How 18 Icons Would Look Today If They Hadn T Died Young

Photographer Alper Yesiltas uses artificial intelligence to imagine what departed icons like Princess Diana and Michael Jackson would look like if they’d lived — and the results are haunting.

They may be gone, but their faces are forever frozen in time. Or rather, they were.

When photographer Alper Yesiltas began dabbling in artificial intelligence, he quickly became aware of its potential. “Anything imaginable can be shown in reality”, he told Bored Panda.

So Yesiltas, who resides in Istanbul, Turkey, began brainstorming what he could do with the emerging technology. He wanted to create something that would make him happy — like seeing the faces of beloved icons who died too soon.

He created an AI-based project called “As If Nothing Happened,” per My Modern Met. In it, Yesiltas explores how famous figures might look today if they were still alive.

Like this gallery?Share it:

Flipboard

And if you liked this post, be sure to check out these popular posts:

Where Are Their Kids? The Living Descendants Of Famous Historical Figures

The Strange Deaths Of 16 Historic And Famous Figures

33 Incredible Mugshots Of Iconic Figures Throughout History

1 of 37Kurt Cobain of Nirvana never seemed to recover from his traumatic childhood, and he died by suicide in 1994. Twitter 2 of 37If Kurt Cobain were alive, he’d be 55 years old in 2022.

Bored Panda/Alper Yesiltas 3 of 37Freddie Mercury was famous for being the lead singer of Queen, but he tragically died of AIDS in 1991.Twitter/@freddie_mercury 4 of 37If nothing had happened to Freddie Mercury, he’d be 76 years old in 2022. alperyesiltas/Instagram 5 of 37Selena Quintanilla, sometimes dubbed “The Mexican Madonna,” was murdered by her fan club president in 1995.ilfjg/Wikimedia Commons

6 of 37If Selena were still alive, she’d be 51 years old in 2022. alperyesiltas/Instagram 7 of 37Heath Ledger was an award-winning Australian actor who starred in many iconic films before his accidental drug overdose in 2008. Jose Carlos Pozo/Wikimedia Commons

8 of 37If Heath Ledger hadn’t died young, he’d be 43 years old in 2022. alperyesiltas/Instagram 9 of 37Amy Winehouse was a musical dynamo in a small package. The British songstress died of alcohol poisoning in 2011. Greg Gebhardt/Wikimedia Commons

10 of 37If Amy Winehouse hadn’t died young, she’d be 39 years old in 2022. alperyesiltas/Instagram 11 of 37Controversy still surrounds actor and martial artist Bruce Lee’s 1973 death by cerebral edema. Facebook/Bruce Lee 12 of 37If nothing had happened to Bruce Lee, he’d be 82 years old in 2022.Bored Panda/Alper Yesiltas 13 of 37Tupac Shakur was an influential rapper who was passionate about speaking on the plight of Black Americans. The 25-year-old was killed in a drive-by shooting in 1996. Facebook/2PAC 14 of 37If Tupac hadn’t been shot, he’d be 51 years old in 2022. alperyesiltas/Instagram 15 of 37Princess Diana of Wales joined the British Royal Family in 1981, when she married Prince Charles. She died in a 1997 car crash while trying to escape paparazzi. Twitter/@royalfocus1 16 of 37If nothing had happened to Princess Diana, she’d be 61 years old in 2022. alperyesiltas/Instagram 17 of 37River Phoenix was a talented actor who won hearts with his boyish good looks. Sadly, he died of a drug overdose in 1993 outside the Viper Room nightclub in Hollywood.Alan Light/Wikimedia Commons

18 of 37If River Phoenix were still alive, he’d be 52 years old in 2022. alperyesiltas/Instagram 19 of 37Musician Jimi Hendrix died in 1970 after asphyxiating on his own vomit — likely after taking too many sleeping pills. Breezin704/Wikimedia Commons 20 of 37If nothing had happened to Jimi Hendrix, he’d be 80 years old in 2022. alperyesiltas/Instagram 21 of 37John Lennon, both as a former Beatle and as a solo artist, had a profound impact on the world. His death in 1980 at the hands of a deranged fan still has people mourning the loss of an icon. Joost Evers/Anefo/Wikimedia Commons

22 of 37If John Lennon were alive, he’d be 82 years old in 2022. alperyesiltas/Instagram 23 of 37Janis Joplin was one of the most gifted singer-songwriters of the 1960s. Her untimely 1970 death was ruled an accidental heroin overdose. Facebook/Janis Joplin & Big Brother and The Holding Company 24 of 37If Janis Joplin hadn’t tragically died young, she’d be 79 years old in 2022. Bored Panda/Alper Yesiltas 25 of 37Jim Morrison was as enigmatic in his death as he was in his life. The charismatic but troubled singer for The Doors was found dead in 1971 from heart failure, but the when and how of his demise is still hotly debated. PXHere

