Being rich and famous comes at a price. Once you choose stardom, it's almost a given that you can say goodbye to the kind of normalcy or privacy you once might have enjoyed. Your relationships, finances, successes, and failures are thrust into the spotlight for all the world to see. But sometimes, that light suddenly clicks off...
Whether by choice or otherwise, dozens of celebrities have vanished from the public eye, leaving fans confused, intrigued, disappointed, sad, and at times, suspicious. No carefully written statement or farewell tour, just here today and gone tomorrow. Someone asked, "Which celebrity had the most bizarre exit from the limelight?" and many of the answers read like a blockbuster that never made it to the big screen.
Bored Panda has gathered the best ones and put together a list of some of the most intriguing cases of famous people going MIA overnight. From abductions to scandals, to strange accidents and even stranger romances, here's why certain stars stepped away from their once-extraordinary lives.
#21
Angus T Jones. Made $20 Million from a sitcom as a kid, became a religious fanatic calling his own show demonic and satanic, then came back and withdrew those statements, but still pretty much disappeared from show business.
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12points
#22
Michael Barrymore. Biggest tv star in the U.K. for a while and then they found a body in his pool….
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11points
#23
Randy Quiad.
I haven't closely followed the story but my dude was a really respected up and coming actor, had a bunch of success and was a household name after a few big movies then disappeared for a bit and then started a life of weird, probably unecessary crime, squatting in houses illegally, racking up thousands in hotel bills then bouncing on the bill.
He then said Hollywood elites had been persecuting him for his political beliefs and said some absolutely crazy stuff.
Hes been AWOL ever since I believe.
I haven't closely followed the story but my dude was a really respected up and coming actor, had a bunch of success and was a household name after a few big movies then disappeared for a bit and then started a life of weird, probably unecessary crime, squatting in houses illegally, racking up thousands in hotel bills then bouncing on the bill.
He then said Hollywood elites had been persecuting him for his political beliefs and said some absolutely crazy stuff.
Hes been AWOL ever since I believe.
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11points
#24
All these comments and no one has mentioned Mel Gibson?
It was nearly 20 years ago. This one is so fascinating to me for the simple fact that with the current political climate in America right now, if it had happened today, I dont believe it would have cost him his career and it would probably have been forgotten about in a week.
Thats not me trying to excuse his behavior as much as it is my own opinion and rather an indictment on our culture for its ability to hold people to certain standards and demand some sort of accountability.
Mel had well known issues with alcoholism. In 2006 he Gets pulled over for drunk driving and goes on a rant about jews and how they are responsible for wars and said some off handed remarks to the officers that pulled him over.
This man had it all. He had a successful career as an actor and at the time of his arrest, he was peaking in his career.
Braveheart won 5 oscars
The Passion of the Christ (2004), directed by Mel Gibson, is the highest-grossing R-rated film domestically ($370.8M) and the highest-grossing religious/independent film globally ($612M+), shattering box office records with a $30M budget
In 2006 he Directed Apocalypto. While it didn’t win any oscars, The film was shot entirely in the Yucatec Maya language and is still regarded by many fans as a masterpiece.
Mel Gibson could write, he could act, he could direct and he could do it all very well. And then he was shunned.
It was nearly 20 years ago. This one is so fascinating to me for the simple fact that with the current political climate in America right now, if it had happened today, I dont believe it would have cost him his career and it would probably have been forgotten about in a week.
Thats not me trying to excuse his behavior as much as it is my own opinion and rather an indictment on our culture for its ability to hold people to certain standards and demand some sort of accountability.
Mel had well known issues with alcoholism. In 2006 he Gets pulled over for drunk driving and goes on a rant about jews and how they are responsible for wars and said some off handed remarks to the officers that pulled him over.
This man had it all. He had a successful career as an actor and at the time of his arrest, he was peaking in his career.
