Celebrity deaths of 2025
Observations
Celebrity deaths 2025: Remembering the stars who've died this year
In memory of the celebrities who have died this year, including director David Lynch, "General Hospital" star Leslie Charleson, "RuPaul's Drag Race UK" winner The Vivienne.
By EW Staff
Updated on February 6, 2025 10:28AM EST
After saying sad goodbyes to the many stars who died in 2024, including Beverly Hills, 90210 star Shannen Doherty, The Shining actress Shelley Duvall, Harry Potter and Downton Abbey star Dame Maggie Smith, celebrity fitness icon Richard Simmons, and Rocky actor Carl Weathers, we are paying tribute after the deaths of entertainers and other notable figures in 2025.
Read on to remember the stars who have died in 2025, including director and Twin Peaks co-creator David Lynch, General Hospital star Leslie Charleson, and RuPaul's Drag Race UK winner The Vivienne.
Patricia Arquette learns of Lost Highway director David Lynch's death during live interview: 'There's nobody like him'
Irv Gotti
Irv Gotti, Murder Inc. Records cofounder and influential hip-hop and rap record producer died Feb. 5 after helping to launch the careers of iconic genre artists like Ja Rule and Ashanti. He was 54. In addition to developing Ja Rule's debut album Venni Vetti Vecci and Ashanti's first LP, Gotti produced numerous iconic singles throughout the years, including DMX's "What's My Name?" and Jennifer Lopez's "I'm Real" remix.
Lee Joo-Sil
Lee Joo-Sil, an actress known for Squid Game and Train to Busan, died Feb. 2. She was 81. Born 1944 in South Korea when the country was under Japanese rule, Lee began her career on the stage, appearing in productions of Death of a Salesman and Macbeth. She made her screen debut on the series Jeonwonilgi in 1980, and would go on to appear in films A Single Spark, The Uninvited, Running Wild, Punch Lady, and Commitment. In 2016's Train to Busan, Lee played the mother of protagonist Seok-Woo (Gong Yoo). Her TV credits included Lady President, Ordinary Love, Stormy Woman, The Witch's Diner, and The Uncanny Encounter. Lee's two-episode arc on season 2 of Squid Game, as the mother of Wi Ha-joon’s former detective Hwang Jun-ho, marked her final onscreen appearance.
Marianne Faithfull
Marianne Faithfull, the Grammy-nominated singer and actress known for hits like "As Tears Go By" and "Come and Stay With Me," died Jan. 30. She was 78. Faithfull rose to prominence as a singer at the height of the Swinging Sixties with her single "As Tears Go By," which was written by Rolling Stones members Keith Richards and Mick Jagger. Her relationship with Jagger dominated the tabloids from 1965 until 1970, during which time she penned her own albums and starred in several films, including the 1968 erotic drama The Girl on a Motorcycle. After their breakup, Faithfull struggled for years with drug abuse and homelessness before having a career resurgence following the release of her Grammy-nominated 1979 album, Broken English. She continued to sing, write, and act over the course of the next 40 years, appearing in such films as Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette and writing three books.
Ryan Whyte Maloney
Ryan Whyte Maloney, a singer and musician who was one of Blake Shelton's top five finalists on The Voice season 6, died in late January at 44. Maloney was born in Traverse City, Mich., in 1981, and started playing guitar, violin, cello, and drums when he was 9. From there he started writing songs and formed the band Indulge, with which he recorded the album Tomorrow's Another Day in 2005. After 10 years with that band, Maloney struck out on his own, which led to him recording the solo album Where I've Been and eventually starring on The Voice in 2014. On the NBC singing competition, Maloney received a four-chair turn with his blind audition song, "Lights," by Journey. He chose to be on Shelton's team, where he went through two battle rounds and made it to Shelton's top five finalists. Maloney returned to the show to perform in the season finale.
