Dead Famous

In 2025, Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead in their Santa Fe home. What followed was a series of details that raised difficult questions — not about fame or legacy, but about time, vulnerability, and what may have happened inside a house that had gone unnoticed. In this episode of Dead Famous, we focus on the final days: a private life narrowed to a single space, the realities of illness and dependency, and the unsettling silence that surrounded the couple before they were discovered. This is not a story told through spectacle or scandal. It’s a story about absence. About routines breaking down. About how quickly things can unravel when no one is watching — and how death doesn’t always arrive in a single moment, but can stretch quietly across days. Some endings are loud. Others happen slowly, behind closed doors. Research and writing - Elliott Caddy Theme music arranged and composed by Holly-Jane Shears - www.soundcloud.com/deaddoginblackbag Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aaliyah was only 22 years old when she died in a plane crash in the Bahamas — a death that shocked the music industry and devastated her fans worldwide. In this episode of Dead Famous, we examine the events that led to Aaliyah boarding a small aircraft that should never have taken off. From industry pressure and poor safety decisions to ignored warnings and systemic negligence, this is a story about how risk was normalised around a young star. This episode cuts through myth and speculation to focus on documented facts: what went wrong, who made the decisions, and how fame insulated those responsible from meaningful consequences. Aaliyah’s death wasn’t a mystery. It was the result of choices — and a system that repeatedly prioritised schedules and profit over safety. Research and writing - Elliott Caddy Theme music arranged and composed by Holly-Jane Shears -www.soundcloud.com/deaddoginblackbag Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Caroline Flack was one of the most visible figures in British entertainment — and one of the most publicly judged. In the first episode of Dead Famous, we examine how fame, tabloids, and the criminal justice system converged in the final years of Caroline Flack’s life. From her rapid rise on mainstream television to the arrest that triggered relentless public scrutiny, this episode explores how online abuse escalated, how narratives hardened, and how a person became a problem to be managed rather than a human being. This is not a story about innocence or guilt. It’s about power, spectacle, and what happens when punishment begins long before any verdict is reached. Research and writing - Elliott Caddy Theme music arranged and composed by Holly-Jane Shears - www.soundcloud.com/deaddoginblackbag Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dead Famous is a podcast that unravels the glitter, scandal, and tragedy of celebrity lives cut short. New episode every Monday.

Launching Monday January 12th 2026... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices