Stars who've lost siblings

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Stars may seem to live a charmed life, but off screen, some have faced heartbreaking loss. Wonderwall.com is rounding up some of the stars who've had to bury their siblings…

In 1975, Kelsey Grammer's sister was brutally murdered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, after working her shift at a Red Lobster restaurant. The "Frasier" star, who was 20 at the time, is still coming to terms with the traumatic events five decades later.

He opened up to People magazine in 2022 about what happened, sharing, "I've been writing a book actually about some of the past, and one sentence comes to mind. 'It was ancient grief that is forever fresh.' It's always with you."

It tragically wasn't the first loss he suffered either. In 1968 when Kelsey was just 13, his father was murdered and his two half brothers died in a suspected shark attack in 1980.

Keep reading to see more stars who lost siblings…

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Though she's best known for her work in comedies, Sofia Vergara's real life has been marked by trauma. In 1998, her older brother, Rafael, was murdered in her native Colombia during an attempted kidnapping in Bogota. Since her family was successful, they were a target, and her brother was shot on a rare day he ventured out without his bodyguards. In the wake of the trauma, the actress left the country and settled down in Miami.

Sofia reflected on the pain as a judge on "America's Got Talent" in 2020, telling a contestant who'd also experienced loss, "My brother passed away the same year that your sister passed away. I can feel your pain; I know what this is. I know what it is to have somebody taken from you without you knowing."

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Jennifer Hudson lost not only her brother but her mother and 7-year-old nephew in 2008.

The EGOT winner's family members were all murdered by her brother-in-law, William Balfour, who received a life sentence for his crimes. Jennifer reflected on the horrific experience to Glamour in 2015, sharing, "I went from being an aunt, having a mom, and being a child to not having a mom, becoming a mom, and raising my own child" in the wake of the killings, the singer-actress said of welcoming son David Otunga Jr. a year after the murders amid her grief.

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Luke Bryan knows the pain of losing not one but two siblings.

Older brother Chris Bryan died in a car accident in 1996 and sister Kelly died suddenly in 2007. The country music star also lost brother-in-law Ben — Kelly's husband — seven years later in 2014 after he suffered a heart attack. This led to a major change in Luke's life: He and his wife adopted his two nieces and nephew.

Luke opened up to People magazine about the adoptions the following year, sharing, "Obviously my nieces and nephew, they didn't ask for this. Their life was amazing before Caroline and I took a more prominent role, even after losing their mother. Now my focus is trying to do what we can to help them."

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Comedian Chelsea Handler faced a horrible family tragedy in 1984.

While on a family trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the comedian older brother Chet fell off a cliff and died. In her 2019 memoir, "Life Will Be the Death of Me… and You Too," Chelsea explained that her brother had been "kind of my protector, kind of a father figure, a big brother, a crush, your first boyfriend."

Of the grief she felt, she noted, "You just feel broken… I dealt with it by just, if anybody talked about Chet or mentioned him, I'd just leave the room. I'd get on my bike, and I'd ride my bike for hours around the neighborhood. I could cry on my bike, but I wouldn't let anyone see me cry in person."

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Joseph Gordon-Levitt lost older brother Dan Gordon-Levitt in 2010. Dan, who worked as an artist and teacher, died accidentally of "ketamine intoxication," the Los Angeles County coroner's office confirmed to E! News and GQ.

In 2020, Joseph honored his brother on what would have been his 45th birthday 10 years after Dan's death, tweeting to request that anyone who knew him contribute art or a piece of writing in his honor.

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Queen Latifah tragically lost brother Lance Owens Jr., a New Jersey police officer, in 1992 in an off-duty motorcycle accident.

The music star and actress honored her sibling 30 years later in an Instagram post, writing alongside a photo of them together, "To my brother Lance a.k.a. Winki my Pisces brother. We will always swim in eternity's energy I love you to Infinity. Happy birthday."

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Kristin Cavallari's older brother Michael Cavallari went missing in 2015, his car abandoned on a Utah highway. He was found dead nearly two weeks later. It was eventually established that his death was accidental, with authorities revealing he passed away after suffering from hypothermia.

At the time, Kristin took to social media to share her thoughts on her family's tragic loss, writing in part on Instagram, "My heart is in a million pieces. Mikey, I could always count on you to make me laugh. You had such a good heart and you will be forever missed. I'm at a loss for words but I know u are in a better place and finally at peace."

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Joaquin Phoenix, who followed in older brother River Phoenix's acting footsteps, was there when his sibling tragically passed away at 23 after suffering a drug overdose outside the Viper Room in Los Angeles in the early hours of Halloween in 1993.

Joaquin opened up about the tragedy on "60 Minutes" in 2020, revealing that he feels close to his brother thanks to their shared career path. "I feel like in virtually every movie that I made, there was a connection to River in some way. And I think that we've all felt his presence and guidance in our lives in numerous ways," the actor shared.

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In 2019, One Direction star Louis Tomlinson's younger sister Felicite passed away.

The 18-year-old died from an accidental overdose of cocaine, Xanax and oxycodone, according to the London coroner.

The tragedy occurred just two years after the siblings lost their mother, Johannah Deakin, to cancer.

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When he was just 7, "Southern Charm" star Austen Kroll's 9-year-old sister, Kyle, slipped and fell off a cliff during a family hike in North Carolina. Sadly, the family had just moved to Charlotte a few days earlier.

Austen opened up about it on his Bravo series, which features two co-stars who also lost siblings…

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Olivia Flowers, who was romantically entangled with Austen Kroll on "Southern Charm" when she joining the cast, lost brother Conner in 2023 after a lengthy battle with Lyme disease that eventually led him to develop an addiction. His death was ruled as an accidental fentanyl overdose.

Olivia opened up about the loss to People magazine, sharing, "I wish you could have met him, because he was just the most amazing guy. My brother, he was very lively and loved bringing people together; he literally made friends everywhere we'd go. Even when we went on vacation, we'd go down the hotel lobby to get breakfast and he knew everyone by name. He was this 6-foot-5 beautiful guy who had the biggest heart."

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"Southern Charm" star Taylor Ann Green lost a sibling in 2023 when her brother, Worth Green, passed away.

Taylor took to Instagram to mourn her brother, writing in part, "Not enough words can encapsulate who Worth was and the impact he left behind. June 8th, 2023 The Lord called you home. We are going to miss your goofiness, your bear hugs, and that infectious laugh. I will always admire the steadfast love you had for your family, friends (too many to count), your girlfriend and Jesus Christ. You truly went out on top of your game and we so look forward to seeing you again one day." His cause of death was not shared publicly.