Celebrity deaths 2021: Stars who said goodbye this year

The year 2021 has finally come to its end. While it has been a roller-coaster ride many, some notable figures and prominent personalities said their goodbyes to their fans.

Long illnesses, heart attacks, and COVID-19 have all claimed the lives of multiple iconic celebrities this year. These are the stars who sadly died in 2021.

Larry King

America’s broadcasting legend Larry King left the world at the age of 87 on January 23. The famous TV host, who was hospitalized after testing positive for Covid-19 in Dec., died from sepsis.

Known as one of the biggest stars in television and radio for six decades, with shows including Larry King Live and Larry King Now, King’s legacy includes more than 60,000 interviews of celebrities, politicians and athletes from around the world.

Helen McCrory

Helen McCrory died at the age of 52 after a secret cancer battle. The actress, who delighted audiences with her portrayal of Narcissa Malfoy in the Harry Potter films and in numerous stage productions, was perhaps best known for playing Aunt Polly, in all five series of hit BBC period gang drama Peaky Blinders from 2013.

Willie Garson

Willie Garson, who was popularly known for playing Stanford Blatch on Sex and the City died on Sept. 21 at 57. His son Nathen Garson announced the tragic news on Instagram. The beloved star — who appeared on the latest released reboot And Just Like That…, died from secret battle with pancreatic cancer.

James Michael Tyler

Actor James Michael Tyler, who's best known for playing the Central Perk coffee shop manager Gunther on Friends for a decade — left the world on Oct. 24, just four months after publicly revealing he had advanced prostate cancer that was diagnosed in 2018, People magazine confirmed.

Sayaka Kanda

Japanese actress and voice-over artist Sayaka Kanda, who voiced Anna in the dubbed Japanese version of Disney’s Frozen, was found dead on Saturday at a hotel in Sapporo. She was 35.

According to local media reports, Kanda, the daughter of actor Masaki Kanda and singer Seiko Matsuda, was found at the hotel where she had fallen from a height.

Drakeo the ruler 

Famed US rapper Drakeo the Ruler aka Darrell Caldwell died after being stabbed at a music festival in Los Angeles.

The 28-year-old, who had scheduled performance at the Once Upon a Time in LA festival, was reportedly stabbed during an altercation backstage around the time he had been due to perform.

Virgil Abloh

Pioneering American fashion designer Virgil Abloh died in Chicago on Nov. 28. The name behind the artistic creations of Louis Vuitton menswear and founder of the celebrity-favorite brand Off-White who bridges streetwear and luxury left the world at 41 after a two-year battle with cardiac angiosarcoma, a rare cancer.

Halyna Hutchins

Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins died after actor Alec Baldwin discharged the gun while filming his new Western movie Rust in New Mexico. Hutchins, 42, was working as the director of photography on the Rust.

Prince Philip

Queen Elizabeth II's husband of 73 years, Prince Philip passed away at 99 on April 9. The Duke of Edinburgh was the longest serving consort of any British monarch.

Michael K. Williams

Actor Michael K. Williams was found dead in his Brooklyn apartment on Sept. 6, an NYPD source confirmed to People magazine. He was known for his outstanding work in The Wire and Boardwalk Empire. Williams was a five-time Emmy nominee; the most recently nominated in 2021 for his work on Lovecraft Country.