DJ Unk
DJ Unk, the Atlanta hip-hop artist behind the 2006 hit "Walk It Out," died Jan. 24. He was 43. Born in 1981, Platt began DJing as a teenager, joining forces with DJ Jelly and DJ Montay to form the Southern Style DJs. He signed to Big Oomp in 2000, eventually releasing his debut album, Beat'n Down Yo Block, on Koch Records in 2006. The album included the hit single "Walk It Out," which peaked at No. 2 on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop charts and No. 10 on the Hot 100 chart. A remix of the song featured André 3000 and Jim Jones. Another single from the album, "2 Step," also became a hit, and spawned a remix featuring T-Pain, E40, and Jones. Unk released his sophomore album, 2econd Season, in 2008. He later dropped several singles in the early 2010s, including "Get Em Up," "Trap It Out," and "Have a Toast." He released his third album, Fresh Off Dem Papers, in 2017.
Garth Hudson
Garth Hudson, the keyboardist, saxophonist, and multi-instrumentalist who was the last surviving member of Rock and Roll legends, the Band, died Jan. 21 at 87. The Canadian musician served as the principal architect of the Band's sound. Born into a family of musicians on on Aug. 2, 1937, Hudson began piano lessons at an early age. He was playing professionally with dance bands by age 12 and went on to study music at the University of Western Ontario, where he was classically trained in piano, music theory, harmony and counterpoint. When he joined the Band in 1961, part of his deal was being paid an additional $10 per week to give his bandmates music lessons. Originally named the Hawks, the group — consisting of Hudson, Levon Helm, Robbie Robertson, Richard Manuel, and Rick Danko — served as a backing band for Ronnie Hawkins before splitting from the singer to play with Bob Dylan on his electric 1965-66 world tour. In time, the Hawks became the Band and sent shockwaves through the music industry, popularizing Americana music with classic songs like "The Weight," "Up on Cripple Creek," and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down." They called it quits after a 1976 farewell concert, and Hudson went on to work as a session musician with many artists, including Van Morrison and Leonard Cohen. The band later reformed for a couple more records; Hudson also worked with his bandmates on several solo projects and films. The Band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.
Lynn Ban
Lynn Ban, a celebrated jewelry designer who starred on Netflix's Bling Empire: New York, died Jan. 20, just weeks after undergoing emergency brain surgery following a skiing accident. She was 52. Ban starred on the first season of Netflix's Bling Empire spinoff, Bling Empire: New York, which spotlighted the luxurious lives of a group of wealthy Asian Americans residing in the Big Apple. In addition to appearing on the reality series, Ban was the owner of Lynn Ban Jewelry, and her designs have been worn by celebrities like Rihanna and Beyoncé.
John Sykes
John Sykes, the electrifying guitarist who rocked the world in legendary bands Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy, died on Jan. 20. He was 65. Sykes rose to prominence as a member of heavy metal outfit Tygers of Pan Tang, recording two albums with the band before departing in 1982. He later joined Thin Lizzy and is credited with co-writing the single "Cold Sweat" on the band's twelfth and final album, Thunder and Lightning. Following Thin Lizzy's dissolution, Sykes was recruited by English hard rock band Whitesnake. He recorded guitar parts for their highly-successful 1984 album, Slide It In, and was heavily involved in the recording process for the band's seventh studio album, co-writing nine songs on the album including hits “Is This Love” and “Still of the Night.” However, due to disagreements with frontman David Coverdale, Sykes was fired from Whitesnake before the album's release in 1987. Sykes would go on to create his own band, Blue Murder, and perform as a member of the touring version of Thin Lizzy for over a decade. He also released four solo albums.
Jules Feiffer
Jules Feiffer, the Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist and author who famously illustrated Norton Juster’s beloved children’s book The Phantom Tollbooth, died of congestive heart failure on Jan. 17. He was 95. As a teenager, Feiffer got his start as an assistant to Will Eisner, helping to write and illustrate his crimefighter comic book stripThe Spirit. He joined The Village Voice in 1956, penning his own weekly comic book strip, Feiffer, at the publication until 1997. In addition to his career as a cartoonist, Feiffer wrote more than 35 works throughout his lifetime, including his 1958 comic strip collection Sick, Sick, Sick, the 1963 novel Harry the Rat with Women, and the screenplay for the 1960 animated film Munro, which won an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film. He also illustrated several children’s books like The Phantom Tollbooth and The Odious Ogre. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his political cartoons in 1986 and was the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Writers Guild of America in 2010. He is survived by his wife, JZ Holden, and three children.
Francisco San Martin
Francisco San Martin, a soap actor who appeared on Days of Our Lives and The Bold and the Beautiful, died Jan. 16. He was 39. Born in Spain but raised in Montana, San Martin originated the role of Dario Hernandez on Days of Our Lives in his TV debut, appearing on the soap between 2010 and 2011 before he was recast. It led to a bit role in the 2013 romance drama Behind the Candelabra alongside Matt Damon and Michael Douglas. San Martin also starred as telenovela actor Fabian on the CW’s Jane the Virgin, and the shorts Hotter Up Close and Dot.
Bob Uecker
Bob Uecker, the beloved sports broadcaster and comedic actor died Jan. 16. He was 90. Uecker parlayed his stint as an unremarkable MLB catcher into a successful second act as a Hall of Fame broadcaster and comedy star in all three of the Major League and Mr. Belvedere, and cameoed on shows like Who's The Boss?, Futurama, and Teen Titans Go. He also made regular appearances on The Johnny Carson Show, the Late Show with David Letterman, and hosted Bob Uecker's Wacky World of Sports and Bob Uecker's War of the Stars. In 1982, Uecker published a memoir titled Catcher in the Wry: Outrageous but True Stories of Baseball. He was honored by the Baseball Hall of Fame with the Ford C. Frick award in 2003 and was similarly recognized by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association, the Radio Hall of Fame, and the WWE.
Joan Plowright
Dame Joan Plowright, the venerable stage and screen actress and widow of Laurence Olivier, died Jan. 16. She was 95. Over the course of her more than 65-year career in entertainment, Plowright delivered celebrated performances in films such as Equus and in plays such as John Osborne’s The Entertainer, which saw her work alongside Olivier, and her Tony-winning turn in A Taste of Honey. Plowright and Olivier later reprised their roles for the 1960 film adaptation of The Entertainer, and were married a year later. When Plowright was not onstage, she could likely be found onscreen, appearing in several film and television projects including Mike Newell’s 1991 historical drama Enchanted April, for which her performance as Mrs. Jane Fisher saw her both nominated for an Oscar and win a Golden Globe. Plowright also won a second Golden Globe that same evening for her for her performance in HBO’s made-for-television film, Stalin. She was made a dame by Queen Elizabeth II in 2004, and worked for another decade in entertainment before retiring in 2014.
David Lynch
David Lynch, the acclaimed filmmaker behind the monumental mystery series Twin Peaks and films like Mulholland Drive and Blue Velvet, died January 15. He was 78. Lynch’s unique and constant fascination with dreamlike rhythms, character doppelgangers, Americana, offbeat humor, ambient soundscapes, and the tension between darkness and light led critics and cinephiles to describe works with similar qualities as "Lynchian." After studying painting and experimenting with short filmmaking, Lynch completed his first film, Eraserhead, in 1977. In the '80s, he directed the biopic The Elephant Man, the sci-fi epic Dune, and the controversial neo-noir Blue Velvet. In 1990, Lynch's romance road film Wild at Heart earned the Palme d’Or at Cannes, and his TV series Twin Peaks captured the zeitgeist by blending soap opera, mystery, and horror elements. Lynch returned to the series with the 1992 prequel movie Fire Walk With Me, and later helmed an 18-episode revival for Showtime in 2017 that ultimately capped his career. Later projects included the acclaimed Mulholland Drive and the dizzying Inland Empire. Though some of his films polarized critics at the time, they have all gained strong acclaim from audiences and critics alike.
Paul Danan
Paul Danan, the British actor and reality star best known for playing Solomon “Sol” Patrick on the long-running sudser Hollyoaks, died on Jan. 15. He was 46. An Essex native, Danan rose to prominence portraying Sol — the adopted son of Jill Patrick (Lynda Rooke) — on Hollyoaks from 1997 until 2001. His performance as the troubled teenager landed him a Best Actor nomination at the Inside Soap Awards in 1999. Danan would go on to star in spotlight roles on television shows such as The Queen’s Nose, Casualty, and Adventure Inc, before making the leap to reality television. He appeared on several popular programs including Celebrity Big Brother, Celebrity Coach Trip, and two seasons of Celebrity Love Island in 2005 and 2006. Danan, who was open about his struggles with substance abuse, founded the Morning After Drama theater company, which offers free arts-based workshops to those in active recovery, in 2020.
