Last notes of famous figures who killed themselves

Kurt Cobain - Cobain, who had suffered from depression, shot himself. A long note was found, in which he addressed his childhood imaginary friend, Boddah: "...I don't have the passion anymore, and so remember, it's better to burn out than to fade away." He ended the letter with a message to his wife, Courtney Love, and daughter Frances: "Please keep going Courtney, for Frances. For her life, which will be so much happier without me."

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Robin Williams - Robin Williams was found dead by his personal assistant on August 11, 2014, in his home in California. The actor had hanged himself. Although he had not written a traditional last note, he scribbled short notes in the days prior to his death. The first one read: "I'm done with that," while the second and third one said: "Time to go" and "No more to come."

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Sid Vicious - Member of the punk rock band Sex Pistols, Sid Vicious, died of a drug overdose on February 2, 1979, less than four months after the alleged murder of his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen (left), for which he was charged.

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Sid Vicious - Vicious died of a heroine overdose. A short time after his death, his mother claimed to have found an apparent last note in his jacket. The note read: "We had a death pact, and I have to keep my half of the bargain. Please bury me next to my baby. Bury me in my leather jacket, jeans and motorcycle boots. Goodbye."

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Kate Spade - The fashion designer was found dead by her housekeeper in her apartment in Manhattan, where she hanged herself on June 5, 2018. Spade left the following note to her daughter: "Bea - I have always loved you. This is not your fault. Ask Daddy!"

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Adolf Hitler - Hitler's last note before ending his wife's and his own life was: "…I myself and my wife – in order to escape the disgrace of deposition or capitulation – choose death."

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Jonghyun - K-pop star Kim Jong-hyun, known mononymously as Jonghyun, was found unconscious in a private apartment he rented on December 18, 2017. The singer tried to kill himself by charcoal-burning, and was pronounced dead at the hospital later that day. He left a letter in which he said: "I was broken from the inside. The depression slowly chipped me away, finally devouring me. I could not beat the negativity. I hated myself."

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Freddie Prinze - The star of the show 'Chico and the Man' and father of actor Freddie Prinze Jr. fell into a deep depression after his wife filed for divorce. He shot himself on the night of January 28, 1977, after making farewell phone calls to friends and family members. The police recovered a note that read: "I must end it. There's no hope left. I'll be at peace. No one had anything to do with this. My decision totally - Freddie Prinze. P.S. I'm sorry. Forgive me. Dusty's here. He's innocent. He cared."

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Virginia Woolf -

After falling into depression, the writer took her own life by drowning herself in a river by filling her coat with stones. She left two letters, one to her husband and another one to her sister. The first one quoted: "Dearest, I feel certain that I am going mad again. I feel we can't go through another of those terrible times. And I shan't recover this time. I begin to hear voices, and I can't concentrate. So I am doing what seems the best thing to do. You have given me the greatest possible happiness."

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Tony Hancock - The English comedian killed himself by overdose on June 25, 1968. One of his notes read: "Things just seemed to go too wrong too many times."

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Peg Entwistle -

"I am afraid I’m a coward. I am sorry for everything. If I had done this a long time ago it would have saved a lot of pain. P.E." These were the last words of actress Peg Entwistle, written on paper and found by the police after she jumped from the top of the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles.

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Bob Welch -

American musician and former member of rock band Fleetwood Mac, Bob Welch shot himself in 2012. Welch had suffered from health problems and feared becoming a "burden" to his wife. He left a note that said: "I'm not going to do this to you."

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Vachel Lindsay -

The poet sank into depression and eventually ended his life by drinking a bottle of Lysol. His last written words were: "They tried to get me; I got them first!"

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George Sanders - The Academy Award-winning actor checked into a hotel on April 23, 1972, drank five bottles of barbiturate Nembutal, and died two days later of a cardiac arrest. Sanders wrote three notes prior to his death, and one of them read: "Dear World, I am leaving because I am bored. I feel I have lived long enough. I am leaving you with your worries in this sweet cesspool. Good luck."

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Justin Fashanu - Justin Fashanu, Britain's first soccer player who openly came out as gay, hung himself on May 2, 1998. His last written words were: "I hope the Jesus I love welcomes me home." The sportsman was charged with sexual assault on a 17-year-old boy in the United States, but fled to England. He also denied the allegations in his note, and said it was consensual.

