Thanksgiving should be a time of celebration with family and friends, but for some celebrities, the holidays can feel nothing but cursed. Death, divorce, illness, and scandals have made Turkey Day a difficult time for some of Hollywood’s most famous faces. You can check out all the celebrities who have been struck by the Thanksgiving curse below.
Buck Jones
Just two days after Thanksgiving festivities, western star Buck Jones died of injuries sustained in a tragic fire at a nightclub in Boston. He was one of 492 victims who lost their lives because of the terrible incident.
Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner
Natalie Wood was arguably one of the most popular actresses of the 60s. Her success continued into the 70s, until she tragically drowned under mysterious circumstances on Thanksgiving weekend 1981. Wood’s death was first considered accidental drowning until her husband, Robert Wagner, became a person of interest when reports of an altercation between the couple surfaced. To this day, there’s no definitive conclusion on what truly happened to the actress that night.
Robert Downey Jr.
Before Robert Downey Jr became one of the most bankable actors in Hollywood, he had a series of run-ins with the law, including a drug possession charge back in Thanksgiving 2000. The actor was reportedly found in a Palm Springs hotel with methamphetamine and cocaine in his room. Thankfully, he managed to turn his life around in time to land the role of Iron Man.
Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey
Though rumours had been circulating for years about the state of their marriage, Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey announced their divorce just before Thanksgiving in 2005. Nick claimed to have been blindsided by the news, but years later, Jessica shared that they had not been on speaking terms for months.
Kid Rock and Pamela Anderson
Kid Rock and Pamela Anderson are another celebrity couple that ended their relationship around Thanksgiving. The pair had been wed for four months before splitting over an alleged argument about the actress’s cameo in the 2006 Borat film. Things naturally got very messy in the aftermath of their breakup.
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods clearly had a rough Thanksgiving in 2009. The golfer’s reputation came crumbling down when a car accident outside his Florida house brought details about his affairs to light. Following the scandal, Woods was on the cover of the New York Post for twenty consecutive editions. Divorce, a fall from grace and having to step away from golf for a period of time? The Thanksgiving Curse hammered him pretty hard that year.
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian
Back in 2016, the Thanksgiving Curse struck celebrities Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. Just days before the festivities, the rapper was taken to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Centre after his doctor called 911 to voice his concern about West’s mental health. Kim spent the holiday without the rest of the Kardashian clan, as West was kept on psychiatric hold.
Eric McCormack and Janet Holden
While plenty of celebrities were enjoying Thanksgiving 2023—and the marshmallow yams that actor Eric McCormack often pokes fun at—with friends and family, the Will and Grace star was hit hard by the Thanksgiving curse. His wife of 26 years filed for divorce just days before the holiday. They only finalised the divorce this November 2025.
Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Julie Bowen
Modern Family co-stars Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Julie Bowen both found themselves in the ER with their children on Turkey Day 2024. Thankfully, the kids were OK, but we can’t imagine either of them planned to spend the holiday that way.
Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott
Thanksgivings over the years have proved to be a challenging time for Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott. In 2018, the Beverly Hills, 90210 actress kicked Dean out of the house just before Thanksgiving, following an argument over her career. He also spent 2023 at a sober living facility away from his family before Tori filed for divorce in 2024.
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