Top 20 celebrities and public figures predicted to die in 2025

Contestants at the dead pool website Stiffs.com have chosen actor Dick Van Dyke, 99, as the public figure most likely to croak in 2025.
The annual list contains the usual geriatrics and those suffering health problems.
But one younger person on the list is music mogul P. Diddy, aka Sean Combs, 55. Many folks on social media have speculated that Combs might get “suicided” like fellow accused sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, so he won’t be able to implicate other powerful people in his alleged misdeeds.
Of the top 20 public figures marked for death in 2024 by Stiffs.com, five bought the farm. They included former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, comedian Bob Newhart and actress Shannen Doherty.
That’s a weaker showing than recent dead pool contests. Nine of the top 20 died in 2020 and 2021. Eight died in 2022 and seven in 2023. I’ve been tracking the forecasting abilities of dead pool players in earnest since 2012.
What follows are the top 20 public figures (with their ages) predicted to die in 2025, according to Stiffs.com.

1. Dick Van Dyke, 99, actor
2. Mel Brooks, 98, comedian, writer, actor, director
3. Alan Greenspan, 98, former chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve
4. Eva Marie Saint, 100, actress
5. David Attenborough, 98, broadcaster and naturalist
6. Gene Shalit, 98, film critic for NBC’s “The Today Show”
7. June Lockhart, 99, actress
8. Gene Hackman, 94, actor
9. Clint Eastwood, 94, actor and director
10. Joanne Woodward, 94, actress
11. Marv Levy, 99, pro football coach
12. Buzz Aldrin, 94, U.S. astronaut
13. Tippi Hedren, 94, actress
14. Harvey Weinstein, 72, film producer and accused sex offender
15. Doc Severinsen, 97, jazz trumpeter and band leader
16. Robert Duvall, 93, actor
17. Yoko Ono, 91, Japanese multimedia artist and peace activist
18. Bruce Willis, 69, actor
19. Robert Wagner, 94, actor
20. Noam Chomsky, 96, academic and social critic

Of note, President-elect Donald Trump, 78, who survived an assassination attempt on July 13, 2024, ranks No. 23 on the 2025 list.
And current President Joe Biden, 82, who is in failing health, ranks No. 26.

Here are some notable younger public figures predicted to die this year by multiple Stiffs.com dead-pool players:

52. P. Diddy, aka Sean Combs, 55, rapper, music producer and accused sex offender
67. Randy Moss, 47, football player
95. Britney Spears, 43, singer
141. Kate Middleton, 42, princess of Wales
153. Charlie Sheen, 59, actor
183. Christina Applegate, 53, actress
207. R. Kelly, 57, singer and convicted sex offender

Photo: Sean Combs performing in 2008 at the eTalk Festival Party. (Photo by Richard Burdett.)

Celebrities who posed for skin-baring magazine covers in 2024

Celebrities who posed naked or partially clothed for magazine covers in 2024 included older women who look incredible for their age and young starlets looking for attention.

Actress Sharon Stone, 66, posed topless and more for the October issue of Harper's Bazaar Czech Republic.
(See Instagram posts here, here and here.)

Actress Lisa Rinna, 61, posed in a wet T-shirt and less for King Kong magazine issue 18.
(See article by the Daily Mail and King Kong.)

Italian bass player and songwriter Victoria De Angelis, 24, left little to the imagination with her cover for King Kong magazine issue 18.
(See King Kong.)

Singer Christina Aguilera, 44, posed topless for the cover of Paper magazine.
(See articles by Daily Mail and Paper.)

Social media personality Addison Rae, 24, posed in barely-there outfits for Perfect magazine issue 7 in August.
(See article by Daily Mail.)

Actress Ashley Benson, 35, posed topless while pregnant with her first child for the cover of Ladygunn digital magazine.
(See article by Glamour.)

Social media personality Alix Earle, 24, posed topless for Flaunt magazine.
(See article in Flaunt and an Instagram post.)

Socialite and media personality Paris Hilton, 43, took it all off, save for bangles and sunglasses, for the cover of Flaunt magazine.
(See articles in Parade and Flaunt.)

And finally, Hilton posed topless for a cheeky cover for the September issue of Nylon magazine.
(See articles by Parade, Cosmopolitan and Instagram.)

The most controversial foreign magazine covers of 2024

After reporting on the most controversial U.S. magazine covers of 2024, it’s time to look at foreign magazine covers that rubbed people the wrong way this year.
What follows are some controversial foreign magazine covers, according mostly to the English-language media.

Italian magazine Sette published a Photoshopped mess of a cover for its April 5 issue.
The cover showed Italian ski champion Sofia Goggia with two left feet.
Goggia wanted to show the large scar on her right leg from an injury, but obviously the magazine wanted to cover it up.
(See articles by SnowBrains and Il Fatto Quotidiano.)

