People tend to expect that celebrities are perfect embodies, yet they’re just human after all. As a human, they can make mistakes in their life. Therefore, some many famous singers and actors have killed others in real life.
That’s right! Whether intentionally or unintentionally, some celebrities did away with others and incurred court fines, and even dealt with their court of conscience for the rest of their lives. And, of course, their fame was also tarnished by the accusation of murder. Not many celebs can recover their successful career after being jailed or accused of killing.
In this post, we want to draw your attention to the dark side of celebrities with a list of 20 famous actors, and singers who killed others. From tragic accidents to grisly premeditated murders, you can have mixed feelings about their stories. Our list includes some big names like Snoop Dog, Don King, Brandy Norwood, etc… Keep scrolling down to explore.
#1 Paul Kelly
Source: ABC
Paul Kelly was a child actor and later became a big star as a stage, film, and television actor. He had a brilliant acting career, yet had a pause for a whopping 2 years when he was jailed after beating the musical comedy actor Ray Raymond to death in 1927.
The rumor is that Kelly became quite friendly with Raymond’s wife, Dorothy Mackaye. Raymond caught wind of it, then two men fell out through the telephone. That led to the fight right in Raymond’s house, and it seemed that Kelly beat Raymond. Raymond was unconscious the next morning and died 2 days later.
Kelly was taken into custody right away and given a 10-year term. Nevertheless, he was released from San Quentin after just 25 months. On his return, he married Dorothy MacKaye, who is Raymond's widow at this time.
#2 Don King
Source: ESPN
Don King, a boxing promoter, has worked with some of the most well-known boxers in history, including Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali. But he also has a background in violent and shady crimes. On April 20, 1966, King ran into Sam Garrett, a former worker, in a bar. King then beat Garrett to death for over $600 due to a prior bet. He was given a four-year sentence after being found guilty of reduced manslaughter charges after being charged with second-degree murder.
#3 Phil Spector
Source: TMZ
Record producer Phil Spector allegedly put a gun in actress Lana Clarkson's mouth in 2003 and pulled the trigger after a night of drinking and romantic rejection. After that, he reportedly told his chauffeur, "I think I killed somebody," according to the prosecution's version of events at his murder trial.According to his defense, Spector's non-native English-speaking driver misheard Spector's cries to "call someone" due to some gurgling sounds from a nearby fountain along with the driver's "fatigue and hunger from working all night,". The jury did not believe Spector, and in 2009, he was found guilty of second-degree murder and given a 19-year to a life sentence.
#4 Brandy Norwood
Source: The Shade Room
R&B singer Brandy (real name Brandy Norwood) rear-ended driver Awatef Aboudihaj in December 2006, starting a four-car chain reaction. According to People, Aboudihaj suffered "severe injuries" in the collision and then passed away. The singer, however, wasn't charged in connection with the death since she wasn't hurt in the collision and wasn't using drugs while driving. She later sent her condolences to Aboudihaj’s family.
#5 Aaron Hernandez
Source: The Boston Globe
Aaron Hernandez was an American football tight end, who played in the National Football League. But he sadly called a halt to his career when he was found guilty of killing his friend Odin Lloyd in 2013. Hernandez fatally shot Lloyd in an industrial area close to his North Attleborough, Massachusetts house. Hernandez's DNA and footprints enable the police to connect him to the crime scene. On April 15, 2015, Hernandez was found guilty of first-degree murder and given a life sentence without the possibility of parole.Besides, The former NFL player was indicted in 2014 for the 2012 shooting killings of two Boston men, Safiro Furtado and Daniel Abreu.
#6 Matthew Broderick
Source: Getty Images
On August 5, 1987, while on vacation in Ireland, Matthew Broderick was driving with his Ferris Bueller's Day Off co-star, Jennifer Grey, on a road in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland. He inadvertently made the wrong turn, killing 63-year-old Margaret Doherty and her 28-year-old daughter Anna Gallagher, who were in the other car. According to the New York Post, Broderick was charged with careless driving and fined $175.
#7 Jayson Williams
Source: New York Post
Jayson Williams, a former NBA player (Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets), fatally shot Costas "Gus" Christofi on February 14, 2002. After a sporting event in Philadelphia, Williams hired limo driver Christofi to carry him and a group of friends to supper. After dinner, the company returned to Williams' house, where he displayed his weapons collection. Williams failed to check the safety of a 12-gauge shotgun and the gun unintentionally discharged, killing Christofi. Williams was sentenced to five years in jail for the offense in February 2010.
#8 Laura Bush
Source: TODAY
The “First Lady of the United States” had an ordeal at the age of 17 when she slammed her car into another after running a stop sign. It turned out that Michael Dutton, her classmate, and close friend, was the girl in the opposite car. Laura documented this blunder in her memoir "Spoken from the Heart."
