Today, thanks to widespread usage of social media, fans are more connected to their favourite celebrities than ever before. Through Twitter, people feel like they can directly address celebrities, from addressing an entire country (Donald Trump) through social media to leaving strangely chilling tweets that bizarrely link with their deaths. People don’t just die physically anymore, their death is biological and across social media, resonating with millions of people.

Nothing is ever truly gone from the Internet. Everything remains there forever; even if you think you have deleted it. Since people are more associated to their favourite celebrities, a passing causes a genuine sense of loss. After grief comes a morbid fascination with their last words and what went on right before they died. In some cases, the very last thing someone posted online, whether it was a joke, comment or an announcement, it is preserved. It is a frozen moment in time that hauntingly makes one imagine just how unpredictable death is and just how mortal we all are, no matter how rich, famous or successful. Let’s take a tour of the 15 most chilling tweets by celebrities right before their death.

15. Paul Walker

On November 29^th 2013, the star of The Fast and the Furious franchise died, ironically, in a car crash. The tragedy really shakes you, if you realize the scale of car stunts that are pulled off in this movie franchise. Paul Walker didn’t survive to finish the seventh edition of the film; his brother finished his role, with help from CGI. Paul Walker died an untimely death at the age of 40. What is really creepy is the wording of his last tweet a night before the accident.

He wrote, “The boys are back. Will you be ready?”

The tweet shows that the movie promotion was in full gear and marked another promising venture in the Fast and the Furious series. No one will ever truly digest the circumstances of his death. No one was ready.

14. Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse was a British pop sensation, with her deep voice and unique singing ability; she was definitely one of the greatest singers in the last 20 years. Her sassy single “Rehab” is still an all-time classic and stayed on the UK and US top 50 songs for weeks! However, as great as the song was, it was also a peephole into Amy’s life, a continuous battle with depression, substance and alcohol abuse.

Amy’s death was made public on July 23rd, 2011 with the exact timing of her passing still a mystery. The cause, however, was crystal clear. Her blood alcohol level was found to be five times that of the legal limit for drivers. Her last tweet was quite troubling because it indicated two possibilities. According to her brother, Amy suffered from severe bulimia causing her to refer to herself as “oinkaoinka” or alcohol abuse had caused her to write a nonsensical tweet. Either way, the second part is heartbreaking “Why you awake” clearly indicates a person battling depression and insomnia.

13. Reeva Steenkamp

Reeva was a famous South African model. She was the first face of Avon in the country, and was featured in FHM multiple times, including the cover. While she wasn’t as popular in North America, she was ranked number 40 and 45 in FHM’s “Sexiest Women in the World” poll for 2011 and 2012 respectively. However, the chilling facts and the widely publicized trial made her a well-known face around the globe.

Reeva was shot dead by her boyfriend, former Paralympian Oscar Pistorius on the 14^th of February, 2013. That’s right, on Valentine’s Day! The bizarre circumstances don’t end here; her final tweet was a scary premonition of sorts since it in part read as follows:

“What do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow?”

The fact that she was shot through the door shows that Oscar had something up his sleeve that she didn’t see coming.

12. Mitch Lucker

Mitch Luker was the lead singer of a band called Suicide Silence. The band was still in its initial phases of success with each new album doing better than the previous one; the sudden death of Mitch left everything hanging. The deathcore band’s lead died on Halloween night, ironically, dressed as death. Mitch was killed in a motorcycle accident at the tender age of 28. According to reports, he had an argument with his wife who was insisting that he not leave the house that night.

If this wasn’t strange enough, he posted on Twitter the same evening a picture of himself in a skeleton costume with the caption: “The dead are living.” Considering his music is his legacy and his fans continue to hear him through that, the dead are living indeed.

11. Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston is a legend, one of the greatest performers of all time. However, her marriage with jazz star Bobby Brown was a tumultuous affair.

