For good reason, 2022 was not everyone’s favorite year. With the shadow of the pandemic still upon us, wars breaking out, and other outbursts of mayhem, many of us are not sorry to see this year go. We are, however, sorry to say goodbye to some of the celebrities that this year took with it. Thanks a lot, 2022. Here are some of the familiar faces we will not be seeing in 2023.
Barbara Walters
Are you serious 2022? Just as we thought we had lost all the beloved celebrities we were going to lose this year, 2022 hands us one final blow by taking Barbara Walters, on its way out. Barbara was a beloved news anchor and journalist, a trailblazer as the first female anchor for both a morning and evening TV news show in a time when the industry was male-dominated. She broke glass ceilings and pathfinder for women journalists on a regular basis, and her work is still greatly revered.
Barbara Walters died on Dec. 30 at the age of 93 and will forever be known as one of the queens of journalism.
Queen Elizabeth II
Speaking of queens, Barbara wasn’t the only royal figure to leave us in 2022. Queen Elizabeth II—queen of the United Kingdom, mother of now King Charles, and grandmother to Princes William and Harry—also passed away in 2022. With seven decades spent on the royal throne, she was the longest reigning monarch in U.K. history.
All reports indicate her passing was peaceful as she died surrounded by family and loved ones. She was queen from Feb. 6, 1952 to the day of her death in September.
Pope Benedict XVI
The only pontiff to step down from the position in the past 600 years, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI died Dec. 31 at the age of 95. Born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger in Germany near the Austrian border on April 16, 1927, he was ordained as a priest in 1951 before rising to the position of cardinal in 1977. He was later named as archbishop of Munich and chief theological adviser to Pope John Paul II, whom he succeeded in 2005.
Angela Lansbury
Angela Lansbury had one of the most prolific and successful acting careers in history. With her acting days lasting almost six decades long and including stints on Broadway as well as multiple hit shows and movies, Angela’s groundbreaking career was one for the books. Best known for her beloved role as detective Jessica Fletcher in Murder She Wrote, she won the hearts of fans for generations.
Angela died at the ripe old age of 96 in October.
Loretta Lynn
Loretta Lynn was a famous country music singer who made a name for herself by singing honest songs about her life as a woman in Appalachia. Born a Kentucky coal miner’s daughter, she used music to pull herself up “by her bootstraps” to become one of the most well-known country singers in history. With songs such as “You Ain’t Woman Enough” and “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” her career spanned over six decades.
She died in her sleep in October at the age of 90 in her home.
Naomi Judd
Naomi Judd was an award-winning singer/songwriter whose country music act with her daughter, Wynona Judd, stole hearts for decades. Beginning with 1984’s “Mama He’s Crazy,” The Judds established their legacy as the most successful female duo of all time with an impressive 14 number one hit songs.
Wynona wasn’t the only talented daughter in the family; Naomi is also the mother to famous actress Ashley Judd. Although according to an article published by NBC, Naomi left her daughters out of her will, leaving everything instead to her husband, Larry Strickland, to do with what he “saw fit.”
Naomi, unfortunately, died by suicide at the age of 76 in April, just days before The Judds were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Anne Heche
Actress Anne Heche had a successful career that spanned almost four decades. She played many memorable roles in movies such as Psycho, Six Days Seven Nights, and Wag The Dog as well as making multiple tv show appearances. Her best-selling book, “Call Me Crazy,” highlighted events from her difficult childhood as well as her mental health and addiction struggles. Many fans admired Heche’s honesty and her willingness to share her story with the world.
On Aug. 5, Anne’s car crashed into a Los Angeles home, erupting into flames. She was taken to the hospital but unfortunately never recovered from her injuries. She died at the age of 53.
Olivia Newton-John
Everyone’s favorite Sandra Dee, Olivia Newton-John is another celebrity we lost in 2022. She was best known for her breakout role playing Sandy across from John Travolta’s Danny as his main love interest in the 1978 hit, Grease. She was also a spokesperson for breast cancer awareness and research, openly sharing her own personal journey with the disease.
After almost 20 years of remission, her cancer returned and unfortunately metastasized in her spine. She was never able to recover and passed away on her SoCal ranch in August, reportedly “surrounded by friends and family.” She was 73.
Sidney Poitier
Sidney Poitier—the man, the legend. Star of To Sir, With Love, Guess Whose Coming To Dinner, and In The Heat of The Night, he was the first African-American actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for his phenomenal performance in Lilies of the Field, and it would be almost 40 years before another African-American actor would win the award. He went on to enjoy several leading roles and great success throughout his 50-year career.
Although Poitier’s acting career was quite the accomplishment, it wasn’t his only success. He also served as an ambassador and a leader in the civil rights movement and won the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
He died in January at the age of 94.
