{"slug": "celebrity-deaths-2026-remembering-the-famous-people-we-lost-this-year", "title": "Celebrity deaths 2026: Remembering the famous people we lost this year", "summary": "In 2026, several notable figures passed away, including \"Dilbert\" creator Scott Adams (age 68) on January 13 from metastatic prostate cancer, and 3 Doors Down lead singer Brad Arnold (age 47) on February 7 after a battle with cancer. Hip-hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa (age 68) died on April 9 from prostate cancer, while \"Buffy the Vampire Slayer\" actor Nicholas Brendon (age 54) passed away in his sleep on March 20 from natural causes. NASCAR champion Kyle Busch (age 41) died on May 21 with no cause given, and actor Robert Carradine (age 71), best known for \"Revenge of the Nerds,\" also died in 2026.", "body_md": "[Read in app](https://insider-app.onelink.me/4cpG/?af_js_web=true&af_ss_ver=2_3_0&af_dp=insider%3A%2F%2Fbi%2Fpost%2Fcelebrity-deaths-famous-people-who-died-2026&af_force_deeplink=true&is_retargeting=true&deep_link_value=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.businessinsider.com%2Fcelebrity-deaths-famous-people-who-died-2026&pid=businessinsider&c=post_page_share_bar_v2_smart_4.13.23)\n\n[Become an Insider](/subscription)and start reading now. Have an account? .\n\nBelow, we look back at those we lost in 2026, listed in alphabetical order.\n\n## Scott Adams, 68\n\nAdams based the character in his beloved \"Dilbert\" comic strip on his coworkers at the telephone company he worked at in the 1980s. By the end of the decade, the character and his satirical office humor began appearing in comic strips.\n\nAt its peak, \"Dilbert\" was syndicated in over 2,000 newspapers. A cartoon series debuted in 1999 and ran for two seasons.\n\nAdams gained notoriety when he began writing blog posts praising Donald Trump during his 2016 presidential run. In 2023, \"Dilbert\" was pulled from newspapers across the US following [racist comments made by Adams](https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2023/02/25/scott-adams-dilbert-canceled/).\n\nAdams died on January 13 following a bout with [metastatic prostate cancer](https://variety.com/2026/artisans/people-news/scott-adams-dead-dilbert-creator-1236630162/).\n\n## Brad Arnold, 47\n\nAs the lead singer of 3 Doors Down, Arnold launched the group into fame with the 2000 rock anthem \"Kryptonite,\" which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 that year.\n\nThe success led to other hits like \"Loser,\" \"Here Without You,\" and \"When I'm Gone.\" Arnold's vocal range and lyrics focused on love and love lost, which fueled the group to stardom.\n\nArnold died on February 7 after a battle with cancer.\n\n## Afrika Bambaataa, 68\n\nRegarded as a pioneer in hip-hop during the 1970s and 1980s, Lance Taylor, known professionally as Afrika Bambaataa, would go on to influence the likes of Queen Latifah and A Tribe Called Quest throughout his career.\n\nFirst gaining attention as a DJ in the Bronx, Bambaataa signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1981 and released landmark songs like \"Jazzy Sensation\" and \"Planet Rock.\"\n\nBambaataa founded the hip-hop awareness group, Universal Zulu Nation, in the 1970s to steer kids away from gang life. Bambaataa stepped down as the head of the organization in 2016 after [accusations of sexual abuse](https://www.nydailynews.com/2016/04/09/exclusive-afrika-bambaataa-sex-abuse-accuser-ronald-savage-details-years-of-torment-following-hip-hop-icons-molestation-he-damaged-me/).\n\nBambaataa denied all claims.\n\nHe died on April 9 due to [prostate cancer](https://web.archive.org/web/20260410085220/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/obituaries/afrika-bambaataa-pioneer-hip-hop-dies-age-68-rcna267550).\n\n## Nicholas Brendon, 54\n\nBrendon played the beloved character Xander Harris in all seven seasons of \"Buffy the Vampire Slayer.\"\n\nBrendon also starred in other TV shows, including \"Criminal Minds\" and \"Kitchen Confidential.