20 Infamous Assassinations in Entertainment History
20 Infamous Assassinations in Entertainment History
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at the most shocking assassinations of celebrities and those in the entertainment industry.
Rebecca Schaeffer
(1989)
Known primarily for the sitcom “My Sister Sam,” Rebecca Schaeffer was the picture of youth and promise. Unfortunately, her life was cut short at just 21 when she was murdered on July 18, 1989. Her work attracted the attention of one Robert John Bardo, an obsessed fan who wrote Schaeffer letters and obtained her home address by using DMV records. He arrived on the morning of July 18, showing Schaeffer an autograph that she had previously signed for him. She was polite but kindly asked him to leave and never return. He did leave, but returned only an hour later and shot Schaeffer in the chest. Following her murder, California passed the country’s first anti-stalking laws and restricted access to personal DMV records.
Nipsey Hussle
(2019)
Real name Airmiess Asghedom, Nipsey Hussle was a rising star in the music industry, with his debut album Victory Lap earning a Grammy nom for Best Rap Album. Unfortunately, it would be the rapper’s only studio album, as he was tragically assassinated on March 31, 2019, in front of his clothing store in South Central Los Angeles. Hussle was in the parking lot when he got into a heated argument with a man named Eric Holder, who was supposedly working as an informant for the police. Passionate from the huge argument, Holder took out a gun and shot Hussle at least ten times. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead less than forty minutes later.
Jill Dando
(1999)
A very popular TV presenter, Jill Dando was known for hosting the show “Crimewatch” and won the BBC’s Personality of the Year award in 1997. But on April 26, 1999, she was tragically shot and killed outside her London home in what appeared to be a highly professional execution. According to reports, the killer grabbed her from behind as she was approaching the door, forced her face to the ground, and shot her once in the left temple. Her murder sent shockwaves through the UK and led to one of the most high-profile investigations in British criminal history, leading to the eventual arrest of one Barry George. George was put away, but the evidence was extremely weak and largely circumstantial, and he was acquitted and freed in 2008. To this day, Jill Dando’s murder remains unsolved.
Selena
(1995)
With nicknames like “The Queen of Tejano Music” and “Tejanno Madonna”, Selena was a huge star in the 1990s and helped bring Latin music to the American mainstream. Her tragic death stemmed from her relationship with Yolanda Saldívar, a diehard fan who eventually became the president of Selena’s fan club and the manager of her boutique. Selena’s family began to suspect Saldívar of embezzling money from her various enterprises, and she was fired. Selena arranged a public meeting with Saldívar to hand over some financial documents, and it was here that Saldívar took out a gun and shot the singer in the back. Selena’s death sent shockwaves throughout the Latine community and beyond, and Saldívar was sentenced to life in prison.
William Desmond Taylor
(1922)
The assassination of William Desmond Taylor is one of Hollywood’s most enduring mysteries, dating back to the early 1920s. Taylor was a major star at the time, acting in 27 silent films and directing a further 59. The star was found dead in his Hollywood bungalow on the morning of February 2, 1922 with a gunshot in his back. This occurred during a time when Hollywood was already reeling from several scandals, including the famous Fatty Arbuckle trails, leading to lots of yellow journalism and Hollywood’s reputation as a sleazy city filled with vice and violence. While various theories have been proposed over the years regarding Taylor’s murder, none have conclusively explained the crime and it remains unsolved to this day.
Sal Mineo
(1976)
This beloved actor earned two Oscar nominations in his lifetime, one for the famous “Rebel Without a Cause” and the other for Otto Preminger’s historical epic “Exodus.” On the evening of February 12, 1976, Sal Mineo was returning to his apartment in West Hollywood after rehearsing for a play. As he walked towards the complex, Mineo was stabbed in the heart by a mugger. He was quickly found by his neighbor, who heard the screams for help, but the damage was too extensive and Mineo died of blood loss. A pizza delivery driver named Lionel Williams was eventually arrested and charged with Mineo’s murder, which was nothing but a simple mugging that turned violent. Williams served twelve years in prison and was released in 1990.
The Notorious B.I.G.
