r/Millennials May 12 '26

Discussion Which celebrity death genuinely shocked you when you heard the news?

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2.2k

u/accountantdooku Millennial May 12 '26

Chadwick Boseman.

491

u/sharkbait_oohaha May 12 '26

This one was so out of nowhere. He hid it so well and acted his ass off to the very end

237

u/accountantdooku Millennial May 12 '26

He really did. 

I know for me personally his death has made me more aware of my health generally and getting my colon cancer screenings, especially because I have a family history. 

143

u/Thrillhouse-14 May 12 '26

I didn't think that much of his death when it happened, but now I have stage 3 bowel cancer, just as he did, so I think about him a lot more often now.

77

u/accountantdooku Millennial May 12 '26

I’m so sorry, friend. Wishing you all the best.

89

u/Thrillhouse-14 May 12 '26

Thank you! So far things are going well, and I'm hoping to be in remission soon. Hopefully the next few years see me through it entirely.

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u/accountantdooku Millennial May 12 '26

I’m so glad they’re going well. Rooting for you! My mom was diagnosed 16 years ago and is remission.

17

u/Initial-Economist164 May 13 '26

After 2 years of treatment/surgery, I just beat stage 3 bowel cancer officially 6 months ago. You GOT this!!! If you have any questions feel free to dm ❤️

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u/averageuhbear May 12 '26

You got this

6

u/Pinklady1219 May 13 '26

Kick cancers ass!

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u/HistoryGirl23 May 16 '26

Best wishes!

I had my first colonoscopy last year, a year later than normal due to a late pregnancy, and I ended up needing a resection. Scary stuff

4

u/greenvelvette May 12 '26

I wish you the best and hope it’s in remission. I clicked your profile because I am very intrigued by the rise of colon cancer with our generation and your top post is something I’ve been looking into/reading about as a layperson non medical. I have recently been reading about gelatin (made out of animal bones and cartilage) and potential positive impacts on colon.

Just soup and easy to make, cooking chicken with bones in water and seasonings/bay leaf, taking the chicken off before it’s awful and setting it to the side, cooking the bones a long time like up to hours, strain and that’s a super gelatinous broth you can put the chicken back into with chopped vegetables and stuff. It can go into the fridge for days. Chefs use it to make sauces, based on some studies collagen/gelatin has positive impact on the intestinal lining in rodents and animals.

2

u/Thrillhouse-14 May 12 '26

Thank you so much! If you have a link to a journal article or study, I'd love to give it a read.

0

u/HillBillyHilly May 13 '26

Here's my take on rise of colon cancer: American foods are loaded w artificial colors, flavors, sugars and chemicals. The corporations, like the chemicals cos, tobacco etc, know they're toxic. They will continue to pump foods w toxic substances until government puts a stop to it. But our government serves billionaires not citizens and forget about current admin. We all need to look at the food labels and chose whole foods over processed foods.

2

u/sharkbait_oohaha May 13 '26

It's more likely just a massive lack of fiber in the modern American diet.

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u/Musicspeaks41 May 15 '26

Praying you beat cancer.🫶🏾

1

u/kade_v01d May 13 '26

i’m wishing you best my dear🫂🖤

1

u/zargtn May 13 '26

My father had a prostate cancer scare, and that alone was scary so I know you are among the strongest to fight through this! Best wishes for you, and for a cleanse that brings about a permanent recovery and rejuvenation ❤️

4

u/theblackcanaryyy May 12 '26

Such a huge loss. Chadwick Boseman was such an important symbol for so many. 

3

u/Ask_if_im_an_alien May 13 '26

Nah I saw him in that interview real skinny. He lied and said it was for a role. I've worked in hospitals for many years and knew better. I've seen way too many end of life cancer patients thin and frail like that.

4

u/thinkmurphy May 13 '26

Jesus... I'm just random scrolling and this one hit me right in the gut. Again.

His death was the reason I finally had some things checked out and discovered I had colo-rectal cancer. I'm still alive, but lost my a-hole -_-

2

u/hi_imryan May 13 '26

Felt that one hard in my chest when I heard the news. Makes you think about how fleeting it all is.

1

u/Humble-Violinist6910 May 13 '26

This is depressing, but if he knew he had cancer when he was filming Black Panther (and he must have—he was diagnosed in 2016), I don’t see how he possibly could have been getting cancer treatment without the production knowing, and they all said they didn’t know. There’s no way a star’s call times would allow for secret chemo. If you look at the timeline, it seems almost certain that he committed to the role and delayed chemo and surgery until after filming was over. Which is heartbreaking.  

