Celebrities slain by admirers and your everyday average folks
It's called the widowhood effect—the increase in the probability of a person dying during a relatively short period of time after their longtime spouse has died. The phenomenon has also been called the "broken heart syndrome," with men and women at equal risk of succumbing to unbearable heartache shortly after the loss of a loved one. And it's not just those in a close marital relationship that can die close together. The loss of a parent or child can also induce the widowhood effect.
Death, it seems, has no boundaries. For most of us, grief and anguish in the wake of bereavement is a private affair. Celebrities, however, often find themselves sharing their sorrow publicly and, for some, the widowhood effect is too much to bear.
Click through and remember the stars who died after losing a loved one.
Actress and singer Debbie Reynolds was one of Hollywood's most endearing stars, appearing in some of cinema's most memorable movies, including the celebrated musical 'Singing in the Rain' (1952).
Reynolds had two children, Carrie and Todd Fisher. On December 23, 2016, Carrie Fisher became ill during a flight from London to Los Angeles. After being hospitalized, she died on December 27.
Just one day later, December 28, Debbie Reynolds passed away, succumbing to a stroke with hypertension—likely brought on by the sudden death of her daughter—a contributing factor.
Vernon Presley was the father of Elvis Presley. The two were very close: Elvis' mother, Gladys, had died in 1958.
On August 16, 1977, Elvis Presley died, aged 42, at his home in Memphis from a host of medical complications compounded by recreational substance abuse.
Vernon Presley was clearly heartbroken. His appearance at the end of the posthumous 1977 CBS 'Elvis in Concert' television film thanking fans for their messages of support saw him choking back tears. Presley senior lived for another two years or so, dying on June 26, 1979.
Country music legend Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, herself a noted singer-songwriter, tied the knot on March 1, 1968.
The couple remained married for 35 years until June's death on May 15, 2003.
On September 12, 2003, less than four months after his wife's death, the "Man in Black" also passed away, aged 71.
Model and actress Anna Nicole Smith achieved notoriety in 1994 when she married 89-year-old billionaire J. Howard Marshall II, which many saw as a cynical gold-digging opportunity, allegations Smith denied. Her son Daniel (pictured with his mom) was born on January 22, 1986.
Smith's son, Daniel, effectively the stepson of J. Howard Marshall II, had occasionally appeared in his mother's E! Network reality TV show and was aiming for a career in show business. But on September 10, 2006, during a hospital visit to see his mom after she'd given birth to his half-sister, Dannielynn Birkhead, Daniel collapsed in the waiting room and later died. The cause of death was cited as an overdose of methadone.
Following Marshall's death in 1995, Smith had begun a lengthy and highly publicized legal battle over a share of his estate. Still traumatized by the death of her son, and while the case was continuing in court, Smith died on February 8, 2007 of combined illegal substance intoxication.
George H.W. Bush served as the 41st president of the United States from 1989 to 1993. Bush met his future wife Barbara in 1941 when she was 16. They married on January 6, 1945.
Barbara Bush died on April 17, 2018, thus ending 73 years of marriage to George—the second longest-married presidential couple in US history (Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter are currently the longest-married presidential couple).
The former president survived his wife by around seven months, passing away on November 30, 2018.
Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip were married on November 20, 1947 in Westminster Abbey, London.
Elizabeth and Philip were married for 75 years until his death on April 9, 2021.
The British monarch mourned the loss of her husband for 17 months before her own death on September 8, 2022.
Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor lost her 17-year-old son to suicide in January 2022. Shane had been admitted to hospital for mental health reasons but ran away and was reported missing. O'Connor made public appeals for him to come home safely, but tragically, he was found dead. O'Connor announced the loss of her second youngest child on Twitter:" My beautiful son, Nevi'im Nesta Ali Shane O'Connor, the very light of my life, decided to end his earthly struggle today and is now with God," she wrote on January 7. "May he rest in peace and may no one follow his example. My baby. I love you so much. Please be at peace."
O'Connor was open about the weight of her grief in the following year, writing on social media that she wanted to follow Shane. She was hospitalized at least once as she was considered a risk to her own life. On July 26, 2023, her family shared the news that the legendary singer had passed away.
Those familiar with the history of British politics will recognized the name James Callaghan. He served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the Labor Party from 1976 to 1980. His wife was Audrey. The couple had married on July 28, 1938.
On March 15, 2005, after nearly 66 years of marriage, Audrey Callaghan passed away, aged 89.
James Callaghan, long since retired from political life, died on 26, 2005, just 11 days after Audrey's death, and the day before his 93rd birthday.
Queen Victoria reigned over the United Kingdom from 1837 to 1901— the so-called Victorian era. She married her first cousin Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1840.
The royal couple enjoyed just 21 years together before Albert died on December 14, 1861, probably from typhoid, though retrospective analysis suggests he may well have succumbed to Crohn's disease or abdominal cancer.
Queen Victoria was devastated by her loss and while she would live another 40 years, the monarch spent the rest of her life in mourning, wearing black in perpetuity.
Sources: (Verywell Mind) (Forbes)
See also: The ways in which heartache affects you physically
Famous faces who died from a broken heart
The widowhood effect, and the famous figures who suffered from it
CELEBRITY Broken heart
It's called the widowhood effect—the increase in the probability of a person dying during a relatively short period of time after their longtime spouse has died. The phenomenon has also been called the "broken heart syndrome," with men and women at equal risk of succumbing to unbearable heartache shortly after the loss of a loved one. And it's not just those in a close marital relationship that can die close together. The loss of a parent or child can also induce the widowhood effect.
Death, it seems, has no boundaries. For most of us, grief and anguish in the wake of bereavement is a private affair. Celebrities, however, often find themselves sharing their sorrow publicly and, for some, the widowhood effect is too much to bear.
Click through and remember the stars who died after losing a loved one.