Celebrity Suicides

%28credit%3A%20AP%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3EWhile%20it%20was%20never%20officially%20proven%20he%20committed%20suicide%2C%20Smith%20died%20from%20a%20stab%20wound%20to%20the%20chest%2C%20and%20friends%20said%20he%20had%20been%20dealing%20with%20drugs%2C%20alcohol%20and%20depression%20at%20the%20time%20of%20his%20death%20in%20October%202003.%20He%20was%2034.%20

%28credit%3A%20Doug%20Pensinger%2FGetty%20Images%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3EDenver%20Broncos%20wide%20receiver%20Kenny%20McKinley%20was%20found%20dead%20in%20his%20apartment%20September%2020%2C%202010.%20The%20Broncos%20released%20a%20statement%20from%20coach%20Josh%20McDaniels%2C%20who%20described%20McKinley%E2%80%99s%20death%20as%20%E2%80%9Ca%20tragic%20loss.%E2%80%9D%20

%28credit%3A%20Kyle%20Auclair%2FGetty%20Images%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3EPro%20golfer%20Erica%20Blasberg%20reads%20the%20green%20before%20putting%20for%20eagle%20on%20the%20third%20hole%20during%20the%20third%20round%20of%20the%20LPGA%20Corning%20Classic%20at%20Corning%20Country%20Club%20on%20May%2024%2C%202008.%20Blasberg%2C%2025%2C%20was%20found%20dead%20May%209%2C%202010%20with%20a%20plastic%20bag%20over%20her%20head.%20Toxicology%20reports%20also%20said%20Blasberg%20has%20consumed%20a%20lethal%20amount%20of%20headache%2C%20cough%2C%20pain%20and%20anti-anxiety%20meds.%20

%28credit%3A%20AP%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3EDavid%20Strickland%2C%20a%20native%20of%20Long%20Island%2C%20New%20York%20who%20got%20the%20acting%20bug%20while%20he%20was%20a%20high%20school%20student%20living%20in%20Pacific%20Palisades%2C%20was%20in%20his%20third%20season%20in%201999%20playing%20Todd%2C%20the%20music%20critic%2C%20on%20the%20amiable%20sitcom%20%E2%80%9CSuddenly%20Susan.%E2%80%9D%20Moreover%2C%20that%20year%20he%20had%20a%20co-starring%20role%20in%20the%20Ben%20Affleck-Sandra%20Bullock%20movie%20%E2%80%9CForces%20of%20Nature.%E2%80%9D%20When%20most%20of%20his%20movie%20role%20hit%20the%20cutting%20room%20floor%2C%20Strickland%2C%20who%20was%20bi-polar%2C%20became%20despondent%20said%20friends.%20He%20went%20to%20Las%20Vegas%20shortly%20after%20the%20movie%20premiered%2C%20drank%20heavily%2C%20and%20hanged%20himself%20using%20hotel%20bed%20sheets.%20He%20was%20six%20months%20shy%20of%20turning%2030.%20

%28credit%3A%20AP%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3EShe%20was%20hailed%20in%20British%20Vogue%20in%202005%20as%20%E2%80%9Ca%20face%20to%20be%20excited%20about.%E2%80%9D%20Russian%20model%20Ruslana%20Korshunova%2C%20for%20reasons%20still%20unclear%20to%20her%20friends%2C%20decided%20to%20end%20her%20life%20at%20the%20age%20of%2020%20on%20June%2028%2C%202008.%20Korshunova%2C%20often%20a%20cover%20girl%20for%20European%20Vogue%2C%20was%20said%20to%20be%20on%20top%20of%20the%20world%20from%20a%20recent%20modeling%20assignment.%20She%20plunged%20to%20her%20death%20from%20the%20balcony%20of%20her%20ninth%20floor%20NYC%20apartment.%20Her%20suicide%20recalls%20that%20of%20male%20model%20Spencer%20Garbett%20who%20shot%20and%20killed%20himself%20inside%20his%20Brentwood%20home%20in%201997%20at%20the%20age%20of%2027%2C%20a%20month%20shy%20of%20his%20Christmas%20birthday.%20He%20was%20a%20six-time%20Star%20Search%20male%20spokesmodel%20contestant%2C%20sometime%20actor%2C%20International%20Male%2C%20Undergear%20model%20%28his%20pictures%20still%20run%20in%20the%20catalogs%29%2C%20Versace%20model%20and%20a%20%E2%80%9CRoad%20Warrior%E2%80%9D%20correspondent%20on%20Fox%E2%80%99s%20%E2%80%9CBreakfast%20Time.%E2%80%9D%20More%20than%20a%20decade%20later%20his%20friends%20and%20family%20still%20have%20no%20idea%20why%20he%20killed%20himself.%20

%20%28credit%3A%20AP%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3ERob%20Pilatus%2C%20left%2C%20was%20one%20half%20of%20the%20superstar%20music%20group%20Milli%20Vanilli%2C%20alongside%20bandmate%20Fab%20Morvan.%20The%20duo%20%28often%20shirtless%20and%20photographed%20their%20long%20tresses%20blowing%20in%20the%20wind%29%20released%20a%20slew%20of%20hits%20in%20the%20late%2080s%20and%20early%2090s%20%28%E2%80%9CBlame%20it%20on%20the%20Rain%E2%80%9D%20and%20%E2%80%9CGirl%20You%20Know%20It%E2%80%99s%20True%E2%80%9D%29%20and%20even%20won%20the%20Grammy%20for%20best%20new%20artists%E2%80%A6but%20scandal%20hit%20when%20it%20was%20revealed%20the%20gorgeous%20boys%20were%20just%20fronting%20and%20lip%20synching%20to%20other%20artists.%20The%20Grammy%20was%20revoked%2C%20the%20boys%20became%20a%20joke.%20Pilatus%20never%20lived%20down%20the%20scandal%20and%20had%20major%20bouts%20of%20depression%20for%20years%20following.%20He%20tried%20to%20commit%20suicide%20in%201991.%20After%20a%20failed%20comeback%2C%20Pilatus%20got%20heavily%20involved%20in%20drugs%20and%20even%20served%20time%20for%20robbery.%20In%201998%2C%20a%20then%2032-year-old%20Pilatus%20was%20found%20dead%20in%20a%20German%20hotel%20having%20overdosed%20on%20booze%20and%20pills.%20Fab%2C%20meanwhile%2C%20has%20enjoyed%20some%20success%20as%20a%20solo%20artist.

