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We lost some really great people in 2018. From rapper Mac Miller, to the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin, and the legendary Stan Lee, it’s a shame that they all left us too soon. Scroll through the gallery to see all the legendary people we lost this year.
The rapper died at the young age of 26 on Sept. 7. Mac’s toxicology report claimed that he had died from a combination of several drugs — fentanyl, cocaine, and ethanol. The “What’s the Use?” singer was always honest with his fans about ongoing battle with drugs. “I was doing a lot of drugs around that time. Which is another difference now: I’m not doing as many drugs. It just eats at your mind, doing drugs every single day, every second. It’s rough on your body,” the singer told Billboardmagazine in 2015.
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Stan Lee
The Marvel co-creator is responsible for Avengers, Thor, and Spiderman. He died on Nov. 12 at 95 years old. Ryan Reynolds, who stars as Marvel’s Deadpool character, tweeted, “Damn…RIP Stan. Thanks for everything.”
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Stephen Hillenburg
A year ago, the SpongeBob Squarepants creator announced that he had been diagnosed with ALS. Sadly, he didn’t win the battle. He passed away on Nov. 26 at just 57 years old.
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Burt Reynolds
The Boogie Nights actor went into cardiac arrest at a Florida hospital on Sept. 6 and passed away at the age of 82. His former girlfriend and co-star Sally Field wrote a touching tribute. “There are times in your life that are so indelible, they never fade away. They stay alive, even forty years later,” the 71-year-old said. “My years with Burt never leave my mind. He will be in my history and my heart, for as long I live. Rest, Buddy.”
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Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin AKA The Queen of Soul died at age 76 on August 16 at her home in Detroit. Her top songs, “Respect” and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” are iconic.
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Avicii
The DJ was known for hits like “Levels” and “Wake Me Up,” but unfortunately he died on April 20 at age 28.
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Anthony Bourdain
The TV personality and celebrity chef tragically took his own life in Paris on June 8. He was 61 years old. Anthony’s hit show, Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, followed him as he traveled and tried new cuisines in different parts of the world.
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Kate Spade
The fashion designer was found dead in her NYC apartment from an apparent suicide on June 5. Celebrities mourned the iconic trailblazer on Twitter. “My grandmother gave me my first Kate Spade bag when I was in college,” Chelsea Clinton tweeted. “I still have it. Holding Kate’s family, friends, and loved ones in my heart.”
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XXXTenacion
Born Jahseh Onfroy, the rapper, singer, and songwriter died on June 18 at just 20 years old when he was shot by two armed men in Florida. “If I’m going to die or ever be a sacrifice, I want to make sure that my life made at least five million kids happy or they found some sort of answers or resolve in my life regardless of the negative around my name, regardless of the bad things people say to me,” he said in his last Instagram live video.
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Mark Salling
The former Glee star was found dead on Jan. 30 at 35 years old. He was arrested in 2015 after a search warrant discovered 50,000 images of child pornography on his computer. He was awaiting his sentence, as he pled guilty in Dec. 2017.
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Jackson Odell
Best known for his role on ABC’s The Goldbergs, he died on June 10 at 20 years old. ET reported the cause of death was due to “acute heroin and cocaine toxicity.” His family took to Twitter to share a heartwarming statement. They wrote, “He will always be a shining light and a brilliant, loving, and talented soul. He had so much to share. Our family will always carry that truth forward.”
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Verne Troyer
Verne’s death was ruled a suicide, a Los Angeles coroner revealed. The actor, best known for playing Mini-Me in the Austin Powers films, had battled alcoholism and died on April 21 at age 49. He was one of the shortest men in the world. “Every day you see him, you go, ‘Wow that is a small human,” his co-star Mike Myers said on Jimmy Kimmel Live! “But by the end of the day, you just saw Verne. It just sort of went away. He was part of the cast and fantastic. I miss him.”
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Stephen Hawking
The British scientist defied the odds. He was only given a few years to live at the age of 22 when he was diagnosed with ALS, but he lived until he was 76. He was known for his work with black holes and relativity. “We are deeply saddened that our beloved father passed away today,” his children, Lucy, Robert, and Tim said in a statement.
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Barbara Bush
The former first lady passed away at the age of 92 on April 17. Just a day before, her granddaughter Jenna Bush Hager talked about what an amazing woman she was. “We are grateful for her. She’s the best grandmother that anybody could ever have,” she said.
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Joe Jackson
The father of Janet and Michael Jackson passed away on June 28 at the age of 89. “We want to thank you for all the support you have shown us as we grieve for the patriarch of our family,” the family wrote in a statement to Us Weekly. “We mourn the loss of our father and celebrate the life of a man who sacrificed so much to give us the life and success we have today.”
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John McCain
After a yearlong battle with brain cancer, the senator passed away on Aug. 25 at age 81. “My father was a great man. He was a great warrior. He was a great American. I admired him for all of these things. But I love him because he was a great father,” Meghan McCain said in a touching tribute.
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George H.W. Bush
The former President of the United States died at age 94 on Nov. 30, just seven months after his wife, Barbara. “He taught me and my family about service, family, decency, the power of gentle words and a beautiful heart,” his granddaughter Jenna Bush Hager wrote. “I will miss him desperately but so happy he and my Grandmother are back together.”
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Charlotte Rae
The Tony-nominated actress was famous for playing Edna Garrett on Diff’rent Strokes and Facts of Life. She died in Los Angeles at the age of 92. She revealed in April 2017 that she was battling bone cancer.
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Devin Lima
The LFO singer died after a yearlong battle with stage IV adrenal cancer. Brad Fischetti, his bandmate, told fans about Devin’s diagnosis in October 2017. “It’s devastating news, but at the same time, there’s nobody I know stronger than Devin Lima.”
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Kim Porter
On Nov. 15, the model and actress was found dead at age 47. She had three kids with her ex-boyfriend Diddy. They dated for 13 years, but still maintained a close friendship. “Kim is an incredible mother to our children. We’ve been part of each other’s lives for many years and I have always admired her courage and strength,” Diddy gushed about his former love to JET magazine.
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Lyric McHenry
The model was found dead on the sidewalk in New York City on Aug. 14. She was good friends with Magic Johnson’s son EJ Johnson and she produced and starred in his show EJNYC on E!.
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Dennis Shields
Bethenny Frankel’s on-again, off-again boyfriend was found dead in Trump Tower in New York City at just 51 years old. A few days later, the RHONY star posted a photo of Dennis with her dog, who had also passed away. “Rest In Peace my sweet babies who gave me endless unconditional love. #nowandforever,” she wrote.
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Dolores O’Riordan
The lead singer of the band, The Cranberries suddenly died in London on Jan. 15 at 46 years old. The band had to cancel multiple concerts in 2017 because of Dolores’s back problems.
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Frank Adonis
The Good Fellas and Wise Guys actor sadly passed away on Dec. 27 at 83 years old. According to reports, he had been sick for many years and suffered from kidney problems.
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