Journalism of Courage
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Marilyn Monroe, Whitney Houston – Celebs who died of drug overdose
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1 / 11Hollywood actor Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead in his New York apartment on February 2 due to an apparent heroin overdose. The Capote actor suffered from a chronic medical condition that required ongoing treatment. An admitted drug addict who first sought professional help more than two decades ago, Hoffman apparently succumbed to his affliction with an overdose despite a return to rehab last March. Here's a look at celebrities who died in a similar way.
2 / 11Cory Monteith: The 'Glee' actor and singer died as result of toxic mix of heroin and alcohol in 2013 at the age of 31. He was found dead in his Vancouver hotel room after taking a lethal cocktail of heroin and booze.
3 / 11Kurt Cobain: Kurt Cobain best known as the lead singer, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the grunge band Nirvana was often uncomfortable and frustrated, believing his message and artistic vision to have been misinterpreted by the public. Plus his personal issues were also often subject to media attention.
Kurt Cobain also struggled with heroin addiction and depression plus he had difficulty coping up with fame. And in 1994, Kurt Cobain was found dead at his home in Seattle. Though it was ruled a suicide by a self-inflicted shotgun but a high dose of heroin and diazepam were also found in his body.
4 / 11Jim Morrison: The Doors frontman was found dead in the bathtub of his Paris apartment on July 3, 1971, at the age of 27. Jim Morrison is alleged to have died of a heroin overdose, but as no autopsy was performed, the exact cause of his death is not clear till date.
5 / 11Whitney Houston: American singer, actress, model Whitney Houston was found dead in her guest room at The Beverly Hilton on February 11, 2012 a day before the Grammy Awards. The official report showed that she had accidentally drowned in the bathtub, with heart disease and cocaine use listed as contributing factors.
6 / 11Elvis Presley: The King of rock and roll died at the age of 42 in 1977. Elvis Presley was found unresponsive on the bathroom floor of his home and he was later rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival. Several years of prescription drug abuse severely deteriorated his health, which led to his death.
7 / 11Amy Winehouse: English singer and songwriter Amy died of fatal alcohol poisoning in 2011, at the age of 27. Her album Back to Black posthumously became the UK's best-selling album of the 21st century, at that point In 2012, Winehouse was ranked 26th on VH1's 100 Greatest Women In Music list.
8 / 11Heath Ledger: The actor died due to combined drug toxicity due to oxycodone, hydrocodone, alprazolam, diazepam, temazepam, doxylamine as a result of prescription drug overdose in 2008 at the age of 28.
Heath Ledger was the first actor who was given an Oscar posthumously for his portrayal of Joker in Christopher Nolan's 'The Dark Knight'.
9 / 11Michael Jackson: American Pop Singer and icon, Michael Jackson died as a result of cardiac arrest due to acute propofol intoxication; midazolam, lidocaine, diazepam, lorazepam also noted in autopsy report in 2009 at the age of 50.
10 / 11Marilyn Monroe: America's greatest screen sex symbol of all times Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her bedroom by her psychiatrist at the age of 36. The reasons of her death, from an overdose of barbiturates (drugs that act as central nervous system depressants). Though officially classified as a "probable suicide", the possibilities of an accidental overdose were not ruled out.
11 / 11Anna Nicole Smith: Playboy model and reality TV star Anna Nicole Smith died at the age of 29, her friends tried to revive her with CPR when they found her unresponsive at a Hotel and Casino in Hollywood. Later, Anna was rushed to the hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival. Anna Nicole Smith died in February 2007 as a result of an overdose of prescription drugs.