%28credit%3A%20AP%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3EBorn%20Wendy%20Orlean%20Williams%20in%20May%201949%2C%20punk%20rocker%20Wendy%20O.%20Williams%2C%20had%20a%20penchant%20for%20shocking%20her%20audience.%20While%20music%20and%20fronting%20the%20band%20the%20Plasmatics%20was%20important%20to%20the%20Grammy-nominated%20Williams%2C%20making%20a%20statement%20was%20also%20high%20on%20her%20list%20of%20priorities.%20She%20would%20think%20nothing%20of%20smashing%20expensive%20equipment%2C%20TV%E2%80%99s%2C%20cars%E2%80%A6you%20name%20it%2C%20on%20stage.%20Williams%20shot%20herself%2C%20near%20her%20house%20in%20woods%20she%20liked%20to%20stroll%2C%20one%20month%20shy%20of%20her%2049th%20birthday.%20In%20part%2C%20her%20suicide%20note%20read%3A%20%E2%80%9CI%20don%E2%80%99t%20believe%20that%20people%20should%20take%20their%20own%20lives%20without%20deep%20and%20thoughtful%20reflection%20over%20a%20considerable%20period%20of%20time.%E2%80%9D%20

%28credit%3A%20AP%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3EMembers%20of%20royalty%20rarely%20ever%20commit%20suicide%20let%20alone%20murder.%20But%20Dipendra%20of%20Nepal%20%E2%80%94%20official%20name%20Dipendra%20Bir%20Bikram%20Sha%20Dev%20who%20was%20born%20June%201971%20%E2%80%94%20was%20unlike%20most%20leaders.%20A%20few%20weeks%20short%20of%20his%2030th%20birthday%20in%20June%202001%2C%20Dipendra%20was%20said%20to%20have%20killed%20members%20of%20his%20own%20family%20during%20a%20royal%20dinner%20party%20before%20turning%20the%20gun%20on%20himself.%20The%20motive%3F%20Dipendra%20was%20allegedly%20told%20by%20his%20mother%20that%20he%20could%20not%20marry%20the%20woman%20he%20wanted.%20That%E2%80%99s%20when%20reports%20say%20he%20got%20drunk%20and%20killed%20his%20father%2C%20the%20king%2C%20as%20well%20as%20his%20mother%2C%20brother%20and%20sister.%20He%20lingered%20in%20a%20coma%20for%20three%20days%2C%20at%20which%20time%20he%20was%20briefly%20the%20king.%20He%20was%20succeeded%20upon%20death%20by%20his%20uncle.%20

%28credit%3A%20AP%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3ENajai%20Turpin%2C%2023%2C%20was%20a%20popular%20first%20season%20contestant%20on%20NBC%E2%80%99s%20%E2%80%9CThe%20Contender%E2%80%9D%20especially%20endearing%20the%20audience%20with%20his%20hard-scrabble%20story%20of%20making%20it%20from%20the%20tough%20streets%20of%20Philadelphia.%20The%20producers%2C%20among%20them%20Sly%20Stallone%20and%20Sugar%20Ray%20Leonard%2C%20were%20also%20fond%20of%20the%20future%20star%20boxer%20and%20even%20served%20as%20pall%20bearers%20at%20Turpin%E2%80%99s%20funeral.%20After%20a%20fight%20with%20his%20girlfriend%20over%20custody%20of%20their%202-year-old%20daughter%2C%20the%20boxer%20turned%20a%20gun%20on%20himself%20on%20the%20early%20morning%20of%20February%2014%20%28Valentine%E2%80%99s%20Day%29%202005.%20

%28credit%3A%20Omar%20Torres%2FAFP%2FGetty%20Images%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3EWorld%20Boxing%20Council%20%28WBC%29%20World%20Champion%20of%20the%20Lightweight%20division%20Edwin%20Valero%2C%20of%20Venezuela%2C%20celebrates%20after%20winning%20against%20interim%20champion%20Mexican%20Antonio%20DeMarco%20on%20Feb.%206%2C%202010%2C%20in%20Monterrey%2C%20Mexico.%20After%20being%20arrested%20April%2017%2C%202010%20on%20suspicion%20of%20killing%20his%20wife%20in%20Venezuela%2C%20Valero%2C%20then%2028%2C%20committed%20suicide%20in%20his%20jail%20cell%2C%20reportedly%20by%20cutting%20up%20his%20clothes%20and%20fashioning%20a%20noose%20around%20his%20neck.%20

%28credit%3A%20AP%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3EAnyone%20who%20saw%20the%20movie%20%E2%80%9CThe%20Hours%E2%80%9D%20%28another%20role%20played%20by%20Nicole%20Kidman%29%20cannot%20get%20the%20image%20of%20writer%20and%20novelist%20Virginia%20Woolf%20%28born%20in%201882%29%20taking%20her%20own%20life.%20Woolf%20packed%20her%20coat%20pocket%20with%20huge%20rocks%20and%20calmly%20strode%20into%20the%20River%20Ouse.%20Woolf%20had%20many%20nervous%20breakdowns%20in%20her%20life%20and%20her%20sadness%20was%20palpable%20in%20all%20her%20writings.%20Rather%20than%20%E2%80%9Cgoing%20mad%20again%2C%E2%80%9D%20she%20wrote%20her%20husband%20%E2%80%9CI%20cannot%20go%20through%20another%20of%20those%20terrible%20times%E2%80%A6so%20I%20am%20doing%20what%20seems%20the%20best%20thing%20to%20do.%E2%80%9D%20

%28credit%3A%20AP%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3ELondon-born%20John%20Simon%20Ritchie%2C%20better%20known%20as%20Sid%20Vicious%2C%20was%20a%20punk%20music%20superstar%20and%20one-time%20band%20member%20of%20Siouxsie%20%26amp%3B%20the%20Banshees%2C%20but%20it%20was%20as%20bass%20player%20of%20the%20Sex%20Pistols%20where%20he%20became%20a%20household%20name.%20Fame%20was%20as%20fleeting%20as%20his%20life%20was.%20Vicious%20%E2%80%94%20an%20alcohol%20abuser%20and%20drug%20addict%20%E2%80%94%20killed%20himself%20at%20the%20age%20of%2021.%20In%201978%2C%20he%20was%20arrested%20for%20the%20murder%20of%20girlfriend%20Nancy%20Spungen%20and%20Vicious%20said%20until%20the%20day%20he%20died%2C%20he%20could%20not%20remember%20killing%20her.%2010%20days%20after%20her%20murder%2C%20he%20attempted%20suicide.%20A%20year%20later%2C%20clean%20of%20heroin%2C%20he%20apparently%20overdosed%20on%20heroin%20and%20apparently%20died%20when%20his%20own%20fluids%20filled%20his%20lungs.%20

%28credit%3A%20AP%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3EThe%20band%20No%20Doubt%20was%20just%20getting%20started%20and%20about%20to%20emerge%20when%20John%20Francis%20Spence%2C%20lead%20vocalist%2C%20decided%20to%20end%20it%20all.%20The%20group%20even%20took%20its%20name%20from%20John%E2%80%99s%20favorite%20expression.%20Gwen%20Stefani%2C%20then%20doing%20background%20vocals%2C%20was%20pushed%20to%20the%20front%20of%20the%20group%20and%20the%20band%20was%20solidified%20as%20a%20pop%20sensation.%20Spence%20killed%20himself%20in%201987%2C%20at%20the%20age%20of%2018%2C%20by%20shooting%20himself%20with%20a%20gun%20at%20a%20park%20in%20Anaheim.%20The%20band%20was%20going%20to%20break-up%20but%20they%20ultimately%20decided%20John%20would%20have%20wanted%20them%20to%20stay%20together.%20The%20rest%2C%20they%20say%2C%20is%20history.%20

%28credit%3A%20AP%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3EMargaux%20Hemingway%20%28born%201954%29%20was%20the%20granddaughter%20of%20Ernest%20Hemingway%2C%20the%20acclaimed%20writer.%20Margaux%2C%20in%20her%20own%20right%2C%20became%20a%20succesful%20model%20%28a%20%241%20million%20contract%20with%20Faberge%29%20and%20later%20an%20actress.%20Her%20face%20graced%20just%20about%20every%20magazine%20known%20to%20man%2C%20but%20she%20was%20never%20comfortable%20with%20her%20celebrity.%20Failed%20marriages%2C%20and%20heavy%20drinking%2C%20wrapped%20around%20bouts%20of%20failed%20sobriety%20took%20her%20off%20the%20map%20by%20the%20mid%2090s.%20Sister%20Mariel%2C%20meanwhile%2C%20was%20soaring.%20Like%20her%20grandfather%20before%20her%20%28and%20three%20other%20Hemingways%29%2C%20Margaux%20Hemingway%20decided%20to%20take%20her%20own%20life%20and%20in%201996%2C%20she%20overdosed%20on%20pills%20and%20was%20found%20dead%20in%20her%20studio%20apartment%20in%20Santa%20Monica.%20Mariel%20always%20maintained%20the%20death%20was%20an%20accident%20%E2%80%94%20despite%20the%20fact%20that%20Margaux%E2%80%99s%20death%20and%20Ernest%E2%80%99s%20death%20occured%20on%20the%20same%20day%2C%20July%202.%20

%28credit%3A%20AP%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3ELook%20up%20%E2%80%9Csultry%E2%80%9D%20in%20the%20dictionary%20and%2C%20if%20the%20dictionary%20is%20any%20good%2C%20there%20should%20be%20a%20picture%20of%20R%26amp%3BB%20singer%20Phyllis%20Hyman%20there.%20A%20Philadelphia%20native%2C%20Hyman%20%28born%201949%29%20won%20a%20legion%20of%20fans%20with%20her%20deep%2C%20sexy%20voice%20and%20jazzy%20stylings%20in%20the%20late%2070s.%20By%20the%2080%E2%80%B2s%2C%20the%206%E2%80%992%E2%80%B3%20former%20model%20took%20her%20soul%20to%20Broadway%20and%20starred%20in%20the%20musical%20%E2%80%9CSophisticated%20Ladies%E2%80%9D%2C%20garnering%20a%20Tony%20nomination.%20She%20got%20into%20a%20contractual%20battle%20with%20Arista%20records%20in%20the%20mid%2080s%20which%20put%20her%20career%20on%20a%20down%20turn.%20By%20the%20early%2090s%2C%20she%20was%20dealing%20with%20alcohol%20abuse%2C%20weight%20gain%2C%20depression%20over%20the%20deaths%20of%20her%20mother%20and%20grandmother%20within%20one%20month%20of%20each%20other.%20In%201995%2C%20she%20took%20an%20overdose%20of%20sleeping%20pills%20leaving%20her%20fans%20to%20mourn%20an%20artist%20still%20at%20the%20apex.%20

%28credit%3A%20AP%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3EEd%20Flanders%2C%20a%20%E2%80%9CSt.%20Elsewhere%E2%80%9D%20star%2C%20played%20the%20smart%20and%20kind-hearted%20Dr.%20Westphall%20on%20the%20acclaimed%20NBC%20dramedy.%20And%20Flanders%20%28born%20in%201934%29%20was%20one%20of%20the%20show%E2%80%99s%20most%20decorated%20actors%3A%20an%20Emmy%20for%20%E2%80%9CSt.%20Elsewhere%E2%80%9D%2C%20a%20Tony%20for%20Broadway%E2%80%99s%20%E2%80%9CA%20Moon%20For%20the%20Misbegotten%E2%80%9D%20and%20another%20Emmy%20for%20the%20TV%20version%20of%20the%20play%2C%20and%20another%20Emmy%20for%20playing%20president%20Harry%20S.%20Truman.%20His%20family%20said%20he%20was%20suffering%20from%20depression%20for%20years.%20He%20ended%20his%20life%20on%20February%2022%2C%201995%20in%20Denny%2C%20California.%20

