Céline Dion, Liam Neeson, Courtney Love, Tom Ford, Natascha McElhone, Anna Nicole Smith, Yoko Ono, Patton Oswalt, Lauren Bacall, Elizabeth Taylor, John Travolta, Theodore Roosevelt, Hank Williams Jr., Queen Victoria, Thomas Jefferson

Losing your partner is earth-shattering. However, grief can often inspire courage and hope. Some of these widowed stars went on to achieve greatness, even after such a horrific loss. Yet others found the mourning process more difficult to move on from.

Browse this gallery of prominent celebs who managed to go on with life after losing their significant others.

Céline Dion

René Angélil became Céline Dion's husband in 1994, having managed her since 1981. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2016 due to cancer.

Liam Neeson

The 'Taken' actor married actress Natasha Richardson in 1994. They were together until her tragic demise in 2009 after a skiing accident.

The couple had two sons together. Neeson has starred in numerous successful films after his wife's passing.

Courtney Love

In 1992, Kurt Cobain, the lead singer of grunge band Nirvana, married musician Courtney Love.
Cobain ended his own life in 1994. Love carried on with her own music career, became passionate about art and fashion, and pursued acting. She stands with sexual abuse survivors, supports AIDS research, and aids LGBTQ youth, alongside other social causes.

Tom Ford

Fashion designer Tom Ford sadly lost his husband Richard Buckley in 2021 after 35 years together. Buckley passed away peacefully at home following a long illness, with both Ford and their son Jack by his side.

Natascha McElhone

The famous actress wrote a book titled 'After You: Letters of Love, and Loss, to a Husband and Father,' which narrates her personal journey of grief.

Anna Nicole Smith

Following the demise of Marshall, Smith found himself entangled in a prolonged legal battle regarding matters of inheritance. Smith became a public figure with her own reality show, but passed away in 2007 due to an accidental overdose.

Yoko Ono

Yoko Ono has maintained Lennon's legacy by establishing the Strawberry Fields memorial in New York City, the John Lennon Museum in Japan, and the Imagine Peace Tower in Iceland, along with various other endeavors representing their shared passion for social change.

Patton Oswalt

The American comedian's wife, Michelle McNamara, passed away suddenly in April 2016 at the age of 46. Oswalt wedded Meredith Salenger in November 2017.

Lauren Bacall

Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall crossed paths in 1943, when she was only 19. They tied the knot in 1945. Bacall and Bogart stayed together until Bogart passed away in 1957 due to cancer. Bacall is recognized as one of the greatest stars of classic Hollywood cinema. She died in 2014.

Elizabeth Taylor

Mike Todd, a theater and film producer from America, wedded Elizabeth Taylor in 1957, becoming her third out of seven husbands. Tragically, Todd's life was ended in a plane crash in 1958.

John Travolta

On July 12, 2020, Kelly Preston, actress and dearly loved wife of John Travolta, passed away after fighting breast cancer for two years. At the age of 57, she left behind her two children, Ella and Benjamin.

Theodore Roosevelt

Alice Hathaway Lee, the first wife of the former president, passed away in 1884 due to childbirth-related complications at the age of 22.

Hank Williams Jr.

Hank Williams Jr., the famous country music artist, experienced a devastating blow with the sudden loss of his wife, Mary Jane Thomas. She reportedly died of a collapsed lung caused by a cosmetic surgery.

Queen Victoria

Prince Albert passed away in 1861. Suffering immense sorrow, the ruler descended into profound despondency and never fully returned to her former self. She remained unmarried and eventually died in 1901, aged 81.

Thomas Jefferson

This founding father experienced the loss of his wife at the age of 41. He had been married to Martha Wayles Skelton for a decade until her unfortunate death during childbirth in 1782.