Braveheart won 5 oscars
The Passion of the Christ (2004), directed by Mel Gibson, is the highest-grossing R-rated film domestically ($370.8M) and the highest-grossing religious/independent film globally ($612M+), shattering box office records with a $30M budget
In 2006 he Directed Apocalypto. While it didn’t win any oscars, The film was shot entirely in the Yucatec Maya language and is still regarded by many fans as a masterpiece.
Mel Gibson could write, he could act, he could direct and he could do it all very well. And then he was shunned.
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11points
#25
Syd Barrett. Disappeared due to bad LSD trips and when he turned up years later at Abbey Road where Pink Floyd was recording, they didn’t recognize him.
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11points
#26
David Icke
He used to be a sports presenter in the 80s in the UK. Then he started spouting about conspiracy theories on reptilian alien races and all kinds of weird stuff.
He used to be a sports presenter in the 80s in the UK. Then he started spouting about conspiracy theories on reptilian alien races and all kinds of weird stuff.
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11points
#27
Honorable mention to Chalino Sanchez, Mexican singer who received a d*ath note from the cartel while on stage and carried on performing. He passed away shortly after the show.
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10points
#28
I mean she’s doing it now— Lana Del Rey. Marriage to some bizarre alligator tour guide in a sweaty trucker hat and in the middle of what appears to be a full blown breakdown. Running crying off stage to make out with this dude in the middle of a performance? Releasing a “country album” that’s MIA. Just announced that her husband is writing something on the next single….
“But she’s happy!” Say her fans!
Is she though? Just really really strange.
“But she’s happy!” Say her fans!
Is she though? Just really really strange.
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10points
#29
Russell Brand. Went from being Britain's most shaggable comedian, wrote a couple of books about his exploits & taking substances- My Booky Wook 1 & 2, wrote a fairly good book on recovery.
Seemed to be fairly left wing, was involved in a campaign in the UK to help people keep their homes, went off to become enlightened & learn about philosophy, wrote a book about that & started a YouTube channel to bring his wisdom to the masses- don't get vaxxed & eat healthy, that sort of thing.
Then the assault allegations surfaced & now of course he's an evangelical Christian that supports Maga. Somewhere in there he married Katy Perry & told her wanted a divorce over text just before she was due to perform. I think he actually has been charged, not sure what's happening there.
Seemed to be fairly left wing, was involved in a campaign in the UK to help people keep their homes, went off to become enlightened & learn about philosophy, wrote a book about that & started a YouTube channel to bring his wisdom to the masses- don't get vaxxed & eat healthy, that sort of thing.
Then the assault allegations surfaced & now of course he's an evangelical Christian that supports Maga. Somewhere in there he married Katy Perry & told her wanted a divorce over text just before she was due to perform. I think he actually has been charged, not sure what's happening there.
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10points
#30
I feel like we are all watching it happen live right now. Britney Spears.
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10points
#32
Nobody's mentioned Sean Young yet. I really liked her in Blade Runner and think she had real promise in her career if she hadn't [been treated as] a stalker.
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10points
#33
Cuba Gooding Jr. he just kinda faded away. I don’t even know the last thing I saw him in, Snow Dogs? lol.
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10points
#35
Shelley Duvall disappearing from Hollywood for decades after being everywhere in the ’80s always felt abrupt and strange.
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9points
#37
In 1987, actor/comedian Dick Shawn was doing a show at a college theater, when he dropped dead of a heart attack and lay there motionless onstage. The audience thought it was part of the act. Some minutes later, stagehands came out and examined him and asked if there was a doctor in the house. The audience STILL thought it was part of the act. It wasn't until paramedics showed up that they began to get a clue it was real.
8points
#38
Meg White, if she counts as a celebrity. White Stripes break up, she straight up peaced out. Never performed again, didn’t attend Rock n Roll HOF induction, just disappeared.
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8points
#39
Quite a few on reality TV. The actress Roxanne Pallett stands out after going on Celebrity Big Brother and accusing another contestant of assaulting her. Now lives in the US after basically ending her career in the UK with her absolute stupidity.
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8points
#40
Charlie Sheen, because we sadly watched it in real time via tabloids and TMZ when he had his winning bi polar substance binge.
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7points
