Eerie Christmas celebrity tragedies – horror boat accident to death prediction

Christmas isn’t always a time for celebration for some people, as there have been some major tragedies around the festive period.

A number of famous faces have sadly died on the big day itself, December 25. Others have died in the surrounding weeks, too.

And while a death is sad under any circumstance, some of the situations surrounding the celebrity passings have been particularly strange.

READ MORE: The Pogues’ Shane MacGowan dies aged 65 after health battle left him unable to walk

READ MORE: Join the Daily Star Soaps WhatsApp for all the latest spoilers and exclusives

From horror boating accidents, to predicting their own death, or dying under mysterious circumstances, there have been some truly eerie tragedies around Christmas. Here, Daily Star is taking a look.

George Michael

Georgie Michael died on Christmas Day in 2016, at the age of 53. He was found in his bed by his partner Fadi Fawaz.

His cause of death was later ruled to be natural, due to symptoms including a fatty liver. The Wham! icon’s funeral was held three months after his death on March 29, 2017.

While that’s sad, things got a little weirder. George was buried at Highgate Cemetry in north London by his mother’s grave.

But even more tragically, his sister Melanie Panayiotou died on Christmas Day in 2019. She is buried to the other side of their mother.

James Brown

Legendary singer James Brown died on Christmas Day in 2006, at the end of 73. He died from complications of pneumonia.

His longterm manager Charles Bobbit was by his bedside when he died. He claimed that James had said “I’m going away tonight” before taking three long breaths, and falling asleep.

However more recently, things took a dark turn. Many believe that James was actually murdered.

Another manager Frank Copsidas even said last year: “He was murdered. That’s my interpretation, plain and simple. Somebody wanted him dead.”

A woman called Jacque Hollander also provided evidence she hoped would prove he was murdered. But those items mysteriously disappeared from the prosecutor’s office, with no explanation ever given.

Dean Martin

Singer Dean Martin died on Christmas Day in 1995, at the age of 78. He died from complications relating to emphysema.

As a life-long smoker, Dean had been diagnosed with lung cancer two years earlier. However he rejected the offer of surgery, which would have prolonged his life.

He eventually died at his Beverly Hills home. In a strange twist, he died 29 years to the day that his mother died.

Kirsty MacColl

Iconic songstress Kirsty MacColl’s death, at the age of 41, is particularly tragic. The Fairytale of New York singer died on December 18, 2000.

Kirsty had gone on holiday to Mexico with her sons and musician boyfriend, James Knight. She and her sons went diving in a reef where boats were prohibited from entering.

However during the dive, a powerboat travelling at a fast speed entered the area. Kirsty managed to push her son Jamie out of the way, while her other son Louis was not in the boat’s path.

Jamie ended up with minor head and rib injuries. Tragically, Kirsty didn’t get off as lightly.

The boat hit her and ran her over. She died instantly after sustaining severe chest and head injuries.

The boathand who had been in charge of the water vehicle, José Cen Yam, was found guilty of culpable homicide. But he paid a fine of around £61 instead of serving a prison sentence of two years and 10 months.

The boat was owned by the brother of a multimillionaire businessman. There have been claims that José Cen Yam told people he received money for taking the blame for Kirsty’s death.

Brittany Murphy

Hollywood actress Brittany Murphy died on December 20, 2009 at the age of 32. The LA Fire Department attended her home, responding to a “medical request”.

Firefighters tried to resuscitate Brittany, and she was taken to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. She tragically died after going into cardiac arrest.

An autopsy reported that her death was accidental, with the cause being pneumonia, as well as anaemia and drug intoxication. A number of different medications were found in her system, with most being used to treat a cold.

But weeks later, her husband Simon Monjack, as well as Brittany’s mother Sharon, said she did not drink or do drugs – and the medication wasn’t to blame. They instead claimed she had a heart condition.

Months later, on May 23, Simon was found dead. A coroner’s report said he died from pneumonia and anaemia.

At the time, it was thought that toxic mould could have been behind the double death. This was eventually ruled out, and Brittany’s mum Sharon called the idea “absurd”.

But she later changed her mind, in 2011, and claimed that Brittany and Simon had indeed been killed by toxic mould. She filed a lawsuit against her previous legal team from a lawsuit against the builders of the home.

Things got even weirder in 2013, when Brittany’s dad Angelo Bertolotti claimed a toxicology report showed his daughter had been poisoned by heavy metals – and on purpose. But Sharon said that was a “smear”.

Still, many believe there is a mystery surrounding Brittany’s festive death. HBO Max released a documentary in 2021 – What Happened, Brittany Murphy? – but it didn’t go down well with viewers.

For more of the latest showbiz news from Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here .

Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk