Paul W. Hewson January 9th 2017 Entertainment
Celebrity deaths are, obviously, not a new phenomenon or anything. What is fairly new, comparatively, is social media and, specifically, how celebrities use it. More often than not, a famous person will use their Twitter account to promote their latest project or even a charitable cause they support. However, it’s not unheard of for celebs to use their account to speak directly to their fans and even reveal a bit of their personal lives. Because it’s online, it can serve as a permanent journal, giving the world a look at how their lives progress over the years.
Of course, once a celebrity passes away, the tweets - theoretically - stop (unless someone else is running the account for them). So, it’s interesting to take a look at some of the final tweets of famous people - and see just how cryptic some of them are. For some, it seems like they have a premonition of their future. Others are clearly a coincidence. Nevertheless, here’s 22 of them. #19 Will Freak You Out!
1. Robin Williams
The Tweet: “First look at the new ‘Night at the Museum Secret of the Tomb” I hope you enjoyed it
A legendary comedian and accomplished actor, Robin Williams was also a huge fanatic for games and technology. - hell, he named his daughter, Zelda, after the NES adventure game. He took to social media quite easily and enjoyed both conversing with fans as well as sharing with them news of his upcoming movies.
Less cryptic than it is coincidental, Williams’ last tweet was promoting what would be his final live-action movie appearance - the unfortunately subtitled “Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb”, in which he played President Theodore Roosevelt. Williams died less than a month later.
2. Paul Walker
The Tweet: “The boys are back. Will you be ready? - #TeamPW #FastFridays (followed by a photo of Walker, Tyrese Gibson and Vin Diesel)
Like James Dean before him, Paul Walker died participating in real life what made him famous on screen - driving fast cars. In 2013, the Fast and the Furious series stalwart died in a car accident while filming the seventh film in the series. After taking some time off to both mourn the actor and plan their next moves, filmmakers were able to rework the film (with the help of Walker’s brothers) and give both the actor and his character a dignified send-off.
3. Whitney Houston
The Tweet: (in response to a fan’s tweet asking if she had a “real Twitter”) “yes i am the real whitney”
Whitney Houston should be, right now, one of the biggest - if not *the* biggest - star in the world. A talent for singing that no one else could even come close to, this superstar also showed serious acting chops in films like THE BODYGUARD and WAITING TO EXHALE. Unfortunately, a drug habit derailed all of that and she died in 2010 - shortly after posting this tweet telling a fan - and the world, she was the “real” Whitney.
4. Elizabeth Taylor
The Tweet: “My interview in Bazaar with Kim Kardashian...”
For our younger readers not versed in the history of Hollywood, Elizabeth Taylor was the Julia Roberts, Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Lawrence of her day - gorgeous beyond belief but also ridiculously talented. In her later years, things got a little weird - her multiple marriages and her friendship with Michael Jackson and the fact that she did that FLINSTONES movie - but she was still an icon. She clearly saw something in reality star Kim Kardashian, though, as this final tweet of her shows
5. Amy Winehouse
The Tweet: “Make sure you all download your copy of #GoodForTheSoul the incredible album by the amazing @dionneofficial... OUT NOW!”
Stories of hard living, addiction and messy relationships dominated the public narrative of Amy Winehouse’s life almost as much as they did the lyrics she wrote. A brilliant musician with an otherworldly soulful voice, Winehouse would sing songs about how she refused to go to rehab and that she was “no good” for anyone to be in a relationship with. Just a few days after posting this tweet, Winehouse was found dead of alcohol poisoning at age 27.
6. Leonard Nimoy
The Tweet: “A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP”
While he was always resigned to the fact that he was always going to be remembered as Spock from Star Trek, that didn’t keep Leonard Nimoy from exploring his other passions. He wrote both books and songs - including a famous (infamous?) tune about Bilbo Baggins from The Hobbit. He was an avid photographer and also a film director. Aside from a couple of Star Trek films, Nimoy also directed the non-scifi comedy Three Men and a Baby. That’s a good movie, you should watch it.
Nimoy often used his Twitter account to share inspiration and creative thoughts with his fans, and his final tweet was no different. He would pass away days later after posting this at the age of 83, having enjoyed a life well lived.
