10 Times the Celebrity Death Rule of Threes Actually Happened

Publish date: 2024-05-23

Much like the internet rule 34 (please don’t ever look that up), online communities insist that bad things happen in threes, especially when it comes to celebrity deaths. You may think, “There’s no way this is an actual thing that happens. It’s all coincidental!” Yes, it may be, but after doing a bit of research, we’re convinced .

For all you skeptics out there, we have concrete proof — or rather, some pretty good examples — of the celebrity death rule of threes phenomenon. It’s believed to have started when Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper died in a plane crash together all the way back in 1959. And, more recently, Parts Unknown star Anthony Bourdain, fashion designer Kate Spade and The Goldbergs star Jackson Odell all died within mere days of one another.

Much like you will be once you click ahead to the 10 examples we found, we were shocked to find how many times tragic celebrity deaths have happened in threes.

A version of this article was originally published in June 2014.

Kate Spade, Anthony Bourdain, Jackson Odell
Early June 2018 was a rough one. To start, on June 5, designer Kate Spade died at 55 by suicide. She was found in her New York City apartment and left a suicide note.Then, on June 8, it was announced Anthony Bourdain died at 61, also by suicide. He was found unresponsive by his friend in a French hotel.A few days later, on June 10, The Goldbergs actor Jackson Odell died at the age of 20. TMZ reported he was found "unresponsive in a sober living home" and that there were "no signs of foul play."
Prince, Chyna, Doris Roberts
A few months after David Bowie's death rocked us, 2016 started to seem like the worst year for celebrity deaths yet.
On April 17, 2016, we were saddened to hear that Doris Roberts, the lovably annoying mom on Everybody Loves Raymond, died in her sleep at age 90.
Just a few days later on April 20, ex-WWE wrestler Chyna died at age 46 of an accidental drug overdose after taking sleeping pills.
And one day later on April 21, fans everywhere were heartbroken to learn that Prince had met a similar fate — the music legend's shocking death at age 57 was ruled an accidental overdose.
Tony Gwynn, Casey Kasem, Ruby Dee
On June 11, 2015, Ruby Dee — beloved actress, writer and civil rights activist — died at her home in New York from natural causes. The legend, whose credits include A Raisin in the Sun and American Gangster, was 91.
On June 15, radio icon Casey Kasem died in a Washington state hospital at the age of 82 from complications of Lewy body dementia. The inimitable host of the American Top 40 Countdown had been the center of a heated medical tug-of-war between his wife, Jean Kasem, and his children for several months preceding his death.
The third celebrity death in less than a week, "Mr. Padre" Tony Gwynn died unexpectedly when his heart stopped. The beloved baseball star was only 54 years old.
Elmore Leonard, Lee Thompson Young, Lisa Robin Kelly
Lisa Robin Kelly, best known for her role as Laurie on That '70s Show, died in her sleep at the age of 43 while in a rehabilitation facility on Aug. 14, 2013. A coroner later ruled that her death was a drug overdose.
A few days later on Aug. 19, 29-year-old actor Lee Thompson Young was found dead in his Los Angeles, California, apartment after failing to show up for work on the Rizzoli & Isles set. The former star of Disney's The Famous Jett Jackson had committed suicide.
On Aug. 20, Elmore Leonard — the great American novelist and screenwriter whom we have to thank for classics like Get Shorty, 3:10 to Yumaand even the current FX series Justified — died in his Detroit, Michigan, home at age 87 from stroke complications.
Peaches Geldof, Mickey Rooney, John Pinette
A stand-up comedian and actor widely known for his role in the Seinfeld series finale, John Pinette died on April 5, 2014. Pinette's personal doctor signed off on the 50-year-old's cause of death as pulmonary embolism.
The following day, legend of the silver screen (and notorious ladies' man) Mickey Rooney died in his sleep from natural causes at the age of 93.
On April 7, news of 25-year-old English journalist and television personality Peaches Geldof dismayed family, friends and fans, who found her death sudden and inexplicable. Sadly, a subsequent inquest into her death revealed that heroin likely played a large part in it.
Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon
Morbidly dubbed the "Summer of Death," the summer of 2009 saw the death of many notable figures in American pop culture. The rule of threes certainly seemed to be at play in June of that year, when game show host and announcer Ed McMahon died peacefully on June 23 at the age of 86.
Two days later, Charlie's Angel stunner Farrah Fawcett succumbed to her battle with anal cancer at the age of 62.
As the world still reeled from her death, news broke that the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, had died unexpectedly at the age of 50 years old. His doctor was later implicated in contributing to Jackson's death.
Annette Funicello, Margaret Thatcher, Lilly Pulitzer
Lilly Pulitzer, the fashion designer whose plucky Palm Beach-esque prints and bright colors perked up many a woman's life, died on April 7, 2013, at the age of 81.
The following day, the world mourned the loss of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Nicknamed the Iron Lady, Thatcher remains an inspiration for political legacy.
Later the same day, Annette Funicello died at a California hospital from complications due to multiple sclerosis. The 70-year-old was best known as one of the child stars of the original Mickey Mouse Club.
Rik Mayall, Don Zimmer, Ann B. Davis
Although she enjoyed many roles in her lengthy career, Ann B. Davis was best known for her role as the unflappable maid Alice on The Brady Bunch. Her death, which happened on June 1, 2014 came after the otherwise healthy 88-year-old fell in her bathroom and sustained a subdural hematoma.
A few days later on June 4, the world lost another baseball legend when Don Zimmer died at the age of 83 from heart and kidney problems.
Just a week after Davis' death, news broke that comedian, writer and actor Rik Mayall had died suddenly at the age of 56. According to his wife, he suffered a heart attack after coming back from a run.
David Bowie, Alan Rickman, René Angélil
What a start to 2016: In early January, family of legendary rock star David Bowie announced that he had lost an 18-month battle with cancer. Bowie's death was a huge shock to fans; Ziggy Stardust had stayed out of the limelight in recent years and kept his cancer battle a secret.
Not even a week later, Harry Potter fans were devastated to learn that Alan Rickman, famous for his role as Professor Severus Snape, had died, also from cancer.
Later the same day, reps for singer Céline Dion announced that her husband, René Angélil, had died from his own battle with cancer.
Alan Thicke, George Michael, Carrie Fisher
2016: the year that took so many of our beloved celebs. Around the holidays, Alan Thicke, George Michael and Carrie Fisher all died unexpectedly.
Growing Pains star Thicke collapsed while playing hockey with his son Dec. 13. He died at a hospital several hours later.
Michael, one of the '80s greatest pop stars and the front man of Wham!, died in his sleep of heart failure. He was discovered by his longtime partner on Christmas Day. On Dec. 23,
Star Wars actress Fisher was rushed to the hospital after going into cardiac arrest during a flight from London to LA. Family members said she was stable before her unexpected death was announced on Dec. 27.