The celebrity deaths rule of threes is one of those internet conspiracies that may make you 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 pretty convinced.
The rule alleges that celebrity deaths happen in threes, meaning that when one star dies, two more will shortly follow. Of course, we know this doesn’t happen all the time but 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. Then, in 2018, Parts Unknown star Anthony Bourdain, fashion designer Kate Spade and The Goldbergs star Jackson Odell all died within mere days of one another; re-sparking the conversation about the death in threes even years later.
Much like you will be once you click ahead to the 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.
-
Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Ozzy Osbourne, Hulk Hogan (July 2025)
Image Credit: Randy Shropshire/Variety, Emma McIntyre/Getty Images, Rob Kim/Getty Images for Fanatics Across several days in July 2025, the world lost Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Ozzy Osbourne and then Hulk Hogan.
The Cosby Show actor, 54, died on July 20 in an accidental drowning in Costa Rica while on vacation with his family. On July 22, rockstar Ozzy Osbourne died at age 76 after years of health issues, including Parkinson’s Disease.
Two days later, WWE legend Hulk Hogan died after experiencing cardiac arrest. He was 71.
-
Kelly Preston, Naya Rivera, Regis Philbin (July 2020)
Image Credit: Jason Mendez/Everett Collection, Elizabeth Goodenough/Everett Collection, Everett Collection July 2020 was rife with tragedy, especially in Hollywood. On the 8th, everyone was so worried when it came out that Glee star Naya Rivera went missing during a boating trip with her son in Lake Piru, and then, in the following day, she was declared dead. Then, four days later, on the 12th, actress Kelly Preston died from breast cancer.
Then, 12 days later, Regis Philbin died from heart disease.
-
Kate Spade, Anthony Bourdain, Jackson Odell (June 2018)
Image Credit: Derek Storm/Everett Collection, Kristin Callahan/Everett Collection, Michael Germana/Everett Collection 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 (April 2016)
Image Credit: Theo Wargo/WireImage, Spencer Platt/Newsmakers, Bob Riha, Jr./Getty Images 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 (June 2015)
Image Credit: Christian Petersen/Getty Images, Everett Collection, Anthony Barboza/Getty Images 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.
-
Burt Young, Richard Roundtree, Matthew Perry (October 2023)
Image Credit: Derek Storm/Everett Collection, JA/Everett Collection, Jason Smith/Everett Collection Oscar-nominated actor and Rocky star Burt Young passed away on Oct 8, 2023 at 83. Then, on Oct 24, Richard Roundtree passed away from pancreatic cancer at 81. While many were still reeling, beloved Friends actor Matthew Perry suddenly passed away at the young age of 54 due to acute effects of ketamine on Oct 28, 2023.
-
Elmore Leonard, Lee Thompson Young, Lisa Robin Kelly (August 2013)
Image Credit: Everett Collection, Disney Channel / courtesy Everett Collection, © Carsey-Werner / Courtesy: Everett Collection Lisa Robin Kelly, best known for her role as Laurie on That ’70s Show, died in her sleep at t he 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 (April 2014)
Image Credit: Dee Cercone/Everett Collection, Dee Cercone/Everett Collection, Rob Rich/Everett Collection 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 (June 2009)
Image Credit: Frank Edwards/Fotos International/Getty Images, Tony Costa / TV Guide / Courtesy Everett Collection, ©Dick Clark Productions/courtesy Everett Collection 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.
-
Jane Birkin, Tony Bennett, Sinead O’Connor (July 2023)
Image Credit: Derek Storm/Everett Collection, Ron Wolfson / Everett Collection, Dee Cercone/Everett Collection Legendary old Hollywood actress and singer Jane Birkin suddenly passed away at the age of 76 on July 16, 2023. Five days later, legendary pop and jazz singer Tony Bennett passed away on July 21, after a seven-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Five days after that, “Nothing Compares 2 U” singer Sinead O’Connor died of natural causes.
-
Annette Funicello, Margaret Thatcher, Lilly Pulitzer (April 2013)
Image Credit: Jay Thompson / TV Guide / courtesy Everett Collection, Everett Collection, Photo by Slim Aarons/Getty Images 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.
-
David Bowie, Alan Rickman, René Angélil (January 2016)
Image Credit: Kristin Callahan/Everett Collection, Gregorio T. Binuya/Everett Collection, Gregorio T. Binuya/Everett Collection 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 (December 2016)
Image Credit: Priscilla Grant/Everett Collection, Michael Putland/Getty Images, Priscilla Grant/Everett Collection 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.
-
Rik Mayall, Don Zimmer, Ann B. Davis (June 2014)
Image Credit: Stuart Wilson/Getty Images, Everett Collection, Michael Germana/Everett Collection The first 10 days of June 2014 was rough. In the first day, Brady Bunch star Ann B. Davis died after a subdural hematoma from a fall in her bathroom. Baseball legend Don Zimmer died from heart and kidney problems on June 4, 2014 at the age of 83. Then, five days later, comedian Rik Mayall tragically died from a sudden heart attack on June 9, 2014 at the age of 56.
-
Olivia Newton-John, Charlbi Dean, Anne Heche (August 2022)
Image Credit: Priscilla Grant/Everett Collection, Elizabeth Goodenough/Everett Collection, Elizabeth Goodenough/Everett Collection Beloved actress and songstress Olivia Newton-John died from breast cancer on Aug 8, 2022, sending Hollywood into mourning. Only three days later, headlines were covered with how Anne Heche tragically died at only 53 after a deadly three-vehicle collision. Then, in a truly tragic turn of events, Triangle of Sadness star Charlbi Dean died at the age of 32 from bacterial sepsis on Aug 29
-
Sidney Poitier, Bob Saget, André Leon Talley
Image Credit: Dee Cercone/Everett Collection, Priscilla Grant/Everett Collection, MORA/Everett Collection Sidney Poitier passed away at the age of 94 on January 6, 2022, then only three days later, Bob Saget died from a fall. Fashion journalist André Leon Talley then passed away on Jan 18 from complications of a heart attack.
More Stories from Entertainment