Jeannot Szwarc
Jeannot Szwarc, a French director known for Supergirl, Jaws 2, Somewhere in Time, and numerous notable TV projects, died Jan. 14. He was 87. His work in Hollywood began in earnest on the television side, with his first credit to that effect coming as a writer, producer, and eventually director of Ironside in the late '60s. Throughout the early 1970s, he directed episodes for a slew of shows including It Takes a Thief, Matt Lincoln, and Sarge. He helmed 7 episodes of Marcus Welby, M.D. and 19 episodes of Night Gallery, before then working on several different TV movies. His first feature credit as a director came in 1973's Extreme Close-Up, which he followed up with 1975's Bug, before finally stepping into Steven Spielberg's shoes to direct Jaws 2 in 1978. That gig kicked off the film side of his oeuvre, which went into high gear in the '80s and '90s with movies including Enigma, Supergirl, Hercule & Sherlock, and Somewhere in Time. In later years, Szwarc continued to work in television, directing episodes of JAG, Scandal, Bones, Castle, Ally McBeal, Smallville, Supernatural and Grey’s Anatomy.
Tony Slattery
Tony Slattery, the British actor and comedian known for his sharp improv skills on Channel 4's Whose Line Is It Anyway?, died on Jan. 14. He was 65. He appeared across seven seasons of the Clive Anderson-hosted improv game show and was an alum of Cambridge University’s comedy troupe Cambridge Footlights alongside then-students Stephen Fry, Emma Thompson, Hugh Laurie, and Sandi Toksvig. Slattery’s movie credits include Peter’s Friends opposite former peers Fry, Thompson, and Laurie; The Crying Game; and How to Get Ahead in Advertising, while TV credits include Saturday Stayback, Behind the Bike Sheds, Gems, and This Is David Harper. He also appeared on the West End stage, starring in musicals Me and My Girl, Radio Times, and Neville's Island, the latter of which earned him an Olivier Award nomination.
Leslie Charleson
Leslie Charleson, the actress best known for her role as Monica Quartermaine on General Hospital, died on Jan. 12. She was 79. Producer Frank Valenti confirmed Charleson's death in a post on the official General Hospital Instagram which read in part, "Her enduring legacy has spanned nearly 50 years on General Hospital alone and, just as Monica was the heart of the Quartermaines, Leslie was a beloved matriarch of the entire cast and crew." The Kansas City, Mo.-born actress appeared in brief stints on soaps like As The World Turns and Love Is a Many Splendored Thing before joining the GH cast as Monica, the matriarch of the powerful Quartermaine family. Monica owns Quartermaine Mansion, is former chief of staff of General Hospital, and is known for her enduring and often fractious relationship with ex-husband Alan (Stuart Damon). Charleson's moving performance throughout Monica's breast cancer storyline of the mid- to late-1990s earned her the last of four Daytime Emmy nominations. With her last onscreen appearance in December 2023, Charleson became General Hospital's longest-tenured cast member.
Sam Moore
Sam Moore, the Grammy-winning soul singer and one-half of the duo Sam & Dave, died Jan. 10. He was 89. Born in 1935 in Miami, Moore began singing at a young age in church and clubs before joining forces with Dave Prater to form Sam & Dave. The duo released a string of R&B hits in the mid-1960s, including "Hold On! I'm Comin'," "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby," "I Thank You," and, most notably, "Soul Man," which won the 1968 Grammy for Best Rhythm & Blues Group Performance, Vocal or Instrumental, and surged in popularity when John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd covered the song as the Blues Brothers on their 1978 album, Briefcase Full of Blues. Sam & Dave split up in 1970, and Moore recorded a solo album that wasn't released until 2002. Sam & Dave were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 following Prater's death in a car accident. In 2006, Moore released the solo album Overnight Sensational, featuring collaborations with Mariah Carey, Bruce Springsteen, Fantasia, Sting, Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Preston, Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, and many more.