\"\n\nBrendon died in his sleep on March 20. According to his family's statement, the cause was natural. In 2023, Brendon suffered a heart attack and was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect. He also had cauda equina syndrome, which led to several spinal surgeries.\n\n\"While it's no secret that Nicholas had struggles in the past, he was on medications and treatment to manage his diagnosis, and he was optimistic about the future at the time of his passing,\" the statement to [The Hollywood Reporter](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/nicholas-brendon-dead-buffy-the-vampire-slayer-1236543090/) read. \"Our family asks for privacy during this time as we grieve his loss and celebrate the life of a man who lived with intensity, imagination, and heart.\"\n\n## Kyle Busch, 41\n\nA star on the NASCAR circuit, Busch was a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion considered one of the greatest racers of all time.\n\nOn May 21, Busch was hospitalized and it was announced he'd miss two upcoming races. Hours later, he was pronounced dead. [No cause of death was given](https://people.com/kyle-busch-nascar-driver-dead-at-41-11981905).\n\n## Robert Carradine, 71\n\nAs a member of Hollywood's famed Carradine family, Robert was destined for a career on screen.\n\nHe got one of his first screen credits starring in his brother David Carradine's popular 1970s TV series \"Kung Fu\" and went on to land roles in everything from Samuel Fuller's World War II classic \"The Big Red One\" to the \"Lizzie McGuire\" series that made Hilary Duff a star.\n\nBut for a generation, Robert Carradine will always be known as the king of the nerds, embodying the iconic geek Lewis Skolnick in the 1980s franchise \"Revenge of the Nerds.\"\n\nCarradine's family shared statements with [Deadline](https://deadline.com/2026/02/robert-carradine-dead-age-71-1236734055/) that emphasized being open about his struggles with mental illness.\n\n\"We are bereft at the loss of this beautiful soul and want to acknowledge Bobby's valiant struggle against his nearly two-decade battle with Bipolar Disorder,\" Carradine's family said. \"We hope his journey can shine a light and encourage addressing the stigma that attaches to mental illness.\"\n\nCarradine [died by suicide](https://people.com/robert-carradine-manner-of-death-confirmed-medical-examiner-11916572) on February 23.\n\n*If you or someone you know is experiencing depression or has had thoughts of harming themself or taking their own life, get help. In the US, call or text 988 to reach **the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline**. Help is also available through the **Crisis Text Line** — just text \"HOME\" to 741741. The **International Association for Suicide Prevention** offers resources for those outside the US.*\n\n## Bud Cort, 77\n\nCort's baby-faced looks, combined with his wit and sophisticated persona, led to him becoming the epitome of 1970s counterculture when director Hal Ashby cast him as the lead in the 1971 movie \"Harold and Maude.\"\n\nThe dark comedy stars Cort as Harold, a twenty-something who is obsessed with suicide until he meets 79-year-old eccentric Maude (Ruth Gordon). The movie would go on to become a cult classic thanks to Cort and Gordon's unique on-screen chemistry.\n\nBefore that, Cort scored bit parts in Robert Altman's \"M*A*S*H*\" (1970) and \"Brewster McCloud\" (1970).\n\nAfter \"Harold and Maude,\" Cort worked steadily for the rest of his life, occasionally showing up in hit movies like Michael Mann's \"Heat\" (1995) and Wes Anderson's \"The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou\" (2004).\n\nCort died on Feb. 11 [following a long illness](https://variety.com/2026/film/news/bud-cort-dead-harold-and-maude-1236659856/).\n\n## Eric Dane, 53\n\nLong before becoming one of TV's most recognizable heartthrobs, Eric Dane was building his career with guest roles on series like \"Saved by the Bell\" and \"Married… with Children.\"\n\nHe later gained wider attention with appearances on \"Charmed\" before landing his breakout role as Dr. Mark \"McSteamy\" Sloan on \"Grey's Anatomy.