Celebrities, they’re just like us! They go grocery shopping, they read books, and sometimes they die mysterious deaths. Today we’re going to be discussing three mysterious celebrity deaths that still remain unexplained.
Virginia Rappe
(image via: strictly vintage hollywood)
Picture it. It’s the roaring ‘20s and prohibition is in full swing, so the speakeasy parties were wild, and as a silent film star actress Virginia Rappe received her fair share of invites. But in 1921 at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco, California, a wild party turned fatal. During the party, Rappe was seen with fellow actor Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, and at one point during the night, Rappe was heard screaming, when guests entered the room, Rappe was reportedly writing in pain utter the words: “he did this to me.” As it tunes out Rappe suffered from recurring bladder infections and three days following the St. Francis Hotel incident, Rappe died of a ruptured bladder. While Arbuckle was charged not once, not twice, but three times, the result was two hung juries, and finally an acquittal. Despite his eventual acquittal, Arbuckle’s career was destroyed and he died of a heart attack at the age of 46.
Thelma Todd
(image via: all things interesting)
In 1935 Thelma Todd was found slumped over the wheel of her Lincoln, her cause of death was ruled carbon monoxide poisoning. However, there were a number of details surrounding her death that added to the mystery. One, the engine of her car wasn’t running when she was found. Two, Todd’s throat actually showed signs of severe trauma s though a hose or pipe had been forced into her mouth and down her throat. And three, in the weeks leading up to her death, Todd had received a number of letters demanding she pay $10,000 or be killed. The grand jury was unable to come to a conclusion, half-believing Thelma Todd was murdered, the other half believing she died accidentally.
Brittany Murphy
(image via: indulge express)
We’re fast-forwarding all the way to 2009 when Brittany Murphy was found dead in her bathroom. Now if you’ve seen the HUBO documentary ‘What Happened, Brittany Murphy?’ you know there are a ton of suspicious details surrounding her death including flu-like symptoms, anemia, pills, eating disorders, failed relationships, an ominous house, and of course, her peculiar husband Simon Monjack who not only had a questionable relationship with Murphy’s mother but died just six months after Murphy with the same flu-like symptoms. Monjack never requested or agreed to an autopsy so once the case was closed, the police never reopened it. (We highly recommend checking out this documentary if you’re as interested in Murphy’s mysterious death as we are!)