Vogue Arabia ran a cover featuring Imane Khelif, an Algerian boxer who won the gold medal in the women’s 66 kg (welterweight) boxing event at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
The masculine-looking Khelif has faced allegations that she is actually male.
People took to social media to express their outrage that she was featured on the November cover of the women’s fashion magazine. (See post on X, for example.)

The U.K.’s Tatler magazine caught an earful for its July cover portrait of Princess Kate.
Critics branded the painting as “dreadful,” “awful” and looking “nothing like the Princess of Wales.”
(See articles by the Daily Mail, Mirror, BBC and CNN.)

And finally, French magazine Madame Figaro came under fire after it described former president Nicolas Sarkozy’s 13-year-old daughter, Giulia Sarkozy, as “more of a woman than ever” on a digital cover.
(See article by the Daily Mail.)

The most controversial U.S. magazine covers of 2024

Sex, religion, race and politics were factors in the most controversial U.S. magazine covers of 2024.
Of course, you could say that in practically any year. But this was a presidential election year, so sensitivities are heightened.

Beauty mogul and possibly retired singer Rihanna stirred up controversy with her spring 2024 cover photo for Interview magazine.
Rihanna wore a nun’s habit along with an unbuttoned blouse that showed off her sweaty cleavage. The sexy nun portrayal was criticized for being in bad taste.
(See articles by Fox News, ABC News and Parade.)

Actress Emma Corrin showed off her armpit hair for the cover of the June/July 2024 issue of Harper’s Bazaar. Social media commentators thought the look was unattractive.
(See article by People.)

Actress Kristen Stewart went viral for her gender-bending cover for the March issue of Rolling Stone magazine. The photo showed Stewart wearing a jock strap with her hand feeling her crotch.
(See articles by The Hollywood Reporter, Rolling Stone and Us Weekly.)

Singer, dancer and actress JoJo Siwa pulled a similar stunt with her cover photo for Ladygunn magazine in September.
She wore an all-gold sequined outfit that included a male chest plate and a jock strap with a prominent bulge.
(See articles by the Daily Mail, Parade, the Independent, PopCulture.com, New York Post, USA Today, Today and HuffPost.)

The March 28 issue of Denver’s Westword magazine caught flak for the cover art for its article on youth and crime. The illustration showed a young boy with blue skin and curly, black hair wearing a hoodie. The boy had a handgun in his backpack.
Critics argued that the illustration presented harmful stereotypes that demonize black youth.
(See articles by Denver’s 9News and Westword.)

New York magazine’s March 11 issue drew complaints for its cover story subtitled “The moral case for letting trans kids change their bodies.”
Critics said it was an attempt to normalize surgery for sexually confused youngsters.
(See article by R. Albert Mohler Jr.)

Speaking of the trans debate, conservatives slammed Forbes magazine for including transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney on the cover of its annual “30 Under 30” issue.
(See articles by the Daily Mail and the Blaze.)

New York magazine received criticism for a June cover story and illustration, which some said insulted Republican women with ridiculous stereotypes.
(See article by the Daily Wire.)

Time magazine named WNBA basketball star Caitlin Clark as its “Athlete of the Year.” Some haters claimed Clark, who is Caucasian, earned the title because of “white privilege.”
(See articles by Daily Mail, Daily Mail again and New York Post.)

Time magazine earned disapproval from conservatives for its fawning cover story on liberal presidential candidate Kamala Harris for the Aug. 26 issue.
(See articles by Fox News, Fox News again and New York Post.)

And finally, Time magazine upset leftists after naming President-elect Donald Trump its “Person of the Year” on its Dec. 30 cover.
(See articles by Sky News Australia, Daily Beast and Variety.)

Physical halls of fame for sports gambling, poker, 16-inch softball

Here’s a look at some of the latest physical halls of fame I’ve found that you can visit. Some are just plaques on walls but that’s still a shrine to the best of the best in whatever field.
In North America, there are at least 550 halls and walks of fame that you can see in person.

Sports Gambling Hall of Fame

The Sports Gambling Hall of Fame honors individuals who have notably transformed the sports gambling industry.
The Sports Gambling Hall of Fame is located in the sportsbook of the Circa Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. It opened in August 2023.
Each inductee receives a plaque featuring their name, induction class year, and biography. The hall has had two induction classes so far – in 2023 and 2024.
The SGHOF induction ceremony takes place every August at Circa Las Vegas as the capstone event of Bet Bash.

Poker Hall of Fame

Elsewhere in Las Vegas is the Poker Hall of Fame. It is located in the Horseshoe Las Vegas, owned by Caesar’s Entertainment.
The current Poker Hall of Fame exhibit opened in July 2023 and features displays on inductees along with World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets and rings. WSOP manages the hall of fame.
The hall of fame exhibit previously was in the former Binion’s Gambling Hall and Hotel in Las Vegas.

