Stars We've Sadly Lost So Far In 2025

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It's inevitable: Every year that passes takes beloved stars with it, and sadly 2025 started off by claiming its fair share of performers before the year even kicked off proper. Not only does the death of celebrities we love remind us of our own mortality, but it also serves as a prompt to make the most of the little time we have. Many stars, especially those who were living legends, leave millions of hearts shattered when they die, and it can feel like losing a beloved, long-distance friend you never really talked to but who had a significant impact on your life nonetheless. Thanks to social media, the news can often pop up in one's Instagram feed without any warning, making the shock of a star's passing that much harder. It can also provide some solace, however, with many fans taking to a late performer's page to leave their condolences on their last post.

As we bid stars we loved goodbye — some young and some old — we look back on their work and achievements with bittersweet nostalgia. We have a valid excuse to rewatch their movies and shows or listen to their albums on repeat, and sometimes we even rediscover things about their lives we never knew before or have long forgotten. We lost a significant amount of beloved stars in 2024 and, unfortunately, 2025 didn't wait long before it subjected the world to its first major loss. 

Four-time Daytime Emmy nominee Leslie Charleson, aka "General Hospital's" Monica Quartermaine, died on January 12, 2025. She was 79 years old. The soap icon's cause of death was listed as "sequelae of blunt head trauma," per E! News. No foul play was suspected, with the medical examiner's report indicating that Charleson had previously suffered trauma to her head, which eventually led to her death. The actor died after being admitted to the hospital.

Charleson will forever be fondly remembered for her role as mean girl Monica in the long-running soap opera. She was a living legend, starting her run on "General Hospital" way back in 1977, and continued to work until her death, making Charleson the show's longest-employed actor ever. In fact, her death was first announced on the "General Hospital" Instagram account, with executive producer Frank Valentini breaking the news to the public. "Leslie was a beloved matriarch of the entire cast and crew. I will miss our daily chats, her quick wit and incredible presence on set," he wrote.

Charleson had a long and prosperous career that began when she was still a child. The actor completed her theater degree at New York's Bennett College before making her soap opera debut on "A Flame in the Wind" in 1964. Charleson subsequently landed roles in "As the World Turns" and "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing," starring in the latter for four years. While she appeared to favor long-running shows, Charleson did make an appearance in the 1971 horror film "Revenge!" before landing on "General Hospital" and quickly falling in love with her character's unconventional personality. "I only signed on for two years, and I don't know what happened," the actor quipped during a 2019 chat with Digital Journal. "I like her spunk, independence and everything about her."

Famously known as the child star of "Harriet the Spy" and later as the young Hollywood starlet in shows like "Gossip Girl" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," Michelle Trachtenberg died at the age of 39 on February 26, 2025. Trachtenberg was found by her mother at the New York City apartment building and when emergency responders arrived she was pronounced dead at the scene. The New York Post reported that Trachtenberg had undergone a liver transplant shortly before her death and there was some speculation that the death could have been a result of her body rejecting the organ. However, the death is not being ruled as suspicious.

Trachtenberg landed her first major role on the Nickelodeon show, "The Adventures of Pete and Pete." From there she transformed from child actor to young woman as she went on to star in a number of film and television shows, but it was her role as Dawn Summers in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" that had fans ready for her return to their screens before her death. With news that the series was being rebooted with its original star Sarah Michelle-Geller once again back as the titular Buffy, fans were clamoring to hear if Trachtenberg would be reprising her role as Dawn.

In the weeks and months leading up to her death, Trachtenberg had appeared frail and thin with fans speculating as to her health and well-being. She responded on Instagram in January 2024 to tell followers that she was "happy and healthy" though concern would persist until her death. In a statement to NBC News, Trachtenberg's "Harriet the Spy" co-star Rosie O'Donnell alluded to her final years, saying, "She struggled the last few years. I wish I could have helped."

The towering actor famous for such films as "The French Connection," "The Conversation," "Superman," and "The Royal Tenenbaums," died along with his wife, Betsy Arakawa of 34 years, on February 26, 2025. Hackman was 95 years old and Arakawa was 63. Their bodies were found along with the body of their deceased dog at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Hackman was best known for a legendary Hollywood career that garnered him two Oscars, with one for Best Actor in 1972's aforementioned "The French Connection" and a Best Supporting Actor award for his role alongside Clint Eastwood in the 1993 western, "Unforgiven."

