Celebrities We Lost in 2020

1. Lexii Alijai

Died: January 1, 2020 Age: 21 Cause: death under investigation

Rapper Lexii Alijai passed away on January 1 at age 21. Her mother, Jessica Owen, told the Twin Cities Pioneer Press that her death was under investigation by police in Minneapolis, Minnesota. “Her fans meant a lot to her. The love that she got from them was amazing. They truly do love her,” she told the paper. “She was truly an amazing young women beyond music.” She rose to fame with viral remixes of popular Drake and Nas songs. Alijai put out two albums during her up-and-coming career, both released while she was a teenager: Joseph’s Coat in 2015 and Growing Pains in 2017.

2. Nick Gordon

Died: January 1, 2020 Age: 30 Cause: suspected drug overdose Nick Gordon, Bobbi Kristina Brown’s ex-boyfriend, passed away at age 30 on January 1 following a suspected drug overdose. “My heart sunk when I heard the news. This is a tragic ending to Nick’s troubled life,” his attorney Randall Kessler said in a statement. “Nick Gordon’s story is an epic tragedy. He lived a life that outsiders may have envied but truly he was alone. Until Bobbi Kristina passed, he had a true partner, and I do not think he ever recovered, or ever would have recovered, from her loss. And it seemed the whole world was against him. I pray he is able to rest in peace.”

3. 5th Ward Weebie

Born: Death: Jan 9 Age: 42 Cause: heart attack Rapper 5th Ward Weebie was a major player in the distinctive bounce music scene in New Orleans. He died January 9 at the age of 42. His publicist said he had a “heart attack which turned into emergency heart surgery and ultimately heart failure.”

4. Rocky Johnson

Died: January 15, 2020 Ages: 75 Cause: unknown

Famed wrestler Rocky Johnson died at age 75 on January 15. Two days after his death, son Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson wrote a moving message for his father. “I love you. You broke color barriers, became a ring legend and trail blazed your way through this world,” he said. “I was the boy sitting in the seats, watching and adoring you, my hero from afar. The boy you raised to always be proud of our cultures and proud of who and what I am. The boy you raised with the toughest of love. The intense work. The hard hand. The adoring boy who wanted to know only your best qualities.”

5. Kobe Bryant and Gianna “Gigi” Bryant

Died: January 26, 2020 Ages: 41 and 13 Cause: helicopter crash

L.A. Lakers basketball legend, Kobe Bryant and daughter, Gianna “Gigi” Maria-Onore Bryant, died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California on Jan. 26. He was 41 and she was 13. Bryant was drafted at just 18, one of the youngest players in NBA history. He went on to become a five-time NBA champion during his 20 years as a professional basketball player, and only played with the L.A. Lakers during the span of his career. He also won an Oscar for Best Animated Short in 2018 for the film Dear Basketball. Gianna was an up-and-coming basketball player in her own right. The “Mambacita” was set to follow in her father’s footsteps as a future basketball star. She had her eyes set on playing for UConn’s women’s basketball team.