10 Famous People You Didn’t Know Killed Someone

From the tragedy of Alec Baldwin’s prop gun firing to O.J. Simpson’s entire trial, plenty of famous people have cost others their lives. Sometimes, this happens decades before fame hits. Sometimes, it’s because of fame. And sometimes, it ruins careers.

But sometimes, it all sort of gets swept under the rug. Here are some famous people who have been involved in the deaths of others that you may not have heard about.

Related: Ten Eerie Unsolved Murders of Everyday Women

10 Laura Bush

Fourteen years before marrying soon-to-be President George W. Bush, 17-year-old Laura Welch ran a stop sign and crashed into another car. The driver, another teenager, was killed. Though she didn’t speak about the incident for many years, in 2010, she told the New York Times that she was “wracked by guilt for years after the crash, especially after not attending the funeral and for not reaching out to the parents of the dead teenager.”

If this sounds like an interesting premise for a comedy, you’re not alone! In 2018, Laura Bush Killed a Guy, a new comedy play by Ian Allen, made its debut off-off-Broadway. The show presented itself as a night with Laura (played by Lisa Hodsoll), where three alternate accounts of the crash are presented. Despite the… odd subject material, the New York Times praised the play, calling it “not a political satire but a romantic comedy.”^[1]

9 Phill Lewis

Born in Uganda to American parents in the Peace Corps, Phill Lewis started his film career in the 1988 black comedy Heathers. The movie centers around a slew of teen deaths—a topic that would become all too relevant to Lewis in just a few years.

In 1991, at the age of 23, Lewis was arrested after hitting and killing a woman with his car. His blood alcohol content was over three times the legal level, which even his own defense attorney called “extraordinarily high.” Lewis claimed he was unable to remember anything for nearly 10 hours leading up to the accident, which was deemed possible due to his extreme level of intoxication.

Lewis was sentenced to five years in prison, but it was reduced to just one after he spent much of his sentence working with a prison-based theater troupe that highlighted the consequences of drug and alcohol abuse. Despite these rough years as a young man, Lewis continued to land guest roles in shows such as Married… with Children and Boy Meets World before landing a lead role on the Disney Channel show The Suite Life of Zach and Cody.^[2]

8 Rebecca Gayheart

Former teen model and star of the 1999 hit Jawbreaker Rebecca Gayheart started her career by playing ax murderess Lizzie Borden in a school play. After becoming the spokesperson for Noxzema skin cream, Gayheart rose to fame in magazines and guest spots on TV shows like Beverly Hills 90210.

In 2001, Gayheart accidentally hit a nine-year-old boy with her car. The boy died the next day, and Gayheart made a public statement: “The pain of this tragedy will live with me forever. Despite the allegations in the lawsuit, the facts will establish that this was a most unfortunate accident.” She was charged with vehicular manslaughter and sentenced to three years of probation and suspension of her license.^[3]

7 Matthew Broderick

The actor best known as the fast-driving, smooth-talking teen Ferris Bueller accidentally crossed into the wrong lane while driving a rental car in Northern Ireland. The car collided head-on with another, killing both riders instantly. Broderick and his passenger, actress Jennifer Grey, both sustained minor injuries.

Broderick claimed he couldn’t remember anything about the crash before ending up in the hospital. He was charged with careless driving. In the end, he only had to pay a $175 fine for taking the life of a mother and daughter duo.

In 2012, Broderick starred in a multi-million dollar Honda Super Bowl commercial. The brother/son of the victims remarked drily that “It wasn’t the greatest choice of drivers, knowing his past.”^[4]

6 Ryan Grantham

At just 21 years old, Ryan Grantham shot his mother to death while she innocently played the piano in her home. When asked why he did it, Grandham explained he had an entire plan, which culminated in the assassination of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and a mass shooting in British Columbia. He killed his mother in order to shield her from the pain his crimes would bring her.

Luckily, Grantham was caught before he could carry out this scheme. Before attending college at Simon Fraser University, Grantham was known for his small but comedic role as a sixth grader in Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and as a guest star on the teen drama Riverdale.^[5]

5 Brandy Norwood

Brandy Norwood shot to fame after starring in the 1996 sitcom Moesha. Her subsequent appearances as the titular princess in Cinderella and Grammy win for her 1998 album Never Say Never only made her a more prominent figure in American media.

Unfortunately, in 2006, Norwood struck a car on an L.A. freeway. This second car slammed into the highway divider and was hit by a third car, killing the driver. Norwood was charged with vehicular manslaughter but was found not guilty due to the absence of alcohol and drugs. Further investigation also did not find that Norwood was using her phone or was otherwise distracted. Norwood has never spoken publicly about the incident.^[6]

4 Don King

Years before promoting such historic boxing matches as the “Thrilla in Manilla” and “The Rumble in the Jungle,” Don King spent his youth working as a bookie out of a basement. During this time, King shot a man after watching him try to rob one of his gambling houses. It was ruled as justifiable homicide.

Thirteen years later, he was convicted for stomping one of his employees to death because he owed him $600. This wasn’t so justifiable, and King served just under four years in prison for his crime.^[7]

3 Caitlyn Jenner

In 2024, Olympic gold medalist Caitlyn Jenner came under intense scrutiny after posting on social media “Good riddance” in response to the death of accused murderer O.J. Simpson. Many users were quick to point out that Jenner herself had actually also killed someone in a 2015 car crash on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, California.

Jenner was never charged with manslaughter or reckless driving, as investigators found that the only law she had broken was a “basic speeding violation.” There was public outrage, with some believing she had gotten off the hook due to her fame. Ultimately, Jenner paid $800,000 to the family of the deceased and expressed her condolences but did not serve jail time.^[8]

2 Phil Spector

You might not know Phil Spector by name, but you’ve almost certainly heard one of the songs he’s been involved in. Spector produced The Beatles’ Let It Be, as well as such acts as The Ronettes (famous for “Be My Baby”), The Crystals, and Ike & Tina Turner.

Unlike most others on this list, Spector’s crime was purposeful. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee invited actress Lana Clarkson back to his home in 2003 after meeting at a bar. By morning, she had been shot dead.

Spector claimed she killed herself, but several women came forward during the trial to reveal Spector had also threatened them with guns at some point. He was found guilty and sentenced to 19 years in prison, though he died in 2021 before serving them all.^[9]

1 Ted Kennedy

The Kennedy curse spares no man.

Senator Ted Kennedy, younger brother of President John F. Kennedy, was driving over a bridge with politician Mary Jo Kopechne in 1969 when the car leaped over the barrier and sank into the ocean. While Kennedy was able to swim to safety, Kopechne did not make it.

Once Kennedy made it back to his hotel on Chappaquiddick Island, he waited until morning to call the police and report the crash. It is thought that Kopechne could have survived if help had arrived sooner rather than the nine hours later in which Kennedy waited. Why would he do this? Many suspect that Kennedy was drunk and did not want to get in trouble with the law, so he waited until morning when he had sobered up.

Some even think that the entire incident was a deliberate attempt to kill Kopechne for unknown reasons. Kennedy’s defenses were murky and confused, leading to further speculation on why he handled the situation so badly. The Chappaquiddick incident, as it has come to be known, is primarily cited as the reason Kennedy did not run for president in future years.

Older Americans might remember this scandal, but for most young adults whose only knowledge of the Kennedys comes from JFK, the idea that a member of this all-American clan could have killed someone probably comes as a surprise.^[10]

fact checked by
Darci Heikkinen