She has sold 200 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. During the span of her long career, she has released 7 studio albums and 2 soundtrack albums. It is without a doubt that Whitney Houston is not just the most influential American performer but also an American music star whose work has transcended race, genre and bias in so many arenas.

Unfortunately towards the end of her career, she suffered, battling anxiety, alcoholism, and substance abuse. Her troubled life came to a tragic end in the Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. Her Twitter presence was brief, only five tweets were ever sent out by her account. The very last tweet seemed to strangely echo her last years in the industry, almost like an affirmation of her legacy. Her tweet was to a fan confirming, “Yes, I am the real Whitney”. Indeed there can never be another Whitney.

10. Capital Steez

Capital Steez gained popularity on the other side of the Atlantic and was a promising young rapper with a clearly bright future. However he suffered from depression that eventually led to his suicide on 23^rd December 2012. The rapper released a sole mixtape titled “AmeriKKKanKorruption”. The maiden effort was applauded with the closing verse making the list of the “25 Of The Best Closing Lines In Rap” by XXL Magazine and was labeled one of the best rap lines of 2012 by Spin Magazine.

Capital Steez’s career was just starting when on the night of 23^rd, he climbed the rooftop of Cinematic Music Group headquarters and after clearly telling his family and friends that he loved and cared for them proceeded to leave an ominous tweet that read, “The End” This tweet makes the list because of the sheer shock value it had and cold pun that the rapper felt even in the last moments before his jump that he thought these words a fitting end to his life at a young age of 19.

9. Leonard Nimoy

Star Trek has a huge following, spanning generations with die-hard fans in every age group. Leonard Nimoy portrays the beloved character Spock from the iconic television phenomenon from the ’60s. Nimoy became so synonymous with the character that it was difficult for him to separate the character from himself. He even wrote two books that describe his struggle “I am Spock” and “I am not Spock”.

Spock is regarded as one of the 50 most influential characters in American television history, with a cultural effect that is still felt by the millions of fans. Nimoy’s last tweet resonated too much with his science fiction character and if he could write an obituary for Spock and himself, this would be spot on. He wrote, “A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP”  The tweet appeared a few days before his passing.

8. George Michael

If there ever was a pop star icon with an influence that spanned a 30-year career across the globe it would be George Michael. George Michael battled with his sexual orientation throughout his career, often facing depression and an identity crisis.

According to Michael’s then partner Fadi Fawaz, he passed away peacefully in his sleep in his house on Christmas morning in 2016. He was 53 at the time and really looking forward to Christmas. His last tweet could not have been more appropriate; it was a celebration of the singer’s most popular work, The Wham! Michael’s final tweet marked the 25-year anniversary of his hit pop anthem “Freedom.” He wrote, “Enjoy, this is special. Love George x #FreedomNYC”. If there ever was a more generous and secret philanthropist, it was George. Even his last tweet was positive despite complexities in his personal life. It’s almost too sweet a goodbye.

7. DJ AM

Adam Goldstein, or DJ AM as he was popularly referred to, was a successful DJ and a victim of the sometimes unforgiving New York night life. Before Adam was DJ AM, he was a part of the rock band, Crazy Town. Among his more notable collaborators was his friend Travis Barker; the drummer of Blink 182. The two even shared a near death experience where the plane they were in crashed in 2008.

Adam suffered bouts of depression and dealt with addiction in the later years. Goldstein’s addiction was almost as obsessive and compulsive as his deejaying, working side by side. Substance abuse as a teenager landed him in the highly notorious rehabilitation center, Straight, Incorporated. However, his problem only worsened after leaving the center. Adam struggled throughout his twenties; substance abuse became a regular feature alongside deejaying. While he had bouts of sobriety, he eventually succumbed to an overdose on August 29, 2009, leaving all his fans with a painful tweet:

“New York, New York. Big city of dreams, but everything in New York ain’t what it seems.”

6. Ervin McKinness (a.k.a Inkyy)

Inkyy or Ervin McKinness was not exactly a popular rapper at the time of his death. He had potential and anyone who follows the underground rap scene could easily testify to his talent. Ervin lost his life at the precipice of potential stardom. He had just signed a deal with Vibe and the record deal could have been his big break had it not been for his untimely and tragic death.