16-Inch Softball Hall of Fame

The 16-Inch Softball Hall of Fame is located in Forest Park, Ill. The hall-of-fame museum tells the history of the Chicago-created sport of 16-inch softball and honors the best players, umpires, managers, organizers and teams. The museum opened in July 2014.
The sport is traditionally played without fielder’s gloves.

Space Camp Hall of Fame

The U.S. Space & Rocket Center education foundation established the Space Camp Hall of Fame to recognize the accomplishments of its Space Camp graduates and former employees.
The inductees are honored at the Hall of Fame Dinner, which marks the beginning of Space Camp Alumni Reunion Weekend.
Plaques featuring the inductees and their accomplishments are located in the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala.

Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame

The Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame was established in 1991 to honor sports greats from the western New York region. Recent inductees include NFL football player Rob Gronkowski and NHL hockey player Richard Brooks Orpik.
The Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame collection is located inside Dave & Adam’s Card World retail store in Williamsville, N.Y.

Related resources:

Halls of Fame in North America

Mascot Hall of Fame closing its doors (July 28, 2024)

Halls of fame for rhythm and blues, gospel music and more still hoping for physical homes (July 8, 2024)

Virtual halls of fame: A roundup

The following is a roundup of virtual halls of fame, some of which I’ve covered on Tech-media-tainment. The list includes halls for business and industry, occupations, media and entertainment, sports, food and other endeavors.
These halls of fame don’t have a physical location and exist only online. Some of these halls have plans for physical locations, but they have yet to be realized.
This list excludes most U.S. regional halls of fame.

Business and industry

3D Printing Hall of Fame
Accounting Hall of Fame
Advertising Hall of Fame
Airlift/Tanker Association Hall of Fame
American National Business Hall of Fame
Association of Equipment Manufacturers Hall of Fame
Business Travel Hall of Fame
Carrier Dealer Hall of Fame
Computer Hall of Fame
Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame
Consumer Technology Hall of Fame
Convenience Store Hall of Fame
Cyber Security Hall of Fame
Entrepreneur Of The Year Hall of Fame
Fluid Power Hall of Fame
Franchise Hall of Fame
Gaming Hall of Fame
Geospatial Intelligence Hall of Fame
Global Business Hall of Fame
High-Performance Computer Architecture Hall of Fame
Hydro Hall of Fame
Interior Design Hall of Fame
International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Hall of Fame
Internet Hall of Fame
IP Hall of Fame
IT Hall of Fame
Jacuzzi Hall of Fame
Jewelry Retailer Hall of Fame
Kiosk Hall of Fame
Lighting Hall of Fame
Logistics Hall of Fame
Lottery Industry Hall of Fame
Marketing Hall of Fame
Meat Industry Hall of Fame
Military Intelligence Hall of Fame
National Marine Manufacturers Association Hall of Fame
National Optometry Hall of Fame
National Pork Producers Council Hall of Fame
Paper Industry International Hall of Fame
Plastics Hall of Fame
Process Automation Hall of Fame
Promotional Products Hall of Fame
PRWeek Hall of Fame
Refrigerated Food Hall of Fame
Rental Hall of Fame
Self Storage Hall of Fame
Space Technology Hall of Fame
Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Hall of Fame
Specialty Food Industry Hall of Fame
Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame
Sports Betting Hall of Fame
Sports Technology Hall of Fame
Tire Industry Hall of Fame
Toy Industry Hall of Fame
Visual Effects Society Hall of Fame
Water Industry Hall of Fame
Wireless Hall of Fame
World Floor Covering Association Hall of Fame
World Waterpark Association Hall of Fame
XR Hall of Fame

Occupations

American Association of Political Consultants Hall of Fame
Caddie Hall of Fame
Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame
Cattle Production Veterinarian Hall of Fame
Christmas Tree Growers Hall of Fame
Dermatology Hall of Fame
Evidence-Based Policing Hall of Fame
International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA) Truck Driver Hall of Fame
International Surfboard Builders Hall of Fame
Major League Baseball Groundskeepers Hall of Fame
National Private Truck Council (NPTC) Driver Hall of Fame.
Personal Managers Hall of Fame
Piano Teachers Hall of Fame
Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame
Truck Driver Hall of Fame
Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame

Food and drink

Barbecue Hall of Fame
Candy Hall of Fame
Hot Sauce Hall of Fame
International Hamburger Hall of Fame
Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame
Krystal Lovers Hall of Fame
Pizza Hall of Fame
Salami Hall of Fame
Vienna Beef Hot Dog Hall of Fame
Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame
White Castle Cravers Hall of Fame

