History’s Most Famous Suicides, From Artists To Politicians

Ray Combs

Ray Combs’ career was taking off, but one lost gig sent him into a downward spiral that the comedian was not able to break out of.

Combs made a good salary as host, but unfortunately, he mismanaged his money. After a short amount of time out of work, he and his family were broke. He was then found to be involved in a serious car accident that left him temporarily paralyzed and in chronic pain.

The stress put a strain on his 18-year marriage and in 1995 his wife filed for divorce. Combs had a couple of short-term gigs that had potential but all ended up falling flat and he couldn’t seem to find a way to restart his career.

In June 1996, police were sent to Combs’ house because he made a big commotion, tearing up the inside of his home and bashing his head into the walls. His wife said that he had just been released from the hospital after trying to kill himself so he was checked back into that hospital for evaluation.

The very next morning, Combs’ lifeless body was discovered hanging from a noose made with his room’s bed sheets. He was just 40 years old.