7. Billy Mays
The Tweet: “Just had a close call landing in Tampa. The tires blew out upon landing. Stuck in the plane on the runway. You can always count on US Air.”
Billy Mays rose to prominence as the wildly enthusiastic pitchman for OxyClean cleaning detergent. Instead of being a celebrity endorsing a product, he was the rare example of someone becoming a celebrity for endorsing a product. So much show that he was the subject of the Discovery Channel reality series “PitchMen” shortly before his 2009 death.
Shortly after Mays posted this tweet, Mays experienced heart failure and died shortly thereafter. The following autopsy revealed his heart condition could have been brought on by extensive cocaine use, but nothing was conclusively proven. Still, to this day, product spokesmen of all varieties try to show the same passion and enthusiasm this unlikely pop culture figure showed in his work.
8. Maya Angelou
The Tweet: “Listen to yourself and in that quietude you might hear the voice of God.”
A renowned writer and poet, Maya Angelou first came to prominence with her best-selling 1969 autobiography “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings.” In 1971, she was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for her collection of poems entitled “Just Give Me A Cool Drink Of Water ‘Fore I Die.” 22 years later, the same poem got her even more recognition when she read it at the first inauguration of President Bill Clinton.
Five days after posting this tweet, Angelou passed away of natural causes at age 86.
9. Stuart Scott
The Tweet: “Thank U @BehailuAcademy & @d2mills for honoring me 2nite and letting my siblings accept on my behalf. #LOVE”
Stuart Scott was a legend in sports broadcasting and a cornerstore of ESPN’s team. His death of cancer in 2016 was a hard pill to swallow for both fans and his colleagues. That same year - before he passed - we was awarded by his employer the Jimmy V Perseverance Award, which he (along with his siblings, as mentioned in his tweet) accepted on stage. He would pass away shortly after.
10. Joan Rivers
The Tweet: “A man reportedly got his finger bitten off at a Beyonce concert! The shocking twist: It wasn’t Jay-Z’s finger and it wasn’t by Solange”
A legendary comedian and troublemaker - well before social media was just a theoretical concept - Joan Rivers always had some controversial to say. Before her death in 2014, Rivers had gotten heat for her comments on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. But, it was her tweet about Beyonce’s sister before her death that got the headlines.
11. Cory Monteith
The Tweets: “oh. It’s a SHARK TORNADO.” “what the crap is a Sharknado”
A regular on “Glee”, Monteith was talented but also haunted by his own personal demons. Battling substance abuse since the age of 13, Monteith was in rehab at 19, trying desperately to kick his addictions. Sadly, he wasn’t able to overcome and died in 2013 not from being caught in the midst of a Sharknado but of a combination of alcohol and heroin.
12. Roger Ebert
The Tweet: “My Leave Of Presence: An Update…”
Roger Ebert was more than a beloved film critic. He was a pop culture icon. He began his career as a screenwriter, working with Russ Meyer on BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS and the ill-fated Sex Pistols film WHO KILLED BAMBI? He’s probably best known for his movie review show on television with fellow critic Gene Siskel, AT THE MOVIES (and later SISKEL & EBERT). In 2002, Ebert was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, the treatment of which caused him to lose his jaw. He passed away of the disease in 2013, but not before leaving behind a legacy of brilliant film analysis.
13. Michael Clarke Duncan
The Tweet: “SILVA WINS!”
Breaking into the public consciousness with his Oscar nominated role in THE GREEN MILE, Michael Clarke Duncan’s death caught everybody by surprise. A big man who could play both intimidating and sympathetic, at 54 years old, Duncan seemed to have decades of great work ahead of him. Ironically, as his final tweet celebrated the victory of one of his favorite MMA stars, it was his last expression on social media before be passed.
14. Mindy McCready
The Tweet: “@dancinjake. Things have been hectic. But I’m still here..”
Mindy McCready had a promising future in the country music business ahead of her. Sadly, personal demons (including a supposed affair with legendary MLB pitcher Roger Clemens when she was 13) had gotten ahold of her and - despite recording some incredible music - she ended up taking her own life in 2012
15. Harris Wittels
The Tweet: “Just a reminder: my email is harriswittels@gmail.com” Thanks!”