%28credit%3A%20AP%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3EMore%20than%20ten%20years%20after%20his%20death%2C%20his%20fans%20still%20don%E2%80%99t%20believe%20INXS%20lead%20singer%20Michael%20Hutchence%20killed%20himself.%20Hutchence%20was%20found%20dead%20in%20his%20Doule%20Bay%2C%20Sydney%20Ritz-Carlton%20hotel%20room%20on%20November%2022%2C%201997.%20There%20was%20no%20suicide%20note%2C%20and%20Hutchence%20was%20naked%2C%20save%20for%20a%20belt%20around%20his%20neck.%20His%20friends%2C%20family%20and%20fans%20prefer%20to%20believe%20Hutchence%20died%2C%20accidentally%2C%20while%20perfoming%20auto-erotic%20asphyxiation%20%E2%80%94%20or%20stangling%20yourself%20to%20the%20point%20of%20unconciousness%20during%20a%20self-performed%20sex%20act.%20%28Do%20not%20try%20this%20at%20home.%29%20

%28credit%3A%20Scott%20Gries%2FGetty%20Images%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3EBrooklyn-born%20Richard%20John%20Colangelo%20became%20popular%20as%20stand-up%20Richard%20Jeni.%20In%202004%2C%20Comedy%20Central%2C%20in%20fact%2C%20ranked%20him%20%2357%20in%20the%20100%20Best%20Stand-Ups%20Of%20All-Time.%20Three%20years%20later%2C%20battling%20depression%2C%20Jeni%20shot%20himself%20in%20his%20West%20Hollywood%20apartment.%20Jeni%20was%20just%20one%20month%20shy%20of%20his%2050th%20birthday.%20Imdb.com%20quotes%20one%20of%20the%20comic%E2%80%99s%20best%20lines%3A%20%E2%80%9CMy%20mother%20never%20saw%20the%20irony%20in%20calling%20me%20a%20son%20of%20a%20bitch.%E2%80%9D%20

%20%28credit%3A%20Paramount%20Pictures%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3EBorn%20in%201913%2C%20the%20Arkansas-born%20Alan%20Ladd%20was%20a%20small%2C%20shy%20kid%20who%20ultimately%20burned%20his%20apartment%20down%20by%20playing%20with%20matches.%20Hardly%20the%20start%20of%20a%20Hollywood%2C%20leading%20man%20matinee%20idol.%20But%20by%20the%201953%20classic%20western%20%E2%80%9CShane%2C%E2%80%9D%20Ladd%20solidified%20his%20place%20as%20a%20major%20movie%20star%20and%20tough%20guy%20even%20though%20he%20stood%20only%205%E2%80%995%E2%80%B3.%20Heavy%20drinking%20and%20lousy%20roles%20helped%20him%20fade%20from%20the%20scene.%20In%201962%2C%20he%20was%20found%20unconcious%20lying%20in%20a%20pool%20of%20blood%20with%20a%20bullet%20wound%20near%20his%20heart.%20That%20suicide%20attempt%20failed%20but%20by%201964%20he%20succeeded%20with%20a%20combination%20of%20booze%20and%20sleeping%20pills.%20His%20mom%20had%20killed%20herself%20by%20ingesting%20ant%20poison.

%28Photo%20credit%20should%20read%20FRANCOIS%20GUILLOT%2FAFP%2FGetty%20Images%29%20%3Cbr%20%2F%3ESupermodel%20Daul%20Kim%20was%20found%20hanged%20in%20her%20Paris%20apartment%20November%2018%2C%202009.%20She%20had%20gone%20on%20the%20Internet%20days%20before%20she%20was%20found%20dead%20complaining%20of%20working%20too%20hard%20and%20being%20lonely%20and%20depressed.%20Kim%20was%2020.%20Male%20models%20are%20not%20immune%20to%20suicide%20either.%20In%20June%202010%2C%20Tom%20Nicon%2C%2022%2C%20killed%20himself%20after%20reportedly%20becoming%20depressed%20over%20a%20break-up%20with%20a%20girlfriend.%20In%20April%2022%2C%202010%2C%20another%20male%20model%2C%20Ambrose%20Olsen%2C%2024%2C%20hanged%20himself%20for%20unknown%20reasons.%20That%20same%20day%2C%20in%20Colombia%2C%20supermodel%20Lina%20Marulanda%20jumped%20from%20the%20sixth-floor%20of%20her%20apartment.

%28credit%3A%20AP%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3EThe%20king%20of%20the%20so-called%20Gonzo%20journalists%2C%20Hunter%20Thompson%20saw%20it%20all%2C%20and%20did%20it%20all.%20A%20couple%20of%20times.%20Known%20for%20hard-drinking%20and%20even%20harder%20writing%2C%20Thompson%E2%80%99s%20best-known%20work%20was%20probably%20%E2%80%9CFear%20and%20Loathing%20in%20Las%20Vegas.%E2%80%9D%20Other%20works%20including%20%E2%80%9CFear%20and%20Loathing%3A%20On%20The%20Campaign%20Trail%20%E2%80%9972%E2%80%B3%20in%20which%20he%20famously%20asked%20about%20Nixon%2C%20%E2%80%9CHow%20low%20do%20you%20have%20to%20stoop%20in%20this%20country%20to%20become%20president%3F%E2%80%9D%20and%20Bill%20Clinton%E2%80%99s%201992%20presidential%20victory%20%E2%80%9CBetter%20Than%20Sex.%E2%80%9D%20He%20shot%20himself%20in%20the%20head%2C%20at%20home%20in%20Colorado%2C%20in%202005%20at%20the%20age%20of%2067.%20

%28credit%3A%20AP%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3EPapa%20was%20a%20rolling%20stone%2C%20and%20wherever%20he%20laid%20his%20hat%20was%20his%20home.%20It%20was%20a%20song%20lyric%2C%20but%20it%20could%20have%20been%20about%20the%20prolific%20and%20well-traveled%20Hemingway%2C%20born%20in%201899.%20The%20acclaimed%20writer%20%28he%20won%20a%20Nobel%29%20penned%20epic%20stories%20of%20life%20%28%E2%80%9CTo%20Have%20and%20Have%20Not%E2%80%9D%29%2C%20tragic%20love%20%28%E2%80%9CA%20Farewell%20To%20Arms%E2%80%9D%29%20and%20pain%20%28%E2%80%9CFor%20Whom%20The%20Bell%20Tolls%E2%80%9D%29%20and%20adventure%20%28%E2%80%9CThe%20Old%20Man%20and%20the%20Sea%E2%80%9D%2C%20%E2%80%9CThe%20Sun%20Also%20Rises%E2%80%9D%29.%20He%20never%20forgave%20his%20mother%20for%20dressing%20him%20as%20a%20girl%20in%20his%20youth%20although%20his%20drinking%2C%20he%20said%20at%20one%20point%2C%20helped%20him%20forget%20all%20his%20painful%20childhood%20memories.%20And%20he%20did%20a%20lot%20of%20drinking.%20Depressed%20and%20given%20electric%20shock%20therapy%20for%20months%2C%20Hemingway%20committed%20suicide%20in%201961%2C%20with%20his%20favorite%20shotgun%2C%20at%20home%20in%20Idaho.%20