(1997)
A significant event in the history of hip-hop - and music more generally - occurred on March 9, 1997, when Biggie Smalls was murdered in a drive-by shooting. Biggie had become embroiled in the famous west coast-east coast feud, and on the early morning of March 9, he was shot while leaving a party at L.A.’s Petersen Automotive Museum. A Chevy Impala pulled up next to Biggie’s vehicle, and the driver used a 9mm pistol to shoot the rapper four times before speeding away. The LAPD investigated the shooting but faced numerous challenges, and the shooting remains unsolved. Key suspects include corrupt LAPD officers, infamous record exec Suge Knight, and a gang member named Wardell Fouse.
Dimebag Darrell
(2004)
Darrell Abbott became a significant figure within the metal sphere as Dimebag Darrell, the famous guitarist of Pantera. Often considered one of the best guitarists in rock history, his life was cut short on December 8, 2004 during a concert put on by his side project, Damageplan. The band was playing at the Alrosa Villa nightclub in Columbus, Ohio when a fan stormed the stage and shot multiple people. Darrell was hit numerous times and died at the scene, and the shooter was ultimately killed by a responding police officer after causing further carnage. The shooting resulted in three injuries and four innocent deaths, and it’s theorized that the shooter harbored delusions about Darrell owing to mental illness.
Tupac
(1996)
The drive-by shooting that killed Tupac Shakur is one of the most notorious stories in music history, known for its random act of violence and unsolved nature. The famous rapper was leaving a Las Vegas boxing event on September 7, 1996 when he was shot multiple times in a drive-by. He died in the hospital a few days later, leaving a profound and reverberating impact throughout the hip hop industry. In 2023, a man named Duane Davis was arrested and charged with Tupac’s murder following decades of speculation and scattershot theories. During the grand jury hearing, a witness revealed that the shooter was a member of the South Side Compton Crips named DeAndrae Smith.
Gianni Versace
(1997)
To this day, Versace remains a key name in the fashion industry, a legacy that speaks to the immense talent of its famous founder. By July of 1997, Versace was famously living in a massive mansion on Miami Beach, which he had purchased for nearly $3 million in 1992. On the morning of July 15, Versace was returning home from a walk when he was approached by serial killer Andrew Cunanan, who randomly shot him twice in the head. Much speculation remains about the murder. It’s believed that Cunanan met Versace some years earlier in San Francisco, but the Versace family denies this. Furthermore, no one knows what Cunanan’s true motive was, as he took his own life shortly after murdering the fashion icon.
Christian Poveda
(2009)
Renowned French photojournalist Christian Poveda found an issue that needed more than just photographic representation. His debut documentary “La Vida Loca” explored horrific gang wars in El Salvador, mostly from the perspective of the 18th street gang. Despite the film’s renown, it gave some dangerous people more exposure than they wanted. In 2009, Poveda was shot dead in a Mara hit facilitated by a corrupt police officer. Nearly a dozen conspirators were convicted, but one Salvadoran journalist asserted that Poveda’s was just one of many murders in the area that day. Poveda believed in taking the ultimate risks to spread the most urgent stories. “La Vida Loca” remains a worthy success, but it cost a good man and important filmmaker his life.
Chalino Sánchez
(1992)
“El Rey del Corrido” was in the right place at the right time to influence modern Mexican folk. Sadly, Chalino Sánchez was not so lucky in 1992. Four months after surviving a gunfight at Coachella, he dismissed a death threat at a concert in Culiacán. During the drive home, he was pulled over by men claiming to be state police, who needed a word with him at the station. Sánchez was found bound and dead of a gunshot the following day. The narcocorrido pioneer had his share of enemies as a volatile man who brought a criminal underworld to mainstream attention. Culiacán was and still is a cartel stronghold. Sánchez’s killers were never identified, but his music and influence continue to expose urgent issues.
Joan Root
(2006)
Kenyan conservationist Joan Root was a groundbreaking voice in environmental documentaries, a prominent activist who took on corrupt industries and poachers. This likely contributed to four men killing her in her home with AK-47s. But no one knows who exactly was behind the killing. It could have been any number of criminal figures and syndicates, with some evidence pointing to disgruntled or corrupt associates hiring the killers. Four men were eventually arrested, with robbery as a suspected motive, only to be acquitted due to flimsy evidence. For all of Root’s work behind and away from the camera to bring justice, she has yet to receive any herself.
