said the late actor’s wife, Amy Yasbeck. “He was never given that chance.”
She and her family filed lawsuits against two doctors: the one who treated Ritter the night he lost his life and the one who interpreted the results of a body scan he received in 2001.
According to the Mayo Clinic, aortic dissection is a "life-threatening condition that requires immediate recognition," and 40% of patients lose their lives “immediately from complete rupture and bleeding out from the aorta."
Symptoms include severe, sharp pain in the chest or upper back, shortness of breath, fainting or dizziness, low blood pressure, muffled heart sounds, rapid, weak pulse, heavy sweating, loss of vision, and stroke symptoms, such as trouble talking and weakness on one side of your body.
Risk factors include high blood pressure, having an aneurysm, a buildup of artery plaque, being 60 and older, and certain medical conditions, such as Marfan syndrome.
Aortic dissection is typically treated with surgery or medication.
Following Ritter's passing, Yasbek founded the John Ritter Foundation to help raise awareness about aortic dissection.
The actor was known for 8 Simple Rules, Three's Company, and Problem Child.
© Photo: Getty/Jean-Paul Aussenard
#7 Carrie Fisher
The beloved Star Wars actress passed away on December 27, 2016, from sleep apnea and "other factors,” the Los Angeles County coroner stated. She was 60.
The actress, best known for playing Princess Leia in the space franchise, was believed to have suffered a heart attack.
However, the coroner said the exact cause could not be determined, but sleep apnea and the buildup of fatty tissue on the walls of arteries were among the contributing factors.
A report from June 2017 stated that Fisher had c*caine in her system, as well as traces of other hard substances. The report also noted that it was unclear when the actress had taken the substances and whether they contributed to her passing.
In a statement released to People, Fisher's daughter Billie Lourd said, "My mom battled dr*g add*ction and mental illness her entire life. She ultimately d*ed of it.
"She was purposefully open in all of her work about the social stigmas surrounding these diseases."
Fisher began feeling unwell during a flight from London to Los Angeles. A passenger who was sitting next to her said she experienced difficulty breathing fifteen minutes before the plane landed.
Another passenger performed CPR on the actress. The United Airlines crew reported a passenger unresponsive prior to landing.
Fisher was rushed to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, where she was placed on a ventilator and lost her life after being in intensive care for four days.
Her mother, Debbie Reynolds, had a stroke the day after Fisher's passing. She was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where she lost her life hours later.
© Photo: Getty/Lester Cohen
#8 Tyler Christopher
The General Hospital star passed away on October 31, 2023, from positional asphyxia due to alc*hol intoxication. He was 50.
The medical examiner stated that Christopher accidentally suffocated as a result of the position he was in while he was intoxicated.
Coronary artery atherosclerosis, a condition where plaque can build up in the arteries, has also been listed as a contributing factor.
“Tyler was an advocate for better mental health and substance use treatment who openly spoke about his struggles with bipolar depression and alc*hol,” said his former co-star Maurice Benard in a post announcing the tragedy.
“Tyler was a truly talented individual that lit up the screen in every scene he performed and relished bringing joy to his loyal fans through his acting.”
In the years before his passing, Christopher was arrested several times for public intoxication. He had also been placed under the guardianship of his sister, an arrangement he opposed, claiming he was being “taken advantage of.”
The actor also revealed he “flatlined” three times after substance-related incidents.
“Three times I have flatlined, and they brought me back. Twice from p*is*ning, once from withdrawal,” he said on the State of Mind podcast.
Christopher starred in Days of Our Lives as the son of Stefano DiMera and Vivian Alamain. He also played Nikolas Cassadine and Connor Bishop on General Hospital.
© Photo: Getty/Jesse Grant
#9 Daveigh Chase
The actress who voiced Lilo in the Disney film Lilo & Stitch passed away from complications from AIDS in a hospital on June 16, 2026. She was 35.
Her father, John David Schwallier, told the New York Times that she was homeless and living in Los Angeles with her boyfriend before the tragedy.
In addition to AIDS, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner listed "chronic polysubstance use" under "other significant conditions" that contributed to her passing.
Chase’s boyfriend, Roy Hernández, initially told TMZ that she had contracted meningitis and sepsis, a serious reaction to an infection.
Hernández wrote in a GoFundMe page prior to the tragedy, “After a difficult childhood and a painful falling out with her family, Daveigh was bullied and struggled to find safety and happiness in downtown LA.
