Dec. 30 (UPI) — 2025 was another rough year for celebrity watchers as we said goodbye to dozens of luminaries who made us laugh, cry and think over the years.
From the shocking murders of filmmaker Rob Reiner and podcaster/author Charlie Kirk to the sad passings of Hollywood titans Gene Hackman, Robert Redford, Diane Keaton and Brigitte Bardot, heavy-metal legend Ozzy Osbourne, singers Roberta Flack and Brian Wilson, primatologist Jane Goodall and a trio of General Hospital veterans, this year’s “In Memoriam” roster was filled with beloved bold face names.
Here is a look back at those we lost in 2025.
Tragic endings
Double Oscar-winner Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy were found dead by maintenance workers in their Santa Fe home Feb. 26. Betsy, 65, died of a respiratory condition Feb. 11 and Gene, 95, died a week later from heart disease and advanced Alzheimer’s. Gene was best known for his work in The French Connection, Superman, Unforgiven, Mississippi Burning, The Birdcage and The Royal Tenenbaums.
Beloved sitcom star Malcolm-Jamal Warner drowned while he was on vacation in Costa Rica with his family July 20. Warner, 54, was famous for starring in The Cosby Show and Malcolm & Eddie.
Podcaster and best-selling author Charlie Kirk was shot and killed Sept. 10 at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University. Tyler James Robinson was arrested and charged with the assassination of the 31-year-old conservative icon.
The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally and Stand By Me filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were found stabbed to death in their Brentwood, Calif., home Dec. 14. Their 32-year-old son Nick has been charged with killing them.
The Wire, It: Chapter 2 and The Black Phone actor James Ransone hanged himself in a shed on his property on Dec. 19. Ransone had been candid about his addiction and mental health struggles as a sex-abuse survivor.
Hollywood royalty
Oscar-winning actor, director, environmentalist and Sundance Film Festival founder Robert Redford died in his sleep at his Utah home at the age of 89 on Sept. 16. His credits include Barefoot in the Park, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Jeremiah Johnson, Ordinary People, The Way We Were and All the President’s Men.
Oscar-winning Annie Hall and The Godfather star Diane Keaton died of pneumonia at age 79 on Oct. 11 at a hospital in Santa Monica, Calif. The actress was a frequent collaborator of Woody Allen, who also headlined Looking For Mr. Goodbar, Baby Boom, Father of the Bride, The First Wives Club, The Family Stone and Book Club.
French singer, actress and animal-rights activist Brigitte Bardot died Dec. 28 at the age of 91. She was best known for her roles in And God Created Woman, The Truth and Viva Maria!
Icons of the 1980s and ’90s
Twin Peaks creator David Lynch died Jan. 16. He was 78. His credits also included Dune, Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart and Mulholland Drive.
Michelle Trachtenberg — who starred in The Adventures of Pete & Pete, Harriet the Spy, Buffy the Vampire and Gossip Girl — died in her New York City home from complications of diabetes Feb. 26. She was 39.
Willow, Top Gun, Real Genius, The Doors, Tombstone and Heat star Val Kilmer died April 1 of pneumonia at the age of 65 after a years-long battle with cancer.
Michael Madsen, who is best known for his work in Quentin Tarantino‘s films Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill, The Hateful Eight and Django Unchained, died of heart failure on July 3 at the age of 67.
Professional wrestler and reality TV star Hulk Hogan died of a heart attack July 24. He was 71.
Terence Stamp died in Los Angeles on Aug. 17 at the age of 87. He was known for his roles in Billy Budd, Superman and Superman II, The Limey, Young Guns, Valkyrie and The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert.
Chinatown, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Alice, Wild At Heart and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation star Diane Ladd, mother of actress Laura Dern, died of respiratory failure at her home in Ojai, Calif., on Nov. 3.
‘General Hospital’ veterans
Leslie Charleson, Tristan Rogers and Anthony Geary — Monica, Robert and Luke on General Hospital — all died this year. Charleson, 79, died Jan. 12 of blunt head trauma after a series of falls, while Rogers, 79, died of lung cancer on Aug. 15 and Geary, 78, died of complications from surgery he underwent several days earlier.
Music legends
Grammy-winning singer and pianist Roberta Flack died of cardiac arrest on Feb. 24. She was 88. Among her hit songs were “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” “Killing Me Softly With His Song” and “Feel Like Makin’ Love.”
Sly and the Family Stone front man Sly Stone died of pulmonary disease June 9 at the age of 82. The 1960s funk band was known for its songs “Everyday People,” “Family Affair” and “Dance to the Music.”
Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson died of respiratory arrest on June 11 at the age of 82. His life was the subject of the 2014 biopic, Love & Mercy.
Ozzy Osbourne died after a battle with Parkinson‘s disease on July 22. The Black Sabbath co-founder and reality TV star was 76.
In a class by herself
Primatologist, author and animal rights activist Jane Goodall died in her sleep of natural causes Oct. 1 at the age of 91. Her extraordinary life’s work was chronicled in a 2017 documentary and Apple TV children’s program, which were both named Jane.
Brigitte Bardot
Brigitte Bardot, actress, singer, model and animal-rights activist, seen in this undated file photo, died on December 28 at the age of 91. Photo by UPI | License Photo
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