%28credit%3A%20AP%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3EBayonne%2C%20N.J.%2C%20native%20Brian%20Keith%20%28born%201921%29%20was%20an%20actor%20who%20became%20a%20household%20name%20for%20starring%20in%20the%201960s%20sitcom%20%E2%80%9CFamily%20Affair.%E2%80%9D%20He%20committed%20suicide%20June%201997%20in%20his%20Malibu%20house%20after%20being%20diagnosed%20with%20emphysema%20and%20terminal%20lung%20cancer%2C%20and%20two%20months%20after%20his%2027-year-old%20daughter%20Daisy%20took%20her%20own%20life.%20

%28credit%3A%20AP%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3EThe%20founder%20of%20modern%20psychoanalyis%2C%20Sigmund%20Freud%20had%20a%20major%20influence%20on%20literature%2C%20social%20thinking%2C%20psychiatrity%20and%20art.%20Freud%20gave%20us%20the%20id%2C%20the%20ego%2C%20the%20superego%2C%20dream%20interpretation%2C%20and%20Oedipus%20complex%20and%20mommy%20issues%20and%20the%20list%20goes%20on%2C%20including%20cocaine%20which%20he%20was%20a%20major%20advocate%20for.%20What%20he%20didn%E2%80%99t%20give%20us%20was%20%E2%80%9Cphysician%20heal%20thyself.%E2%80%9D%20A%20heavy%20smoker%20suffering%20from%20oral%20cancer%2C%20he%20had%20a%20close%20friend%20give%20him%20a%20lethal%20dose%20of%20morphine%20to%20end%20his%20suffering%20at%20the%20age%20of%2083%20in%201939.%20

%28credit%3A%20AP%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3EWelsh-born%20Peg%20Entwistle%20came%20to%20Hollywood%20to%20make%20a%20name%20for%20herself.%20That%20was%20the%20plan.%20Born%20in%201908%2C%20Peg%20made%20it%20to%20Hollywood%20and%20the%20silver%20screen%20by%201932.%20So%20far%2C%20so%20good.%20She%20won%20a%20part%20as%20Hazel%20in%201932%E2%80%B2s%20%E2%80%9CThirteen%20Women.%E2%80%9D%20Thirteen%20didn%E2%80%99t%20prove%20to%20be%20a%20lucky%20number%20for%20Entwistle.%20In%20September%201932%2C%20depressed%2C%20she%20went%20up%20to%20the%20Hollywood%20sign%20and%20did%20a%20swan%20dive%2C%20supposedly%20off%20the%20H.%20It%20was%20her%20swan%20song%2C%20too.%20Entwistle%20did%20one%20movie%20and%20died%20at%2024%20and%20is%20forever%20known%20as%20%E2%80%9CThe%20Hollywood%20Sign%20Girl%E2%80%9D%E2%80%A6she%20made%20a%20name%20for%20herself%2C%20indeed.%20Just%20not%20the%20way%20she%20would%20have%20hoped.%20

%28credit%3A%20ElizabethMontgomeryOnline.Com%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3EOscar-winning%20actor%20Gig%20Young%20%28%E2%80%9CThey%20Shoot%20Horses%2C%20Don%E2%80%99t%20They%3F%E2%80%9D%29%20was%20married%20to%20five%20different%20actresses%2C%20most%20notably%20actress%20Elizabeth%20Montgomery%20from%201956-1963.%20A%20previous%20wife%20died%20of%20cancer%20a%20year%20into%20their%20marriage.%20It%20was%20then%2C%20supposedly%2C%20Young%20developed%20a%20drinking%20problem%20that%20thwarted%20his%20career.%20He%20bounced%20back%20to%20win%20the%20Oscar%2C%20for%20the%20aforementioned%20%E2%80%9CThey%20Shoot%E2%80%A6%E2%80%9D%20in%201969%20but%20he%20thought%20winning%20was%20the%20kiss%20of%20death.%20In%20October%201978%2C%20the%20then%2065-year%20old%20Young%2C%20shot%20and%20killed%20his%2021-year-old%20German%20actress%20wife%20%28of%20three%20weeks%29%20Kim%20Schmidt%20and%20then%20turned%20the%20gun%20on%20himself%20in%20his%20New%20York%20City%20apartment.%20Police%20found%20his%20Oscar%20next%20to%20both%20bodies.%20

%28credit%3A%20AP%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3EGeorge%20Reeves%20%28born%20George%20Keefer%20Brewer%29%20brought%20the%20comic%20book%20hero%20to%20life%20in%20the%201950s%20TV%20series%20%E2%80%9CSuperman.%E2%80%9D%20Reeves%E2%80%99%20fans%20insist%20he%20never%20killed%20himself%20on%20June%2016%2C%201959%20but%20that%20he%20was%20murdered%20%28by%20the%20husband%20of%20a%20romantic%20rival%29%20and%20that%20his%20murder%20was%20made%20to%20look%20like%20a%20suicide.%20%E2%80%9CHollywoodland%E2%80%9D%2C%20a%202006%20well-received%20movie%20starring%20Ben%20Affleck%20as%20Reeves%20lays%20out%20just%20such%20a%20scenario.%20Fans%20of%20the%20suicide%20theory%20believe%20the%20Pasadena-raised%20Reeves%20was%20despondent%20over%20being%20typecast%20as%20the%20TV%20superhero%20and%20that%20he%20simply%20shot%20himself%2C%20while%20naked%2C%20one%20night%20in%20his%20Hollywood%20home%20while%20friends%20played%20cards%20and%20partied%20downstairs.%20