#9 Fay DeWitt
Source: iMDb
A month after their divorce, the famed American comedy actress stabbed her ex-husband Ray Allen to death with a letter opener in 1965. However, the claims were dropped the next day after it was established that her husband was inebriated when he forced his way into Dewitt's home and repeatedly bashed her skull against a wall.
#10 James Stewart
Source: GoldDerby
During World War II, the famed actor served as a pilot in the United States Air Force, participating in multiple bombing missions that resulted in the deaths of several enemy civilians and soldiers. He retired as a Brigadier General after serving in the air force for almost two decades. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Honorable Flying Cross for his bravery and distinguished service to the United States Army.
#11 Rebecca Gayheart
Source: USA Today
She ran over a nine-year-old boy while driving through Los Angeles in 2001. She reached an out-of-court settlement with the mourning parents in a wrongful death action. In an interview with People Magazine in 2005, she stated about the accident: “It’s something that is with me every day, and it will be for the rest of my life.”
#12 Oscar Pistorius
Source: Sky News
Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp through the toilet door of his house on February 14, 2013, claiming he thought she was an intruder. He was then detained and charged with her murder. Many people worldwide kept close tabs on the trial, which lasted more than six months. Pistorius was convicted of manslaughter on September 12, 2014. He was later given a five-year prison term for the murder of Ms. Steenkamp. On August 21, 2015, Pistorius is scheduled to be released from prison early after completing only 10 months of his sentence.
#13 Vince Neil
Source: People
Mötley Crüe's members are all known for living extravagant lives, but singer Vince Neil's past features a particularly gloomy chapter. Neil (actual name Vincent Neil Wharton), the drummer for the Hanoi Rocks, reportedly spent a day drinking with Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley in December 1984. The two then reportedly got in the car and sped off to a liquor store to buy more alcohol.According to reports, Neil lost control of his car and slammed into another car, killing Dingley and seriously hurting the two people inside the second car. Despite giving millions to the families of his victims, he only served a short sentence.
#14 Lead Belly
Source: Jazz.FM91
Lead Belly is a well-known singer. But he has been jailed twice: once for the murder of Will Stafford, a relative with whom he was feuding over a lady, and another for stabbing a white man during a fight. Both times, after serving the statutory minimum of seven years in prison, he was pardoned.
#15 Amy Rose Locane
Source: Pinterest
The former star of the musical comedy Cry-Baby (1990) killed 60 years old Helene Seeman while she was driving under the influence in New Jersey in 2010. She received a three-year prison term in February 2013. That disappointed Seeman's family who were expecting a maximum ten-year term.
#16 Lane Garrison
Source: Sapo
The "Prison Break" star offered to give two youngsters a ride home from a party when he was driving. He was intoxicated at the time, which caused a car accident. Vahagn Setian, a 17-year-old high school student, was killed after his car collided with a tree.He also received a 40-month prison term in 2007 due to his moral behavior while incarcerated, then got released in 2009.
#17 Keith Moon
Source: Grunge
Keith Moon, the iconic drummer of The Who, crashed his Bentley into Neil Boland, his bodyguard, and chauffeur, on January 4, 1970, in front of a bar in Hatfield, England. Neil Boland's death was ruled an accident, but Keith Moon was charged with murder, DUI, driving while intoxicated, operating a vehicle without a license, and driving without insurance.
#18 Bruce Jenner
Source: USA Today
The former Olympic champion was engaged in a serious vehicle accident that left one driver dead and seven other people hurt. Bruce, though, escaped the incident unharmed. On the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, the collision happened.
#19 Skylar Julius Deleon
Source: Globo
The well-recognized child actor Skylar Julius Deleon was found guilty of killing Jackie Hawks and Thomas. On November 15, 2004, the victim couple was murdered as a result of a drug transaction. Five years later, in 2009, Deleon was given a death sentence for her alleged role in the murder of the couple, while his wife Jennifer Henderson received two consecutive life terms.
#20 Snoop Dog
Source: snoopdogg/Instagram
Last but not least, the legendary rapper Snoop Dog and his bodyguard McKinley Lee were charged with murdering a rival gang member, Phillip Woldermarian in August 1993.
Snoop Dogg and Lee were in the passenger seat and driving through a neighborhood in Los Angeles when they started having an argumentative conversation with a bunch of young men. Woldermarian drew a gun as things got heated, which prompted Lee to fire and kill him. Johnnie Cochran, the principal member of O.J. Simpson's defense team, represented Snoop Dogg and Lee throughout the three-year trial. Both of them were ultimately acquitted of all counts.