© Mike Cardew / USA TODAY NETWORK
(New York, NY) – It’s been a hard week for kids of the 80s and 90s as so many legends of their youth have been laid to rest. It kicked off when Malcolm-Jamal Warner of The Cosby Show fame drowned in Costa Rica. Then, heavy metal pioneer Ozzy Osbourne died. And on the same day, we learned wrestling icon Hulk Hogan had died — as well as jazz artist Chuck Mangione.
We’ve been covering these celebrity deaths, which were seemingly one right after the other.
Hulk Hogan
(Clearwater, FL) – Wrestling icon Hulk Hogan, one of the industry’s absolute titans, has passed away. The man known as “Hollywood” or “the Hulkster” was 71 years old. Born Terry Gene Bollea in Augusta, Georgia, he rose to prominence in the 1980s as “Hulkamania” ran wild over the WWE — then known as the WWF.
He told kids that by doing their training, saying their prayers, and eating their vitamins — they too, could experience the strength of Hulkamania. Hogan was also an accomplished actor — starring in several action films during the height of his pro-wrestling career — and also appeared in Rocky III alongside Sylvester Stallone.
Hogan was praised for his physique and ability to “cut a promo” on the mic, although his in-ring work was never as celebrated. Essentially, as a wrestler, he was the ultimate “face” — bringing the crowd to its feet when he rallied during matches and overcame extreme odds.
His feuds in the 1980s and 1990s were legendary and helped drive the wrestling business to new heights. A 12-time world wrestling champion, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005. Hogan was involved in angles with Andre “The Giant”, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, “The Ultimate Warrior,” and later “The Rock” — after returning to the WWE where he became famous.
As the WCW grew in the ’90s, Hogan defected, leaving Vince McMahon’s dominant wrestling federation to join the upstart. There he turned “heel” and took on the “bad guy” persona of “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan — as part of the NWO.
Last summer Hogan gave a rousing speech in support of President Donald Trump, as the campaign was underway. He stood on stage at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee and suggested the energy in the building was akin to MSG ahead of a major wrestling match. Hogan described President Trump as a longtime friend, and said he felt motivated to speak out in support of the then-presidential candidate — after the assassination attempt in Butler, PA.
Trump then shared a message of tribute on social media, calling Hogan a “great friend.” The president noted Hogan was “MAGA all the way — strong, tough, smart, but with the biggest heart.”
TMZ reports that Hogan passed away after suffering cardiac arrest. His representatives said Hogan passed away while surrounded by family, at his home in Florida. He’d undergone a series of surgeries recently. The WWE released a statement calling Hogan one of the most recognizable figures in all of pop culture history.
LISTEN as Greg Kelly breaks down the “Hulkster’s” Death
Ozzy Osbourne — the Prince of Darkness
(England) – Ozzy Osbourne, the heavy metal pioneer, had passed away at the age of 76. Born in Birmingham, England, he helped define the genre as the lead singer of Black Sabbath. But in 1979 he was fired — ironically by his future wife Sharon — for drug and alcohol abuse.
She notoriously felt he’d die if he didn’t receive help with addiction. They married in 1982 and became one of the iconic couples in show business. That was especially true after MTV launched the reality show “The Osbournes” in the early 2000s. Sharon, Ozzy, and their two children starred on the show.
Known as the wild “Prince of Darkness”, Osbourne was the author of an iconic moment in music history when be bit the head off a live bat while on stage. He later said he thought it was a prop, or toy. Osbourne was nominated for 12 Grammy Awards and won five. He was twice inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — as a solo artist, and as a member of Black Sabbath.
Osbourne was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in early 2000s and battled spinal injuries as well as other health issues. He gave a final concert on July 5, 2025 in his hometown of Birmingham. His original Sabbath bandmates joined him for an emotional farewell performance.
Reports say the rocker died peacefully surrounded by family. He’s survived by his wife Sharon who was also his manager, their children, and his countless fans.
Haley Kenny also contributed to this report.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner
(New York, NY) — Investigators in Costa Rica are calling the drowning death of 54-year-old actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner an accident. Officials say he died by asphyxiation by submersion while on vacation with his wife and eight-year-old daughter. Reports now say he was swimming with his daughter when he drowned in the ocean due to a strong rip current.
The swimming area is known for dangerous conditions and there are signs on the beach warning swimmers not to go in beyond their knees. The signs also warn of strong rip currents and high drowning risks. Mike Geist, who runs the volunteer lifeguard group that watches the beach, says his friend, a trained lifeguard, went out on his surfboard and found Warner unresponsive and immediately gave him emergency respirations in the water. When Warner didn’t respond, he took him back to the beach and started CPR. The Red Cross on scene attempted to resuscitate Warner as well. Meantime, another surfer was able to pull his daughter to safety using his board.
Warner’s passing is being met with many tributes including Raven Symone, who acted with Warner on The Cosby Show. Warner played the loveable Theodore Huxtable. She said he gave “the best advice, the best hugs and his smile will also be a huge bright white smile.” In addition, Jeffrey Owens, who shared the screen with Warner as brother-in-law Elvin wrote, “Malcolm was a lovely man. A sweet and sensitive soul. My heart goes out to his family.”
In his last video on social media, Jamal-Warner talked about his happy life.
In a 2013 interview Warner said his proudest achievement was building a life beyond The Cosby Show. Warner began his acting career at age 14 and attended the Children’s Professional School in New York City.
Chuck Mangione
(Rochester, NY) — Famed Jazz artist Chuck Mangione is dead at the age of 84. His manager said the trumpet player and composer, died this week at his home in New York. Mangione passed away from natural causes in his sleep.
He also played the flugelhorn and won two Grammys over his 60-year musical career. Mangione also had a recurring role on “King of the Hill” and appeared on “Magnum, P.I.”
One Grammy was for best instrumental composition for “Bellavia” – named to honor his mother – and was nominated a total of 14 times. “Feels So Good,” an upbeat instrumental whose full-length version runs nearly 10 minutes, spent 25 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at #4 in 1978.