%20%28credit%3A%20AP%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3ESylvia%20Plath%20%28born%20in%201932%29%20was%20one%20of%20those%20rare%20authors%20who%20remain%20as%20popular%20in%20life%20as%20she%20does%20in%20death%2C%20maybe%20more%20so%20in%20death.%20Her%20haunting%20poetry%20and%20writings%20%28%E2%80%9CThe%20Bell%20Jar%E2%80%9D%29%20have%20won%20her%20a%20legion%20of%20ardent%20fans%2C%20evident%20from%20the%20many%20fan%20sites%20she%20has%20on%20the%20web.%20Plath%20put%20her%20head%20in%20the%20oven%20and%20turned%20on%20the%20gas%20in%20Feb.%201963.%20Her%20son%2C%20Nicholas%2C%20killed%20himself%20at%20his%20home%20in%20Fairbanks%2C%20Alaska%20in%20March%202009%20at%20the%20age%20of%2047.%20Plath%E2%80%99s%20then-husband%20Ted%20Hughes%20married%20for%20a%20second%20time.%20His%20second%20wife%2C%20Assia%20Wevill%2C%20killed%20herself%20and%20the%20couple%E2%80%99s%204-year-old%20daughter%20in%20March%201969.

%28credit%3A%20Del%20Shannon.com%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3ECalled%20one%20of%20the%20links%20between%20Elvis%20and%20the%20Beatles%2C%20singer%20Del%20Shannon%20%28born%20Charles%20Weedon%20Westover%20in%201934%29%20had%20the%20runaway%201961%20hit%20%E2%80%9CRunaway.%E2%80%9D%20Shannon%20had%20a%20score%20of%20other%20top%20100%20hits%20but%20only%20a%20handful%20ever%20cracked%20the%20top%20ten.%20He%20committed%20suicide%20at%20the%20age%20of%2055%20in%20his%20Santa%20Clarita%20home%20by%20shooting%20himself%20in%20the%20head%20with%20a%20.22%20caliber%20rifle.%20His%20wife%20blamed%20Prozac%20for%20his%20mental%20state%20at%20the%20time%20of%20his%20suicide.%20

%28credit%3A%20AP%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3ECo-founder%20of%20the%20seminal%20rock%20band%20Nirvana%2C%20Kurt%20Cobain%E2%80%99s%20suicide%20in%201994%20has%20his%20fans%20still%20reeling.%20Cobain%20was%20the%20group%E2%80%99s%20singer%2C%20guitarist%20and%20songwriter%20and%20his%20dark%20music%20should%20have%20been%20a%20clue%20at%20the%20depression%20that%20laid%20beneath.%20While%20his%20death%20is%20still%20debated%20and%20analyzed%2C%20Cobain%2C%20just%2027%2C%20killed%20himself%20with%20a%20self-inflicted%20shotgun%20blast%20on%20April%205%2C%201994.%20He%20was%20found%20three%20days%20later.%20He%20left%20behind%20rocker%20wife%20Courtney%20Love%20and%20their%20daughter%20Frances%20Bean.%20

Frankie%20Lymon%2C%20center%2C%20was%20the%20lead%20singer%20of%20the%20popular%20doo%20wop%20group%20The%20Teenagers.%20The%20group%E2%80%99s%20first%20single%2C%20%E2%80%9CWhy%20Do%20Fools%20Fall%20in%20Love%E2%80%9D%20was%20an%20instant%20smash%20in%201956.%20Lymon%20%E2%80%94%20America%E2%80%99s%20first%20bonafide%20black%20teen%20idol%20%E2%80%94%20left%20the%20group%20about%20a%20year%20later%20with%20promises%20of%20solo%20stardom.%20What%20Lymon%20quickly%20found%20was%20himself%20involved%20with%20a%20series%20of%20women%20who%2C%20years%20later%2C%20all%20claimed%20to%20be%20his%20wife.%20His%20signature%20falsetto%20was%20silenced%20in%201968%20when%20Lymon%20died%20of%20a%20heroin%20overdose.%20He%20was%2025.

%20%28credit%3A%20AP%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3EHerve%20Villechaize%20was%20Tattoo%20on%20the%20hit%20ABC%20series%20%E2%80%9CFantasy%20Island%E2%80%9D%20%281978-83%29%20known%20for%20the%20signature%20line%20%E2%80%9CDa%20plane%2C%20da%20plane%21%E2%80%9D%20After%20being%20fired%20from%20the%20show%20%28he%20asked%20for%20more%20money%20and%20the%20producers%20said%20no%29%2C%20the%203%E2%80%9911%E2%80%B3%20Villechaize%20started%20drinking%20and%20became%20depressed.%20At%20the%20age%20of%2050%2C%20in%201993%2C%20he%20shot%20and%20killed%20himself%20in%20the%20backyard%20of%20his%20North%20Hollywood%20home.

%20%28credit%3A%20AP%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3EDave%20Garroway%20was%20the%20%E2%80%9CToday%E2%80%9D%20show%E2%80%99s%20original%20host.%20And%20he%20was%20an%20original.%20Born%20in%201913%2C%20the%20avuncular%20and%20amiable%20host%20%28from%201952-1961%29%20was%20known%20for%20being%20relaxed%20and%20ever%20calm.%20His%20signature%20goodbye%20was%20%E2%80%9CPeace.%E2%80%9D%20His%20downward%20spiral%20began%20in%201961%20when%20his%20wife%20committed%20suicide.%20After%20leaving%20the%20Today%20program%2C%20Garroway%20didn%E2%80%99t%20find%20much%20peace%20in%20TV.%20He%20shot%20himself%20at%20his%20Philadelphia%20home%20in%201982.

%28credit%3A%20AP%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3ECharles%20Rocket%20was%20considered%20a%20gifted%20comedian%20and%20smart%20actor%20when%20he%20joined%20the%20cast%20of%20%E2%80%9CSaturday%20Night%20Live%E2%80%9D%20in%201980.%20In%20a%201981%20sketch%20he%20uttered%20the%20F%20word%20and%20was%20subsequently%20fired.%20While%20it%20took%20his%20career%20a%20few%20years%20to%20catch%20fire%20again%2C%20he%20did%20make%20appearances%20in%20%E2%80%9CDumb%20%26amp%3B%20Dumber%E2%80%9D%20and%20%E2%80%9CDances%20With%20Wolves.%E2%80%9D%20Having%20turned%2056%20two%20months%20prior%2C%20Rocket%20was%20found%20dead%2C%20his%20throat%20slashed%2C%20in%20a%20field%20near%20his%20house%20in%20Connecticut%20in%202005.

