Celebrities Who Have Been Stabbed
Violent attacks on public figures make headlines because they collide with lives we think we know well. The stories below span sports, music, film, fashion, and literature, and they show how quickly an ordinary day can turn into an emergency. Dates and places matter here because they help explain what happened and what changed afterward.
You will see incidents that ended careers and others that led to remarkable comebacks. Some sparked new security practices and legal debates. Others became infamous court cases. Each entry focuses on clear facts about the attack itself and the concrete aftermath for the person involved.
Monica Seles
On April 30, 1993, during a match in Hamburg, a spectator reached the edge of the court and stabbed Monica Seles between the shoulder blades. The attacker said he wanted to help another player by sidelining Seles. She was rushed to a hospital and survived.
The wound healed but she stepped away from competition for more than two years. She returned to win the Australian Open in her comeback season and later spoke about event security and athlete safety at tournaments.
George Harrison
On December 30, 1999, an intruder broke into George Harrison’s home in Henley on Thames and stabbed him during a struggle. Harrison suffered a punctured lung before his wife disarmed the attacker.
Police arrested the assailant at the scene. A court later ordered psychiatric detention. The incident led to tighter security at the property and renewed discussion of celebrity home invasions in the United Kingdom.
Salman Rushdie
On August 12, 2022, Salman Rushdie was attacked onstage at a literary event in western New York and stabbed multiple times. He sustained severe injuries, including damage that affected vision in one eye and the use of a hand.
Rushdie underwent surgeries and a lengthy recovery. A suspect was charged and the case moved through pretrial proceedings. The attack prompted venue organizers and festivals to reevaluate author security at public talks.
Sharon Tate
On the night of August 9, 1969, actor Sharon Tate was stabbed to death inside her Los Angeles home during a notorious set of crimes. Several other victims were killed at the property.
Investigators identified members of a criminal group as the perpetrators. Multiple defendants were convicted in court. The case influenced California debates on punishment and remains a reference point in discussions of celebrity-targeted crimes.
Drakeo the Ruler
Rapper Drakeo the Ruler was stabbed backstage at a music festival in Los Angeles on December 18, 2021. He was taken to a hospital and later died of his injuries.
Law enforcement opened a homicide investigation. The event’s promoters and security planning became subjects of lawsuits and industry scrutiny. Fellow artists and local officials called for improved backstage protocols at large festivals.
Paul Pierce
On September 25, 2000, NBA star Paul Pierce was stabbed multiple times at a Boston nightclub. He arrived at a hospital quickly and doctors treated wounds that included a punctured lung.
Pierce recovered in time for the next season and played every game. Police made arrests and prosecutors secured convictions for roles in the attack. The incident influenced how teams evaluate off court risk for players.
Theresa Saldana
Actor Theresa Saldana was stabbed outside her West Hollywood home in March 1982 by a stalker who had fixated on her after seeing her in film. A passing delivery worker intervened and stopped the attack, allowing paramedics to reach her.
Saldana survived multiple wounds and returned to acting, including a role on the TV series ‘The Commish’. She founded a victims’ advocacy group and her case became a frequently cited example in stalking policy discussions.
Bruiser Brody
Professional wrestler Bruiser Brody was stabbed in a stadium locker room in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on July 17, 1988. He was transported to a hospital but died during surgery.
A fellow wrestler stood trial and was acquitted the next year. The death changed how wrestling promotions approached backstage security and emergency medical planning at venues.
Theo van Gogh
Filmmaker and writer Theo van Gogh was attacked on a street in Amsterdam on November 2, 2004. He was shot and stabbed and died at the scene.
Police apprehended the assailant shortly after the crime. A Dutch court later imposed a life sentence. The killing led to extensive public debate in the Netherlands on extremism, free expression, and protection for controversial artists.
Kell Brook
World champion boxer Kell Brook was stabbed in the leg while vacationing on the island of Tenerife in 2014. The wound required surgery and forced a layoff during his title reign.
Brook returned to defend his belt the following year. The incident spurred discussion in boxing about personal travel precautions for high profile fighters and how injuries unrelated to competition affect mandatory defenses.
Grigori Rasputin
In July 1914, Russian mystic Grigori Rasputin was stabbed in the abdomen by an assailant in his home region. The attack caused life threatening internal injuries and a long recovery.
Authorities detained the attacker and ordered confinement. The stabbing fed public fascination with Rasputin’s survival and added to the lore that surrounded his influence in the final years of imperial Russia.
Nicole Brown Simpson
Nicole Brown Simpson was found stabbed to death outside her Los Angeles residence on June 12, 1994, along with her friend Ronald Goldman. The double homicide set off one of the most widely covered criminal investigations in the city’s history.
A well known defendant stood trial and was acquitted in criminal court the next year. In a later civil case, a jury found liability for the deaths. The case reshaped public conversation about domestic violence and high profile trials.
Christa Helm
Actor and model Christa Helm was stabbed and beaten to death in West Hollywood on February 12, 1977. She had worked on film and television projects and moved in entertainment circles.
The homicide remained unsolved despite periodic reviews. Detectives examined diaries and contacts as they pursued leads. The case is often cited in lists of enduring Hollywood mysteries.
Øystein Aarseth
Black metal musician Øystein Aarseth, known as Euronymous, was stabbed to death in Oslo on August 10, 1993. He was a founding figure of a band and ran a record label and shop that influenced the scene.
Another musician was arrested, convicted, and sentenced to a long prison term. The killing became a defining episode in the history of Norwegian extreme music and continues to be studied by journalists and academics.
Steve Buscemi
Actor Steve Buscemi was stabbed during a bar fight in North Carolina in April 2001 while in town for the film ‘Domestic Disturbance’. He sustained wounds to the face, neck, and arm and received treatment at a local hospital.
Police arrested the attacker and prosecutors filed charges related to the altercation. Buscemi returned to work after recovery. The incident drew attention to off duty risks for cast members during location shoots.
Spencer Stone
Spencer Stone, known for helping stop an attack on a train in 2015 and later appearing as himself in the film ‘The 15:17 to Paris’, was stabbed in Sacramento in October 2015 during a street altercation. He was hospitalized with multiple wounds and underwent surgery.
Police arrested a suspect who was prosecuted and sentenced. Stone recovered and continued public engagements. The incident highlighted how sudden violence can reach people even after widely recognized acts of heroism.
Christopher Marlowe
Playwright Christopher Marlowe was stabbed to death in Deptford on May 30, 1593, during a dispute at a house where he was dining. A coroner’s inquest recorded a fatal wound above the eye.
The man who struck the blow received a royal pardon after the inquest. Marlowe’s death became one of literature’s most examined cases and is frequently referenced in studies of Elizabethan theater and court politics.
Share your thoughts on these cases and tell us which other examples you think should be added in the comments.