Tragic Celeb Moments In 2021 No One Will Forget

The following article includes references to suicide, child abuse, sexual assault allegations, cyberbullying, alcoholism, and death.

For many people, a favored celebrity is often someone to look up to and aspire to emulate. Of course, when things go wrong in a celebrity's life, that may change for some fans. Despite what you might think, celebrities are real people living their lives. Just like everyone else, they aren't immune to controversy and tragic moments. But when a celebrity experiences misfortune, it tends to blow up the headlines. 

Some tragic moments leave the public consciousness soon after they happen, while others become embedded in the zeitgeist. They're talked about often, taking over the narrative of any given celebrity's life. Sometimes, a tragic moment goes unnoticed when many celebrities die throughout the year. Still, there's always someone paying attention to what's going on.

Of course, not every tragedy revolves around death or some other horrific affair. A celebrity tragedy could revolve around a terrible controversy, a hurtful comment, or anything else that might see their career diminish. Granted, there are plenty of tragic moments spread throughout 2021 that celebs have been attached to, and they run the gamut in terms of severity. These tragic moments are some of the worst from 2021, and they're events the public will not soon forget.

Alec Baldwin was rehearsing on the set of "Rust" in October when the gun he was using discharged. Unfortunately, it wasn't loaded with blanks as he was told. The bullet it fired injured the director and killed the film's cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins. As of this writing, the investigation is ongoing, but it seems that a series of bad decisions and reckless behavior resulted in the shooting.

Speaking to ABC News, Baldwin insisted he didn't pull the trigger, leaving many to wonder how the firearm discharged. The news of the shooting immediately drew comparisons to Brandon Lee's death while filming "The Crow" in 1993. In a similar incident, Lee was shot and killed by a firearm that should have been safe.

The New York Times reported that Baldwin was told he was using a "cold gun." That's a term used in the film industry to identify a firearm as safe and unloaded. That clearly wasn't the case, but it begs the question, why was there a live round anywhere near a movie set in the first place? That question needs to be answered, and while the tragic loss of Hutchins will be felt for a long time, her death may serve to produce change.

Because of the deaths of Hutchins and Lee, an ongoing movement picked up steam to remove firearms from movie and TV sets. CGI can be used in post-production to make guns appear real, and doing so would mitigate the risk of this happening again.

One of the most significant celebrity news events of 2021 came when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sat down for a quiet chat with Oprah Winfrey for CBS. The royal couple has been the subject of a great deal of attention due to their choice to extricate themselves from the British royal family as active, working members. That news sparked widespread interest in the pair, and Oprah's interview shed new (and decidedly negative) light on the British monarchy.

The majority of the interview's negative comments centered around Markle and her issues with the family. She discussed her mental health and the struggle she's gone through as a member of the British royal family. She also mentioned that she had suicidal ideations during her pregnancy, which was exacerbated by a sense of abandonment. Both Harry and Meghan criticized the British monarchy as an institution and much more. One of the most impactful revelations revolved around the couple's children.

Harry spoke about an unidentified family member expressing concern over "how dark" the skin color of their then-unborn son, Archie, would be, per CBS News. Race was definitely an issue in their discussion, and this aspect of the interview is what landed Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne in so much hot water. Harry also sadly revealed that his relationships with his brother and father were somewhat strained. Almost everything the couple discussed shed light on how difficult living in the spotlight as a member of the British royal family was for both of them.

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ at​ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

Ben Affleck is an alcoholic, and it's something he's been dealing with for years. The Academy Award-winning actor/writer/director has been the subject of numerous headlines regarding his alcoholism, though he previously didn't comment on his addiction with much detail. That changed when he appeared on "The Howard Stern Show" in December 2021.

Affleck discussed his alcoholism and recovery, but he pointed the finger at his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner, as the reason he drank. Affleck said (via People) that he'd "probably still be drinking" if he was still married to Garner. He doubled down on this by following up with, "It's part of why I started drinking because ... I was trapped."

Affleck elaborated by saying he felt like he had to stay married to Garner for their kids' sake, but he wasn't happy. "What I did was drink a bottle of scotch and fall asleep on the couch," he confessed. By blaming his ex-wife for his alcoholism, Affleck enraged his fans and many others. The whole thing blew up online, where he was called out for his comments.

Comments on Twitter pointed out how Garner supported him through multiple stints at rehab — she even drove him there in 2018, three years after their separation. Affleck's candid comments about his alcoholism and divorce will follow him for a long time, and he's put a stain on his reputation. Still, he's sober now, and he and Garner remain close as they care for their children and move on from one another.

