Heath Ledger could be the latest star to have died from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs. Ledger was taking anti-depressants as well as the “dangerous drug” Ambien at the time of his death, although his autopsy today was inconclusive. While most celebrity drug deaths have been the result of either suicide or the use of illegal drugs, a surprising number of stars have died by accident — from medications you can purchase at the corner pharmacy. Here are 12 of the most famous:
1. MARILYN MONROE. Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind” died from an overdose of sleeping pills — specifically, Nembutal and chloral hydrate [pictured]. Although Monroe’s death was officially listed as a suicide in 1962, many forensic experts and investigators now say the overdose was more likely to have been accidental.
2. ELVIS PRESLEY. Perhaps the most famous prescription-drug abuser of all time, Elvis died in 1977 from an overdose of medications while on the toilet in his Graceland mansion. Presley’s ex-wife wrote: “Presley was taking Placidyls [pictured] to combat severe insomnia in ever increasing doses and later took Dexedrine to counter the sleeping pills’ after effects.” Presley’s personal physician, Dr. George C. Nichopoulos, concluded: “Elvis’s problem was that he didn’t see the wrong in it. He felt that by getting [pills] from a doctor, he wasn’t the common everyday junkie…”
3. JUDY GARLAND. The Wizard of Oz star was found dead in her London bathroom by her husband in 1969. Coroner Gavin Thursdon said the cause of death was an accidental overdose of Seconal [pictured].
4. HOWARD HUGHES. The germophobic genius and subject of Martin Scorcese’s The Aviator died in 1976 in route to a Houston hospital from his Acalpulco estate. Although the official cause of death was liver failure, his autopsy showed lethal amounts of codeine and valium [pictured] in his system.
5. ANNA NICOLE SMITH. According to Wikipedia, “Ultimately her death [in 2007] was ruled an accidental drug overdose of the sedative chloral hydrate that became increasingly lethal when combined with other prescription drugs in her system, specifically 4 benzodiazepines: Klonopin (Clonazepam), Ativan (Lorazepam), Serax (Oxazepam), and Valium (Diazepam). Furthermore, she had taken Benadryl (Diphenhydramine) and Topamax (Toprimate), an anticonvulsant GABA agonist, which likely contributed to the sedative effect of chloral hydrate and the benzodiazepines.”
6. DOROTHY DANDRIDGE. The first African-American actress to be nominated for an Academy Award, Dandridge was found dead in West Hollywood in 1965 from an overdose of Imipramine [pictured], a tricyclic antidepressant. It’s believed she improperly combined the medication — which she took for her bipolar disorder — with pain medication she received after breaking an ankle.
7. DANA PLATO. The long-troubled Diff’rent Strokes star died from an accidental overdose of Vanadom [pictured] and Vicodin at her mother-in-law’s Oklahoma home in 1999.
8. KEITH MOON. The Who drummer died in 1978 from an accidental overdose of Heminevrin [pictured], a medication taken as part of a program to wean him off alcohol.
9. ROB PILATUS. The Milli Vanilli star, disgraced after the public learned the music duo did not actually sing on its hit records, died in 1998 of an accidental overdose of a medication (reportedly methadone [pictured]) designed to help him with drug withdrawal symptons.
10. ROBERT WALKER. Perhaps the most bizarre accidental prescription-drug death. The star of Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train died mysteriously in 1951 after being given an injection of the “truth serum” sodium amytal [pictured] by psychiatrists at his home.
11. NICK DRAKE. The influential singer-songwriter died at his childhood home in the U.K. in 1974 from an accidental overdose of the antidepressant amitriptyline [pictured].
12. PAIGE SUMMERS. The 1998 Penthouse Pet of the Year was found dead in her fiance’s home in 2003 from a combination of the painkillers codeine and oxycodone. Her death may or may not have been an accident; some have pointed a finger at fiance Bracey Bobbitt — who was a pharmacist.
39 responses so far ↓
1 tom // Jan 24, 2008 at 1:39 am
Where is Jimi Hendrix? He also died of an accidental overdose. Also Nick Drake is commonly known to have commited suicide so…doesnt quite fit the accidental title.
2 Me // Jan 24, 2008 at 4:06 am
shouldnt heath ledger be added to this list?
3 Un-named // Jan 24, 2008 at 1:22 pm
I should be dead
4 Cary Byrd // Jan 25, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Hendrix could be included, since he took sleeping pills the night he died. But he was also drunk and died by choking on his own vomit.
5 Cary Byrd // Jan 25, 2008 at 3:27 pm
Oh, and most accounts say Drake’s death was accidental — although with drug overdoses, it’s hard to know for sure. Many would think Dana Plato and Rob Pilatus were suicides too.
6 jeff // Feb 6, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Heath Ledger died at age 28 as a result of “acute intoxication by the combined effects” of the drugs oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine. Sad and tragic.
7 Rob Boyd // Feb 8, 2008 at 10:59 pm
Drugs I love them and hate them. Who knows when you decide to take an xtra 1/2 of a val its going to punch your ticket.
8 Nameless // Feb 15, 2008 at 2:24 pm
Marilyn Monroe’s death wasn’t accidental. I know this for sure because I killed her. I’m serious.
9 stephanie // Feb 16, 2008 at 4:30 pm
elton johns ‘candle in the wind’ was written for princess diana, not for marilyn monroe.
10 Angela // Feb 18, 2008 at 1:48 am
Ambien (zolpidem) was not found in Heath Ledger’s toxicology report.
11 7leads // Feb 20, 2008 at 2:10 am
All these people are sad…think of the other millions of addicts you don’t read about.
