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After 20 years and 34 seasons on air,Dancing with the Starshas had its joyous moments and, naturally, its sadder ones. And while aninjurynow and again is to be expected, shocking deaths have also rocked the ballroom.
In April 2023, the ballroom dance world was shaken by the news ofLen Goodman's passing. The famed judge hadretired four months earlier, and it was later revealedhe had been battling bone cancer. Over the course of the show, several former contestants have also died, leaving behind fun, chaotic and trying memories of their time on the show in our minds.
Remember the former contestants fromDancing with the Starswho have died, below.
Shannen Doherty
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A dynamic presence on and off the screen,Shannen Dohertycompeted on season 10 ofDancing with the Starsin 2019, four years after her initial breast cancer diagnosis and two years after she revealed the cancer had been in remission. She was the first contestant eliminated in her season.
Doherty's cancer would come back as stage 4 in 2020, andshe died on July 13, 2024. She was 53.
Aaron Carter
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Aaron Carterrose to fame as a child star in the '90s and early aughts, so it's no surprise he was quite the shaker on the dance floor. The singer competed in season 9 of the dance competition and finished in fifth place.
Carterdied on Nov. 5, 2022, at 34. Though it wasn't immediately clear how he died, officials presumed he drowned in the bathtub in which he was found.
0n April 18, 2023, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coronerreleased its official report, revealing the cause of death to be drowning after inhaling difluoroethane and taking alprazolam, the generic form of brand-name Xanax.
Mary Wilson
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An original member of The Supremes, Mary Wilson rose to fame in the 1960s alongside fellow songbirds Diana Ross and Florence Ballard. She competed onDancing with the Starsduring season 28 and was the first celebrity eliminated.
On Feb. 9, 2021, her publicist, Jay Schwartz, confirmed to PEOPLE that she died in her home in Las Vegas. Her cause of death was hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease,the Clark County Medical Examiner revealed.
Wilson was 76.
Jacoby Jones
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Former NFL wide receiverJacoby Jonesproved to be quite light on his feet as he competed on season 16 ofDancing with the Starsand finished in third place.
On July 14, 2024, the NFL Players Association and the Baltimore Ravensconfirmed the news of his death, stating that he "passed away peacefully at his home in New Orleans, Louisiana." He was 40.
Though the cause of death wasn't initially revealed,TMZ Sports reportedhe died of hypertensive cardiovascular disease, caused by long-term high blood pressure.
Jerry Springer
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He spent decades entertaining generations of Americans with his lively talk show, and when he competed on season 3 ofDWTS,Jerry Springerdidn't leave that whimsy at home. The famed talk show host placed fifth in the competition series.
Springerdied on April 27, 2023, after a "brief illness."PEOPLE confirmedhe died of pancreatic cancer. He was 79.
Anne Heche
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Emmy award-winning actressAnne Hechetook her talents to the ballroom during season 29 of the competition show in 2020. She would be the third contestant sent home in her season.
Two years later, on Aug. 5, 2022, theAnother Worldactresscrashed her carinto a house in the Mar Vista neighborhood of Los Angeles and was hospitalized in critical condition. She never regained consciousness and waspronounced dead on Aug. 12. There wasno evidence she was impairedby any illicit substances at the time of her crash.
Heche was 53.
Cloris Leachman
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At 82 years old,Cloris Leachmanbecame the oldest person to ever compete onDancing with the Stars, a record she still holds today. The actress was part of the season 7 cast of stars and finished in seventh place.
Leachmandied of natural causeson Jan. 27, 2021. A spokesperson for San Diego County's Medical Examiner's Officeconfirmed to PEOPLEtheMary Tyler Moore Showalum suffered a stroke and COVID-19 was also a significant contributing factor.
She was 94.
Florence Henderson
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Following Leachman's footsteps, 76-year-oldFlorence Hendersonput her dancing shoes on, competing in season 11 of the show. She placed eighth in her season.
The Brady Bunchactress was surrounded by family and friendswhen she died on Nov. 24, 2016, after suffering heart failure, her manager said in a statement. She was 82.
Valerie Harper
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Valerie Harperinspired many when, in 2013, she competed onDancing with the Stars'season 17, just six months after receiving her terminal brain cancer diagnosis. She placed eighth.
Harperdied on Aug. 30, 2019, at age 80.
Kirstie Alley
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Kirstie Alleyand her dancing partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy famously butted heads, but they made a great team. The duo was partnered in season 12, when Alley competed for the first time, and then again in the All-Star season 15. They placed second and then seventh.
On Dec. 5, 2022, Alley's children, True and Lillie,announced their mother had died"after a battle with cancer, only recently discovered." The star's rep latertold PEOPLEshe had colon cancer. Alley was 71.
Suzanne Somers
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Suzanne Somersbrought her big personality to the ballroom when she joined season 20 of the show in 2015. She was eliminated in the fifth week, placing ninth.
Somers died on Oct. 15, 2023, a day before her 77th birthday. She "survived an aggressive form of breast cancer for over 23 years," her longtime publicistsaid in a statement at the time.
The breast cancer had spread throughout her body, PEOPLE confirmed, and a death certificate obtained byThe Blast, revealed that "breast cancer with metastasis to the brain" was listed as Somers' immediate cause of death.
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