Celebrity deaths of 2025: Who we’ve lost this year
LOS ANGELES - As the year unfolds, 2025 has already seen the loss of several celebrities who have left a mark on the entertainment world.
From iconic actors and musicians to renowned athletes and artists, these figures shaped the cultural landscape and captured the hearts of millions. Here’s a look at the celebrities we have lost this year.
Émilie Dequenne
Émilie Dequenne, the Belgian actor who won a top Cannes Film Festival prize for her breakout role in "Rosetta," has died, a news report says. She was 43.
Dequenne died due to a rare cancer in a hospital outside of Paris, France, her family and agent told Agence France-Presse.
She is survived by her husband, director and producer Michel Ferracci, and daughter, Milla Savarese.
Pamela Bach
Pamela Bach, an actor and the ex-wife of David Hasselhoff, has died. She was 62 years old.
Pamela Bach-Hasselhoff poses for a photo on August 20, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Credit: Amy Graves/WireImage)
Also known as Pamela Hasselhoff, Bach was best known for her roles in "Baywatch" and "Sirens." Bach also starred in the motion picture "Castle Rock" in 2000. She was a guest star on multiple television projects throughout her career.
Bach and Hasselhoff were married in December 1989, and had two daughters, Taylor and Hayley. Bach and Hasselhoff divorced in 2006.
Roy Ayers
March 4, 2025: Jazz legend and the godfather of neo-soul, Roy Ayers, died at his home in New York City on March 3, 2025. He was 84 years old.
According to his family, Ayers died "after a long illness."
He is survived by his wife and their two children.
Angie Stone
March 1, 2025: Grammy-nominated R&B singer Angie Stone, a member of the all-female hip-hop trio The Sequence and known for the hit song "Wish I Didn’t Miss You," was killed early Saturday in a car crash. She was 63.
About 4 a.m., the vehicle she was riding in back to Atlanta from Alabama "flipped over and was subsequently hit by a big rig," music producer and Stone’s longtime manager Walter Millsap III told The Associated Press in an email.
David Johansen
Feb. 28, 2025: David Johansen, the last surviving member of the New York Dolls who later performed as his alter ego, Buster Poindexter, died Feb. 28 at 75 years old. Johansen died at his home in New York City after it was revealed he had stage 4 cancer and a brain tumor.
Gene Hackman
February 27, 2025: Gene Hackman, an Oscar-winning actor known for his performances in "The French Connection" and "Unforgiven," was found dead along with his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, and their dog in their Santa Fe home, officials said.
Hackman was 95 at the time of his death and his wife 63. Hackman's cause of death was not immediately known.
FULL STORY: Gene Hackman, wife Betsy Arakawa found dead in Santa Fe home
Michelle Trachtenberg
File: Michelle Trachtenberg attends The Art Of Elysium's 13th Annual Celebration - Heaven on January 04, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/WireImage via Getty Images)
February 26, 2025: Actress Michelle Trachtenberg, who gained notoriety for her roles in "Gossip Girl" and "Harriet the Spy," died at the age of 39. The "Ice Princess" star was found in her luxury apartment near Columbus Circle in Manhattan, according to the New York Post.
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Chris Jasper
February 23, 2025: Singer-songwriter Chris Jasper, a member of The Isley Brothers and a solo artist, died at the age of 73, according to his family. The family said Jasper died following a cancer diagnosis in December 2024.
RELATED: Chris Jasper, Isley Brothers member and influential R&B musician, dies at 73
"He will be deeply missed, and his legacy will live on as an inspiration for generations," the family posted.
Paquita la del Barrio
February 17, 2025: Mexican singer and actress Paquita la del Barrio – known for hit anthems such as "Rata de Dos Patas," "Tres Veces Te Engañé," and "Las Mujeres Mandan" – died in February at the age of 77. The iconic rancheras singer, whose real name was Francisca Viveros Barradas, passed away at her home in Veracruz in eastern Mexico.