12 Rob // Feb 20, 2008 at 8:39 am
Stephanie, Elton John’s original Candle in the Wind was recorded for Marilyn Monroe. He wrote a new version for Princess Diana after her death.
13 andy // Feb 20, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Elton wrote Candle In the Wind for Marilyn first - it was later changed for Dianas funeral.
14 Tententwo // Feb 20, 2008 at 4:59 pm
Here’s another: Socrates -> hemlock.
15 Cary Byrd // Feb 20, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Re: Candle in the Wind. It was originally written about Marilyn. He updated it when Diana died.
16 k // Feb 20, 2008 at 11:04 pm
stephanie, by ur comment “candle in the wind” written for Princess diana. Cary Byrd is right it was written for Marilyn. Sad but true i remember the release of this song. The truth be told most of these “accidental overdoses” are usually pills washed down with booze.
17 RateMyWalrus.com // Mar 8, 2008 at 8:31 pm
Yummy pills, mmmm.
18 carolyn // Apr 6, 2008 at 2:50 pm
candle in the wind was written for marilyn…….diana’s song was called “goodbye england’s rose” different lyrics, same music (tune)
19 anonymous // Jun 28, 2008 at 7:59 pm
“Candle in the Wind” was originally written for Marilyn Monroe and later adapted for Princess Diana. hence the last verse “..Goodbye Norma Jean From the young man in the 22nd row Who sees you as something as more than sexual More than just our Marilyn Monroe”
20 Florida Times-Union credits eDrugSearch.com in editorial | The eDrugSearch Blog // Jul 23, 2008 at 11:39 am
[...] For those who haven’t read it, here’s the full blog post on celebrity prescription drug overdoses. [...]
21 jessica // Aug 7, 2008 at 11:09 pm
i miss heath
22 phantomwicca // Aug 11, 2008 at 10:32 pm
Stephanie, Candle In The Wind was originally written for Marilyn Monroe. When Princess Diana died, he re-wrote it for her. Listen to the original. ” Goodbye Norma Jean…” That was Monroe’s real name.
23 Jim // Sep 7, 2008 at 11:29 pm
Heath Ledger is mentioned in the opening line, giving the motivation for the list.
24 seaford rox sox // Sep 24, 2008 at 5:36 pm
Where is heath ledger!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
what about jimi hendrix!!!!!!!!!!!
heath was in dark night how can you people forget!!!!!!!!!
25 ali // Oct 1, 2008 at 10:40 pm
where’s Bruce Lee a Master of Martial Arts , whose impact also was felt in the industry of film and movie, followed also his son Brandon lee ,call it strange circumstances or drug misuse
26 Katrina // Oct 14, 2008 at 2:18 pm
Ok ok we get it, so what if “Candle In The Wind” was written for Norma Jean aka Marilyn Monroe… what I find amazing is that Anna Nichole Smith over dosed on the SAME EXACT pills as Marilyn Monroe.. And the females ALMOST looked like sisters.. And what is up with Smith’s obsession with Monroe?? Kinda creepy if you ask me.
27 Ilike2touchmyself // Oct 19, 2008 at 3:49 pm
ali… Bruce Lee died from a swollen brain problem and Brandon died from an accidental shooting. Either were drug related. dum ass
28 YOYOYO!!!! // Oct 23, 2008 at 6:03 am
These people need to get lives. there so stupid
29 Sam // Oct 23, 2008 at 10:40 pm
I think you mean NEITHER. Dum ass!
30 JackJoe // Nov 21, 2008 at 2:29 pm
um… not to be rude, burt this article was in response to Heath’s death, and is mentioned in the first few lines of the article. guess you were just flipping thru the pictures, eh?
31 Dink // Jan 5, 2009 at 9:57 am
M.A.R.C.S. knows no boundries; M.A.R.C.S. doesn’t discriminate.
Don’t Hate
In Memory of those gone
The Victims of M.A.R.C.S. (2007)
32 2L8 // Jan 27, 2009 at 1:40 am
heath ledger??!! why doesnt anyone talk about Brad Renfro who died a few days earlier?
33 Dink // Jan 30, 2009 at 4:30 pm
M.A.R.C.S. is an acronym for ; Murder, Abuse Rape, Chronical Illness, Suicide I have been helping to bury victims of these incidents by selling t-shirts, poetry, books that I have written. The worst part of these is the innocent victims left behind; children. Hope you will buy books, poetry, or t-shirts in memory of a loved one. Carol Frieszell aka Dink
34 satan // Mar 12, 2009 at 12:03 pm
never woulda happened if they stuck to the ganja
35 allllllie and dalyeee // May 19, 2009 at 11:17 am
um WHAT? dalye is weard shes also cooooool. lol. field day is on the 26th of Mayyyy… ::))
36 Brandy // Jun 1, 2009 at 3:06 pm
Candle in the wind was originally for Marylin Monroe and then after Princess Diana died he remade it for her.
37 snapper // Jun 10, 2009 at 6:30 pm
ALL SOULD BE LOVED ..DEAHT COMES TO US ALL GOD PICKS AMEN
38 Another One Bites The Dust « Writeratthesea’s Blog // Jun 27, 2009 at 3:48 am
[...] http://www.pharmacytechs.net/blog/18-celebrities-who-died-from-prescription-drugs Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)Here’s the commercial where Michael Jackson’s hair caught on fireRavaged by drugsStars tweet their reaction to Michael Jackson’s death [...]
39 logan // Jun 28, 2009 at 7:38 pm
You forgot the most well-known to me who died from this….RIVER PHOENIX….
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