10 Tragic Reasons Why Celebrities Disappeared

10 Tragic Reasons Why Celebrities Disappeared

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’ll be looking at the most prominent celebrities who stepped away from the spotlight after facing life-altering events beyond their control.

Mena Suvari

Mena Suvari rose to fame in the late ‘90s and early aughts with standout performances in “American Beauty” and the “American Pie” franchise. But while it seemed like she was on the verge of superstardom, Suvari quietly faded from the spotlight by the end of the decade. The reason for this became clear in 2021, when Suvari published her memoir, “The Great Peace.” In it, she disclosed that she had been dealing with the effects of sexual assault and substance use disorder. At the height of her Hollywood fame, she was trapped in an emotionally toxic relationship, and turned to drugs to cope. These challenges deeply affected her career, and sadly, held her back from reaching her full potential.

Sly Stone

As the genius behind Sly and the Family Stone, Sly Stone helped pioneer funk music. Throughout the ‘60s, the group earned a string of top 10 hits, which brought Stone fame and soon, he was living the high life in Beverly Hills. But as the ‘70s rolled around, Stone and his bandmates grappled with substance use issues, which crippled their ability to record and perform. As a result, the band dissolved and Stone was forced into retirement. Unfortunately, things only worsened. By 2009, he had gone from living in a mansion to crashing in cheap hotels, and eventually ending up in his van. Nevertheless, in 2011, he made a comeback with his second solo album, “I'm Back! Family & Friends.”

Jennette McCurdy

At her peak, Jennette McCurdy was one of the most recognizable child actors on television, thanks to her role as Sam Puckett in Nickelodeon’s “iCarly” and “Sam & Cat.” But after the latter ended, McCurdy seemingly dropped from the face of the earth. In reality, she was dealing with the trauma inflicted by her mother, who pushed her into acting and controlled her life with an iron grip. She allegedly subjected her daughter to sexual and emotional assault, and contributed to her developing disordered eating. Following her mother’s passing in 2013, McCurdy took a break from acting, and ultimately walked away from the industry completely. She opened up about her experience in her best-selling 2022 memoir “I'm Glad My Mom Died.”

Eliza Dushku

A quick scan through this actress’ filmography will reveal that she hasn’t starred in any films or TV shows since 2017. This is especially surprising given that Eliza Dushku had a promising career in the late ‘90s and 2000s, owing to her role as Faith in the Buffyverse. Dushku’s disappearance stemmed from an incident on the set of the CBS legal drama “Bull.” In 2017, she landed what was expected to be a regular role, only to be fired after just three episodes. This reportedly happened because she informed producers she was being sexually harassed by lead actor Michael Weatherly. Following these revelations, CBS paid Dushku a $9.5 million settlement, the estimated salary she would’ve earned had she stayed on the show.

Amanda Bynes

For anyone who grew up watching Nickelodeon, Amanda Bynes is a name you know quite well. Bynes broke out with the sketch series “All That,” before landing her own spin-off “The Amanda Show.” At one point, it seemed she had successfully sidestepped the child star curse, transitioning smoothly into mature roles, with films like “Hairspray” and “Easy A.” However, in 2010, Bynes announced she was taking an indefinite hiatus from acting. What followed was a whirlwind of legal troubles, mostly related to substance use. By 2013, she had been placed in a conservatorship overseen by her parents. Although she later got clean and announced an expected return to acting, that comeback never materialized, and from the look of things, it probably never will.

Thora Birch

Thora Birch was once the epitome of the anti-social teenager, with her performances in the critically acclaimed films “American Beauty” and “Ghost World.” These roles earned her rave reviews and set her on a path to becoming a top-tier character actor. But as the years went by, Birch slipped further and further away from the spotlight, to a great extent, due to her father and then manager. His poor behavior with the cast and crew of her projects cost her work opportunities, including an off-Broadway production of “Dracula,” from which she was fired just days before opening. Following a self-imposed hiatus during which she earned a degree in legal studies, Birch returned to acting and is slowly reclaiming her lost status.

Jet Li

It’s hard to picture modern Chinese and Hong Kong cinema without Jet Li. The martial arts legend revitalized wuxia films in the industry and pulled off a successful crossover into Hollywood in the late ‘90s. Although Li dominated action films for years, his on-screen appearances sharply declined after the early 2010s. Rumors even began swirling that he had died. In truth, Li was impeded by hyperthyroidism, a condition causing weight loss and fatigue, which made his work as an action star even harder. This, in addition to his focus on philanthropy, kept Li out of the spotlight for most of the decade. He however returned to Hollywood in 2020, starring as the Emperor of China in Disney’s “Mulan.”

Brendan Fraser

In 2023, Brendan Fraser won his first-ever Oscar for his performance in “The Whale.” This was the culmination of a much-publicized comeback for the actor after years of relative inactivity. Back in the late ‘90s and early 2000s, Fraser was practically Hollywood’s go-to guy for adventure blockbusters. But by the end of that era, his face had become scarce for a number of reasons. Fraser not only went through a bitter divorce, but he lost his mother and suffered various health problems stemming from his earlier stunt work. To make things worse, he was allegedly blacklisted after accusing the former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association of sexual assault. Despite the odds, he pulled off an epic comeback, fondly dubbed “The Brennaissance.”

Rick Moranis

Canadian actor Rick Moranis was a comedic powerhouse throughout the ‘80s, starring in classics like “Ghostbusters” and “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.” In 1986, Moranis married make-up designer Ann Belsky, but she tragically passed away from cancer five years later, leaving him to raise their two children alone. Although Moranis still appeared in a few more films afterwards, he had a hard time juggling single parenthood with the hectic demands of Hollywood. As a result, in 1997, he took a hiatus from acting and stopped appearing in live-action projects. In 2020, it was reported that Moranis would return to the big screen in a “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” sequel, but the project was put on hold indefinitely.

Bridget Fonda

Growing up in the legendary Fonda acting dynasty, Bridget Fonda certainly had some hefty expectations to meet. And for a while, she seemed to rise to the challenge. Throughout the late ‘80s and ‘90s, Fonda snapped up acting roles left and right, including in notable films like “The Godfather Part III” and “Jackie Brown.” In 2003, she was set to join the cast of the legal series “The Practice” for a recurring role, but a serious car accident just weeks before filming left her with a fractured back. Although she made a full recovery, that incident seemed to close the curtains on Fonda’s acting career. Shortly after, she married film composer Danny Elfman and has kept a low profile ever since.

What other tragic situations have kept celebrities away from the spotlight? Let us know in the comments below.