Saying goodbye is never easy, especially when it comes to icons and stars fans have grown to love. Scroll down to see Us Weekly’s tribute to the celebrities who died in 2020.
The 7th Heaven child star died in a car accident in San Bernardino County, California, on March 9, 2020. Brino was part of a quadruplet who portrayed twins David and Sam Camden on 7th Heaven from 1999 to 2007.
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The actor died at age 90 on March 8. He was best known for his roles in The Exorcist, Game of Thrones and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
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The actress, who starred in Plaza Suite and The Great White Hope on Broadway, died on February 20, at the age of 82. The Pennsylvania native also appeared as a recurring character on Melrose Place (playing Constance Fielding). Her family announced her passing via a Los Angeles Times obituary, revealing she died at her home in Los Angeles while in hospice care.
On March 2, James Lipton died at 93. He was best known for creating and hosting Inside the Actors Studio. His wife revealed he had been battling bladder cancer.
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The Trader Joe’s founder died on February 28 at the age of 89 in his Pasadena, California, home. His son, also named Joe, announced the news in a statement, adding that his father died after a long illness.
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The author of Sahara, a book that was turned into an action-adventure film in 2005 starring Matthew McConaughey, passed away on Monday, February 24. He was 88.
“It is with a heavy heart that I want to share the sad news that my husband, Clive passed away on Monday,” a statement on the late author’s Facebook page read on February 26. “It has been a privilege and a great honor to share in his life. I want to thank you, his fans and friends for all the support, for all the good times and all the adventures you have shared with him. He was the kindest, most gentle man I ever met. I know, his adventures will continue.”
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The famed mathematician, who was among the trailblazing black women to help pave the way for the United States’ space travel, passed away at age 101 on February 24. Johnson was the inspiration behind the 2016 film Hidden Figures, in which Taraji P. Henson starred. NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine confirmed the loss in a statement on the agency’s website.
“NASA is deeply saddened by the loss of a leader from our pioneering days, and we send our deepest condolences to the family of Katherine Johnson,” he said. “Ms. Johnson helped our nation enlarge the frontiers of space even as she made huge strides that also opened doors for women and people of color in the universal human quest to explore space. Her dedication and skill as a mathematician helped put humans on the moon and before that made it possible for our astronauts to take the first steps in space that we now follow on a journey to Mars. Her Presidential Medal of Freedom was a well-deserved recognition.”
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The lifestyle guru and restaurateur died on February 22 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease, her family announced in a statement. She was 70. “It is with great sadness that my daughter Dana and I announce the passing of my wife, Barbara Elaine Smith,” Smith’s husband, Dan Gasby, wrote in an emotional Facebook post. “Thank you to all the friends and fans who supported B. and our family during her journey. Thank you to everyone for respecting our privacy during this agonizing time. Heaven is shining even brighter now that it is graced with B.’s dazzling and unforgettable smile.”
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The Dixie Crush frontwoman passed away on February 17 after she sustained injuries from a car wreck. In a statement to the band’s Facebook page, the country group spoke highly of the singer. “Our hearts are broken over this senseless tragedy,” the statement read. “Lindsey was a founding member of Dixie Crush back in 2015. From the very beginning, everyone knew she was something special. Her Uncle Tony described her best as a supernova. Above and beyond her beautiful voice, Lindsey just had a way of connecting with every audience leaving an indelible impression.”
The statement continued, “Not only would she give an amazing performance, but after every show, Lindsey would come offstage, take time to meet anyone who wanted to say hi, take pictures, and build friendships.”
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The “Welcome to the Party” rapper (real name Bashar Jackson) died at age 20 on February 19 after being shot during a home invasion in Los Angeles.
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The former NASCAR driver was found dead at age 43 on February 17 at her Oklahoma City-area home. The medical examiner’s office later determined that the cause of death was an accidental drowning.
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The Hollywood family therapist, who was engaged to Drew Carey in 2018, died at age 38 on February 15. The Los Angeles Police Department found her unresponsive outside her Hollywood Hills home after she fell three stories. Her ex-boyfriend Gareth Pursehouse was arrested on murder charges later that day.
