‘Dancing With the Stars’ Competitors Who’ve Sadly Passed Away

Dancing With the Stars launched on ABC nearly two decades ago. Since then, the beloved dancing competition has featured plenty of stars who have sadly died since they made their runs for the Mirror Ball trophy. The most recent DWTS contestant to pass away was Kirstie Alley, who died on Dec. 5 at age 71. Aaron Carter also died in November at 34.

The most recent season of the show wrapped up on Nov. 21, with TikTok star Charli D’Amelio taking home the championship. It was the first season of the show to be available exclusively on Disney+, as ABC went with Bachelor in Paradise on Monday nights this fall. D’Amelio’s tenure on the show goes to show how deep the pool is of talent DWTS producers pull from for their contestants.

Every realm of music, movies, sports, and entertainment has been covered from almost every era. TV icons Florence Henderson, Valerie Harper, and Cloris Leachman proved that fans loved seeing their favorites take on new challenges. Sadly, they and other stars have passed away since their time on the show.

Scroll on for a look at six celebrities who appeared on DWTS who have died.

Florence Henderson

The Brady Bunch icon Florence Henderson competed on DWTS in 2010. She was paired with Corky Ballas, the father of pro dancer Mark Ballas. Henderson died in November 2016 from heart failure. Just three days before she died, she attended a DWTS taping to support her Brady Bunch co-star Maureen McCormick. Henderson was 82.

Cloris Leachman

The legendary Cloris Leachman was also paired with Corky Ballas when she competed on DWTS in 2008. She remains the oldest person to appear on the show. Leachman died in January 2021 in her sleep, with a stroke and COVID-19 listed as contributing factors. She was 94.

Valerie Harper

Valerie Harper, beloved for playing Rhoda Morgenstern on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Rhoda, danced on the 17th season with Tristan MacManus. Her appearance on the show came just months after she revealed that she had leptomeningeal carcinomatosis. This is a rare condition where cancer cells spread into the meninges that surround the brain. The condition was incurable, but doctors slowed its progress through chemotherapy. Harper died in August 2019 at 80.

Mary Wilson

Mary Wilson was a founding member of The Supremes. She competed on the show in 2019 with Brandon Armstrong. Wilson died in February 2021 of hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. She was 76.

Kirstie Alley

Cheers star Kirstie Alley competed on DWTS twice, first in 2011 and then again during the show’s only All-Stars season in 2012. Alley died on Dec. 5 at age 71 after a short battle with cancer. It was later revealed that she had colon cancer.

Aaron Carter

Aaron Carter competed on the show in 2009 with Karina Smirnoff. After years of substance abuse, Carter was found dead at his Lancaster, California home on Nov. 5, 2022. He was 34. Carter’s cause of death was listed as “deferred” on his death certificate. This meant more toxicology testing was required to learn what killed him. His body was cremated.