Ervin’s last tweet is strangely prophetic about his demise. Inkyy is on this list because his sizable fan following was a pointer towards something greater and the way his tweet is quite literally a caption for the way he dies. Inkyy tweeted minutes before the car crash,

“Drunk af going 120 drifting corners” he didn’t stop here and what really made this tweet creepy was adding the acronym YOLO at the end.

5. Roger Ebert

If there ever was a film critic who dabbled in the art itself and offered a unique perspective from either side of the criticism, it was Roger Ebert. He can easily be titled the world’s most famous critic; it would not be an exaggeration to call him the father of modern critical thinking for film. Roger was famous for co-writing the scripts for many films and because he was more experienced in the process of filmmaking than most other critics, it gave him the empathy that so many of the critics lack for the filmmaking business.

While cancer took his throat and voice, he was true lover of the cinematic arts and remained an active participant despite his failing health. His last tweet was definitely not meant to sound like a farewell; however, it is bizarre because he died the very next day. His leave of presence was in fact just that.

4. Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou was a famous teacher, poet, civil rights activist, memoirist and speaker. Maya’s life was full of beautiful words and over a career of 50 years, she did little else but inspire and encourage people. Maya has over 50 honorary degrees and many awards for her poetic works, the most famous of which is “I know Why the Caged Birds Sing”. Maya had published 7 autobiographies, 3 essay books and many editions of poetry that have inspired generations of women and empowered black people over the years.

Maya also dabbled in movies and is associated with a wide variety of plays and productions. As a young woman, Maya had to go through a terrifying series of jobs. Maya had worked as a sex worker, fry cook, performer and night club dancer. Her last message to the world was equally positive and full of hope.

3. Billy Mays

Billy is not your mainstream celebrity but he was a very popular name in household advertising. Billy starred in commercials and infomercials selling cleaning products like OxiClean. He made a niche on the home network as a passionate and positive pitchman.

While in terms of popularity, Billy Mays was not exactly a Hollywood A-lister, the circumstances surrounding his death remind one of the movie “final destination”. According to the medical examiner, Mays cause of death was hypertensive heart disorder. He passed away in 2009. What is really chilling is that his last tweet is about a close encounter with death. He could just have easily died on a plane! His plane the day before had burst a tire upon landing. It’s freaky how he survived a plane crash only to pass away from another reason the very same night from a heart problem!

2. Mindy McCready

Mindy was a hit country singer who released 5 studio albums and had a huge following. Her debut album was a true success and was declared platinum twice. She had hit songs like “Guys Do It All the Time” and “Ten Thousand Angels.” Unfortunately success came easy while her personal life was brimming with issues. She had legal issues, depression and multiple short lived affairs that left her worse than before. Mindy had tried to kill herself many times and in a way her death by a self-inflicted gunshot wound did not come as a surprise to anyone. She committed suicide in February of 2013.

The singer had a history of self-harm and battled with severe depression and stress. Her last tweet showed the struggle that was building up inside her and the strain she was under. It is sad that she could not bring herself to live. Her final tweet goes like this: “Things have been hectic. But I’m still here.” The words show the reality of a person fighting themselves.

1. Dan Wheldon

Dan was a famous race car driver of British origin. He was talented and famous on the track for his amazing skills as a driver. It is ironic that he died because of a 15-car accident during the 11^th lap of the race and died instantly. His car reportedly flew 99 meter, cockpit-first in the catch fence. After the impact, the car landed back on the racing track but the damage had already been done.

It is truly sad how excited Dan was prior to the race. He was already the Indy Racing League Champion in 2005. He also landed the Indianapolis 500 trophy along with the InyCar World Championship of 2011. His last tweet showed the excitement he felt before the IZOD race:

“Big day today, $5,000,000.00 at stake!!!Heading to the track.”