DJ Unk
Jan. 24, 2025: Anthony Leonard Platt, known professionally as DJ Unk, an influential figure in Atlanta's hip-hop scene and a pioneer of the snap music subgenre, passed away on Jan. 24, according to TMZ. He was 43 years old.
RELATED: Atlanta hip-hop icon DJ Unk dies at 43: TMZ
DJ Unk rose to fame in the mid-2000s with his breakout hit single, "Walk It Out," which climbed into the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Known for his infectious beats and energetic delivery, DJ Unk became a defining voice of Southern hip-hop and gained widespread recognition for his contributions to the genre.
Garth Hudson
Jan. 21, 2025: Garth Hudson, the last member of "The Band," died at age 87.
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Hudson was the Band's virtuoso keyboardist and all-around musician who drew from a unique palette of sounds and styles to add a conversational touch to such rock standards as "Up on Cripple Creek," "The Weight" and "Rag Mama Rag."
David Lynch
Jan. 15, 2025: David Lynch, the renowned filmmaker and artist, died on Jan. 15, according to a post published on his official Facebook account. He was 78 years old, and died just a few days before his 79th birthday.
David Lynch walks the red carpet during the 12th Rome Film Fest at Auditorium Parco Della Musica on November 4, 2017 in Rome, Italy. (Credit: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images)
Lynch was considered an auteur director with a dark, surreal, and sometimes unsettling artistic style.
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He directed iconic films including "Blue Velvet," "Lost Highway," Mulholland Drive," and the TV series "Twin Peaks."
Leslie Charleson
Jan. 12, 2025: Leslie Charleson, known for her role on "General Hospital," died on Jan. 12, 2025. She was 79.
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The Daytime Emmy-nominated actress portrayed Monica Quartermaine on the soap opera for nearly 50 years.
"It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of my dear friend and colleague, Leslie Charleson," executive producer Frank Valentini confirmed on the show's official Instagram account.
Sam Moore
Jan. 10, 2025: Sam Moore, part of the 1960s duo Sam & Dave known for hits like "Soul Man" and "Hold On, I’m Comin’," died on Jan. 10. He was 89 years old.
His publicist confirmed his death to the Associated Press Friday, stating that he died in Coral Gables, Florida, due to complications while recovering from surgery.
RELATED: Sam Moore, 'Soul Man' singer, dies at 89
Moore, a 1992 Rock Hall of Fame inductee, influenced musicians including Michael Jackson, Al Green and Bruce Springsteen.
Jeff Baena
Jan. 3, 2025: Writer and director Jeff Baena, Aubrey Plaza’s husband, died on Jan. 3, according to multiple reports. He was 47 years old.
The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office confirmed his death and said his body was found at a home in Los Angeles. The medical examiner's report listed Baena's manner of death as a suicide.
RELATED: Director Jeff Baena, Aubrey Plaza's husband, dies at 47: reports
Baena had more than a dozen films to his name, with his most notable movie credit as co-writer of the 2004 film "I Heart Huckabees" starring Jason Schwartzman, Jude Law and Naomi Watts. In 2014, he wrote and directed "Life After Beth," a zombie comedy starring Plaza. It was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.
Brenton Wood
Jan. 3, 2025: Brenton Wood, the singer best known for "The Oogum Boogum Song," died on Jan. 3, according to multiple reports. He was 83.
Singer Brenton Wood signs a copy of a 45 record in circa 1963. (Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
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According to Variety, Wood’s manager said he died from natural causes in Moreno Valley, California, surrounded by family.
Wayne Osmond
Jan. 1, 2025: Wayne Osmond, a singer, guitarist and founding member of the famous family act The Osmonds, has died at 73.
Wayne died this week at a Salt Lake City hospital after suffering a "massive stroke," sibling Merrill Osmond posted on his Facebook page.
RELATED: Wayne Osmond, founding member of The Osmonds, dies at 73
"I've never known a man that had more humility. A man with absolutely no guile," Merrill wrote. "An individual that was quick to forgive and had the ability to show unconditional love to everyone he ever met."