If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Cannibalism is probably one of the worst taboos anyone can get involved in, and allegations made against Armie Hammer in January 2021 suggested he crossed (or wants to cross) that particular line. Variety reported that an unnamed woman claimed that she'd exchanged several DMs with Hammer, including one saying that he was "100% a cannibal" and another allegedly telling her that he wanted to "drink [her] blood." When news of the messages broke, Hammer stepped down from his role in the movie "Shotgun Wedding," though none of the allegations have been proven. In a statement, he called the cannibalism claims "spurious online attacks."

That same month, one of the actor's ex-girlfriends, Courtney Vucekovich, spoke to Page Six. She accused Hammer of saying he wanted "to break [her] rib and barbecue and eat it." She made other tragic claims about their relationship, saying that she felt like she was "drowning in this dark hole" when she was with Hammer and that she went to therapy for PTSD after they broke up. "Therapy is really helpful after healing from any kind of abuse," Vucekovich stated. "You don't want to take that trauma with you."

Hammer didn't respond to Vucekovich's claims, but by March, he was vehemently denying allegations by another ex who had accused him of sexual assault, sparking an LAPD investigation, per Variety. In December — the same month he checked out of rehab for various issues – sources told TMZ it was unlikely Hammer would be charged. 

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Jen Shah isn't the only cast member from a "Real Housewives" series to experience problems in 2021. Over on the set of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," Erika Jayne found herself wrapped up in a legal nightmare and so much more. Jayne's challenging year was due in part to her divorce proceedings with her estranged husband, Tom Girardi, whom she left in November 2020.

Before the dust settled on the divorce, which still hasn't been finalized as of this writing, Girardi was accused of embezzling funds designated for plane-crash victims. The allegations detailed how Girardi (and Jayne) used those funds to live a lavish life. The stink of those allegations against Jayne's ex-husband stuck to the reality star, and it caused all sorts of drama on RHOBH.

During the penultimate episode of the 11th season, Jayne fought off calls to have her fired. In a discussion with host Andy Cohen, Jayne asked (via Just Jared), "Why are you presuming that I've done something? Why aren't we letting the legal process play out?" She went on to explain that people had only "heard one side" of the argument.

Jayne revealed that the show was her primary source of income, which The New York Times reported as being more than $600,000 for 2021. On an episode of RHOBH (via Page Six), Jayne claimed she was broke and would walk away with "nothing" from her divorce, but her co-star Kim Richards argued that the real tragic figures in the situation were Girardi's alleged victims.

In May 2021, Ellen DeGeneres announced that her eponymous talk show would come to an end in 2022 after 19 seasons. While DeGeneres often shows a great deal of loving fun and charisma on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," she was accused of making the set a hostile workplace, per BuzzFeed News.

Those allegations surfaced in 2020, but they didn't just die out, allowing DeGeneres to bow out gracefully. WarnerMedia launched an official investigation into complaints of toxic management and racist behavior on the set of the show. The allegations were utterly antithetical to the series' "Be Kind" mantra, with most of the blame being leveled against executive producers and senior management.

The negative attention eventually necessitated a response from DeGeneres herself, who sent a memo to her staff. According to Today, the memo outlined how she began the series as "a place of happiness," where her employees would be treated with respect. She acknowledged that "something changed," and for that, she apologized.

DeGeneres began working to turn the situation around, but ultimately, that didn't happen. There was seemingly no recovery for the series after the toxic workplace allegations hit, but DeGeneres insisted that they weren't the reason the show was ending. Instead, she told The Hollywood Reporter that her TV gig simply wasn't "a challenge anymore" after nearly two decades.  

2021 was a pretty crappy year for celebrities, and it wasn't great for the rest of the world either. The ongoing pandemic and political strife across the planet were exacerbated by deadly changes in the global climate, but the awful year almost came to a quiet close, offering hope for many. Then, on the last day of the year, 2021 gave humanity the middle finger by taking Betty White from the world. White's agent told People she "died peacefully in her sleep," offering the millions of mourners who loved her some modicum of comfort.

For many, White was a beloved actor and comedian who entertained them all their lives. She had been working since 1939, and in 2018, she was recognized for her enduring career with the Guinness World Record for working in television longer than anyone else (per Today). She was known for her unwavering kindness and fantastic sense of humor.

Because White was around for so long, memes about her longevity popped up for years. The fact that she was older than sliced bread (truly) and much more brought her to everyone's attention. The fact that she was set to celebrate her 100th birthday only a few weeks into 2022 made her death all the more heartbreaking.

For whatever reason, 2021 had to end with the death of a beloved icon. It was the icing on the cake of a pretty lousy year, and for that, 2021 cannot be forgiven.