Mysterious deaths in Hollywood These stars died under unexplained circumstances
Did Grace Kelly really die in a car accident?
Image: Hulton Archive/Getty Images
There is also speculation surrounding the circumstances of Bruce Lee's death.
Image: Edel Motion
Actress Brittany Murphy died at Christmas 2007. Her husband Simon Monjack died just five months later. Murphy's father Angelo Bertolotti believes that heavy metal poisoning was the cause of their deaths.
Image: KEYSTONE
Did Grace Kelly really die in a car accident?
Image: Hulton Archive/Getty Images
There is also speculation surrounding the circumstances of Bruce Lee's death.
Image: Edel Motion
Actress Brittany Murphy died at Christmas 2007. Her husband Simon Monjack died just five months later. Murphy's father Angelo Bertolotti believes that heavy metal poisoning was the cause of their deaths.
Image: KEYSTONE
They were in the spotlight - and died in the shadow of rumors, speculation and unanswered questions. The deaths of many Hollywood celebrities remain unexplained to this day.
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- Numerous Hollywood stars such as Grace Kelly, Bruce Lee and Brittany Murphy have died under mysterious circumstances that have not yet been conclusively clarified.
- The causes of death range from suspected suicide to accident and murder theories - official reports and later statements often contradict each other.
George Reeves (1914-1959)
George Reeves' death in June 1959 is one of the most mysterious cases of the classic Hollywood era. The actor, who had become famous for the TV series "Superman", was found in his bedroom late at night with a gunshot wound to the head. Early investigations officially ruled it a suicide, but even then some details did not quite fit together: Among other things, three bullets were found to have been fired, but all witnesses claim to have heard only one shot.
This gave rise to theories that are still circulating today - from a jealousy drama to an accident to a deliberate murder.
The film "The Hollywood Conspiracy" (2006) took up this speculation and shows how little can be reconstructed beyond doubt about the events of that night.
Bob Crane (1928 to 1978)
The violent death of "A Cage Full of Heroes" star Bob Crane caused a sensation in the summer of 1978: According to the initial police investigation, his companion at the time, John Henry Carpenter, had smashed the restless egomaniac's skull in with a camera tripod after an argument.
However, the murder weapon in question was never found, so Carpenter, who tempted the staid family man Crane to live out his sexual obsessions, was acquitted several times for lack of evidence. The film "Auto Focus" was made about Crane's life and death in 2002.
Grace Kelly (1929 to 1982)
It was not only the serpentine road near Monte Carlo that became sadly famous: when Hollywood star and Monaco princess Grace Kelly missed a bend on September 14, 1982 and plunged into the depths, the whole world mourned. But was it really a tragic accident that cost the diva her life?
There have been many theories about her death from the outset - ranging from the royal family's involvement with the mafia to gross negligence. Another incredible speculation was recently found in a biography of Albert II, where a chaplain claims: "Princess Grace was actually dead before the accident. It was not the accident that killed her." The clergyman claims that Prince Rainer III's wife died of an embolism instead.
David Carradine (1936 to 2009)
Was it suicide or an accident? David Carradine also died under mysterious circumstances in June 2009 at the age of 72. The actor was found naked with a rope around his neck in the closet of a hotel suite in Bangkok, where he was staying for filming.
The Thai authorities suspected that the "Kill Bill" star lost his life during unusual sexual practices and that no other people were involved. However, it is unclear how Carradine was able to bind his own hands.
Natalie Wood (1938 to 1981)
Her death will probably remain a mystery forever: Natalie Wood ("West Side Story") went on a boat trip in November 1981 with husband Robert Wagner (known from "Hart aber herzlich") and co-star Christopher Walken, with whom she was filming "Project Brainstorm", from which she was not to return alive.
The then 43-year-old fell off the yacht at night, only lightly clothed, and drowned. According to the autopsy report, Wood was heavily intoxicated, but the police also investigated the case as a murder. She was said to have argued violently with her husband and also had a panic fear of water. In 2011, the police launched a new investigation and the case was finally classified as a "suspicious death", with Robert Wagner being designated a "person of interest".
Jean Seberg (1938 to 1979)
Jean Seberg ("Out of Breath") disappeared without a trace at the end of August 1979, a few days later she was found dead in a car in Paris. Empty pill packs and a farewell letter initially suggested suicide, but doubts soon arose. The actress had been under considerable pressure for years: her commitment to the Black Panther movement had brought her into the FBI's sights, the US authorities demonstrably monitored the actress and discredited her publicly.
The documentary "Jean Seberg: American Actress" (1995) sheds light on this background and raises questions about the official version of her death. In it, doctor Marion Bouilhet reports that Seberg had still sounded sober and lucid shortly before her disappearance, but was found with almost eight parts per thousand of blood alcohol - a level at which people have usually been in a coma for a long time. Just one inconsistency that was never fully explained.
Bruce Lee (1940 to 1973)
Bruce Lee was working at the limits of his endurance during "The Man with the Death Claw". On May 10, 1973, he collapsed during filming, struggled with shortness of breath and convulsions and was taken to hospital. The diagnosis: cerebral edema and an epileptic seizure. After medication and a brief all-clear, he returned to filming and was already planning his trip home to Los Angeles. But on July 20, after a long day at work with his colleague Betty Ting Pei, he fell unconscious after taking a painkiller. At Queen Elizabeth Hospital, he stopped responding to resuscitation attempts.
Officially, Lee died of brain swelling, probably caused by an allergic reaction. However, alternative interpretations persist: in 2005, another epileptic seizure was discussed as a possible cause, while the documentary "Autopsy" even brought Addison's disease into play in 2017 - possibly exacerbated by Lee's long-term cortisone treatment following a back injury. Indications such as his weight loss, heavy sweating and skin discoloration would fit the bill. One thing is certain: Lee was 32 years old.
Brandon Lee (1965 to 1993)
Was it just an accident on a movie set? Bruce Lee's son Brandon died in March 1993 during the filming of "The Crow". The production was under time pressure, which is why real cartridges were used for close-ups, from which the powder had been removed but not the primer. The residual pressure hurled a bullet unnoticed into the barrel of a dummy revolver, where it got stuck. The following scene was shot with blanks - the shot triggered the bullet and hit Lee in the stomach.
Despite immediate surgery, Lee died twelve hours later in Wilmington hospital. He was only 28 years old. Investigators classified the incident as an accident, and the subsequent civil lawsuit brought by his mother was settled out of court. To this day, many do not believe it was an accident, but suspect it was an act of revenge by the Chinese mafia.
Brittany Murphy (1977 to 2009)
Doubly tragic: Shortly before Christmas 2009, the 32-year-old actress Brittany Murphy ("Clueless") died of heart failure. The causes of death were found to be pneumonia, heart failure, iron deficiency anemia and incorrect self-medication.
Just five months later, Murphy's husband, screenwriter Simon Monjack, was also found dead. He was 40 years old and died of similar causes. Murphy's father Angelo Bertolotti expressed suspicion of murder in both cases. Both Murphy and her husband had been poisoned with heavy metal. Even though a toxicologist later refuted the theory, doubts remained as to the true cause of death.