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The former Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew star died on February 16 at the age of 35. “I am so heartbroken to share the saddest news of my life that my son Jason Davis passed away this morning in Los Angeles,” his mother, Nancy David Rickel, told The Hollywood Reporter in a statement. “Jason had a true heart of gold with such a zest for life. He was such a caring soul to everybody who ever knew him. He loved his friends and his family above all else. We ask for privacy as we take time to grieve this most devastating loss.” The grandson of philanthropist Barbara Davis and former owner of 20th Century Fox Marvin Davis and brother of Brandon Davis appeared in the films Rush Hour and Beverly Hills Ninja and on TV in Roseanne, 7th Heaven and the Disney Channel animated series Recess. He had been open about his struggles with substance abuse and recently cofounded the charity Cure Addiction Now.
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The former Love Island host died on February 15 at the age of 40, according to a family statement released to The Sun. Flack reportedly took her own life at her apartment in London, The Sun reported.
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The veteran stage actor, who was best known for her role as Magda on Sex and the City, died on February 14, according to Variety. She was 86. Cohen made a name for herself on Broadway, starring in Orpheus Descending and Ivanov, and also played Mags in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
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The former child actor and environmental activist, who starred in the movie Nanny McPhee when he was 11, died on February 6 at the age of 25. “He died doing what he loved, working for the noblest cause of all,” his mother, Liz Jensen, tweeted the following day. “His family could not be prouder. Let’s celebrate all he achieved in his short life and cherish his legacy.”
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The actor best known for playing Secret Service agent James T. West in the 1960s TV hit The Wild Wild West died at the age of 84, his family confirmed on February 8. Known for doing his own stunts, Conrad starred in Hawaiian Eye and Baa Baa Black Sheep and was also a singer who released music in the 1950s and ’60s as Bob Conrad. He also appeared in films including Sudden Death and Samurai Cowboy and hosted a radio show called The PM Show With Robert Conrad.
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The Tonight Show favorite died at age 91 on February 7 when he was fatally struck by a car while crossing a busy intersection. He is best known for his work on the NBC late-night show, the television game show To Tell the Truth and his Tony award-nominated performance in Subways Are for Sleeping.
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The director and actor died on February 5 at the age of 77 from a heart attack, Conway’s publicist confirmed to Deadline. The New York native was best known for his roles in 1993’s Gettysburg, 2000’s Thirteen Days and 2006’s Invincible. His TV credits included The Outer Limits, The Black Donnellys, Who Killed Jane Doe? and The Good Wife. He had a total of 80 acting credits and one directing credit to his name before his death.
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The French longboard surfing champion died at the age of 24 in February in Queensland, Australia. A cause of death has not been confirmed. “The surfing community has lost a member of its family, a beautiful person with a shining smile, an artist on the longboard whose enthusiasm radiated from (her region) Vendée and everywhere else,” the French Surfing Federation wrote in a statement via their website on February 4.
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The Spartacus actor died at the age of 103 on February 5. His son Michael Douglas confirmed the news in a statement posted to Instagram. “It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today at the age of 103,” Michael said. “To the world, he was a legend, an actor from the golden age of movies who lived well into his golden years, a humanitarian whose commitment to justice and the causes he believed in set a standard for all of us to aspire to.”
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The best-selling suspense novelist died of natural causes in Naples, Florida, on January 31 at the age of 92. Clark wrote more than 40 books during her long career, selling more than 100 million copies in the U.S. alone. In 2000, the mother of five signed a $64 million contract for her next five books, making her the highest-paid female author in the world at the time.
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The NASCAR driver and nephew of racing legend Mario Andretti died at age 56 on January 30 after battling stage IV colon cancer. “We will forever carry with us John’s genuine spirit of helping others first and himself second,” Andretti Autosport said in a statement on Twitter.
