'One of my best friends is forever gone': A-listers who have heartbreaking backstories

Pedro Pascal was just 24 when his mother, Verónica Pascal Ureta, died by suicide in 2000. Born in Chile during the 1970s, The Last of Us actor experienced an early life marked by political turmoil.

When he was only nine months old, his parents fled to Denmark following an attempt on their lives by the military regime of Augusto Pinochet. His parents subsequently raised Pedro and his three siblings in the United States.

Growing up as an immigrant in the US presented challenges at school, but Pedro always had his parents' support. "I was so well taken care of and shielded from it," he told People in 2020. 

Following his mother's death, Pedro and his older sister Javiera stepped up to help care for their two younger siblings. The actor told Esquire in 2023: "They were very young kids, so much younger than me and my older sister, so even if they hadn't lost a parent, we would still feel parental toward them."

In her memory, Pedro uses his mother's maiden name, Pascal, professionally. Speaking to People about her unwavering support, he said: "She was always incredibly supportive, never a stage mom. I always felt like she knew something that I didn't. None of [my success] would be real if it weren't for her."

Comedian Pete Davidson was just seven when he lost his father, New York City firefighter Scott Davidson. On September 11 2001, his father was killed at age 33 while responding to the World Trade Center attacks.

The Saturday Night Live alum has spoken openly about his grief in both his stand-up routines and serious interviews. Asked on CBS News in 2020 if his father's death created a clear dividing line in his childhood, he replied: "Oh, yeah, absolutely. One of my best friends is forever gone."

The 33-year-old paid tribute to his late father by naming his daughter Scottie Rose Hewitt Davidson with his former partner, model Elsie Hewitt.

The Odyssey actress Charlize Theron was 15 years old when an argument with her abusive father escalated into a terrifying confrontation at their home in South Africa.

The Mad Max: Fury Road star grew up on a farm near Johannesburg with her mother, Gerda, and father, Charles. Speaking to NPR in 2019, she described her father as a "very sick man" and noted that living with an alcoholic was a "pretty hopeless situation."

Life took a dangerous turn when her father arrived home with a gun. While Charlize and her mother hid, he fired three shots through a door. "None of those bullets ever hit us, which is just a miracle. But in self-defence, she ended the threat," she explained.

Despite her difficult upbringing, the 51-year-old speaks openly about her past to help others feel less isolated: "The more we talk about these things, the more we realise we are not alone in any of it."

When Austin Butler was 23, his mother, Lori, died from cancer in 2014. Years later, when he was cast as Elvis Presley in the 2022 film Elvis, his key emotional hook for the role was that both he and Presley lost their mothers at the exact same age.

He told Backstage in 2023 that while researching Presley for his audition tape, the idea came to him following a nightmare: "My mom was dying again. When I woke up, it was like all the grief was happening for the first time."

"I set up a camera, and the first song that came to mind was 'Unchained Melody,'" he recalled. "I let myself cry and just banged out the song. Then I got up, turned the camera off, and sent that tape."

Speaking on the podcast Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist in 2023, the 35-year-old called his mother his "best friend" and noted that because she had dreamed of acting in high school, he now pursues his career for "the both of us."

Model and actress Kaia Gerber tragically lost her older brother, Presley Gerber, who died at age 27 on September 20.

Presley, the son of supermodel Cindy Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber, was in a rehabilitation facility at the time of his death, according to a Los Angeles County medical examiner's report obtained by People. The official cause of death remains under investigation.

The siblings were just two years apart in age. In a September 2026 Vogue cover story, Kaia reflected on his struggles with addiction and its impact on their family: "When something like that happens in a family, it kind of levels everyone."

Breaking her silence on her grief on October 18 2026, the 25-year-old shared a throwback video of them as children alongside a beach photo and a book excerpt. In her Instagram caption, she wrote: "Prez, I don't have the words, and maybe the tiny mercy is that we didn't need them all along. Words fail and words subtract and words summarize and words always lack truth. And how naive of me to believe that language could transcend grief."

Dreamgirls actress Jennifer Hudson was at the height of her success, having won an Oscar for her portrayal of Effie White in the 2006 film, before her life was turned upside down.

Just two years later, the star's mother, brother, and nephew were tragically murdered. Her 57-year-old mother, Darnell Donnerson, and 29-year-old brother, Jason, were shot at Darnell's home in October 2008, while Jennifer's seven-year-old nephew, Julian King, was reported missing.

Three days later, Julian was found dead from gunshot wounds. William Balfour, the estranged husband of Jennifer's sister Julia, was charged with three counts of first-degree murder alongside other offences. He is currently serving three life sentences without parole, plus an additional 120 years for aggravated kidnapping and home invasion.

Opening up about their deaths on Oprah's Next Chapter in 2012, Hudson revealed that she had forgiven her brother-in-law for his actions: "I feel like for the most part it's not his fault. It's how he was brought up. We tried to offer love, but you were so far gone that you couldn't even see that."

Following the tragedy, Jennifer established The Julian D. King Gift Foundation in honour of Julian, which aims to provide stability, support, and positive experiences for children.