Hackman was born in Danville, Illinois and told Connoisseur that he decided he wanted to become an actor at age 10, saying, "I was so captured by the action guys. Jimmy Cagney was my favorite. Without realizing it, I could see he had tremendous timing and vitality." (via Desert News) But first he would enroll in the Marines at age 16, only begining his acting career after leaving the service and attending the Pasadena Playhouse. There, alongside fellow burgeoning star Dustin Hoffman, he would be voted as "least likely to succeed." But Hackman proved his doubters wrong and went on to appear in almost 80 films. In 2004, Hackman said that he had no plans to continue acting (though we know the real reason he retired) and instead pursued his passion for writing books. He is survived by his three children that he had with his previous wife, Faye Maltese, whom Hackman was with for 30 years prior to his marriage to Arakawa. 

Legendary boxer George Foreman, who will be fondly remembered by his moniker Big George, died at age 76 on March 21, 2025. Foreman was an Olympic champion who brought home gold in 1968. The boxer had an impressive career that lasted longer than your average athlete. He won the world heavyweight title twice, the second time around at the age of 45, cementing himself in history as the oldest person to ever claim the title.

Foreman's family shared news about his death on Instagram. "A devout preacher, a devoted husband, a loving father, and a proud grand and great grandfather, he lived a life marked by unwavering faith, humility, and purpose," the caption read. The family didn't disclose Foreman's cause of death. All that is known to the public is that the boxing legend was hospitalized in Houston, Texas, at the time of his death.

Foreman was the perfect example of someone who completely turned their life around and rose above their circumstances. A high school dropout, he made money through street robberies before finding purpose in the boxing ring. He once faced off against fellow boxing legend Muhammad Ali during the high-profile Rumble in the Jungle in 1974, a match he lost. He admitted to the BBC at the time that he was always slightly nervous before a match but that he felt confident he could beat Ali in the ring that day. He ended up losing the match but said that, in retrospect, it was the "best thing that ever happened to me," because it led to him becoming a preacher and finding the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in Texas.

American singer and pianist Roberta Flack died on February 24, 2025, aged 88. The news was released to the media via a statement from her spokesperson. "She died peacefully surrounded by her family. Roberta broke boundaries and records. She was also a proud educator," the statement read (via Variety). Flack will forever be remembered for making history at the Grammys in the '70s when she became the first artist to win Record of the Year two years in a row for her albums "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and "Killing Me Softly."

In his book, "The Rough Guide to Soul and R&B," tour promoter Peter Shapiro praised Flack's achievements. "Urbane, genteel and jazzy, Roberta Flack was, in many ways, the perfect soul act of the early '70s," he wrote. Flack once said in an interview that the secret to her success was putting everything she had into her performances. "What I consider myself is a soulful singer, in that I try to sing with all the feeling that I have in my body and my mind," she explained (via The Guardian). "A person with true soul is one who can take anybody's song and transcend all the flaws, the technique and just make you listen."

Flack had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a neurodegenerative disease that causes severe muscle weakness that eventually affects a person's ability to perform simple tasks like speaking, moving independently, and breathing. The disease eventually left Flack unable to sing, but she didn't let it get her down, pouring her creativity into other projects, like her 2023 autobiographical children's book "The Green Piano: How Little Me Found Music."

"One Life to Live" star Mark Dobies died at age 65 on March 11, 2025. The cause of his death has not been made public. He was a beloved soap opera star who caused quite a stir on "One Life to Live" when it was revealed that his character, District Attorney Daniel Colson, was gay. Before landing the role, he starred as Noah Chase on "Guiding Light."

Avid fans will remember that Dobies used to be a football player before he dipped his toes into the world of acting, which turned out to be his calling. He went on to star in several more TV shows, including "Gossip Girl," where he made a brief appearance as a parole officer. Dobies didn't solely stick to TV shows and soaps — he also starred in films like "Perception," "In My Sister's Shadow," and "Followers." In 2016. Dobies landed a part in "Greater," a sports drama based on a true story. He portrayed the role of Coach Nutt.

Tributes poured in after the actor's death, with Alan Locher, former publicist for "Guiding Light," taking to Instagram to mourn Dobies' death. "I hate to be sharing this really sad and unexpected news. Mark Dobies passed away on March 11th at 65 —far, far too young," Locher wrote. "I was lucky to work with Mark at 'Guiding Light' and always knew him as a genuinely good guy."

On April 1, 2025, hearts shattered across the world when news broke that "Batman Forever" and "Top Gun" star Val Kilmer died at the age of 65. Kilmer's last Instagram video left fans in nostalgic tears, featuring the actor putting on the Batman mask one last time. Kilmer was a living legend, and it was apparent that he was destined to be a star when he landed a spot at Juilliard when he was only 17, the youngest student ever to be accepted to the school at that time.