\" He most recently starred in HBO's \"Euphoria,\" where he played Cal Jacobs, the father of Jacob Elordi's character, Nate Jacobs.\n\nDane has two children with his wife, Rebecca Gayheart. In April 2025, the actor said that he was [diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis](https://people.com/eric-dane-diagnosed-with-als-exclusive-11713179), or ALS.\n\nDane died on February 19 at age 53 after battling the disease, his publicist confirmed in a statement to Business Insider.\n\n\"He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world,\" his publicist said.\n\n## Robert Duvall, 95\n\nRobert Duvall built a career of timeless cinema classics: \"The Godfather\" and \"The Godfather Part II,\" \"Apocalypse Now,\" \"THX 1138,\" \"The Natural,\" \"Days of Thunder,\" \"The Apostle,\" and the list goes on.\n\nDuvall will be best remembered for starring in three of director Francis Ford Coppola's iconic films: playing Tom Hagen in the first two \"Godfather\" movies and playing Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore in \"Apocalypse Now,\" in which he delivers one of the most memorable lines in movie history: \"I love the smell of napalm in the morning.\"\n\nDuvall was lauded for his acting talent, from not saying a word while playing Boo Radley in his first big screen role in the 1962 classic \"To Kill a Mockingbird\" to his portrayal of a country singer dealing with alcoholism in 1983's \"Tender Mercies,\" which earned him an Oscar.\n\nHe died [on his ranch in Virginia](https://www.facebook.com/RobertDuvallOfficial/posts/pfbid0WGqtC9fNEPtTpFwv5WtsQen31nUSkunt13QMTz84vuAToborwYSgsDifnhBzk8cTl?rdid=zrwkLXXVGVbJQr6U) on February 15, no cause was given.\n\n## Mark Fuhrman, 74\n\nFuhrman cemented his place in popular culture as one of the lead LAPD detectives on the 1995 murder case of O.J. Simpson's ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman.\n\nFuhrman found the famed bloody glove on the Simpson estate, and during the trial, he gained infamy when Simpson's defense team used his past racist language to discredit him as a witness.\n\nFuhrman retired from the LAPD after the Simpson trial and moved to Idaho, where he wrote true crime books.\n\nFuhrman died on May 12 of [throat cancer](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/18/us/mark-fuhrman-dead.html).\n\n## Valentino Garavani, 93\n\nFor over six decades, one name has been synonymous with women's high fashion: Valentino.\n\nThe Italian designer launched his fashion business in Rome in 1960 and never looked back. Soon, every star wanted to be seen in his creations. They've been worn by icons like Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Collins, Jackie Kennedy, Princess Diana, Sharon Stone, and more.\n\nThough Garavani retired from designing in 2008, his label is still a red carpet staple, as is his famous shade of bright red dubbed \"Valentino Red.\"\n\nGaravani [died on January 19](https://www.businessinsider.com/italian-fashion-designer-valentino-garavani-dead-at-93-women-tribute-2026-1). No cause was given.\n\n## Donald Gibb, 71\n\nNo one defined a bully for a generation more than Gibb's hulking fraternity character Orge in the \"Revenge of the Nerds\" movies of the 1980s.\n\nSince the original raunchy comedy was released in 1984, Gibb's intimidating size and loud yells of \"NERDS!\" have become as memorable as the pocket protectors worn by the movie's geeks.\n\nGibb went on to star opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme in his classic 1988 action movie \"Bloodsport.\" He also landed guest star roles through his career on shows like \"Quantum Leap,\" Magnum P.I.,\" \"MacGyver,\" \"Night Court,\" and \"Cheers.\"\n\nGibb died on May 12 following [health complications](https://www.tmz.com/2026/05/12/donald-gibb-dead/).\n\n## Jesse Jackson, 84\n\nThe Rev. Jesse Jackson was a leader of the Civil Rights Movement, a minister, and an activist icon who twice ran for president.\n\nBorn on October 8, 1941, in Greenville, South Carolina, Jackson experienced Jim Crow segregation on public buses and at school firsthand. It would shape the rest of his life.