By Marisa Laudadio
4:00am PST, Dec 26, 2023
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Take a look back at the stars we lost in December 2023…
Former The Chicks member Laura Lynch (center) died in a car accident near El Paso, Texas, on Dec. 22. She was 65.
According to TMZ, the Texas Dept. of Public Safety confirmed that another vehicle hit Laura head-on while attempting to pass yet another car on a two-way undivided stretch of highway. Laura was declared dead at the scene while the other driver was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The following day, The Chicks released a statement addressing the tragedy: "We are shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Laura Lynch, a founding member of The Chicks. We hold a special place in our hearts for the time we spent playing music, laughing and traveling together. Laura was a bright light… her infectious energy and humor gave a spark to the early days of our band. Laura had a gift for design, a love of all things Texas and was instrumental in the early success of the band. Her undeniable talents helped propel us beyond busking on street corners to stages all across Texas and the mid-West. Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones at this sad time," they said.
Laura co-founded The Chicks as Dixie Chicks with Robin Lynn Macy, Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer in 1989. She played upright bass and served as the group's lead singer for a time. Robin left the band in the early '90s, and Laura followed suit in 1995. The Chicks' current frontwoman, Natalie Maines, soon replaced her. Just a few years later, the new trio — Natalie, Martie and Emily — shot into the spotlight with their breakthrough single "Wide Open Spaces" from their 1998 album of the same name — the band's fourth studio album, which went 13-times Platinum in the United States. (The group changed their name in 2020.)
Keep reading to see more stars we lost this month…
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Ryan O'Neal — the actor who found fame on the primetime soap opera "Peyton Place" in the '60s before earning an Oscar nomination for his performance in 1970's "Love Story" opposite Ali MacGraw — is dead at 82.
The "Paper Moon" and "Barry Lyndon" star, who battled addiction and famously romanced Hollywood stars from his first wife, Joanna Moore, to longtime partner Farrah Fawcett — as well as Ursula Andress, Bianca Jagger, Jacqueline Bisset, Barbra Streisand, Joan Collins, Diana Ross and Anjelica Huston through the years — died on Dec. 8.
"My dad passed away peacefully today, with his loving team by his side supporting him and loving him as he would us," sportscaster Patrick O'Neal — Ryan's son with his second wife, actress Leigh Taylor-Young — shared on Instagram while announcing the sad news.
Daughter and co-star Tatum O'Neal mourned her father in a statement to People magazine, writing, "I feel great sorrow with my father's passing. He meant the world to me. I loved him very much and know he loved me too. I'll miss him forever and I feel very lucky that we ended on such good terms."
On Dec. 22, The Blast reported that Ryan's death certificate indicates he died of congestive heart failure after suffering from cardiomyopathy for years. He was reportedly hospitalized at St. John's Medical in Los Angeles when he died and was subsequently buried at Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park.
He suffered other health issues over the years: The actor was diagnosed with chronic leukemia in 2001 and with prostate cancer in 2012.
In the wake of his death, co-stars and former loves publicly honored him — including Ali. "Working with Ryan, all those years ago, was one of the great experiences of my film career, and we remained friends ever after. He was a skilled actor, charming and funny too," the "Love Story" actress said in a statement to "Entertainment Tonight," in part, adding, "I shall miss him and the fun we shared……and I pray that he will find Peace at last."
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James McCaffrey — the actor who voiced the lead character in the "Max Payne" video game series as well as Alex Casey in the "Alan Wake" gaming series — died on Dec. 17 following a cancer battle, his manager confirmed to Variety.
TMZ reported that the star had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma.
The actor, who's also known for his work on FX's "Rescue Me," the FOX police drama "New York Undercover" and the NBC action series "Viper," was 65.
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Andre Braugher — the Emmy-winning actor best known for his work on TV's "Homicide: Life on the Street" and "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" — is dead at 61.
The star passed away on Dec. 11 after a brief illness, Deadline reported.
Andre's rep later confirmed to TMZ that the actor was diagnosed with lung cancer a few months before he passed away.
MORE: Stars we lost in 2023
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On Dec. 9, Anna "Chickadee" Cardwell — the sister of "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" star Alana Thompson and the daughter of reality star "Mama June" Shannon — lost her battle with a rare cancer less than a year after she was diagnosed. The mother of two was 29.
"With the breaking heart, we are announcing that @annamarie35 is no longer with us. She passed away in my home last night peacefully at 11:12 PM," June wrote on Instagram on Dec. 10. "She gave one hell of a fight for 10 months she passed away with her family around her like she [wanted]."
Anna learned she had stage 4 adrenal carcinoma in January 2023, TMZ reported in March. A family source told the webloid Anna's symptoms included stomach aches, which led doctors to do testing that discovered the cancer in her liver, kidney and lung.