“When we met, I promised to protect her and give her the love and comfort she deserved.”
Chase landed her first TV role in Hollywood at age seven in the Melissa Joan Hart sitcom Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
In 2001, she played Samantha Darko in the psychological thriller film Donnie Darko. The following year, she starred as the long-haired ghost Samara Morgan in the horror film The Ring.
Also in 2002, she voiced the adorable Hawaiian girl Lilo in the animated film Lilo & Stitch, a role that earned her an Annie Award for Best Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production.
As an adult, she starred in the HBO drama series Big Love and independent films such as Yellow and Jack Goes Home.
After her success in the early 2000s, she had a number of run-ins with the law, including being charged with possession of illicit substances and riding in a stolen car. She ultimately stepped away from the entertainment industry in 2015.
© Photo: Getty/Michael Tran
#10 Michelle Trachtenberg
The Buffy the Vampire Slayer star was found unresponsive at her NYC apartment by her mother on February 26, 2025. Emergency medical services pronounced her deceased at the scene. She was 39.
The Office of Chief Medical Examiner of the City of New York declared that Trachtenberg lost her life from complications of diabetes, which can be a side effect of liver transplantation.
Trachtenberg had undergone a liver transplant in 2024.
The condition, known as post-liver transplantation diabetes mellitus (PLTDM), develops in up to 30% of liver transplant recipients and is associated with an increased risk of mortality.
Symptoms include increased thirst, frequent urination, fatigue, blurred vision, unexplained weight loss (in some cases), and recurrent infections.
In January 2024, Trachtenberg responded to Instagram commenters who said she looked unwell after she shared a selfie, writing, “Fun fact. This is my face. I am happy and healthy. Check yourself haters.”
In the following months, Trachtenberg was "really, really down emotionally" and had "told friends she was struggling,” per People.
"She was really, really sick and open with those in her circle about how much she was struggling," an insider said. "She was “pale, gaunt, very thin, and dealing with health issues."
The star was best known for playing Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl and Dawn Summers in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She also starred in the Disney film Ice Princess alongside Kim Cattrall.
Her earliest TV roles were in Nickelodeon's The Adventures of Pete & Pete and the soap opera All My Children.
Sharing a photo of them from Gossip Girl, Blake Lively wrote, “She was electricity. You knew when she entered a room because the vibration changed. Everything she did, she did 200%."
© Photo: Getty/Mirek Towski
#11 Michael Madsen
Madsen, a frequent collaborator of Quentin Tarantino who starred in many of his films, was found unresponsive at his Malibu home on July 3, 2025. He was 67.
The Reservoir Dogs actor was later confirmed to have suffered heart failure, with heart disease and alc*holism named as contributing factors.
The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department reportedly listed his passing as resulting from natural causes.
Madsen’s managers Smith and Susan Ferris and publicist Liz Rodriguez issued a statement after the tragedy, saying, "Michael Madsen was one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors, who will be missed by many.
"In the last two years Michael Madsen has been doing some incredible work with independent film, including upcoming feature films Resurrection Road, Concessions and Cookbook for Southern Housewives, and was really looking forward to this next chapter in his life.
"Michael was also preparing to release a new book called Tears For My Father: Outlaw Thoughts and Poems, currently being edited."
Madsen was known for roles in Thelma & Louise, Free Willy, and Donnie Brasco. He also starred in Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill: Volume 2, and The Hateful Eight.
© Photo: Getty Images
#12 Kyle Busch
The pro stock car racing driver became unresponsive on May 20, 2026, while testing in Chevrolet's racing simulator in North Carolina ahead of a race and was rushed to the hospital, where he lost his life. He was 41.
A 911 call revealed that Busch was having difficulty breathing, thought he was going to pass out, and was “coughing up blood.”
Earlier that month, it was reported that Busch had been experiencing a sinus cold.
On May 10, Busch was competing at Watkins Glen International when he radioed his team asking for help after the race. “I’m gonna need a shot,” Busch said before he finished the race.
“You can kind of hear it — I’m still not great,” Busch said, motioning to his face. “The cough was pretty substantial last week.”
His illness appeared to have progressed and worsened suddenly.
After mentioning his cough in the interview, Busch won a NASCAR Truck Series race at Dover and attended the grand opening of a karting center in Durham, North Carolina.
On May 23, three days after his passing, his family revealed that the NASCAR driver had suffered from severe pneumonia that eventually progressed into sepsis, which led to a hemorrhagic shock and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC).
Pneumonia can turn into sepsis when the lung infection spreads into the bloodstream or triggers an extreme immune system reaction.
Pneumonia is one of the most common causes of sepsis. Symptoms of the latter may include fast, shallow breathing, sweating, feeling lightheaded, shivering, as well as symptoms specific to the type of infection, such as worsening cough from pneumonia.
The lung infection can be treated with antibiotics, oxygen therapy, IV fluids, and draining fluids.
It’s believed Busch, regarded as one of the most accomplished drivers in motorsports history, had bacterial pneumonia for “days to weeks” before he lost his life, per The Athletic.
© Photo: Getty/James Gilbert
#13 Luke Perry
The actor, who rose to fame in the ‘90s Fox series Beverly Hills, 90210, passed away on March 4, 2019, after suffering two massive ischemic strokes. He was 52.
Perry suffered the first stroke at his home in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, and was taken to Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center.
At the hospital, he suffered a second stroke, after which his family decided to remove him from life support.
The actor was surrounded by his children, 21-year-old Jack and 18-year-old Sophie, along with his fiancé, mother, and siblings.
“The family appreciates the outpouring of support and prayers that have been extended to Luke from around the world, and respectfully request privacy in this time of great mourning. No further details will be released at this time,” his representative stated.
In 1990, Perry became a household name for playing Dylan McKay on the smash hit drama Beverly Hills, 90210, which turned him into a teen idol.
“Luke will always be part of the Fox family. Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones during this extremely difficult time. He will be deeply missed,” said Fox Entertainment after the devastating news.
He also co-starred opposite Kristy Swanson in the 1992 movie Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Perry made a successful return to the TV drama genre with his role as Fred Andrews in the CW series Riverdale. His final performance was in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which earned him a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination.
© Photo: Getty/Ron Galella
#14 George Michael
Michael passed away at his South Oxfordshire home from dilated cardiomyopathy and fatty liver disease on December 25, 2016. He was 53.
The post mortem report for the singer-songwriter who formed the pop duo Wham! listed his passing as "natural."
His body was found by his boyfriend Fadi Fawaz, who reportedly tried to wake him up for an hour before calling paramedics.
In a 911 call, Fawaz said Michael’s body was “cold” and “blue” and that he believed his boyfriend was “gone.”
The operator inquired if the passing was “expected,” to which Fawaz responded, “No, no, no, no, no, no, I’ve been waiting for him to wake him up for like, you know, for hours and he wouldn’t wake up. I went to wake him up and he was gone, you know, he’s not there.”
In the following days, Fawaz tweeted about the tragedy, “It’s a xmas i will never forget finding your partner d*ad peacefully in bed first thing in the morning.. I will never stop missing you.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, dilated cardiomyopathy is a heart disease in which the left ventricle stretches and fails to pump blood. Heart failure can occur as the muscle becomes weaker.
Fatty liver disease is the buildup of fat in the liver, which, according to the clinic, is most commonly caused by alc*holism, obesity, and diabetes.
© Photo: Getty/Sean Gallup
#15 Brittany Murphy
The Uptown Girls and Clueless actress passed away from pneumonia at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on December 20, 2009. She was 32.
Murphy had collapsed in her home earlier that morning and been found by her mother.
Before she collapsed, she reportedly cried out, "Mommy, I can't catch my breath. Help me."
Murphy had been experiencing flu-like symptoms for some time but had downplayed them instead of seeking medical attention.
Her illness went untreated and eventually developed into pneumonia, which then-deputy medical examiner Dr. Lisa Scheinin described as "severe.”
"If she had gotten to a hospital early enough, you can detect pneumonia on the chest X-ray. It's very easy to do," the former medical examiner said in the HBO docuseries What Happened, Brittany Murphy?
"They could have possibly started treatment. But she would've had a chance."
Iron-deficiency anemia and "multiple dr*g intoxication" from prescription and over-the-counter medication were listed as contributing factors.
Coroner assistant chief Ed Winter told People that Murphy was using "herbal remedies" for her symptoms.
"The anemia in itself would have been fatal, even without the pneumonia," Dr. Scheinin shared in the docuseries. "The pneumonia was fatal, and then you're adding this to the equation. This could be the straw that breaks the camel's back."
Murphy had a hemoglobin level of 3.0, compared to the normal range of 12 to 15.5.
© Photo: Getty/Gregg DeGuire
