The Famous Death Of Martial Arts Icon Bruce Lee In Hong Kong
Wikimedia CommonsThe famous deaths of actors Bruce Lee and later his son spawned a myth that the Lee family was cursed.
The tragic death of Bruce Lee at the height of his career in 1973 left the world reeling, and it remains one of the most famous deaths of an actor to date for its unexpected nature.
As a renowned martial artist and aspiring actor, Lee’s undeniable screen presence and killer moves quickly made him a star both abroad and in Hollywood.
As a teenager, Lee trained in martial arts under the tutelage of Yip Man, a Hong Kong grandmaster of the martial art of Wing Chun. His parents later sent him abroad to pursue an education in the U.S., and eventually, he settled in California where he opened a martial arts studio and started a life with his wife Linda.
Bruce Lee’s reputation as a formidable martial artist led him to opportunities on screen. His first leading role was in the 1971 Hong Kong film The Big Boss, and it was followed by Fist of Fury.
Lee’s success in east Asia finally transferred to the American market through his iconic role in 1973’s Enter the Dragon. Sadly, his life came to a shocking end before he barely had a taste of his newfound Hollywood fame.
On the morning of July 20, 1973, Bruce Lee was in Hong Kong to meet the producers of his next film, Game of Death, for which the rising star was given full creative control to write, produce, direct, and act.
It was a busy day of meetings and a clandestine meet-up with his alleged mistress, Taiwanese actress Betty Ting Pei. The two planned to have dinner with Hong Kong producer Raymond Chow to finalize the deal for Bruce Lee’s film, but the actor never left Pei’s apartment.
At 7:30 p.m. that same night, Pei gave Lee an Equagesic, a common painkiller containing aspirin and a tranquilizer known as meprobamate to soothe his headache before he went to lie down. When Lee failed to come down for dinner, Pei discovered the actor unconscious in his room.
She phoned Chow to come to the apartment, and later they called a doctor together. After 10 minutes of trying to resuscitate Lee, the doctor sent for an ambulance. Officials pronounced Bruce Lee dead upon arriving at the hospital. He was 32 years old.
An autopsy of Bruce Lee revealed that his death was caused by severe brain swelling. Just months prior, doctors diagnosed the actor with cerebral edema, a condition in which excess fluid in the brain causes swelling and pain. Still, devastated fans suspected something more sinister was afoot.
Tony Fischer/FlickrThe graves of famous dead celebrities Bruce Lee and his son, Brandon.
People who worked with Lee, like Chow and American martial artist Chuck Norris, believe he died from an allergic reaction to the painkiller he had taken, possibly also triggered by muscle relaxants Lee was also on. Others pointed to Pei and accused her of purposefully poisoning Lee with the Equagesic on behalf of a secret society that wanted him dead.
More theories blamed everyone from the Mafia — both Chinese and American — to his friends and family. But the most enduring conspiracy theory about Bruce Lee’s death is that it was the result of a so-called Lee family curse.
The theory has caught on ever since sleuths uncovered his elder brother’s mysterious death as well as the tragic death of his son Brandon Lee, who died young in a movie set accident.
But as is the case with many celebrity deaths, Lee’s bizarre and unexpected death will remain open to speculation.
Judy Garland, The Hollywood Darling With A Secret, Tragic Life
Wikimedia CommonsJudy Garland’s demise was hastened by an excessive drinking and drug habit, which she allegedly developed during childhood.
The death of Judy Garland is a prime example of how Tinseltown might sparkle on the surface, but roil with trauma just below.
Garland was a child actor-turned-Hollywood songbird who found fame through films like The Wizard of Oz, For Me and My Gal, and A Star is Born. But her tenure in Hollywood was a double-edged sword, as with the fame came a lifetime of judgment and abuse on behalf of cutthroat Hollywood executives.
But performing was in Garland’s blood, as she was born into a vaudeville family. Her mother Ethel was a classic stage actress herself who was demanding and critical of Garland. Indeed, the burgeoning actress took her first pill at 10 years old on the insistence of her mother who wanted to give her performance some pep.
Getty ImagesThe famous dead celebrity toward the end of her life.
As a result, Garland’s drug habit intensified as she grew older. When she became the “It Girl” of MGM Studios in her 20s, film executives actually fed her amphetamines in order to keep her intense performances lively. They also encouraged her to develop a severe diet and to smoke more often in order to suppress her appetite.
One studio executive allegedly told the beloved screen star, “You look like a hunchback. We love you but you’re so fat you look like a monster.” Of course, her fast-paced life from such a young age coupled with the emotional abuse she suffered at the hands of her mother and her handlers, led Garland to multiple nervous breakdowns.
“I’m always being painted a more tragic figure than I am. Actually, I get awfully bored with myself as a tragic figure.”
Judy Garland’s fast and unhealthy lifestyle ate away at her and her money, and the actress was forced to move to London in a bid to regain her reputation and make back some of the cash she blew on drugs.
But Garland’s drinking and drug habits were hard to shake. They affected her performances and frequently caused her to drop work engagements out of the blue. During one show in London, the audience pelted her with bread and glasses after she had kept them waiting for an hour.
While in London, Garland met musician Mickey Deans who then became her fifth husband. Their marriage was notoriously toxic — an unsurprising turn given their first encounter had been while Deans was delivering drugs to her hotel.
Getty ImagesThe casket of Judy Garland is placed into a hearse in 1969.
Their marriage and Judy Garland’s life came to an abrupt end on June 22, 1969, when the 47-year-old actress was found dead at their Belgravia home. Deans had broken into the locked bathroom and found Garland slumped on the toilet with her hands still holding up her head.
The autopsy of the famous dead celebrity confirmed that the cause of Judy Garland’s death was “barbiturate poisoning (quinalbarbitone) incautious self-overdosage. Accidental.” The coroner also found traces of cirrhosis in her liver, a condition during which the liver is scarred likely due to her excessive drinking.
But as her daughter, actress Liza Minnelli, later described it, the cause of the actress’s famous death went beyond substance abuse.
“She didn’t die from an overdose. I think she just got tired,” Minnelli said. “She lived like a taut wire. I don’t think she ever looked for real happiness because she always thought happiness would mean the end.”