Little sister Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson mourned her sibling on Instagram writing, "This is one post I wish I didn't have to make. Last night we all surrounded Anna with love & let her know it was okay to go. Unfortunately around 11pm Anna took her last breath. Anna was in so much pain last night but now as a family we all know she is at peace now," she shared.
"I really don't know what to say as my heart is completely broken. Watching my 29 year old sister this last year battle this horrible disease hasn't been easy. Anna was a fighter & still is. Lord please wrap your arms around her 2 babies & our family as the next couple of days will make this all a reality," she continued.
"I'm so glad that you waited til i was home to take your last breath! I would've loved for you to get to see me graduate college but i know you will forever cheer me on in heaven! We will all make sure your legacy lives on forever. And i promise to always make sure to celebrate our birthday like you never left!" Alana added, concluding her post, "The sky looks a little bit different today. We will always love you Anna . You hit me hard with his one Anna but i know you['re] in a better place now and pain free forever!"
MORE: Stars who've had cancer
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Poet, wrier, author and "Peaky Blinders" actor Benjamin Zephaniah — who played Jimmy Jesus on the hit period crime drama — died on Dec. 7 eight weeks after being diagnosed with a brain tumor, his family announced on Instagram.
The star, who also appeared on shows including "EastEnders," "The Bill" and "Zen Motoring," was 65.
"Benjamin was a truly gifted and beautiful human being — a generational poet, writer, musician and activist. A proud Brummie and a Peaky Blinder. I'm so saddened by this news. RIP," co-star Cillian Murphy told Variety in a statement.
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Denny Laine — the British singer-guitarist best known from his time with the Moody Blues and Wings — died on Dec. 5 after a week in the ICU following a lengthy battle with interstitial lung disease, his wife, Elizabeth Hines, announced.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member was 79.
Former bandmate Paul McCartney took to Instagram to honor his old friend, writing, "I am very saddened to hear that my ex-bandmate, Denny Laine, has died," he began his post.
"I have many fond memories of my time with Denny: from the early days when The Beatles toured with the Moody Blues. Our two bands had a lot of respect for each other and a lot of fun together. Denny joined Wings at the outset. He was an outstanding vocalist and guitar player," Paul continued. "His most famous performance is probably 'Go Now' an old Bessie Banks song which he would sing brilliantly. He and I wrote some songs together the most successful being 'Mull of Kintyre' which was a big hit in the Seventies. We had drifted apart but in recent years managed to reestablish our friendship and share memories of our times together.
"Denny was a great talent with a fine sense of humour and was always ready to help other people," Paul wrote, concluding his post, "He will be missed by all his fans and remembered with great fondness by his friends. I send my condolences and best wishes to his wife, Elizabeth and family. Peace and love Denny. It was a pleasure to know you. We are all going to miss you."
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Television pioneer Norman Lear died at his Los Angeles home on Dec. 5 of natural causes.
The Emmy-winning Hollywood legend — who produced, wrote, created or developed more than 100 shows including the '70s classic sitcoms "All in the Family," "Maude," "Sanford and Son," "One Day at a Time," "The Jeffersons" and "Good Times" — was 101.
The Television Academy Hall of Famer also notably founded the advocacy group People for the American Way in 1981 as core American values were being undermined by the emerging religious-right political movement.
"Thank you for the moving outpouring of love and support in honor of our wonderful husband, father, and grandfather," the family of the legend — who was Mr. Popularity in Hollywood circles — said in a statement. "Norman lived a life of creativity, tenacity, and empathy. He deeply loved our country and spent a lifetime helping to preserve its founding ideals of justice and equality for all. Knowing and loving him has been the greatest of gifts. We ask for your understanding as we mourn privately in celebration of this remarkable human being."
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On Dec. 3, Andrea Fay Friedman — the actress with Down syndrome best known for her work on TV's "Life Goes On" — died in Santa Monica, California, of complications due to Alzheimer's disease.
The "Carol of the Bells" actress was 53.
Deadline reported that according to the National Down Syndrome Society, about 30% of people with Down syndrome who are their 50s develop Alzheimer's.
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Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor — the first woman to ever sit on America's Supreme Court — died in Phoenix, Arizona, on Dec. 1 at 93.
The judge, who was appointed to the court by President Ronald Reagan and served from 1981 to 2006, becoming known as a moderate conservative who was often a swing vote, died of "complications related to advanced dementia, probably Alzheimer's, and a respiratory illness," the court said in a statement.
She shared in a letter released by her family in 2018 that she had dementia and was "no longer able to participate in public life." She also wrote in her letter, "How fortunate I feel to be an American and to have been presented with the remarkable opportunities available to the citizens of our country. As a young cowgirl from the Arizona desert, I never could have imagined that one day I would become the first woman justice on the U.S. Supreme Court."
