Future Icon: Celebrities Who Live on as Ghosts

There is a famous quote about the rich being different from “you and me.” But, it turns out that, in the afterlife, the rich and famous aren't much different from us common folk. Like the rest of us, if a star has died an untimely death or was surrounded by controversy, it's possible that they won't be able to let go of this mortal life. Here are seven of the most well-known celebrity “ghost stories” out there:

1. Michael Jackson

When Michael Jackson died he left a complicated legacy. Sure, he has many fans, but legal scandals haunted his career and criminal accusations plagued his legacy. For many it was complicated to think of their childhood icon and all the very many accusations against him. In other words, he was a man with unfinished business. So it’s not shocking that many claimed to have seen his ghost at his home (The Neverland Ranch) back in a Larry King segment in 2009.

2. Lucille Ball

The comedian and all around legend in Hollywood is often seen hanging around the site of her former Beverly Hills home (it was destroyed and a replacement was built on the lot), especially in the attic where noises and thumps are the norm. Even a funny ghost is pretty scary when you think about it!

3. Jean Harlow

She was the first real bombshell, but her life was terribly tragic. She died at only 26 of kidney disease and was, for a time, the wife of a man who allegedly abused her. Her husband, an MGM executive, later shot himself in their bedroom. One family who lived there in the 1970s said they smelled perfume, heard a woman crying and finally, heard a woman whisper: "Please help me."

4. Heath Ledger

He died tragically at age 28 of an accidental drug overdose. Since then, many have claimed to contact his ghost through mediums and his ex, Michelle Williams, even said she saw him as a ghost since his death. Dying so young undoubtedly leaves unfinished business. And tragedies often beget hauntings.

5. John Lennon

Many have claimed encounters with the spirit of John Lennon. At the Dakota where he lived in NYC, among other places. Maybe it’s that he was so beloved, people want him back. Or maybe it’s something more. Certainly his death was violent and sudden enough to warrant a potential lingering essence.

6. Marilyn Monroe

Over the years, many have claimed to see the ghost of the beautiful actress with the tragic back story. She has been spotted in hotels, at séances, and in the home in Brentwood, California where she died.

7. Orson Welles