Even the rich and famous are not immune to the ravages and dangers of drug addictions. While by no means are all celebrities addicted to drugs or alcohol there are a fair few who are and they usually make the headlines sooner or later. In fact, these superstars may be even more susceptible to this particular pitfall because of the unique pressures of their jobs, always being in the public eye. Celebrity deaths are unique in that while we do not know these people personally, their deaths still have the ability to touch us, sadden us, and leave us wondering why it had to end this way. Here are four tragic celebrity deaths that could have been prevented by a rehab program.
JOHN BELUSHI
CAUSE: Heroin and cocaine overdose
PLACE: Chateau Marmont, Los Angeles, CA.
DATE: 05 March 1982
John Belushi was a comedian and actor, best known as one of the original cast members of Saturday Night Live. Officially ruled a “drug-related accident” Belushi, 33, died of a lethal mixture of heroin and cocaine, commonly known as a speedball. He was discovered by his personal trainer, Bill Wallace, when Wallace showed up for Belushi’s regularly scheduled training session. His friend and drug dealer Catherine Evelyn Smith admitted to administering the fatal speedball to Belushi and was charged with manslaughter. She served 15 months in prison.
DAVE BROCKIE
CAUSE: Heroin overdose
PLACE: Home, Richmond, VA
DATE: 23 March 2014
Dave Brockie is a Canadian born singer who is most widely known as the front man for the band Gwar. The science fiction-themed band portrays a cast of foul, barbaric, interplanetary warriors and Brockie’s character, Oderus Urungus, was one of the most notable. Brockie was discovered dead in his home by a fellow band member. The coroner later ruled that he had died of an accidental heroin overdose. Brockie, 50, was laid to rest with a traditional Viking style funeral during the bands 5th annual GWAR-B-Q.
CHRIS FARLEY
CAUSE: Cocaine and morphine overdose
PLACE: John Hancock Center, Chicago, IL.
DATE: 18 December 1997
Like Belushi, Chris Farley was an actor, comedian, and a member of the cast of the popular TV show, Saturday Night Live. He had struggled with obesity and its subsequent health problems for most of his life. His manager had tried repeatedly to get him to complete a drug rehab program, but instead, Farley became adept at hiding his drug use and was able to convince his peers that he had everything under control. Farley, 33, was found dead in his apartment by his younger brother. The autopsy revealed that he had died from a speedball overdose furthering the similarities between him and his dead contemporary, John Belushi.
SCOTT WEILAND
CAUSE: Cocaine, amphetamine, and alcohol overdose
PLACE: Tour bus, Bloomington, MN.
DATE: 03 December 2015
Best known as the lead vocalist for the wildly popular band, Stone Temple Pilots, Scott Weiland was an American born singer and songwriter. He left Stone Temple Pilots from 2003 to 2008 when he was a member of another band called Velvet Revolver. Despite his immense musical success, Weiland had a well-noted substance abuse problem. He was discovered dead on his tour bus the night before they were scheduled to play a concert in Rochester, MN. The autopsy revealed that Weiland, 48, also had some undocumented health issues which made it even more likely for him to accidentally overdose.
This is just a minuscule sampling of celebrities whose lives and careers were cut short due to drug addictions and subsequent overdoses. Had any of these people seriously sought rehab perhaps they would still be spending time with their families and doing what they loved. Don’t let this happen to you or to someone you love. Reach out to a counselor here at Asana Recovery and learn about our detox and residential treatment programs. Whether you reach out to us via the telephone or on our website, the important thing is that you contact us so we can begin getting you the help that you need.