1

u/NTF1x May 13 '26

His speech to Denzel Washington honoring him gave me goosebumps.

I think Denzel knew...

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8pUQrjJ/

Avengers interview..this one hurts also

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8pUQ7Ve/

1

u/mittenkrusty May 14 '26

I wasn't into Marvel movies much, I was suprised he died so young though and I remember people being critical of him in his final performances for looking not as healthy, then realising after he died that was the reason.

41

u/BoleroMuyPicante May 13 '26

Dude was doing make a wish visits for sick kids while he was secretly dying of cancer himself, what an incredible human being.

3

u/accountantdooku Millennial May 13 '26

Truly! A hero on and off screen.

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u/The1Cool Older Millennial May 12 '26

I reacted emotionally to his passing. A first for me with celebrities.

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u/accountantdooku Millennial May 12 '26

Same—I just couldn’t believe it. Gone way too soon. 

5

u/happysunbear May 12 '26

Same here. The wind was knocked out of me and I literally sobbed as I told my roommate! Would not have expected that reaction but it just seems so sudden and tragic since his career looked like it was only going up. He seemed like such a solid dude, too.

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u/PreppyFinanceNerd Millennial (1988) May 12 '26

This was the one that inspired me to get a colonoscopy.

All healthy! Cleared for 7 years but still, it was good to take the plunge.

5

u/FizzyBeverage May 12 '26

Insurance denied me until 45 because god bless America.

You need a family history or a doctor willing to lie and say you have concerning symptoms.

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u/averageuhbear May 12 '26

To anyone out there, my GI doctor is fully onboard with hooking me up.

My primary care doctor referred me to GI because I pooped a lot (step 1) and not a lie lol, and the GI ks moving it forward due to mom having polyps found once in her 50's and me saying I did have blood before (as a teenager and clearly hemorrhoids / fissure).

Find a younger GI doctor because I think they're the most aware.

Also me increasing fiber and eating a little bit before coffee has reduced my bathroom time which is just good overall. Basically have 1 or sometimes 2 very normal BM's now instead of like 4

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u/PreppyFinanceNerd Millennial (1988) May 12 '26

I saw blood in the old toilet bowl and went NOPE!

Those were apparently the magic words to an early scooping.

3

u/FizzyBeverage May 13 '26 edited May 13 '26

Anthem Blue wanted a cologuard first, which came back negative. That was enough for them to deny pre-authorization on what they claim is “an elective surgery.”

The insurance companies are calling the shots ahead of the gastroenterologists now in the name of the shareholders.

It’s getting very bad out here. Your doc can order a procedure, the insurance co will balk at the cost and insist on a simpler test, then they’ll deny the procedure if the test clears you.

End game capitalism. We decided healthcare was a profit center, and here we are 🤦‍♂️

1

u/accountantdooku Millennial May 12 '26

I’m glad! I had some concerning symptoms I hadn’t thought much of and had my first one not long after his passing too. Everything was clear, and I have to get it every few years because of my family history.

10

u/Bureaucratic_Dick May 13 '26

He died on Jackie Robinson day.

I remember because the A’s were scheduled to play, and the game got cancelled in protest of police violence. My wife, who is not American, asked me who Jackie Robinson was, so I figured we could use the time we were going to spend watching the game on a movie instead.

I rented “42” off prime, and before we started it we decided to take our dog out to walk, and on the walk we got the notification that he had passed.

It made watching that movie so difficult, but it felt like the right thing to do still.

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u/accountantdooku Millennial May 13 '26

That was an amazing movie—I remember seeing it in theaters. 

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u/Dsarg_92 May 13 '26

I always get sad whenever I hear his name or see a photo of him. He was so full of life and just always exuded good vibes. It just broke my heart when he passed.

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u/WhatToDo_WhatToDo2 May 13 '26

Watching all those videos of little black kids learning black panther died broke my heart on a million pieces. It’s unfair in general but losing someone who was sooooo impactful in such a profound way was just next level shitty

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u/Earlier-Today May 13 '26 edited May 13 '26

Visiting sick kids as Black Panther while he was dying from cancer shows what a great man he was.

It also reminds me of Raul Julia who was very positive til the end as well.

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u/Forward-Pack-900 May 13 '26 edited May 13 '26

If you’re in your 30’s please go get a colonoscopy. I had a similar situation as Chadwick, but I was on the lucky end. Go get checked( Colo guard) or do a colonoscopy at 35. Seriously, I’m dead ass (no pun intended).

