Hollywood Mourns Shannen Doherty, Richard Simmons and More After Unexpectedly Tragic Weekend
Hollywood mourned the loss of five stars over a tragic July weekend.
It all began on Thursday, July 11, with the passing of Shelley Duvall, who died in her sleep at the age of 75 at her home in Blanco, Texas. By the afternoon of Sunday, July 14, four more celebrities had passed away, making for a busy weekend in obituaries.
Other deaths over the last few days included celebrity sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer, who was 96 at the time of her passing on Friday, July 12. Fitness guru Richard Simmons was found dead in his Los Angeles home, believed to have passed away from natural causes one day after his 76th birthday, whereas actress Shannen Doherty died over the weekend after a lengthy battle with breast cancer.
The world of sports took a blow this weekend as well, as retired NFL star Jacoby Jones was found dead in his Houston, Texas home on Sunday.
Celebrity Deaths of 2024: Stars We Lost This Year
Scroll to read more about the stars who passed away this weekend:
Shelley Duvall
Duvall died in her sleep in her Blanco, Texas home at the age of 75 on Thursday, July 11. Her partner, Dan Gilroy, confirmed her death to The Hollywood Reporter the same day, saying his “dear, sweet, wonderful life partner and friend left us.”
“Too much suffering lately, now she’s free,” he said. “Fly away, beautiful Shelley.” The actress is perhaps best known for her role as Wendy Torrence in 1980’s The Shining, but also starred in films like Annie Hall (1977) and Popeye (1980). Her final role was in 2023’s The Forest Hills.
Dr. Ruth Westheimer
The celebrity sex therapist died on Friday, July 12, in her New York City home, her spokesman confirmed to The New York Times the following day. She was 96.
Her career in advice began with a weekly radio show in 1980 called Sexually Speaking, before going on to host a variety of talk shows and publish over 40 books, including Sex for Dummies in 1995.
“These days, it’s not so much how to have an orgasm. It’s not so much how to have an erection. It’s more a question about boredom,” she exclusively told Us Weekly in August 2019, proving she was comfortable discussing sex at any age.
Richard Simmons
Representatives confirmed the death of the longtime fitness icon to ABC News on Saturday, July 11. While the cause of death was not revealed at the time, authorities believe Simmons’ passing to be from natural causes. He was pronounced dead at his Los Angeles home on Saturday morning. (Simmons was diagnosed with skin cancer in March.)
Simmons had celebrated his 76th birthday one day before his death on Friday. In the most recent posts on his Facebook page, the wellness expert expressed gratitude to fans for their birthday wishes.
“I never got so many messages about my birthday in my life!” he wrote. “I am sitting here writing emails. Have a most beautiful rest of your Friday.”
Shannen Doherty
Us confirmed on Sunday, July 14, that Doherty had died on Saturday following a lengthy battle with cancer.
“It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress Shannen Doherty. On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after many years of fighting the disease,” Doherty’s publicist Leslie Sloane said in a statement to Us. The Beverly Hills, 90210 star had been diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer in 2015.
“The devoted daughter, sister, aunt and friend was surrounded by her loved ones as well as her dog, Bowie,” Sloane’s statement concluded. “The family asks for their privacy at this time so they can grieve in peace.”
Jacoby Jones
It was announced on Sunday, July 14, that the Super Bowl champion and former NFL wide receiver died at his Houston home at the age of 40. A cause of death has not been made public as of yet.
Jones previously played for both the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans. “We are completely heartbroken to learn about the passing of Jacoby Jones,” the Ravens said in a statement via X. “Jacoby had the unique ability to connect with everyone he encountered. His charisma, joy and love created a one-of-a-kind presence that could light up any room or brighten any dark day.”
The Texans said in a post on Sunday, “We are deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Jacoby Jones. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this difficult time.”