Bill Byrge
Bill Byrge, best known for playing Ernest's neighbor Bobby in several of the Ernest comedy films, died on Jan. 9. Byrge's first onscreen credit came in 1985 as the gas station attendant in sci-fi comedy Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam, which also starred Jim Varney. So began a long partnership between the two, which included the 1988 film Ernest Saves Christmas and TV show, Hey, Vern, It’s Ernest!, 1990’s Ernest Goes to Jail, 1991’s Ernest Scared Stupid and 1994’s Ernest Goes to School. Byrge also reprised the character and produced 2010's Billy & Bobby the Whacky Duo on Vacation!, which was released 10 years after Varney died in 2000 of lung cancer at age 50. Byrge had an additional uncredited role in the 1988 short Harry the Dirty Dog.
Peter Yarrow
Peter Yarrow, the singer, songwriter, and political activist who was a major figure in the folk revival movement of the 1960s as one third of the music trio Peter, Paul and Mary, died on Jan. 7 at 86 after a four-year battle with bladder cancer. Along with Noel Paul Stookey and Mary Travers (who died in 2009), Yarrow helped to comprise the folk trio beloved for their politically-charged songs and three-part harmonies. The group played a critical role in turning the folk music scene into a massively popular movement in the 1960s. Throughout their time together, they earned five Grammys, released two No. 1 albums, and scored six top-10 hits. The trio split up in 1970 to pursue solo careers, a year after Yarrow pleaded guilty to taking indecent liberties with a 14-year-old girl. He served three months in jail and was ultimately pardoned by President Jimmy Carter in 1981. In subsequent years, the musician continuously apologized for and expressed regret over the incident. Peter, Paul and Mary reunited in 1978 for an anti-nuclear-power concert and remained together until Travers' death, at which point Yarrow and Stookey continued to perform both separately and together. Stookey is now the last surviving member of the group.
Mike Rinder
Mike Rinder, a former high-ranking Scientology executive who became a vocal critic of the church and cohosted the Emmy-winning docuseries Scientology and the Aftermath with Leah Remini, died on Jan. 5. He was 69. Rinder renounced Scientology in 2007, becoming a prominent whistleblower against the organization. He was featured in the Emmy- and Peabody-winning HBO documentary Going Clear in 2015, before teaming up with the King of Queens actress for the A&E docuseries Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath. Remini and Rinder continued their partnership with the podcast,Scientology: Fair Game.
The Vivienne
The Vivienne, the drag entertainer who won the inaugural season of RuPaul's Drag Race UK and competed on All Stars 7, died on Jan. 5 at 32. A cause was not disclosed. The British queen won fan affection and RuPaul's admiration for her stunning looks on the runway and comedic prowess, including a fan-favorite Snatch Game impersonation of U.S. President Donald Trump. She returned as the only international franchise representative on the all-winners cast of All Stars 7, again wowing the judges with her fashions and excelling at the season's comedy challenges. In addition to her tenure on Drag Race, The Vivienne also regularly appeared in British films and TV programs, including the Absolutely Fabulous movie in 2016 and as a contestant on season 15 of the celebrity-focused Dancing on Ice show in 2023.
Jeff Baena
Jeff Baena, the independent filmmaker who collaborated with his wife, Aubrey Plaza, on projects like The Little Hours and Life After Beth, died Jan. 3. He was 47. Medical examiner records indicated that Baena's death was ruled a suicide by hanging. Born in Miami in 1977, Baena made his screenwriting debut with 2004's I Heart Huckabees, a collaboration with director David O. Russell that starred Dustin Hoffman. Baena began dating Plaza in 2011, and made his directorial debut with 2014's Life After Beth, Baena released 2016's Joshy, a dark comedy that centered on a protagonist (Thomas Middleditch) reeling from the death of his fiancée (Alison Brie). Brie headlined Baena's next two projects, 2017's The Little Hours (which also starred Plaza) and 2020's Horse Girl. He later created the experimental dramedy series Cinema Toast in 2021, which reunited him with a number of past collaborators, including Plaza (who made her directorial debut in an episode) and Brie. His final film was 2022's Spin Me Round, a dark comedy he wrote with Brie, who also starred alongside Alessandro Nivola and Plaza.