Juliano Mer-Khamis
(2011)
Actor-filmmaker Juliano Mer-Khamis was beloved in Palestine and Israel, a citizen and outspoken peace activist of both states. His proudest achievement was establishing the Freedom Theatre in the Jenin refugee camp. He was driving home from this cultural center when a masked gunman shot him five times in front of his son and babysitter. Though no one was ever convicted, it's suspected that the killer was a refugee and Islamic fundamentalist. Mer-Khamis was always aware of the risks involved in trying to unify cultures with progressive ideals. Just as he brought together Palestinians and Israelis in life, he united them in mourning his senseless death.
Andrés Escobar
(1994)
Sports fanaticism can become dangerous. In a case like Andrés Escobar’s, it can become fatal. The Colombian footballer was a hugely popular defender and public figure. Alas, his reputation plummeted after a 1994 World Cup match between Colombia and the United States, in which Escobar accidentally deflected the ball into his own team’s goal. This helped seal Colombia’s defeat, and Escobar’s fate. Five days later, he was shot once for each of the six goals called during that unfortunate game. Humberto Castro Muñoz, a cartel enforcer whose boss allegedly bet big on Colombia, was later convicted on a guilty plea.
Theo van Gogh
(2004)
A descendant of Vincent van Gogh’s brother, Theo van Gogh was a prolific and enlightening filmmaker. But controversy erupted around the first installment in his documentary series "Submission," which dealt with violence against women in Muslim societies. The short film was written by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a Somali-born former Muslim who has been accused of Islamophobia. The backlash culminated in Islamic extremist Mohammed Bouyeri shooting and cutting van Gogh to death. He then pinned a death threat against Hirsi Ali to the body. The very public assassination and murder trial gripped Dutch media. Van Gogh is now considered a defining figure of the importance of modern documentary filmmaking - and a reminder of its dangers.
Dino Bravo
(1993)
Adolfo Bresciano was an icon of Canadian pro wrestling under the name Dino Bravo. But he was also swept up in violent enterprises outside of the ring. After retiring in 1992, he became a rising star in Canada’s untaxed cigarette trade. It’s assumed that he worked for his late uncle-in-law Vincenzo Cotroni’s notorious Montreal mafia. Whatever he was up to, Bresciano’s wife and daughter found him dead in his home with 17 gunshot wounds. Fellow wrestler Rick Martel speculates that his friend was targeted after police caught onto a cocaine operation he became involved in. Little is known about Bresciano’s double life, let alone his unsolved murder. It’s still all but certain that “Canada’s Strongest Man” was finally brought down by organized crime.
Pier Paolo Pasolini
(1975)
Pier Paolo Pasolini's shocking films and writing made him one of Europe's most prominent, if divisive, Marxist artists. His personal life was also steeped in controversy for his involvement with teenage boys. After Pasolini was run over and beaten to death, teenager Giuseppe Pelosi confessed to killing him in self-defense. The slaying quickly became one of the most notorious in film history, especially for evidence suggesting Pelosi's innocence. Indeed, after being released from prison, he claimed that his confession was coerced by several men who likely assassinated Pasolini. It's now popularly believed that the left-wing figure fell victim to the right-wing terrorism that pervaded Italy by the 1970s. In 2023, a formal plea to investigate evidence implicating a politically-affiliated crime syndicate was submitted.
Sharon Tate
(1969)
The senseless murder of actress Sharon Tate, along with several others at the home she shared with director Roman Polanski, is a cultural touchstone of the 1960s. An eight-and-a-half months pregnant Tate and four friends had been stabbed to death. Police soon arrested members of Charles Manson’s bohemian cult. While there is debate about their motivations, the leading theory is that Manson intended to frame Black people for high-profile murders, thus inciting an apocalyptic race war he dubbed Helter Skelter. The bizarre incident has since gained an almost mythical reputation in the true crime and Hollywood zeitgeists. The fact remains that six lives were tragically and brutally lost.
John Lennon
(1980)
One of the most influential musicians of all time, John Lennon was also one of the most outspoken pacifists of his time. Mark David Chapman was a devoted fan, but resented what he saw as the hypocrisy in the wealthy popstar’s humanitarianism. The Christian convert was also offended by Lennon’s famously misinterpreted “more popular than Jesus” comment. After months of planning, Chapman flew to New York City, followed Lennon into his apartment complex, and shot him four times in the back. This tragedy has become recognized as a defining symbol of violence in the modern age. Chapman himself now deeply regrets his actions. He also admits to the true motivation for such high-profile violence: to achieve his own fame.
What do you make of these stories? Let us know in the comments below.