An all too familiar tale, Harris Wittels was a talented performer and writer who succumbed to the temptation of heroin. A performer on NBC’s Parks & Recreation, Wittels was also a prolific writer. His work featured on shows like Eastbound and Down and The Sarah Silverman Program. Unfortunately, despite multiple trips to rehab, Wittels was found dead in his home - a day after posting this tweet - of a heroin overdose.
16. Greg Giraldo
The Tweet: “I will be at the Stress Factory at New Brunswick, NJ tomorrow thru Sunday night Tix here:....”
This one hits me a little hard as Greg Giraldo was a personal hero of mine. But, even I can’t deny that he had a lot going on in his life and he attempted to medicate it himself, which lead to his death. Sadly - and ironically - his final tweet had him at the “Stress Factory”. Perhaps if he had spend the weekend at the “Chill Out Factory”, he may still be with us today.
17. Reeva Steenkamp
The Tweet: “What do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow?? #GetExcited #ValentinesDay”
Reeva Steenkamp was a gorgeous South African model with a wicked sense of humor. In fact, if she hadn’t been taken from us before her time, she could have been a huge international star. Unfortunately, she was also the girlfriend of Oscar Pistorius, the Olympic runner with no legs and, apparently, no regard for human life. Pistorius killed Steenkamp, robbing the rest of the world of both her beauty and her humor.
18. Andrew Breitbart
The Tweet: “(in an online argument) I called you a putz cause I thought you werebeing intentionally disingenuous. If not I apologize…”
Andrew Breitbart was - and this may come as a surprise - the founder of Breitbart.com. Created in 2007 as a right-leaning (to put it midly) online news source, the site exploded in popularity among conservatives. Previously, Breitbart had been an editor for the Drudge Report and also worked as a researcher for Arianna Huffington for a time and considered her a friend, despite their differing political beliefs.
Just a day after posting this tweet, Breitbart died of heart failure. He was 43.
19. Mitch Lucker
The Tweet: “The dead are living…”
The vocalist for the metal band Suicide Silence, Mitch Lucker was maybe even more well known for the ridiculous amount of tattoos covering his neck, arms and torso. In this Instagram photo taken on Halloween 2012, he can be seen looking like a cross between a zombie and a voodoo doll. That very next day, Lucker crashed his motorcycle following a drunken fight with his wife. He was 23.
20. Patty Duke
The Tweet: “30 years ago today, Mike and I married. We are having a very happy and quiet day. Love and hugs to all.”
An accomplished actress, Patty Duke may be best known for both her role on stage in The Miracle Worker in 1959 as well as her self-titled TV series in which she played two roles. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Duke was also a tireless advocate for overcoming the stigma of mental health issues around the world. And, she was the father of Sean Astin - who would go on to star in films like Rudy, Lord of the Rings and The Goonies. Oh, and Encino Man. Never forget Encino Man.
While this last tweet of hers was made two weeks before her death, it showed that she was in a pretty peaceful and relaxed place when she finally passed on.
21. Garry Shandling
The Tweet: “If I was Kanye, I wouldn’t wait for the GOP convention, I’d go make a deal with Mitt right now.”
Garry Shandling was a staple of television, movies and comedy clubs for decades. He was probably best known for his groundbreaking HBO series “The Larry Sanders Show”, which took a satirical but pointed look at the late night television industry in the 1990s. While of an older generation than most comics who took to the platform, Shandling had a strong presence on Twitter, frequently tossing out hilarious observations.
Less than a week after posting this tweet, Shandling collapsed in his home in Los Angeles from a blood clot in his lungs. He was 66.
22. Elaine Stritch
The Tweet: “My new, furry friend Marshall Stritch (photo of adorable puppy). Isn’t he the f-ing end?!”
A legend for her acting, singing and hard partying ways, Elaine Stritch was a legend on Broadway. A member of the American Theater Hall of Fame, she was also nominated multiple times for Tony awards across her career. While she never snagged one of those, she did win an Emmy for recurring role on the sitcom 30 Rock.
It appeared that this post was the “f-ing end” for her - at least on Twitter. Nearly two months later, Stritch passed away in her sleep after battles with both stomach cancer and diabetes. She was 89
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