Bob Saget
Bob Saget was the king of comedy. Best known for his role as loveable dad Danny Tanner from Full House, Bob’s goofy smile and hearty laugh won the hearts of fans. He then made his debut as the host of America’s Funniest Home Videos before shedding his “good guy” image and touring the world with his sometimes raunchy standup comedy routines.
His death was unfortunately sudden and quite mysterious. He was found unresponsive in his hotel room after having done a comedy set just the night before. He died in January at the age of 65.
Coolio
Coolio was a West Coast rapper who was one of the most recognizable stars of the 1990s. His honest and often abrasive music helped to shape and define a generation. His songs “Gangsta’s Paradise” and “Fantastic Voyage” topped the Billboard charts and secured him a place in fans’ hearts and minds.
His sudden death cut his career short as the successful rapper was found dead in a friend’s home in Los Angeles at the age of 59. While no cause of death was officially released, cardiac arrest was the suspected cause.
Aaron Carter
Aaron Carter was the former teenage heartthrob responsible for the 2000s pop hits “Aaron’s Party” and “I Want Candy.” He was also the little brother of The Backstreet Boys’ own Nick Carter. Aaron dated Hilary Duff, Lindsay Lohan, and other 2000s “it girls.” He rocketed to fame at a young age, and his future had once been looking very bright.
However, his fame and young life were cut short when he died this year at the age of 34. Aaron had spoken out openly about his struggle with addictions and mental health and was halfway through his autobiography at the time of his death. While no cause of death was officially released, many fans feared it was a result of a relapse into addiction. Aaron was found in his bathtub in Los Angeles on Nov. 5 and pronounced dead the same day. He was 34 years old.
Kirstie Allie
Kirstie Alley’s Emmy-winning acting career made her a household name. Her role as the loveable bar owner Rebecca Howe on the hit show Cheers put her face in people’s living rooms and put her career on the map. The Hollywood starlet also snagged roles in films such as Look Who’s Talking and Drop Dead Gorgeous as well as shows such as Veronica’s Closet. Her career spanned four decades and included hundreds of roles and appearances. She also had a relationship with Hollywood heartthrob John Travolta and several other hunky actors. Despite her various claims to fame, Kirstie’s life was not without difficulties. She was open about her previous cocaine addiction and her struggle in maintaining a healthy weight. She shared her story in hopes of helping others with similar struggles.
She died of cancer in December at the age of 71.
Taylor Hawkins
Taylor Hawkins was one of the world’s most renowned drummers and the heart of the Foo Fighters. The band had recently been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and was as popular with fans as ever. The group was scheduled to play in Bogota, Colombia, then would have been off to Brazil at the time of Hawkins’s untimely death.
Hawkin’s official cause of death was not released, but his ongoing struggle with drugs and alcohol was rumored to be the cause. Us Magazine reported that 10 different substances were found in the drummer’s system at the time of his death. It was a tragic end for one of the most talented musicians in the industry. He was 50 years old at the time of his death in March.
Stephen “tWitch” Boss
Stephen” tWitch” Boss was a hip-hop dancer, producer, choreographer, and actor among his many talents. He was probably best known for his role as the loveable and talented DJ on The Ellen Degeneres Show. He and Ellen became very close during his time there, and he even spoke out on her behalf during the allegations around her show having a “toxic working environment.” He also won second place in 2008 for his spectacular dance moves on the hit show So You Think You Can Dance.
Stephen”tWitch” Boss died by suicide in December. He was 40 years old.
Robert Durst
Maybe Robert Durst isn’t exactly a celebrity, but he is certainly notorious. The case of Robert Durst is one of the most bizarre in American history. The New York multi-millionaire is thought to be responsible for at least three deaths, including those of his first wife and a neighbor he met while pretending to be a woman and living in Texas.
Several movies and shows have been made documenting his sordid story, including one that, due to a connected microphone, actually revealed a bizarre bathroom confession of Durst’s. HBO’s The Jinx, All Good Things starring Ryan Gosling and Kirsten Dunst, and Lifetime’s The Lost Wife of Robert Durst all shed light on the strange inner details of this man’s life and murders.
Durst died of natural causes at the age of 78 in January.
Vivienne Westwood
Vivienne Westwood, known as the godmother of punk, made her mark on the world in more ways than one. She used fashion to make a statement, and she was a trendsetting fashion designer. Among her big statements were outfitting the Sex Pistols, debuting a traffic cone during a fashion show, and meeting the Queen, sans underwear. She was certainly a trendsetter in many ways.
Vivienne died at the age of 81 in December. Her death was reportedly peaceful, and she was surrounded by friends and family.
That wraps it up, some of the celebrities, sordid and otherwise, that we lost in 2022. So sayonara 2022; don’t expect us to write.
