On June 25, 2009, the entertainment world and fans were dealt a double heartbreak: actress Farrah Fawcett and pop superstar Michael Jackson died 12 hours apart.
Fawcett, who inspired millions of women to copy her feather-cut hairstyle, fought anal cancer with every fiber of her being when she was diagnosed in 2006.
The actress and model was declared cancer-free in 2007, but it was later discovered that the disease had spread to her liver.
“All of this is for a reason. It is a test of my very core, of my strength, mind, spirit, and soul,” she says in a documentary made at her request by her best friend, Alana Stewart, that follows her cancer treatment journey.
Fawcett died on June 25, 2009, at the age of 62, at the Providence St. John’s Health Center emergency room in Santa Monica, California. Her death occurred almost exactly 12 hours before pop star Michael Jackson died the same day at 2:26 p.m.
In the film, she declares that she will “never compromise” on her “desire to live.” I’m not going gently into that good night.”
Fawcett pursued experimental treatments both in the US and abroad.
“She was fearless,” her doctor said.
Fawcett was born in the state of Texas. With her good looks and iconic feather-cut hairstyle, she moved to California to pursue a modeling career.
Fawcett, dressed in a red swimsuit, is the subject of a 1976 poster that has sold 12 million copies and is the best-selling poster of all time.
Fawcett was also a founding member of “Charlie’s Angels,” along with Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith. Cheryl Ladd replaced Fawcett after she left the show after only one season.
From 1973 to 1982, Fawcett was married to actor Lee Majors. She then dated actor Ryan O’Neal on and off until her death. Redmond O’Neal was their son.
Fawcett appeared in the unsuccessful films “Logan’s Run” in 1976, “Sunburn” in 1979, and “Saturn 3” in 1980, according to biography.com.
She appeared in the 1981 TV miniseries “Murder in Texas” and the 1981 film “The Cannonball Run.”
In 1984, she produced and starred in “The Burning Bed,” a television film about domestic violence. Her performance earned her an Emmy nomination.
She was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in the play “Extremities,” which was later adapted into a film.
In “Small Sacrifices,” she played a mother who shoots her children. She was nominated for an Emmy for that miniseries.
In addition to other television appearances, she co-starred with Robert Duvall in “The Apostle” in 1997. She appeared in the comedy “Dr. T and the Women” with Richard Gere and Helen Hunt in 2000. In 2001, she received her third Emmy nomination for “The Guardian.”
The documentary “Farrah’s Story” aired on NBC in May 2009. The documentary includes real-life footage of her cancer treatments and follows her until a few weeks before her death. Stewart stated in the film that Fawcett advised her to keep recording even the difficult parts because “this is what cancer is.”
When the news of Jackson’s death broke on June 25, 2009, his music shot to the top of the charts.
All of his CDs, as well as those of the Jackson 5, were sold out on Amazon.com.
On June 25, 2009, Jackson went into cardiac arrest at his home in Holmby Hills, Los Angeles, after receiving the anesthetic propofol from Dr. Conrad Murray. Jackson was 50 years old at the time.
He was preparing for a 50-show comeback tour called “This Is It” at the time.
According to media reports in the weeks leading up to his death, Jackson had been acting strangely, was extremely thin, and anxious, but after a week off from rehearsals, he appeared to have improved.
According to history.com, Jackson left home around 7 p.m. on June 24, 2009, for a rehearsal at the Staples Center. The rehearsal went well, but later that evening he told Murray he was tired and needed Propofol. Murray instead gave him Valium until mid-morning on June 25.
According to the New York Times, Jackson is “the Peter Pan of pop music: the little boy who refused to grow up.”
According to biography.com, “Jackson was battling an addiction to prescription drugs, riddled with self-doubt, and deeply in debt.”
“With his much-anticipated return looming, Jackson’s final days were spent rehearsing and preparing for the spotlight while battling inner demons.”
The coroner determined that the cardiac arrest was caused by acute Propofol intoxication.
According to biography.com, “Jackson had been administered the drug by his personal physician to reportedly help him sleep at night.”
Murray was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter in Jackson’s death and was sentenced to two years in prison.
A Beverly Hills pharmacy filed a complaint against Jackson in 2007 for failing to pay a $101,926 prescription drug bill.
Jackson was also investigated for child molestation but was acquitted in 2005.
“Leaving Neverland,” a four-hour two-part documentary, was released by HBO in 2019. Jackson is accused of sexually abusing children in the film. The film focused on two men who claimed Jackson abused them.
Neverland Ranch was Jackson’s California home as well as his private amusement park and zoo. From 1988 to 2005, he lived there.
Michael Jackson began his music career in the early 1960s as a member of the Jackson 5 with his brothers. Michael debuted as a solo artist in the early 1970s. He last performed on tour with his brothers in 1983.
In 1972, he had his first solo No. 1 hit with “Ben.” He released “Off the Wall” in 1979, which included the Grammy Award-winning song “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough.”
In 1982, “Thriller” was released. The album produced seven Top 10 hits and earned eight Grammy Awards. “Billie Jean,” “Thriller,” and “Beat It” were among the songs performed.
Jackson performed his famous dance move, the Moonwalk, in 1983.
“Man in the Mirror” and “The Way You Make Me Feel” were hits in 1987.
The album “Dangerous” was released in 1991 and featured the hit song “Black or White.”
From 1994 to 1996, Jackson was married to Elvis Presley’s daughter, Lisa Marie Presley. He married Debbie Rowe, the mother of two of his three children, in 1996. In 1999, the couple divorced.
Michael Joseph “Prince” Jackson Jr., Paris-Michael Katharine Jackson, and Prince Michael “Blanket” Jackson II are his children.
FILE – In this March 2, 2005, file photo, pop icon Michael Jackson waves to his supporters as he arrives for his child molestation trial at the Santa Barbara County Superior Court in Santa Maria, Calif. (AP Photo/Michael A. Mariant, File)
FILE – In this Aug. 25, 1993 file photo, American pop star Michael Jackson performs during his “Dangerous” tour in Bangkok. (AP Photo/Jeff Widener, file)
