Everyone knows that grief is hard, but not everyone knows how painful it can truly be, as it can actually kill you.
Debbie Reynolds
Debbie Reynolds had a pretty famous family, and that includes her daughter, Carrie Fisher. Fisher sadly died on December 27, 2016, after suffering cardiac arrest, and Reynolds was left devastated by the news. So devastated, in fact, that she died the very next day.
She’d been helping her son, Todd Fisher, arrange the funeral and suffered a fatal stroke. Todd actually said his mother had told him she wanted to be with Carrie. It’s not like the doctors officially said the broken heart killed her, but really, you can’t deny the timing. Just one day later.
Jeanne Hébuterne
The loss came fast for Jeanne Hébuterne, and it ended even faster. She was a painter and model whose partner, Amedeo Modigliani, died from tuberculous meningitis on January 24, 1920. Jeanne herself was eight months pregnant at the time.
She was unable to deal with his death and, around two days later, she jumped from a window at her parents’ apartment. The unborn child died with her. A broken heart didn’t kill her as such, but it definitely contributed to her death.
Felix Mendelssohn
Felix Mendelssohn and his sister Fanny had worked closely together on music since their childhood. That’s why Fanny’s sudden death in May 1847 hurt Felix so much. He actually cried out and collapsed after hearing it, leading to his own health falling apart.
He suffered several strokes and died himself on November 4 at only 38. It’s possible that it was a genetic issue since his family did seem to suffer from brain hemorrhages. But still, the decline began almost immediately after Fanny’s death, you can’t deny that.
George H. W. Bush
73 years is an incredibly long time to do anything, especially marriage. George H. W. Bush spent that much time married to Barbara Bush until she died on April 17, 2018. It hit George hard, as you might expect, and he was admitted to the hospital the next day.
Yes, it was a serious blood infection, and yes, he recovered enough to leave, but his health was still fragile. He died on November 30. The loss hit Bush senior so hard that it worsened his underlying health issues, and it makes sense, really. They’d spent seven decades together.
Johnny Cash
It doesn’t matter that Johnny Cash kept working after June Carter Cash died because the people around him said he wasn’t holding it together. June had died in May 2003 after complications from heart surgery. Cash rushed to the studio and recorded dozens of songs.
He seemed to believe that he had to keep working or he would die, apparently. Johnny himself died on September 12, less than four months after June, and it was due to diabetes and respiratory failure. But it’s likely his grief had a big part to play in that, too.
Karl Marx
Karl Marx’s wife Jenny von Westphalen died in December 1881. Then, in January 1883, their eldest daughter, Jenny Longuet, died from cancer. Marx himself didn’t last much longer and died about two months later on March 14.
He had been suffering from a series of illnesses, though, like bronchitis, pleurisy, insomnia, and a long-running cough. Even so, those two major losses near the end of his life might’ve pushed his body over the edge.
Eugène Delamare
It’s not like Eugène Delamare had much time to rebuild. His wife, Delphine, died by suicide on March 6, 1848, and Eugène was left to raise their five-year-old daughter totally alone. He also had a pile of debts to pay, as well as plenty of village gossip about her affairs.
Her death still devastated him, though, and he never married again. He died himself on December 8, 1849, at the age of 37, just 21 months after Delphine did. There’s never been a clear cause. Still, the idea that grief wore him down seems to be a popular one.
Romy Schneider
Divorce, kidney surgery, constant press hounding, actress Romy Schneider had already been through it all by 1981. But then the worst loss came in July when her 14-year-old son, David, died after being badly injured. He had been climbing an iron fence.
Schneider was found dead in her Paris apartment the following May, due to cardiac arrest. It was a natural death, sure, but one that seemed to be caused by excessive drinking. She had begun abusing alcohol after David’s death.
Saint Margaret of Scotland
Three days. That’s how long it was between Saint Margaret of Scotland hearing that her husband and eldest son were dead and her own death. King Malcolm III and their son Edward were killed near Alnwick on November 13, 1093.
Margaret herself was already sick at Edinburgh Castle. She died on November 16. Since it’s medieval records we’re dealing with, there isn’t much medical detail, unfortunately. But many accounts say the shock and sorrow made her condition worse.
Princess Kaʻiulani
Princess Kaʻiulani’s death was medical, the story around it was emotional. She was the former heir of Hawaii, and she fell ill after being caught in heavy rain during a visit to Hawaii Island. She died on March 6, 1899.
That was only a year after the U.S. had formally annexed the island nation. In fact, some reports say that she’d simply lost the will to live, and that caused her to pass away. What a sad story.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.
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