Brenton Wood
Brenton Wood, the soul singer and songwriter known for a string of '60s hits including "The Oogum Boogum Song," "Gimme Little Sign," and "Catch You on the Rebound," died Jan. 3 at 83. Born Alfred Jesse Smith in Shreveport, La., Wood grew up singing wherever he could — audience or not — and began to write songs and excel at playing the piano while attending high school and junior college in Compton, Calif. He first went into a studio in 1957, and went on to release music and tour for decades. His manager said that on his last night, Wood shared a message for fans: "Catch you on the rebound."
Wayne Osmond
Wayne Osmond, the singer and musician known for performing alongside his siblings as a member of the Osmond Brothers, died Jan. 1 at 73. Born in Ogden, Utah, in 1951, he began his musical career in a barbershop quartet with his brothers Alan, Jay, and Merrill, gaining prominence during a televised Disneyland performance in 1961 and regularly appearing on several TV shows throughout the 1960s. After adding brothers Donny and Jimmy to their lineup, the Osmonds performed as a pop group, nabbing a No. 1 hit with "One Bad Apple" in 1971. Wayne, who had perfect pitch, helped arrange the band's harmonies and played lead guitar. Though the group's popularity dwindled as younger siblings Jimmy, Donny, and Marie launched solo careers in the mid-'70s, the original four Osmond Brothers reunited as a country act in the '80s and performed until the 2010s. Wayne eventually retired from the band in 2012, following treatment for a brain tumor that left him deaf. He reunited with the group for a performance in Honolulu in 2018, then had one final performance on The Talk in 2019 to celebrate Marie's birthday.
Ken Flores
Ken Flores, the Chicago-born comedian who was a rising star in the stand-up world, died on Jan. 28. He was 28. Flores's family announced his passing on the comedian's Instagram the day after, asking fans to "please respect our privacy at this time as we are all shocked and devastated" by the loss of "our friend, brother, and son Kenyi Flores." The comedian was in the midst of his "Butterfly Effect Tour," his first solo headlining comedy tour of the country. Flores created the Chicago Laugh Factory's popular LatinXL comedy show in 2022 before embarking to Los Angeles to pursue his career. He had become a regular at L.A. comedy institutions like The Comedy Store and Hollywood Improv, and appeared as a guest on the Netflix is a Daily Joke podcast last year. Hollywood Improv eulogized Flores on X on Jan. 29, with a post that read in part, "We were honored to share your talent on our stages. You were greatness, and it was only a matter of time until the whole world saw it."
https://ew.com/celebrity-deaths-2025-stars-who-died-this-year-8771515
Two sure things in life---DEATH AND DISSAPOINTMENT---An old farmer said this!?
Interesting to read about these celebrities who died in 2025. Most of these people, I don't remember, because I gave up watching TV in 1977....only glimpsed TV, momentarily, when I visited friends. In 1977, I left my marriage of 21 years...and put my nose to the grindstone in order to be in a position to support myself. The first year I left I worked with a song arranger and got copyrights on 15 (of 25) songs,, The second year I moved to the Mojave Desert and started writing... a 300 page manuscript How to Raise an Organic, Baby, plus another spiritual manuscript. For Thou Art with Me; I took these to NYC in 1979...and moved to Connecticut. They did not get published, because I am a writer; not a salesperson. In 1980. I met a disciple of Dr. Norman Walker who had followed Dr. Walker's health info, since he was 16. He was a perfect example of physical fitness at 50. I was very interested in learning how he ate and his routines. I implemented them into my own life, because he was a living example of health. Then, I met another man who inspired me to get into running the end of 1980. .Frank Stranahan who was a champion golfer. He was in his late fifties and ran 102 marathons. In 1981, I spent six months getting into top shape...working out at the gym and running. In six months, I worked up to a marathon run of 4 hours and 23 minutes at the age of 47.. In 1982, I opened my holistic health center in West Los Angeles...and started doing nutritional consultations for the next 30 years. In 1994, 1999 and in 2004, I got finisher medals doing the LA Marathon. .I am not a spectator...I want to be totally involved in playing the game. Everybody has talent, which will be very satisfying for people; in developing their own talents...not sit and watch others on the boob tube. ..