All celebrities have their fans. And some of them are not just passionate, but literally obsessed with their idol. Sometimes such feelings become fatal, as fans get angry at the very person they admire.
Our collection contains tragic stories of celebrities who were killed by their devoted fans.
7. Jesse James
This outlaw became one of America's most famous folk heroes. As a young man, James was a member of the Confederate Army. But when the American Civil War ended, Jesse did not want to return to civilian life. Together with his brother Frank, he formed a gang that became known as the James Gang.
Jesse's adventures were romanticized by the American public, making him the American equivalent of Robin Hood.
Robert "Bob" Ford was a fan of Jesse and soon met his idol. After the failed robbery, the James gang needed new recruits, and Robert and his brother Charles joined them. The Ford brothers allegedly participated in only one train robbery.
One day, Robert fell into the hands of the police, and the authorities offered him a deal: a full pardon for the crimes he had committed and a reward for the capture of Jesse James, dead or alive.
Robert returned to Jesse James's gang and shot the famous bandit in the back. The Ford brothers were arrested, found guilty, sentenced to hang, and pardoned in one day.
6. Darrell Abbott
The famous guitarist, known to fans and friends as "Dimebag," was shot dead by a fan on stage during a concert.
Nathan Gale, a 25-year-old former Marine, suffered from schizophrenia. He was obsessed with Pantera, a band Darrell had previously played in, and blamed Abbott for its breakup.
When Darrell began his speech, Nathan shot him six times at point-blank range. Some witnesses claimed he yelled "you broke up with the Panther" before firing. He then began firing into the crowd, killing at least two people. Gale was eventually shot and killed by a police officer, who later won the National Rifle Association's 2005 Cop of the Year award for his actions.
5. Rebecca Schaeffer
Young, beautiful Rebecca was one of the most popular actresses in Hollywood in the late 80s of the twentieth century. She was killed by Robert John Bardo, who became a fan of Rebecca after watching the TV series "My Sister Sam". He began writing her letters, and she answered them.
When Bardo saw Rebecca's latest film, where she appeared in a sex scene with another man, he became furious. He paid a private detective $250 to find the actress's address and killed her after a short conversation.
4. Selena Quintanilla-Perez
The singer, songwriter, actress, model and fashion designer, who was called the "Tejana Madonna," was shot and killed by the president of one of her fan clubs.
Selena's popularity was huge in Mexico, and her fan base in America was growing steadily. With her striking looks, unique sense of style, and vocal talents, the 23-year-old Selena was on her way to becoming an international superstar.
The woman who pulled the trigger was Yolanda Saldivar, a friend and one of Selena's biggest fans.
Selena's father, Abraham Quintanilla, told reporters that Yolanda had been fired from the family boutique three weeks before the murder. The store was short of cash, and Selena demanded the return of some financial documents. The women arranged to meet at a motel in Corpus Christi, Texas, where Yolanda shot and killed Selena.
Selena's posthumous album Dreaming of You (1995) debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart in the United States, a feat no Latin artist had previously accomplished.
3. Andres Escobar
Everyone knows how emotional football fans can be when their favorite team wins or loses. They are literally ready to kill some football players, as happened with the captain and defender of the Colombian national team Andres Escobar.
During the 1994 FIFA World Cup, he accidentally scored an own goal, causing the Colombian team to lose to the United States and be eliminated from the World Cup.
Ten days later, Andres was shot by Humberto Munoz, who fired 6 bullets at the footballer and shouted "Goal!" after each shot.
2. Christina Grimmie
The wonderful voice of young Christina secured her a place in the sixth season of the American show The Voice (analogous to the Russian show "The Voice"). She has gathered a large number of fans on YouTube, releasing covers of popular songs by Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry and other performers.
After performing at The Plaza Live in Orlando, Christina was shot to death while signing autographs. The killer, Kevin James Loibl, would spend hours watching Grimm's YouTube videos and following her social media activities, according to his only friend, Corey Dennington. He had eye surgery, hair implants, whitened his teeth, and lost weight for Grimmie.
No one knows exactly why Loibl decided to kill his idol if he was so infatuated with her. He probably realized that she would never reciprocate his feelings.
1. John Lennon
John Lennon's name is the first that comes to mind when it comes to celebrity murders committed by fans.
The world was shocked when John Lennon, one of the members of the iconic band The Beatles, was shot dead on December 8, 1980. That day, the musician was returning from a recording studio with his wife Yoko Ono. As he stepped out of his limousine, the killer, Mark David Chapman, shot him several times in the back.
Lennon was taken to Roosevelt Hospital in a police car, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Chapman was an obsessive Beatles fan, even asking Lennon to sign the cover of the Double Fantasy album just hours before his murder.
Chapman explained Lennon's murder as his desire to assert himself and attract public attention.
Оставить Комментарий