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Lupe Vélez -

After dining with friends on the evening of December 13, 1944, the actress and singer took 70 Secobarbital sodium capsules and a glass of brandy. She was found dead the next day by her secretary. Vélez left a note addressed to her lover, Harald Ramond, that read: “To Harald, May God forgive you and forgive me too, but I prefer to take my life away and our baby's before I bring him with shame or killing him. – Lupe.” There was another note on the back of the letter: “How could you, Harald, fake such a great love for me and our baby when all the time, you didn't want us? I see no other way out for me, so goodbye, and good luck to you, Love Lupe.”

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George Eastman - George Eastman, the inventor of the Eastman Kodak Company, suffered from chronic pain caused by a disorder affecting his spine. Due to the pain, he also suffered from depression. After leaving a convivial meeting with his friends on March 14, 1932, he wrote a letter and shot himself. The note simply said: "To my friends, my work is done – Why wait? GE."

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John Thomas Doyle - San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge has been the scene of innumerable situations. John Thomas Doyle, a 49-year-old man who jumped from the bridge, killed himself for a very strange reason, if we believe the note he left: "Absolutely no reason except I have a toothache."

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Jerzy Kosinsky -

After suffering from multiple illnesses, serious depression, and being accused of plagiarism, the novelist took his own life on May 3, 1991. He ingested a huge amount of drugs and alcohol, wrapped his head with a plastic bag, and stepped into his full bathtub. He left a note behind that read: "I am going to put myself to sleep now for a bit longer than usual. Call it Eternity."

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Dalida - The French actress and singer, born in Egypt, died on May 3, 1987 by pill overdose. Her last note read: "La vie m'est insupportable... Pardonnez-moi" ("Life is unbearable for me... Forgive me").

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Kevin Carter - South African photojournalist, Kevin Carter, won a Pulitzer Prize in 1994 for his photograph that portrayed famine in Sudan. He killed himself by carbon monoxide poisoning on July 24, 1994, after writing the following note: "I'm really, really sorry. The pain of life overrides the joy to the point that joy does not exist. ...depressed ... without phone ... money for rent ... money for child support ... money for debts ... money!!! ... I am haunted by the vivid memories of killings & corpses & anger & pain ... of starving or wounded children, of trigger-happy madmen, often police, of killer executioners ... I have gone to join Ken if I am that lucky." He referred to his colleague, Ken Oosterbroek, who was shot and killed by peacekeepers.

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Robert E. Howard -

The writer's suicidal note read: "All fled, all done, so lift me on the pyre;
The feast is over and the lamps expire."

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Elliott Smith - The singer's death remains a mystery to this day. On the possible last note that he left, were written the following words: "I'm so sorry—love, Elliott. God forgive me."

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Leslie Cheung - Singer Leslie Cheung was one of the most popular artists in Asia and is also nicknamed the "King of Canto-pop." He killed himself by leaping from the 24th floor of the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Hong Kong Island. His final message was: "Depression! Many thanks to all my friends. Many thanks to Professor Felice Lieh-Mak (Cheung's last psychiatrist). This year has been so tough. I can't stand it anymore. Many thanks to Mr. Tong. Many thanks to my family. Many thanks to Sister Fei. In my life I have done nothing bad. Why does it have to be like this?"

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Jiah Khan - Jiah Khan was a British-American singer and actress who just debuted her career in Bollywood. Her body was found by her mother on June 3, 2013. The actress left a six-page letter that was been recovered by her sister. One quote read: "I don't know how to say this to you but I might as well now as I have nothing to lose. I've already lost everything. If you're reading this I might have already left or about to leave. I am broken inside. You may not have known this but you affected me deeply to a point where I lost myself in loving you. Yet you tortured me everyday."

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Hunter S. Thompson - Hunter Stockton Thompson, creator of gonzo journalism, shot himself. His note, titled 'Football season is over' read: "No More Games. No More Bombs. No More Walking. No More Fun. No More Swimming. 67. That is 17 years past 50. 17 more than I needed or wanted. Boring. No Fun – for anybody. 67. You are getting Greedy. Act your old age. Relax – This won't hurt."

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Pete Ham -

The leader of rock group Badfinger, Pete Ham (3rd from the left), is a member of the 27 Club. Ham took his life by hanging himself on April 24, 1975, three days prior to his 28th birthday. The rock star was hopeless over his financial situation after their manager, Stan Polley, vanished with their money and left them penniless. Ham's last note was addressed to his pregnant wife, and read: "I will not be allowed to love and trust everybody. This is better. Pete."

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Kurt Cobain -

The former front man and guitarist of the rock band Nirvana is one of the most famous members of the 27 Club. He was found dead on April 8, 1994, in his home in Seattle.

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