Kilmer had been diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015. He managed to beat the disease, but treatments left him unable to speak properly. His daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, said that her father's official cause of death was pneumonia. She and her mother, Kilmer's ex-wife Joanne Whalley, issued a statement a few days after the actor's death. "Thank you for honoring our extraordinary father's memory. We are so proud of him and honored to see his legacy celebrated," it read (via Radar Online).

An avid Method actor, Kilmer had a reputation for being quite the challenge on set. He addressed the rumors head-on in his memoir, "I'm Your Huckleberry," writing, "In an unflinching attempt to empower directors, actors and other collaborators to honor the truth and essence of each project, an attempt to breathe Suzukian life into a myriad Hollywood moments, I had been deemed difficult and alienated the head of every major studio." In a documentary about his life titled simply "Val," the actor said he wasn't afraid of death. "I don't believe in death. My whole life, I've tried to see the world as one piece of life. That's how I understand it, right? As you pull back from the planet, you see that we're all one life source," he explained.

"Dennis the Menace" star Jay North died at age 73 on April 6, 2025. He rose to fame in the late 1950s when he landed the role of Dennis Mitchell in the four-season run of the "Dennis the Menace" sitcom. North kept acting, starring in films like "Maya" and "The Teacher" in 1966 and 1974, respectively. He also featured in "The Simpsons" and the 2015 action film "The Man from U.N.C.L.E."

North's friend Laurie Jacobson confirmed his death on Facebook, calling the news "terribly sad, but not unexpected." The actor had colorectal cancer and Jacobson noted that he "passed peacefully at home." She praised North's perseverance and unwavering determination. "As many of his fans know, he had a difficult journey in Hollywood and after ... but he did not let it define his life. He had a heart as big as a mountain, loved his friends deeply," Jacobson wrote. "He is out of pain now. His suffering is over. At last he is at peace."

While North's career seemed set to skyrocket after his success on "Dennis the Menace," he later admitted that landing other parts was a challenge. "I was typecast. I worked for a couple years after 'Dennis the Menace,' but into my teen years, early 20s, the industry pretty much shut its doors on me ... It was what it was," the actor told the Washington Times during a 2017 interview. "It's nice to be remembered for something as wonderful as that little boy." Unable to find work, North eventually switched industries, working in the military and as a corrections officer at one point, where inmates recognized him as the actor who played Dennis all those years ago.

When Pope Francis died on April 21 at age 88, it was a heartbreaking moment for the Catholic Church and the greater world. Coming from humble beginnings, Pope Francis, whose name was Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was born in Argentina to immigrant, working-class parents. From a young age, he took an interest in helping others, with his sister telling Reuters he "always looked out for friends and family." Many might not know that Pope Francis took the long way to becoming a priest, dabbling in chemistry before ultimately feeling called to a higher purpose.

According to the Vatican, Pope Francis became a Jesuit priest by joining the Society of Jesus in 1958, where he ultimately took on a leadership role. In 2001, Pope Francis became a cardinal, which possibly helped him secure the papacy years later in 2013. After serving as pope for almost a decade, health problems began to arise for the pontiff. According to CBS News, Pope Francis underwent colon surgery in 2021 and then again in 2023. By 2025, many of his ailments had escalated, including a longtime battle with a series of chest infections.

Though he did not perform mass on Easter Sunday 2025, Pope Francis was present in St. Peter's Square the day before his death. His loss leaves quite the ache within the Catholic Church as made clear by Cardinal Kevil Farrell's statement to CNN. "His whole life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His Church," Ferrell said. "We commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the Triune God."

On May 1, comedy lost one of its true blue trailblazers. Ruth Buzzi passed away at age 88 due to complications from Alzheimer's disease. Breaking out in the world of small screen comedy with her longtime run on "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In," Buzzi surrounded herself with the likes of other upstarts, like the daring Lily Tomlin and gorgeous Goldie Hawn. Buzzi's comedic chops and ability to morph into unique characters earned her two Emmy nods for "Laugh-In" before securing a Golden Globe for her antics.

Throughout her career, Buzzi guest-starred on such hits as "Saved By the Bell" and "Sesame Street." She also harnessed her talent for voice acting and brought to life many beloved animated characters. Buzzi leant her singing voice to Frou Frou, the palomino horse from Disney's "The Aristocats" as well as the voice for Suzie Kabloozie on "Sesame Street."

