4 celebrities who were killed by fentanyl
Behind the red carpets and flashing cameras, a silent killer has claimed some of the brightest and most beloved stars of our time. Fentanyl, a powerful and often hidden opioid, has been linked to a surge in accidental overdoses, leaving fans heartbroken and families shattered.
What is fentanyl and why is it so deadly?
Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that was originally developed to treat severe pain, such as in cancer patients or after major surgery.
Worryingly, these days it is often made illegally and mixed into other drugs such as heroin, cocaine or fake prescription pills. Fentanyl can be lethal even in small quantities, and can often be consumed without a person realising they’re taking it.
As a result, overdoses are far more likely, especially when someone thinks they’re using a different drug entirely. The strength of fentanyl can also vary from one batch to the next, meaning users have no way of knowing how much they’re really taking.
In recent years, numerous high-profile celebrity have lost their lives from accidental fentanyl overdoses. These shocking deaths have not only robbed the world of beloved musicians and actors, but also highlighted the growing danger of legal and illegal fentanyl.
1. Prince
Unlike many other singers from his generation, Prince was not particularly known for using recreational drugs – which made his death in April 2016 from an overdose of fentanyl even more shocking.
Found unresponsive in an elevator at his Paisley Park residence, the Purple Rain hitmaker died aged 57. It emerged that the fentanyl that had led to his overdose was in counterfeit pills made to look like a generic version of a painkiller. Prince likely had no idea just how lethal the pills were.
Law enforcement agencies launched an investigation to determine where Prince had obtained the pills from, but ended with no criminal charges being filed. It was subsequently revealed that Prince had secretly been battling opioid addiction.
2. Angus Cloud
Angus Cloud was a bright young star seemingly destined for a long and successful career in Hollywood. Aged just 25, he’d already starred in the HBO hit drama series Euphoria as Fezco, a kind-hearted drug dealer. More projects were in the pipeline.
But in July 2023, Cloud was found dead in his family’s Oakland home. Struggling with a combination of physical and mental pain – his father’s funeral had been held a week before his own death – Cloud took a fateful overdose. It included a mix of methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine and benzodiazepines.
His death at such a young age stunned fans and colleagues – and once again highlighted the troubling connection between fame and addiction.
3. Tom Petty
In September 2017, Tom Petty had just concluded his final tour - a 40th anniversary celebration of his rock band, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Barely a week later, it would be his millions of fans who would be left heartbroken after Petty’s sudden death, aged 66, from an accidental overdose.
He’d been found unresponsive and in cardiac arrest by his wife at their home. Despite being resuscitated, he later died the same day. An investigation later revealed he’d suffered a multisystem organ failure due to an overdose from fentanyl, oxycodone, opioids and benzodiazepines.
His family issued a statement, confirming that Petty had been suffering from several health problems, including emphysema, knee pain and a fractured hip. Determined to conclude his tour, he’d been on prescribed pain medication for his ailments, but had been informed on the day of his death that his hip injury had worsened.
'It is our feeling that the pain was simply unbearable and was the cause of his overuse of medication…we feel confident this was an unfortunate accident,' the statement said.
4. Mac Miller
Mac Miller had everything to live for – with new music and an upcoming tour on the horizon, his career was flourishing. Yet behind closed doors, he was struggling. Miller had been in a high-profile relationship with Ariana Grande, which had ended in May 2018.
Only a few months later, he was found unresponsive at his home by his personal assistant and pronounced dead at the age of just 26. Miller’s fight against substance abuse had been well documented. Despite periods of sobriety, he had struggled with addiction for years prior to his death.
He’d taken a lethal accidental overdose of fentanyl, cocaine and alcohol. It was later reported that Miller had purchased counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl two days earlier and snorted the laced pills before his death.
Three men were arrested during an investigation into his death and later charged with conspiracy and distribution of drugs resulting in death.
Other victims of Hollywood’s growing fentanyl crisis
Sadly, these names are far from the only victims, and are unlikely to be the last. Others who’ve died from accidental fentanyl overdoses include:
- Coolio – Gangsta’s Paradise rapper who died in 2022 at the age of 59.
- Lil Peep – An emerging emo-rap icon who died from an accidental overdose of fentanyl, Xanax and other substances in 2017, aged 21.
Michael K Williams – Best known from The Wire, Williams died aged 54 in 2021 after taking fentanyl-laced heroin.
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