\n\nHis fight for civil rights began in the 1960s, when he helped organize protests and demonstrations across the US and worked closely alongside civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.\n\nHis decadeslong career as a leading civil rights activist included support for modern national movements, such as the push for voting rights, the fight against racism, and a higher minimum wage.\n\nJackson ran for president twice, both times as a democrat. He placed third for the party's nomination in 1984 and second in 1988. This marked the most successful presidential runs of any Black candidate prior to Barack Obama.\n\nJackson announced in 2017 that he'd been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. In November 2025, Jackson was treated in a Chicago hospital after complications from progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a rare neurodegenerative condition.\n\nJackson died on February 17.\n\n## Patrick Muldoon, 57\n\nIn the 1990s, you couldn't escape the piercing eyes of Patrick Muldoon.\n\nHe played Austin Reed on \"Days of Our Lives\" for most of the decade, and when he wasn't on the soap, he was over on \"Melrose Place\" playing the villain role of Richard Hart.\n\nIf being on two iconic shows wasn't enough, he also showed up on \"Saved by the Bell\" and had a role in the cult classic movie \"Starship Troopers.\"\n\nMuldoon died on April 19 [after a heart attack](https://deadline.com/2026/04/patrick-muldoon-dead-days-of-our-lives-melrose-place-1236865474/).\n\n## Tom Noonan, 74\n\nStanding at a towering 6' 5\", Tom Noonan was born to play the bad guy. And he did just that, starring as the villain in movies like \"Manhunter,\" \"RoboCop 2,\" and \"Last Action Hero.\"\n\nBut this actor had more to show off. He showcased his comedy chops as Rodney Dangerfield's degenerate gambling friend in the 1983 comedy \"Easy Money,\" and set up the heist for Robert De Niro in Michael Mann's 1995 classic \"Heat.\"\n\nHis knack for storytelling also translated behind the camera. Noonan wrote, directed, and starred in the drama \"What Happened Was,\" which won the grand prize at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival.\n\nNoonan died on February 14; no cause was given.\n\n## Chuck Norris, 86\n\nFew action stars Chuck Norris' credentials.\n\nBefore he ever stepped in front of a camera, he was a martial arts champion and a black belt in Karate, judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Taekwondo, and Tang Soo Do.\n\nHis talents would become known the world over in 1972, when he faced off against Bruce Lee in \"The Way of the Dragon.\"\n\nThrough the 1980s, Norris became one of the biggest action stars in the world thanks to movies like \"A Force of One,\" \"The Octagon,\" and the \"Delta Force\" and \"Missing in Action\" franchises.\n\nIn the 1990s, he took over the small screen, playing the lead in the \"Walker, Texas Ranger\" TV show, which aired in over 100 countries during its run from 1993 to 2001.\n\nNorris was hospitalized on March 19 in Hawaii and died the following day, [according to his family](https://variety.com/2026/film/news/chuck-norris-dead-walker-texas-ranger-dies-1236694953/). No cause was given.\n\n## Catherine O'Hara, 71\n\nO'Hara, who was best known for her roles in \"Beetlejuice\" and \"Home Alone,\" got her start in the Canadian comedy scene, appearing in the now-legendary cast of \"SCTV.\"\n\nIt would mark the beginning of a fruitful partnership with fellow actor Eugene Levy, who became her frequent costar and collaborator in memorable appearances in Christopher Guest films like \"A Mighty Wind\" and \"Best in Show\" and television series like \"Schitt's Creek,\" which earned her an Emmy Award for outstanding lead actress in 2020.\n\nO'Hara's representation confirmed her death to Business Insider on January 30. Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed in a death certificate [viewed by People](https://people.com/catherine-o-hara-cause-of-death-confirmed-11896368) that O'Hara died of a pulmonary embolism, with rectal cancer listed as an underlying cause.