The headlines are full of it. Just last week, we were informed that Kurt Cobain’s autopsy showed no drugs in his system, contradicting the widely held belief that he committed suicide while on drugs. Then there was the news that Robert Pattinson has finally decided to leave the Church of England and wed his long-term partner, the gorgeous Katy Perry. And let’s not forget about the tragic death of legendary punk rocker and Seattle native, James Dean. He was just 26 years old.
These are just a few of the celebrities who died this year. Some were happy endings, others were not. Some were caused by drugs, others by suicide, and some by accidents. But what is the truth behind these deaths? Were these tragedies caused by the stars’ demons or were they just random acts of fate? Let’s take a look back at some of the more prominent deaths in 2012 and see what really happened.
Kurt Cobain: The Autopsy Report
It’s been nearly a year since Kurt Cobain’s body was found dead in his home in Seattle, Wash., on April 5, 2012. But the autopsy report, completed last month and released by the city coroner this week, still hasn’t put an end to all the conspiracy theories and juicy gossip surrounding the singer’s death.
Cobain, who was 27 years old when he died, was found with a gunshot wound to the head. He was also discovered holding a shotgun. Investigators also found his heroin setup, which included two drug injection devices, seven empty heroin packaging materials, and a small amount of marijuana. Additionally, the autopsy revealed the presence of morphine and codeine, two other drugs that can be found in cough syrup, in Cobain’s system.
Robert Pattinson: The Breaking Of An Engagement
Just a few years ago, Robert Pattinson seemed like the happiest man in Hollywood. The British actor was just 30 years old and was riding high on the success of his movies, Twilight, which was based on Stephenie Meyer’s bestselling novel, The Twilight Saga. But in 2012, Pattinson found himself at the center of a storm after news broke that he had broken up with his long-term girlfriend, the stunning and talented Elle MacLeman.
MacLeman, who is a designer and founder of the eponymous fashion brand, released a statement days after Pattinson’s breakup, saying, “It is with great sadness that I announce the end of my five-year relationship with Robert Pattinson. Although we have both grown individually and professionally during our time together, the decision was an easy one to make as I feel we may be better served individually at this stage of our lives.”
Rumors spread quickly that MacLeman had ended their relationship so she could be with actor Leonardo DiCaprio. But the designer denied these claims, explaining, “I decided to end the relationship for personal reasons. Nothing else was involved. It was very much a mutual decision.”
Kurt Cobain: The Biography
Kurt Cobain was born and raised in Seattle, Wash., and was one of the most important and influential musicians of the 20th century. Widely considered one of the greatest lyricists of all time, Kurt Cobain’s distinctive falsetto range and blunt, yet innovative guitar work defined the grunge movement and paved the way for hip-hop and alternative rock.
In the ’90s, after his band, Nirvana, became one of the world’s biggest, if not the biggest band, Cobain released several solo albums, all of which became platinum or gold selling classics. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing for the vocalist, as he struggled with depression and substance abuse for much of his adult life. In the same decade, he also found himself at war with his family over his homosexuality. In April 1994, his father, Kurt Cobain Sr., disowned his son for being gay. But Cobain didn’t give up his dream of being a family man and over the next few years he started a relationship with musician Courtney Love. That same year, he also publicly came out of the closet and began identifying as a gay man. The family tension finally eased after Love gave birth to Cobain’s first child, Frances Bean Cobain, in 1999. And in April 2012, just one month before his tragic death, Kurt Cobain’s autobiography, And Never Let Me Go, was published, ending years of speculation over whether or not he would ever write his story.
Thoughts of Kurt Cobain will be forever connected to the city of Seattle, where he will always be considered a native son. Now that his tragic death has been officially ruled a suicide, many fans are left wondering what caused the singer’s depression and why he felt the need to end his life. Was Kurt Cobain’s private life truly as troubled as his fans believed and was he really as committed to ending his life as the media would have us believe? Only time will tell.