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Dusay, best known for her roles in Star Trek and All My Children, died on January 28. The late actress’ stepdaughter Elizabeth Perine issued a statement about Dusay’s death via Facebook, writing: “She was quite a woman and had quite a grand life.” She was 83.
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The former L.A. Lakers player died at the age of 41 after his private helicopter crashed in Calabasas, California, on January 26. The NBA great was traveling with eight other people when a fire reportedly broke out on the aircraft. Fire Capt. Tony Imbrenda told KTLA that witnesses reported the helicopter went down quickly and slammed into the ground. Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, was also killed in the crash.
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The Bachelorette season 15 contestant was rushed to the hospital in Boca Raton, Florida, on January 13, 2020, after an apparent overdose. Gwozdz was in critical but stable condition in the ICU for a week before he died, per TMZ. He was 29.
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The Monty Python troupe cofounder died at age 77 on January 21 after what his family described as a “long, extremely brave but always good humored battle with a rare form of dementia.” He is survived by his wife, Anna Soderstrom, and three children, Bill, Sally and Siri.
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The actress, known for her roles on King of Queens and Modern Family, died of natural causes at her home in Palm Springs on January 11. She was 95. Michaels’ extensive television career included appearances on 2 Broke Girls, Everybody Loves Raymond and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
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The WWE Hall of Famer passed away at the age of 75, WWE reported on January 15. Known in the ring as “Soul Man,” Johnson was Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s father and a professional wrestler from the mid-1960s until his retirement from the ring in 1991. He made WWE history after teaming up with Tony Atlas to become the Soul Patrol. Together, they became the first African-American World Tag Team Champions.
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Paramedics pronounced the Highlander alum dead on January 11 after his wife, Kristyn Green, found him hanging in their Los Angeles home’s bathroom. He was 51. Green confirmed the news on Facebook, writing: “I want to thank everyone for the outpouring of love and support. I haven’t been able to respond to all the texts, calls, emails — but have read or listened to every single one of them. I feel surrounded by love and am forever grateful to each and every one of you.”
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The Rush drummer died on January 7 after a three-year long battle with brain cancer. He was 67. Peart is survived by his wife, Carrie Peart, and their daughter, Olivia.
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The Australian actor, who appeared in one episode of American Horror Story: Hotel in 2015, died at age 27 on January 7. “[He] had the world at his feet . But sadly he struggled with mental illness and addiction,” his mother, actress Jane Badler, wrote on Instagram. “A brilliant spark shone bright too short a time .. I will miss you Harry every day of my life.”
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The Grease star died unexpectedly of natural causes at his home in Santa Monica on January 8. He was 87. The 77 Sunset Strip alum’s son, Logan Byrnes, announced the news via Twitter, writing: “It is with profound sadness and grief that I share with you the passing of my father Edd Byrnes.”
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The former Are You The One? star, who appeared on the series in 2017, died on January 9, Us Weekly confirmed at the time. She was 23. The former MTV reality star passed away after suffering from cardiac arrest and being rushed to the hospital in West Virginia, TMZ reported.
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The screenwriter, best known for The Graduate and cocreating the 1960s series Get Smart, died on January 8 in Los Angeles after suffering a heart attack. The legendary writer, whose credits include The Garry Moore Show and Catch-22, was 89 when he passed.
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The writer and producer was found dead on January 7, from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, Variety reported. He was 45. Horta, whose body was discovered in a Miami hotel room, was best known for creating Ugly Betty and Jake 2.0.
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The rapper passed away on January 2 at the age of 21. The “Hate U Again” singer’s family confirmed the news on Facebook. “You’re a real legend. If you know or heard her music you’d feel chills. Rest in paradise you’ll never be forgotten!” her cousin, Raeisah Clark, wrote on social media. “I’m so lost for words…my beautiful cousin with so much talent & Unique soul Lexii Alijai It’s too soon.”
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Bobbi Kristina Brown’s former boyfriend died on January 1 after suffering a series of heart attacks and being rushed to the hospital in Florida amid New Year’s celebrations. The emergency staff was unable to revive him. He was 30.
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