It has been a heavy few days. Sometimes the news cycle moves so fast we barely have time to process the names on the screen before the next alert hits. This week felt particularly sharp, with losses spanning from the golden era of 90s nostalgia to the literal foundation of rock and roll.
Honestly, the headlines don’t always tell the full story. When we talk about recent celebrity deaths this week, it’s easy to get lost in the "who" and forget the "how" or the "why" it hits so hard. From a tragic hit-and-run in Brooklyn to the quiet passing of a jam-band icon, the entertainment world is navigating a lot of grief right now.
The Tragic Loss of Kianna Underwood
The most jarring news came out of New York. Kianna Underwood, whom many of us remember as a bright spot on Nickelodeon’s All That and the voice of Fuchsia in Little Bill, was killed in a hit-and-run in Brooklyn on January 16. She was only 33.
Police reports describe a horrific scene in the Brownsville neighborhood. Kianna was crossing near the intersection of Mother Gaston Boulevard and Pitkin Avenue around 6:50 a.m. when she was struck by a black sedan. The vehicle didn't stop. It actually dragged her for two blocks.
"She always had good spirits, happy, good energy," a local worker told the Butler Eagle. "It was very sad to hear it was her."
Underwood wasn't just a child star; she was a theater vet who had toured with Hairspray and appeared in films like The 24-Hour Woman. The fact that she was taken by a driver who simply sped away has sparked a massive amount of outrage online. The NYPD's Collision Investigation Squad is still hunting for that black sedan.
Remembering the Magic of Bob Weir
While Kianna’s death was a sudden shock, the passing of Bob Weir felt like the end of an era for an entire subculture. The Grateful Dead founding member died on January 10 at 78. This week, thousands of people gathered at San Francisco’s Civic Center to celebrate him.
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It’s kinda interesting—and deeply sad—that Bob had actually beaten cancer just last summer. However, his family confirmed that he eventually succumbed to underlying lung issues.
Weir was only 17 when he joined the Warlocks (which became the Dead). He wasn’t just the "other" guitarist next to Jerry Garcia; he was the rhythm king. He gave us "Sugar Magnolia" and "One More Saturday Night." At the memorial, his daughter Monet Weir told the crowd that her father’s biggest wish was for the music to outlast him. Looking at the sea of tie-dye in San Francisco this weekend, it’s pretty clear he got his wish.
The Passing of T.K. Carter and Scott Adams
We also lost T.K. Carter this week. If you’re a horror fan, you know him as Nauls from John Carpenter’s The Thing—the guy on the roller skates. He was found in his Duarte, California home on January 9. He was 69.
T.K. had a huge range. He went from the grit of The Corner to playing Mike Fulton on Punky Brewster. Police say no foul play is suspected, but for those who grew up watching him, his presence was a staple of character acting that you just don't see as much anymore.
Then there is Scott Adams. The Dilbert creator died on January 13 after a long battle with prostate cancer. He was 68.
Adams was a polarizing figure in his later years, but his impact on office culture in the 90s was massive. In a final statement read by his former wife during a YouTube livestream, he asked people to "pay it forward" if they ever got any benefit from his work. It was a somber end for a man who spent decades satirizing the very corporate world that eventually grew tired of him.
A Surprising Wave of Losses in 2026
It’s only mid-January, but the list of recent celebrity deaths this week and earlier this month is already long.
- John Forté: The Grammy-nominated rapper and producer, known for his work with the Fugees, passed away at 50 on January 12.
- Victoria Jones: The daughter of Tommy Lee Jones was found dead on New Year’s Day at age 34. This week, fans are still waiting for a formal cause of death as toxicology reports take time.
- Yeison Jiménez: A tragic plane crash in Colombia on January 10 took the life of this popular singer at just 34.
The sheer variety of these losses is what makes this week so heavy. You have a 105-year-old former MP, Sir Patrick Duffy, passing away from a short illness, while a 25-year-old rising boxing star like Paul McCullagh Junior is taken by an aggressive cancer he fought in private.
Why These Moments Matter for Fans
When a celebrity dies, there’s always that person in the comments asking, "Why do you care? You didn't know them." But that’s sort of missing the point.
We grew up with these people. For a 30-something who spent their Saturday mornings watching All That, Kianna Underwood was a piece of their childhood. For the "Deadhead" who saw 200 shows, Bob Weir was the soundtrack to their entire life. These deaths act as markers of our own time passing.
What We Can Do Now
If you want to support the legacies of these individuals, there are a few practical steps. For Kianna Underwood, local Brooklyn advocates are using this tragedy to push for better pedestrian safety on Pitkin Avenue—supporting those local infrastructure petitions is a way to honor her memory.
For Bob Weir, the family has often pointed toward musical education charities.
The best way to process this news is to actually engage with the work they left behind. Go watch The Thing. Listen to a 1972 live recording of "Mexicali Blues." Revisit the sketches that made you laugh when you were ten. It’s the only way the "celebrity" part fades away and the "artist" part stays behind.
Keep an eye on official police statements regarding the hit-and-run in Brooklyn; identifying the vehicle involved is currently the highest priority for the Underwood family.