Media and entertainment

Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame
American TV Game Show Hall of Fame
AVN (Adult Video News) Hall of Fame
Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame
Character Actor Hall of Fame
Comic-Con Museum Character Hall of Fame
Esports Insider Hall of Fame
Fictitious Athlete Hall of Fame
Final Draft Hall of Fame
National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Hall of Fame
National Sports Media Association Hall of Fame
XRCO (X-Rated Critics Organization) Hall of Fame

Music

Billboard Latin Music Hall of Fame
Dance Music Hall of Fame
Decibel Hall of Fame
DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame
Fictitious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Funk Music Hall of Fame
Gospel Music Hall of Fame
Grammy Hall of Fame
Heavy Metal Hall of Fame
Hip Hop Hall of Fame
International Gospel Music Hall of Fame
International Latin Music Hall of Fame
International Polka Music Hall of Fame
Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame
Metal Hall of Fame
Music Business Hall of Fame
National Fiddler Hall of Fame
National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame
Opera Hall of Fame
Reggae Hall of Fame
Rockabilly Hall of Fame
SoundExchange Hall of Fame
Steel Guitar Hall of Fame
Ukulele Hall of Fame
Vocal Group Hall of Fame
Women Songwriters Hall of Fame

Sports

African American Golfers Hall of Fame
Canadian Curling Hall of Fame
Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame
Canadian Sailing Hall of Fame
Canadian Ski Hall of Fame
International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) Hall of Fame
International Sports Hall of Fame
Latin American International Sports Hall of Fame
North American Flyball Association (NAFA) Hall of Fame
Rose Bowl Hall of Fame
Ultimate Hall of Fame
Wakeboarding Hall of Fame
Wheelchair Basketball Hall of Fame
Women Superstars Uncensored Hall of Fame

Miscellaneous

Adoption Hall of Fame
Affordable Housing Hall of Fame
America’s Clogging Hall of Fame
American Border Collie Association Hall of Fame
American Brace Beagling Hall of Fame
Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame
Asian Hall of Fame
Boating Safety Hall of Fame
Brand Hall of Fame
Clean Cities Hall of Fame
Clydesdale Hall of Fame
Combat Robot Hall of Fame
Fangoria Hall of Fame
Foosball Hall of Fame
Government Hall of Fame
Hooters Girl Hall of Fame
Hot Dog Eating Contest Hall of Fame
Immigrant Entrepreneur Hall of Fame
International Gladiolus Hall of Fame
Irish American Hall of Fame
Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour Hall of Fame
Mascot Hall of Fame
Model Car Hall of Fame
Mustache Hall of Fame
National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Hall of Fame
National Railroad Hall of Fame
National Speech & Debate Association Hall of Fame
Rail-Trail Hall of Fame
Sports Travel and Tours (STAT) Baseball Stadium Hall of Fame
Trivia Hall of Fame
U.S. Army Acquisition Hall of Fame
U.S. Army Materiel Command Hall of Fame
Waterfowlers Hall of Fame
Women in Poker Hall of Fame

Photo: Miranda Lambert receives the SoundExchange Hall of Fame Award in September 2024. (SoundExchange)

Related articles:

List of halls and walks of fame (Wikipedia)

Updated: Dec. 7, 2024.

Halls of fame for hot dog eating, salami and character actors

Here are a few more unusual halls of fame that exist only online.

Hot Dog Eating Contest Hall of Fame

Nathan’s Famous has an online hall of fame for winners of its annual hot dog eating contest held on July 4 in Coney Island, a neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City.
Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest Hall of Fame has only seven inductees because of repeat champions. Joey Chestnut has won the male competition 16 times. Miki Sudo has won the female competition 11 times.

Salami Hall of Fame

Oceanside, Calif.-based Olli Salumeria, a maker of authentic Italian-style salami, announced the Salami Hall of Fame in September 2023.
The salami maker described the hall of fame as “a digital celebration of iconic restaurants, delicatessens and specialty grocers around the country that are elevating the status of salami through creative menu items and retail offerings.”

Character Actor Hall of Fame

The Carney Awards honor those actors who disappear into their characters. Carney Award recipients are entered into the Character Actor Hall of Fame.
The most recent inductees included Jessica Walter, Joe Pantoliano, James Cromwell, Joe Morton and Bruce Greenwood.

Fictitious Athlete Hall of Fame

The Fictitious Athlete Hall of Fame is a website that celebrates our favorite athletes from the world of movies and television, but only those who do not exist in the “real world.”
Inductees include Rocky Balboa, Crash Davis and Happy Gilmore. (See also Wikipedia article.)
Podcaster Kirk Buchner created the Fictitious Athlete Hall of Fame in 2013.

Fictitious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

The Fictitious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a sister site to the Fictitious Athlete Hall of Fame, also created by Kirk Buchner.
Inductees include Spinal Tap, the Blues Brothers and the Monkees.

Photo: Nathan’s Famous hot dog display (Nathan’s Famous)