How Hollywood’s Biggest Celebrities Reacted to Princess Diana’s Death and Who Attended Her Funeral
Nearly three decades ago, the world seemed to stop as people from every corner of the globe learned about the death of Princess Diana.
On Aug. 30, 1997, the princess and her companion, Dodi Fayed, left the Ritz Hotel in Paris before midnight. Knowing there was waiting paparazzi outside, they exited the rear of the building in an attempt to escape the photogs. However, they were still spotted and chased by paps on motorcycles as they drove off in a Mercedes S-280 limousine driven by Ritz security head Henri Paul, who was traveling at a high rate of speed in an effort to lose the paps. The Mercedes ended up crashing into a pillar in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel.
Paul and Fayed died instantly, but the princess was still alive. She was suffering from multiple injuries, including a severed pulmonary vein, and was transported to La Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital. Doctors worked to save her life, but Diana was pronounced dead at 4 a.m. local time on Aug. 31, 1997.
As news of her death spread, many celebrities in Hollywood and beyond reacted.
From Tom Cruise to George Clooney, stars reacted to Princess Diana’s tragic death
The King of Pop, Michael Jackson, who had known Diana for several years, was asked for a reaction following the news. But he had a hard time putting what he felt into words, telling ABC: “I can’t. I cannot handle this. It’s too much.’ Just the message and the fact that I knew her personally.”
Princess Diana met and mingled with actors Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman in 1992 at the Far and Away premiere, according to Vogue. After hearing the princess had died, Cruise blamed the paparazzi for it, saying, “They run lights and they chase you and harass you. It happens all over the world. And it has certainly gotten worse.”
The Top Gun star wasn’t alone in his stance against the photogs as George Clooney made similar remarks.
In a speech at the Screen Actors Guild office, Clooney fumed: “Princess Di is dead, and who should we see about that? The driver of the car? The paparazzi? Or the magazines and papers who purchased these pictures and make bounty hunters out of photographers? … If you weren’t hiding behind the profession of journalism, you would be an accomplice to a crime, and you would go to jail.”
Madonna used the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards, which occurred just five days after Princess Diana’s passing, to let her thoughts be heard as she spoke directly to viewers: “I am not going to stand up here and rant and rave about paparazzi, or the irresponsible behavior of the editors of all the tabloids. Because even if they never change, there’s still something that all of us can do. It’s time for us to take responsibility for our own insatiable need to run after gossip and scandals and lies and rumors. To live vicariously through other people’s misery. And it’s time that we realize that everything we say and do has an effect on the world around us.”
An inquiry into Diana’s death later found that the driver, Paul, was responsible for the crash, as he was drunk at the time and should not have been operating a vehicle.
See below for even more reactions and tributes from several celebrities.
The celebs who attended Princess Diana’s funeral
Six days after her death, Princess Diana was laid to rest. Cruise and Kidman were both seen attending the royal’s funeral, as was fellow Hollywood A-lister Tom Hanks, and director Steven Spielberg.
Elton John, who was friends with Diana, also attended and sang a revised version of his song “Candle in the Wind” during the service. The original lyrics of the song were about Marilyn Monroe, but John changed those and dedicated it to the late princess. He later described what he was feeling at that time.
“What was going through my mind was ‘Don’t sing a wrong note. Be stoic. Don’t break down and just do it to the best you can possibly do it without showing any emotion whatsoever,” he recalled.
John arrived at the funeral with fellow recording artist George Michael. The “Faith” singer was also close with Diana, as she reportedly confided in him after her divorce.
Singer Bryan Adams attended as well. The rocker’s attendance sparked a bit of controversy as there were rumors that he and Diana had an affair. The “Please Forgive Me” artist’s girlfriend at the time, Cecilie Thomsen, accompanied him to the funeral. However, she later told the Daily Mail that she believed Adams did have an affair with the princess and confessed to “sitting in the church with mixed emotions.”
A handful of other musicians were on hand that day too including Sting and his wife, Mariah Carey, and Luciano Pavarotti.