\n\n## Valerie Perrine, 82\n\nPerrine found herself cast alongside the biggest stars of the 1970s.\n\nShe played the love interest opposite Jeff Bridges in 1973's \"The Last American Hero\" and Robert Redford in 1979's \"The Electric Horseman.\" She earned an Oscar nomination for starring alongside Dustin Hoffman in 1974's \"Lenny.\"\n\nFor most, she'll be remembered best for sharing the screen with Gene Hackman as the secretary to his evil Lex Luthor in 1978's \"Superman.\" She also starred in the sequel. As Ms. Teschmacher, her loyalty to Luthor is questioned when she rescues Superman (Christopher Reeve) after [he's chained with Kryptonite](https://www.tiktok.com/@superman.movie/video/7318701004688461089).\n\nPerrine died in [her home in Beverly Hills](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/valerie-perrine-dead-superman-lenny-1236544394/) on March 23. She was [diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2015](https://www.insideedition.com/superman-star-valerie-perrine-gets-her-smile-back-after-parkinsons-meds-cause-her-lose-teeth-38946).\n\n## Neil Sedaka, 86\n\nSedaka is responsible for some of the biggest pop songs of the 1960s and 1970s.\n\nThe Brooklyn native wrote over 500 songs, including classic hits like \"Laughter in the Rain,\" \"Breaking Up Is Hard to Do,\" \"Bad Blood\" and the Captain & Tennille song, \"Love Will Keep Us Together.\"\n\nSedaka died on February 27; no cause was given.\n\n## Kiki Shepard, 74\n\nIn her 15-year tenure as a co-host on \"Showtime at the Apollo,\" Kiki Shepard was considered royalty at Harlem's famed Apollo Theater.\n\nKnown in the building as \"Apollo Queen of Fashion\" thanks to her dazzling outfits, Shepherd was a fixture on the show from 1987 to 2002.\n\nThroughout her career, Shepard also appeared on TV shows like \"Baywatch,\" \"A Different World,\" \"NYPD Blue,\" and \"Grey's Anatomy.\"\n\nShepard died on March 16 after [suffering a heart attack](https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/kiki-shepard-showtime-apollo-co-host-dies-74-rcna263908).\n\n## Béla Tarr, 70\n\nHungarian filmmaker Béla Tarr became a legend in the arthouse world for his unflinching work featuring several-minute-long takes.\n\nWith movies like \"Family Nest\" (1979) and \"The Turin Horse\" (2011), Tarr showcased his slow cinema style while focusing on marginalized characters living bleak lives. Tarr pushed the envelope with his style when he made \"Sátántangó\" in 1994, which had a run time of 450 minutes.\n\nHis work influenced several arthouse filmmakers, including Jim Jarmusch and Gus Van Sant's \"Death Trilogy\" (\"Gerry,\" \"Elephant,\" and \"Last Days\").\n\nTarr died on January 6 following a battle with a \"[long and serious illness](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/bela-tarr-dead-hungarian-film-director-slow-cinema-70-1236465456/).\"\n\n## James Tolkan, 94\n\nYou might not recognize the name, but if you're a movie fan, you know the face.\n\nTolkan's tough-guy persona made a mark on movie history in films like \"Top Gun\" and the \"Back to the Future\" franchise.\n\nIn \"Top Gun,\" he played Commander Tom \"Stinger\" Jardian, who famously gives Tom Cruise's character a tongue lashing, saying, \"Your ego is writing checks your body can't cash.\"\n\nIn \"Back to the Future\" and its sequels, he played Principal Strickland, who had zero tolerance for \"slackers.\"\n\nOther credits include \"Serpico,\" \"WarGames,\" \"Masters of the Universe,\" and \"Dick Tracy.\"\n\nTolkan died on March 26; no cause was given.\n\n## Ted Turner, 87\n\nTed Turner changed the television landscape thanks to his maverick maneuvers to harness the 24-hour news cycle.\n\nAfter taking over his father's advertising company in the 1960s at the age of 24, Turner embarked on a path to change the media landscape by buying up radio and TV stations around the South. He even bought sports teams including the Atlanta Braves MLB team and the Atlanta Hawks NBA team.