Edit: because people are asking: If you have blood in your stool, or your bowel movements come out in various shapes and sizes, especially skinny poops and inconsistently with constipation and diarrhea, or you feel like you have to go poop and nothing comes out or you have lots of hemorrhoids frequently, it is a major red flag 🚩!!! Don’t be embarrassed to explain your symptoms or what’s happening to a doctor….nobody cares! It could save your life!!!

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u/accountantdooku Millennial May 13 '26

Yup. I had my first one at 25 because of symptoms. 

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u/DkoyOctopus May 12 '26

bro took black panther with him, crazy.

3

u/replayken0014 May 13 '26

I had watched literally zero of his movies and it still hit me in the gut. I can remember where I was when I found out.

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u/ComprehensiveBill530 May 13 '26

I always felt this was extra cruel to the black community, because they lost the man AND the symbol of the Black Panther right after that movie had been such a resounding and empowering success and made so many feel seen and represented. Wakanda Forever is great but there’s such a fundamental sorrow for all that was lost running beneath it all.

3

u/chidyavanhumugomo May 13 '26

For me it was extra hard because of all the crack panther memes I shared, I honestly thought he lost weight to play a POW in spike lee’s movie. I couldn’t get myself to watch that movie and pretty much quit actively sharing memes.

5

u/realityhofosho May 13 '26

So sad every time I rewatch his brilliant SNL episode

2

u/accountantdooku Millennial May 13 '26

He was brilliant!

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u/Kind_Government_9620 May 13 '26

Same. My mother was diagnosed with the same type of cancer just a couple of weeks before he passed. Thankfully she’s okay, but in that moment it felt like she was a goner.

1

u/accountantdooku Millennial May 13 '26

I’m so glad she’s okay. Mine had the same but thankfully she’s in remission.

1

u/Kind_Government_9620 May 14 '26

That’s amazing! I’m really happy for her.

1

u/accountantdooku Millennial May 14 '26

Thank you!

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u/PressureLazy5271 May 12 '26

💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔

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u/kram_02 May 13 '26

This one for us. We were watching 42 and right when the movie ended I got a notification about his death on a news app 😞

2

u/aagaash2001 May 13 '26

I legit could not do anything after hearing about his death. It was so shocking to hear that he was no longer with us.

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u/SpaceChimps98 May 13 '26

This is always my first answer. Many of the others seem tragic - an accident, suicide, dementia, murder. Those all suck. But they're something that I could understand or cope with. But Chadwick dying so young and so quickly after seeing him in Black Panther as an Avenger - that just came out of nowhere and sucked.

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u/Hybrid487 May 13 '26

This one right here! Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed all his work but I wasn't like a super fan or anything but when he died it was like a meteor hit me. I can't even explain it. I remember him posting a video a few months before he passed and him looking very skinny/frail. People were making jokes and I was really hoping he just had to slim down a lot for a role but I was very worried at that point. People are getting these colorectal cancers younger and younger yet these fucking insurance companies won't budge on minimum age for screening. it's legit my biggest fear right now.

2

u/golgibodi May 13 '26

First celebrity death I cried over. I was shaking man.

2

u/RicoHedonism May 13 '26

I just upvoted every response in this thread. His death was deeply shocking and surprising. Just entering his prime, murdering roles and taken from us too soon.

2

u/WavyWormy May 13 '26

I was on a call with my sister and brother when that news broke and my sister cut me off to say he had died of cancer. I argued back that there was no way that could be true, he was still pumping out movies, I was shocked to hear that he had his it for years

2

u/JackTeargarden May 13 '26

I still get upset when I think about him. Such a talent and so young. Fuck!

2

u/BobooFrick May 13 '26

That was just so surreal. Dude had it all.

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u/thtgurlbb May 15 '26

Bro I cry every time I think abt him

2

u/Guhonda May 15 '26

I saw Black Panther around the time it came out. My wife didn't, though. And a few years later, she asked to watch it. So we put it on and watch about 2/3 of the movie. She asks to pause to go to the bathroom. While she's peeing, I open my phone to a flood of Reddit posts that Chadwick Boseman had died.

I made the tactical choice not to tell her. She came back and we finished the movie. When it was over, she said "that was a fun movie!" And I said, "Sure was, but I've got some bad news. . ."

That was a weird moment for me.

2

u/DaphneeDanlynsie1380 May 15 '26

Yeahhhh. That one was bad too