%28credit%3A%20AP%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3EComedian%20Ray%20Combs%20%28born%20April%203%2C%201956%29%20hosted%20%E2%80%9CFamily%20Feud%E2%80%9D%201988-1994.%20While%20his%20show%20never%20enjoyed%20the%20popularity%20of%20Richard%20Dawson%E2%80%99s%20version%2C%20Combs%20was%20considered%20a%20success%20and%20got%20a%20lot%20of%20work%20on%20the%20stand-up%20circuit.%20When%20%E2%80%9CFeud%E2%80%9D%20went%20off%20the%20air%2C%20Combs%20was%20involved%20in%20a%20horrific%20car%20crash%2C%20had%20a%20business%20dispute%20with%20a%20partner%2C%20separated%20from%20his%20wife%20and%20six%20kids%20and%20had%20trouble%20getting%20more%20TV%20work.%20After%20one%20failed%20suicide%20attempt%2C%20Combs%20succeeded%20by%20hanging%20himself%20with%20bed%20sheets%20while%20staying%20at%20a%20psychiatric%20hospital%20in%201996.%20

%28credit%3A%20AP%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3EChris%20Benoit%20killed%20himself%20June%2024%2C%202007%20after%20murdering%20his%20wife%2C%20Nancy%2C%20and%207-year-old%20son%2C%20Daniel.%20Here%20he%20poses%20with%20his%20World%20Wrestling%20Entertainment%20championship%20belt%20March%2029%2C%202004.%20Heavy%20steroid%20use%20and%20brain%20damage%20was%20blamed%20for%20Benoit%E2%80%99s%20mental%20state.%20Known%20as%20%E2%80%9Cthe%20Crippler%E2%80%9D%2C%20Benoit%20killed%20himself%20a%20month%20before%20he%20was%20to%20turn%2040.%20

%28credit%3A%20AP%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3EDeborah%20Jeane%20Palfrey%2C%20who%20allegedly%20ran%20an%20upscale%20escort%20service%2C%20reads%20a%20statement%20outside%20federal%20court%20after%20her%20arraignment%20on%20federal%20racketeering%20charges%20March%209%2C%202007.%20Palfrey%2C%20born%20March%2018%2C%201956%2C%20reportedly%20feared%20a%20long%20jail%20sentence%20and%20hanged%20herself%20May%201%2C%202008.%20Her%20suicide%20notes%20were%20released%20by%20police%20on%20May%205%2C%202008.%20In%20them%2C%20she%20told%20her%20sister%20to%20take%20care%20of%20their%20mother.%20And%2C%20to%20her%20mom%2C%20she%20wrote%20%E2%80%9CI%20cannot%20live%20the%20next%206-8%20years%20behind%20bars%20for%20what%20both%20you%20and%20I%20have%20come%20to%20regard%20as%20this%20%E2%80%98modern%20day%20lynching%E2%80%99%20only%20to%20come%20out%20of%20prison%20in%20my%20late%2050s%20a%20broken%2C%20penniless%20and%20very%20much%20alone%20woman.%E2%80%9D%20

%28credit%3A%20Warner%20Bros.%20Television%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3EStand-up%20comic%20Freddie%20Prinze%2C%20left%2C%20star%20of%20NBC%E2%80%99s%20hit%20%E2%80%9CChico%20And%20The%20Man%2C%E2%80%9D%20%28with%20co-star%20Jack%20Albertson%29%20committed%20suicide%20on%20Jan.%2029%2C%201977%2C%20at%20the%20age%20of%2022.%20Heavy%20quaalude%20use%20was%20blamed%20for%20his%20depression.%20Prinze%20is%20the%20father%20of%20actor%20Freddie%20Prinze%2C%20Jr.%20

%28credit%3A%20HBO%20Home%20Video%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3E47-year-old%20actor%20John%20Costelloe%20%28right%29%20played%20hunky%20short%20order%20cook%20Jim%20%E2%80%9CJohnny%20Cakes%E2%80%9D%20Witowski%20%E2%80%94%20the%20unrequited%20love%20of%20a%20closeted%20mobster%20%E2%80%94%20on%20four%20episodes%20of%20%E2%80%9CThe%20Sopranos%E2%80%9D%20in%202006.%20Costelloe%20reportedly%20shot%20himself%20in%20the%20head%20in%20his%20Brooklyn%20home%20December%2018%2C%202008.%20He%20also%20appeared%20in%20many%20movies%2C%20most%20recently%20%E2%80%9CDoubt%E2%80%9D%20where%20he%20played%20Warren%20Hurley.%20

%28credit%3A%20Pascal%20Le%20Segretain%2FGetty%20Images%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3EFashion%20designer%20Alexander%20McQueen%20walks%20down%20the%20catwalk%20after%20his%20Ready-to-Wear%20A%2FW%202009%20fashion%20show%20during%20Paris%20Fashion%20Week%20at%20POPB%20on%20March%2010%2C%202009%20in%20Paris.%20McQueen%2C%20allegedly%20despondent%20over%20the%20death%20of%20his%20mother%2C%20hanged%20himself%20in%20his%20London%20home%20February%202010.%20

A%20daytime%20Emmy%20winner%20for%20his%20role%20as%20good-guy%20cop%20Hal%20Munson%2C%20actor%20Benjamin%20Hendrickson%20was%20beloved%20by%20co-stars%20and%20fans%20alike.%20Born%20in%201950%2C%20Hendrickson%20played%20Munson%20with%20an%20aw-shucks%20likability%20that%20was%20both%20endearing%20and%20disarming.%20Hendrickson%2C%20David%20Bowie%E2%80%99s%20understudy%20during%20the%20Broadway%20run%20of%20%E2%80%9CThe%20Elephant%20Man%E2%80%9D%2C%20sunk%20into%20a%20deep%20depression%20when%20his%20mom%20died%20in%202003.%20Playing%20scenes%20where%20his%20daughter%20was%20dying%20three%20years%20later%20might%20have%20proven%20too%20much%20for%20him%20to%20bear.%20On%20July%201%2C%202006%2C%20he%20shot%20himself%20in%20the%20head%20at%20his%20Long%20Island%20home%20one%20month%20shy%20of%20his%2056th%20birthday.

Reporters%20are%20supposed%20to%20cover%20the%20news%2C%20not%20make%20news.%20But%20TV%20news%20reporter%20Christine%20Chubbuck%2C%2029%2C%20made%20international%20news%20when%20she%20committed%20suicide%20on%20live%20television.%20She%20had%20talked%20to%20her%20family%20many%20times%20about%20a%20failed%20suicide%20attempt%20in%201970%20but%20they%20feared%20that%20telling%20her%20bosses%20she%20was%20suicidal%20would%20almost%20surely%20mean%20Chubbuck%20would%20be%20fired.%20Her%20mother%20later%20told%20reporters%20Chubbuck%20was%20depressed%20over%20her%20social%20life.%20She%20confided%20in%20colleagues%20that%20she%20was%20still%20a%20virgin%20and%20her%2030th%20birthday%20was%20approaching.%20Chubbuck%20was%20hosting%20her%20public%20affairs%20program%2C%20%E2%80%9CSuncoast%20Digest%2C%E2%80%9D%20on%20WXLT-TV%2C%20Sarasota%2C%20Fla.%2C%20July%2015%2C%201974%20%E2%80%94%20about%205%20weeks%20before%20her%20birthday%20%E2%80%94%20when%20she%20pulled%20out%20a%20.38%20caliber%20gun%2C%20placed%20it%20behind%20her%20right%20ear%20and%20pulled%20the%20trigger.%20

James%20Whale%E2%80%99s%20life%20was%20depicted%20in%20the%20acclaimed%201998%20film%20%E2%80%9CGods%20and%20Monsters.%E2%80%9D%20The%20England-born%20Whale%20became%20synonymous%20with%20horror%20films%20of%20the%2030s%20and%2040s%2C%20most%20notably%20the%20Boris%20Karloff%20classic%20%E2%80%9CFrankenstein%E2%80%9D%20and%20%E2%80%9CBride%20of%20Frankenstein.%E2%80%9D%20Whale%2C%20born%20in%201889%2C%20was%20Hollywood%E2%80%99s%20first%20openly%20gay%20director%20and%20he%20liked%20to%20inject%20his%20films%20with%20subtle%20dashes%20of%20humor.%20He%20was%20notoriously%20scared%20to%20death%20of%20water%E2%80%A6and%20perhaps%20it%20was%20foreshadowing.%20He%20committed%20suicide%20by%20drowning%20himself%20in%20the%20pool%20at%20his%20Hollywood%20home%20in%201957.%20His%20suicide%20note%20read%2C%20in%20part%2C%20%E2%80%9CI%20must%20have%20peace%E2%80%A6and%20this%20is%20the%20only%20way.%E2%80%9D

Diane%20Arbus%2C%20a%20noted%20American%20photographer%20born%20in%201923%2C%20came%20to%20fame%20and%20prominence%20for%20shooting%20people%20most%20charitably%20described%20as%20down%20and%20out.%20Arbus%20loved%20outsiders%20and%20while%20she%20was%20born%20to%20wealth%2C%20she%20seemed%20to%20be%20most%20at%20home%20hanging%20around%20the%20seedy%2C%20the%20needy%20and%20the%20disenfranchised%3A%20circus%20folks%2C%20hookers%2C%20bums%2C%20little%20people%2C%20transvestites%E2%80%A6if%20they%20had%20a%20label%2C%20she%20photographed%20them.%20Nicole%20Kidman%20played%20Arbus%20in%20a%202006%20film%2C%20%E2%80%9CFur%3A%20An%20Imaginary%20Portrait%20of%20Diane%20Arbus.%E2%80%9D%20Arbus%20committed%20suicide%20in%20her%20Greenwich%20Village%20apartment%20in%201971%20with%20an%20overdose%20of%20sleeping%20pills.%20She%20also%20cut%20her%20wrists%20for%20good%20measure.

Actress%20Dorothy%20Dandridge%2C%20like%20her%20friend%20Marilyn%20Monroe%2C%20wanted%20to%20be%20taken%20seriously%20as%20an%20actress.%20Also%20like%20Marilyn%2C%20her%20personal%20life%20was%20marked%20by%20tragedy%2C%20dead-end%20affairs%2C%20career%20stalls%20and%20sad%20events%3B%20including%20giving%20birth%20to%20a%20daughter%20who%20had%20to%20be%20institutionalized.%20Dandridge%20died%20of%20a%20drug%20overdose%20in%20September%201965%2C%20at%20age%2042.%20Her%20death%2C%20from%20an%20overdose%20of%20an%20anti-depressant%2C%20was%20later%20ruled%20accidental%E2%80%A6also%20like%20her%20friend%20Marilyn%E2%80%99s.%20But%2C%20unlike%20Marilyn%E2%80%99s%20death%2C%20there%20was%20never%20speculation%20that%20the%20Oscar-nominated%20Dandridge%20might%20have%20been%20murdered.

%28Photo%20by%20Rick%20Stewart%2FGetty%20Images%29%20%3Cbr%20%2F%3EBaseball%20pitcher%20Donnie%20Moore%20shot%20and%20killed%20himself%20July%201989%20after%20shooting%20and%20critically%20injuring%20his%20wife%20during%20a%20domestic%20fight.%20Moore%2C%2035%2C%20three%20years%20earlier%20allowed%20a%20home%20run%20while%20pitching%20for%20the%20Angels%20that%20allowed%20the%20Red%20Sox%20to%20eventually%20win%20the%20series%20from%20them%20denying%20his%20team%20a%20World%20Series%20bid.%20It%E2%80%99s%20been%20debated%20for%20years%20whether%20that%20home%20run%20ball%20%E2%80%9Chaunted%E2%80%9D%20Moore%20and%20caused%20his%20demons%2C%20but%20Moore%E2%80%99s%20suicide%2C%20sadly%2C%20is%20not%20uncommon%20among%20professional%20athletes%20who%20have%20trouble%20when%20the%20limelight%20goes%20out.