\n\nAll of that programming would eventually become part of TBS, a \"super station\" that showed old movies, reruns, and Braves and Hawks games.\n\nTurner then set his sights on the news. He founded CNN, the first 24-hour news channel, in June of 1980.\n\nOver the decades, Turner gained celebrity status, particularly after marrying with Jane Fonda, a union that lasted from 1991 to 2001. In 1991, he was named Time's \"Man of the Year.\" He sold his networks to Time Warner for $7.5 billion in 1996.\n\nTurner died on May 6; [no cause was given](https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/06/us/ted-turner-death).\n\n## James Van Der Beek, 48\n\nVan Der Beek was beloved all over the world for his role as the titular teen Dawson Leery on the WB series \"Dawson's Creek.\"\n\nThe series, which ran from 1998 to 2002, turned Van Der Beek into a star and a teen heartthrob. While \"Dawson's Creek\" was still airing, he'd cement his stardom playing the lead role of high school quarterback \"Mox\" Moxon in the 1999 coming-of-age drama \"Varsity Blues.\"\n\nVan Der Beek found steady work the rest of his career in movies like \"Texas Rangers\" and \"The Rules of Attraction, and memorably played a fictional version of himself on the TV series \"Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23,\" and performed on \"Dancing with the Stars\" in 2019.\n\n[Van Der Beek learned he had stage 3 colon cancer](https://www.businessinsider.com/james-van-der-beek-has-colorectal-cancer-at-47-2024-11) in 2023, and publicly announced his diagnosis in late 2024.\n\nVan Der Beek [previously told Business Insider](https://www.businessinsider.com/james-van-der-beek-colon-cancer-symptom-diagnosis-screening-shield-2025-7) that the news came as a shock, given the subtleness of his symptoms and his efforts to stay as healthy as possible.\n\n\"I was doing everything,\" he said. \"I was doing sauna, cold plunge, weightlifting, Pilates. I would dance and also do football training.\"\n\n[Van Der Beek died](https://www.businessinsider.com/james-van-der-beek-dead-cancer-2026-2) on Feb. 11.\n\n## Bob Weir, 78\n\nWeir was one of the founding members of the Grateful Dead.\n\nThe singer-songwriter wrote and/or sang on songs like \"Sugar Magnolia,\" \"Playing in the Band,\" \"Truckin,'\" \"I Need a Miracle,\" and \"The Other One.\"\n\nAfter the Grateful Dead disbanded in 1995, Weir went on to form several other bands, including Kingfish, Bobby and the Midnites, RatDog, The Other Ones, and, alongside John Mayer, Dead & Company.\n\nIn the summer of 2025, Weir was diagnosed with cancer.\n\nWeir [died on January 10](https://www.instagram.com/p/DTWTKqKgKeP/).\n\n## Frederick Wiseman, 96\n\nFor over five decades, Wiseman's brand of non-fiction storytelling put a spotlight on everyday people.\n\nFrom high schoolers to hospital workers to Air Force cadets training for nuclear war, Wiseman's close to 50-film catalogue is an unvarnished reflection of America over the last half century.\n\nWiseman died on Februay 16, no cause was given.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/celebrity-deaths-2026-remembering-the-famous-people-we-lost-this-year", "canonical_source": "https://www.businessinsider.com/celebrity-deaths-famous-people-who-died-2026", "published_at": "2026-05-22 15:09:14+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-05-22 15:44:25.909878+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": [], "entities": ["Scott Adams", "Brad Arnold", "Afrika Bambaataa", "Dilbert", "3 Doors Down", "Donald Trump", "Tommy Boy Records"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/celebrity-deaths-2026-remembering-the-famous-people-we-lost-this-year", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/celebrity-deaths-2026-remembering-the-famous-people-we-lost-this-year.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/celebrity-deaths-2026-remembering-the-famous-people-we-lost-this-year.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/celebrity-deaths-2026-remembering-the-famous-people-we-lost-this-year.jsonld"}}