18 Celebrities Who Died From Overdoses — From Amy Winehouse to Heath Ledger and More

Amy Winehouse died at the age of 27 in her London home on July 23, 2011. Aside from dealing with long-term bulimia, she also faced drug and alcohol addiction in the years leading to her death.

Prior to her passing, she was admitted to rehab several times and had several near-death experiences. While she already saw progress in her recovery journey, her alcoholism soon claimed her life following an accidental alcohol poisoning.

"It is some relief to finally find out what happened to Amy. We understand there was alcohol in her system when she passed away; it is likely a build up of alcohol in her system over a number of days. The court heard that Amy was battling hard to conquer her problems with alcohol and it is a source of great pain to us that she could not win in time," her parents, Mitch and Janis, wrote in a statement.

On July 31, 2023, Angus Cloud passed away as a result of an accidental overdose. The Alameda County Coroner's Office confirmed in a statement that the Euphoria actor succumbed due to "acute intoxication due to combined effects of methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and benzodiazepines."

He was 25 at the time of his death.

Anna Nicole Smith shocked the industry when she was found unresponsive in a hotel room on February 8, 2007. She was rushed to Memorial Regional Hospital at the time but was pronounced dead on arrival at 2:49 p.m.

The late Playboy model, 39, died from "an accidental overdose with no other criminal element present." The authorities detected different substances in her system, including Valium and methadone.

The coroner's toxicology report also confirmed she was battling a bacterial infection and flu prior to her passing.

Famed Glee star Cory Monteith was found dead in a Vancouver, British Columbia, hotel room on July 13, 2013, following an overdose. He struggled with substance abuse for most of his adult life before his passing.

According to the final coroner's report, Monteith died from "mixed drug toxicity, involving intravenous heroin use combined with the ingestion of alcohol.”

On January 22, 2008, Heath Ledger's masseuse and housekeeper found him dead on the floor of his rented apartment in New York City. Emergency responders tried to revive the Brokeback Mountain star but were unable to do so.

Initial theories assumed Ledger passed away from his illegal drug use, and the New York City Medical Examiner's Office determined he died of an "accidental abuse of prescription medications." The toxicology tests detected he had painkillers, sleeping pills and anti-anxiety drugs in his system at the time of his death.

Ike Turner died of a cocaine overdose on December 12, 2007, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office. The authorities also noted the manner of death was an accident.

Supervising Medical Examiner Investigator Paul Parker told CNN at the time that high blood pressure and emphysema contributed to his passing.

Janis Joplin's solo career was blooming when she unexpectedly died from a heroin overdose on October 4, 1970. After she was found lifeless on the floor of her Hollywood hotel room, several conspiracy theories suggested a different cause of death.

In the memoir I Ran Into Some Trouble by Joplin's friend Peggy Caserta, the author assumed the "Me and Bobby McGee" hitmaker died from asphyxiation after possibly tripping, falling and breaking her nose as she was wearing "a tiny hourglass heel."

“Does it matter at this late date? In some ways maybe it doesn’t. But what matters is the truth, and the truth is that she didn’t overdose. I will go to my grave believing that. God knows I’ve been there several times," said Caserta.

On September 18, 1970, Jimi Hendrix was found dead in his girlfriend Monika Dannemann's Notting Hill apartment. The authorities determined that the musician, 27, died from an overdose of alcohol and sleeping pills, while his autopsy concluded, “Hendrix aspirated his vomit and died of asphyxia while intoxicated with barbiturates.”

The Wizard of Oz and Summer Stock alum Judy Garland died from a barbiturate overdose on June 22, 1969. She was 47 at the time.

Garland dealt with depression and addiction in the years leading to her death.

“Sometimes I feel like I’m living in a blizzard,” she said in an interview. “An absolute blizzard.”

Lisa Robin Kelly's autopsy results confirmed that the That '70s Show actress died from multiple drug intoxication on August 15, 2013.

She passed away while in a California recovery center, her publicist confirmed.

"Lisa had voluntarily checked herself into a treatment facility early this week where she was battling the addiction problems that have plagued her these past few years," said the publicist. "I spoke to her on Monday and she was hopeful and confident, looking forward to putting this part of her life behind her. Last night she lost the battle."

Mac Miller was only 26 when he died on September 7, 2018. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner released a statement confirming that "mixed drug toxicity” including cocaine, fentanyl and alcohol, caused the rapper's death.

On the evening of August 4, 1962, Marilyn Monroe was found dead in the bedroom of her Brentwood home. She was 36.

Her psychiatrist broke into her room and found her nude, lying face down while clutching a telephone in her hand.

Authorities who responded to the scene found an empty bottle of sleeping pills and 14 other medicine bottles on the nightstand. The Los Angeles police later concluded that her death was “caused by a self-administered overdose of sedative drugs and that the mode of death is probable suicide.”

Following an inquest and another 1982 review, they determined she passed away from acute barbiturate poisoning.

Several theories suggested she was murdered, claiming there was a police cover-up that happened to conceal what truly caused Monroe's death.

King of Pop Michael Jackson died on June 25, 2009, at the age of 50, following an acute propofol intoxication. The Los Angeles County Coroner's Office noted that the benzodiazepine effect contributed to his death and that the manner was homicide.

Authorities also detected other drugs in his system, including ephedrine, lidocaine, diazepam and midazolam.

Jackson's personal physician Dr. Conrad Murray was later found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to four years in prison. He served around two years of the sentence before he was released in October 2013.

Michael K. Williams overdosed and died on September 6, 2021, a day after purchasing drugs. He was 54.

Reports said he bought the heroin on a sidewalk in the Williamsburg neighborhood, but it was later determined the drug was laced with fentanyl. The New York City drug dealer who provided The Wire actor with the drug was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2023.

"I am very sorry for my actions," dealer Irvin Cartagena told the court after the sentencing. "When we sold the drugs, we never intended for anyone to lose their life."

Philip Seymour Hoffman, who notably appeared in Happiness and the Big Lebowski, died on February 2, 2014, at the age of 46. He was found lying down with a syringe in his arm following a drug overdose.

A few weeks after his passing, the New York Medical Examiner’s Office ruled that he died of acute mixed drug intoxication, including heroin, cocaine, benzodiazepines and amphetamine.

Prince died following an accidental fentanyl overdose in his Paisley Park residence on April 21, 2016. Hours before his death, the 57-year-old musician was seen walking into a doctor's office. His bodyguard also picked up a prescription, a medication used to treat Prince's opioid withdrawal, at Walgreens.

Police who responded to his home found pills scattered at the scene.

On October 2, 2017, rocker was declared dead following an accidental drug overdose of several medications. He suffered from different health conditions, including injuries, prior to his passing.

According to the medical examiner, Petty had fentanyl, citalopram, oxycodone, acetyl fentanyl and despropionyl fentanyl in his system. They listed the cause as “multisystem organ failure due to resuscitated cardiopulmonary arrest due to mixed drug toxicity” and the manner as "accident."

Petty was also suffering from emphysema and coronary artery atherosclerosis at the time of his death.

Whitney Houston died on February 11, 2012, a day before the Grammy Awards that year. Authorities ruled she accidentally drowned, with cocaine use and heart disease as the contributing factors.

The 42-page coroner's report also found Xanax, Benadryl, Flexeril and marijuana in her system, though they reportedly did not contribute to her passing.

"There was water found in her lungs that indicated to us that she was alive when she was submerged underwater," Los Angeles County Chief Coroner Craig Harvey said at the time.

Houston was 48 at the time of her passing.