Leading up to her death, Buzzi had been struggling with her health. Posting to X, formerly Twitter, Buzzi mentioned she had been dealing with a series of strokes, while keeping it humorous. Her undeniable spirit was noted by a touching tribute Hawn posted to Instagram with a caption that included, "You were beyond talented, Ruthie. A one of a kind soul who brought so much laughter and light to the world." Buzzi is survived by her husband Kent Perkins.

The cast of the beloved sitcom "Cheers" lost a powerful player when actor George Wendt died at age 76 on May 20. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Wendt succumbed to natural causes in his sleep. The Chicago native got his foot in the door of the entertainment industry when he joined the celebrated improv comedy troupe Second City in the 1970s. From there he went on to appear on "Saturday Night Live," while also popping up on the big screen in roles for films like "Man of the House" and "Spice World."

Wendt was able to harness his scruffy yet charming persona as Norm on "Cheers" into several Emmy nominations, though he ultimately lost out every time. Containing several multitudes, Wendt also found himself on Broadway, making his debut in 1998 for "Art" and then returning in 2007 to appear as Edna Trunblad in "Hairspray."

Wendt is survived by his wife, Bernadette Birkett, and their children — Hilary, Joe, and Daniel — as well as his famous nephew, Jason Sudeikis. According to THR, the Wendt family issued a statement, saying, "George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him." The statement ended with the resounding truth: "He will be missed forever."

Just a few short months after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, "Duck Dynasty" star Phil Robertson passed away on May 25 at age 79. His illness was first mentioned in a December 2024 episode of the "Unashamed With the Robertson Family" podcast, where son Jase Robertson divulged that Phil was in the "early stages" of the disease. However, on an April 2025 episode of the podcast, Jase provided the concerning update that Phil's condition had worsened, "causing problems with his entire body... He's really struggling." Eventually, the family decided to prioritize comfort over recovery for the patriarch. "I think that's just what you do," Jase added.

"Duck Dynasty" premiered on A&E in 2012 and ran for 11 seasons before folding to allow for a series of spin-offs focused on the younger generations within the Robertson family. The show is slated to return in summer 2025 with a new season and new title — "Duck Dynasty: The Revival."

Phil is survived by his wife, Kay Robertson, sons Jase, Willie Robertson, and Jep Robertson, and their families — including granddaughter Sadie Robertson. Sadie wrote an endearing tribute to her grandfather on Instagram that included Bible verses and heartwarming anecdotes. The caption ended with the perfect quote: "One of the last things he said to me was 'full strength ahead!'"

On May 30, Loretta Swit became yet another "M*A*S*H" actor we've sadly lost. According to People, Swit, best known for her role as Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan, died from natural causes. Boasting a stunning career, Swit won two Emmys for her portrayal of Houlihan, as well as a TV Land Impact Award. Outside of "M*A*S*H", Swit graced the small screen on shows like "Hawaii Five-O" and "The Love Boat." She also appeared in films, like "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" and "Race with the Devil."

In a radical move for someone from her generation, Swit had been open and honest about her love of acting and her lack of desire for a traditional life. In a 1979 interview with People Swit admitted she "always wanted to be an actress," and that this dream was stronger than her desire to start a family. "I'm not interested in being married," she divulged, admitting that, "I don't feel guilty about not wanting a family. My...friends are my family."

However, she did temporarily break her own rule when Swit married actor Dennis Holahan in 1983, but the couple divorced in 1995. She leaves behind Holahan, as well as a legacy of animal rights activism, as detailed in her book, "Switheart: The Watercolour Artistry & Animal Activism of Loretta Swit."

When Valerie Mahaffey died on May 30, it was yet another tragic blow to the cast of "Young Sheldon." Mahaffey, who played teacher Victoria MacElroy, had a wonderful career that began on the stage and ended on the screen. When Mahaffey passed away at age 71 after dealing with cancer, the world lost yet another beacon of talent. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Mahaffey began her career on Broadway before dipping her toe into daytime television, appearing on soap opera "The Doctors." Thankfully for Mahaffey, this led to many other roles and awards.

While she is surely remembered as the manipulative ex-wife of Kyle MachLachlan's character on "Desperate Housewives," Mahaffey was most rewarded for her performance as Eve on "Northern Exposure." Her depiction of a character with hypochondria snagged her a Primetime Emmy and several Golden Globe nominations. She also won awards for her stage performances, including an Obie Award for "Talking Heads." In 2020, she received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for her role as Madame Reynard in "French Exit."

Mahaffey is survived by her daughter, Alice Richards, and husband, Joseph Kell. Per People, Kell released a statement, in which he said, "I have lost the love of my life... She will be missed."