26 of 37If nothing had happened to Jim Morrison, he’d be 79 years old in 2022. alperyesiltas/Instagram 27 of 37Michael Jackson is a polarizing figure in the world of celebrities. His death from cardiac arrest in 2009 led to the arrest of his personal physician, who had prescribed the drugs that brought about the singer’s demise.Chris Walter/WireImage/Getty Images 28 of 37If nothing had happened to Michael Jackson, he’d be 64 years old in 2022. alperyesiltas/Instagram 29 of 37Aaliyah was a groundbreaking R&B singer who died at the age of 22 when her Miami-bound plane crashed just one minute after takeoff in 2001. mika-photography.com/Wikimedia Commons

30 of 37If Aaliyah’s plane hadn’t crashed, she’d be 43 years old in 2022. alperyesiltas/Instagram 31 of 37Paul Walker, beloved actor and philanthropist, shared his Fast & Furious character’s love of sports cars. Tragically, that passion led to Walker’s death in a car accident in 2013. Andre Luis/Wikimedia Commons

32 of 37If nothing had happened to Paul Walker, he’d be 49 years old in 2022. alperyesiltas/Instagram 33 of 37James Gandolfini was an award-winning actor who wowed audiences with his role on The Sopranos. He died of a heart attack in Rome while on vacation in 2013. VoicesFilm 34 of 37If nothing had happened to James Gandolfini, he’d be 61 years old in 2022. alperyesiltas/Instagram 35 of 37Philip Seymour Hoffman was known for taking offbeat roles, but the character actor was prolific in his craft. He died of a drug overdose in 2014. Georges Biard/Wikimedia Commons 36 of 37If nothing had happened to Philip Seymour Hoffman, he’d be 55 years old in 2022. alperyesiltas/Instagram 37 of 37Like this gallery?Share it:

Flipboard

This Is What 18 Famous Figures Would Look Like If They Were Still Alive Today View Gallery

The results of these aged-up celebrity photos are fascinating, if not a little bittersweet. The art of applying age progression to photographs is not a new one, but using today’s hyper-realistic artificial intelligence adds an additional layer of believability.

Like this gallery?Share it:

Flipboard

And if you liked this post, be sure to check out these popular posts:

Where Are Their Kids? The Living Descendants Of Famous Historical Figures

The Strange Deaths Of 16 Historic And Famous Figures

33 Incredible Mugshots Of Iconic Figures Throughout History

1 of 37Kurt Cobain of Nirvana never seemed to recover from his traumatic childhood, and he died by suicide in 1994. Twitter 2 of 37If Kurt Cobain were alive, he’d be 55 years old in 2022.

Flipboard

Like this gallery?Share it:

Flipboard

And if you liked this post, be sure to check out these popular posts:

Where Are Their Kids? The Living Descendants Of Famous Historical Figures

The Strange Deaths Of 16 Historic And Famous Figures

33 Incredible Mugshots Of Iconic Figures Throughout History

1 of 37Kurt Cobain of Nirvana never seemed to recover from his traumatic childhood, and he died by suicide in 1994. Twitter 2 of 37If Kurt Cobain were alive, he’d be 55 years old in 2022.

Flipboard

Like this gallery?Share it:

Flipboard

And if you liked this post, be sure to check out these popular posts:

Where Are Their Kids? The Living Descendants Of Famous Historical Figures

The Strange Deaths Of 16 Historic And Famous Figures

33 Incredible Mugshots Of Iconic Figures Throughout History

Flipboard

Share
Flipboard
Email

1 of 37Kurt Cobain of Nirvana never seemed to recover from his traumatic childhood, and he died by suicide in 1994. Twitter 2 of 37If Kurt Cobain were alive, he’d be 55 years old in 2022.

Flipboard

1 of 37Kurt Cobain of Nirvana never seemed to recover from his traumatic childhood, and he died by suicide in 1994. Twitter

2 of 37If Kurt Cobain were alive, he’d be 55 years old in 2022.

Bored Panda/Alper Yesiltas

3 of 37Freddie Mercury was famous for being the lead singer of Queen, but he tragically died of AIDS in 1991.Twitter/@freddie_mercury

4 of 37If nothing had happened to Freddie Mercury, he’d be 76 years old in 2022. alperyesiltas/Instagram

5 of 37Selena Quintanilla, sometimes dubbed “The Mexican Madonna,” was murdered by her fan club president in 1995.ilfjg/Wikimedia Commons

6 of 37If Selena were still alive, she’d be 51 years old in 2022. alperyesiltas/Instagram

7 of 37Heath Ledger was an award-winning Australian actor who starred in many iconic films before his accidental drug overdose in 2008. Jose Carlos Pozo/Wikimedia Commons

8 of 37If Heath Ledger hadn’t died young, he’d be 43 years old in 2022. alperyesiltas/Instagram

9 of 37Amy Winehouse was a musical dynamo in a small package. The British songstress died of alcohol poisoning in 2011. Greg Gebhardt/Wikimedia Commons

10 of 37If Amy Winehouse hadn’t died young, she’d be 39 years old in 2022. alperyesiltas/Instagram

11 of 37Controversy still surrounds actor and martial artist Bruce Lee’s 1973 death by cerebral edema. Facebook/Bruce Lee

12 of 37If nothing had happened to Bruce Lee, he’d be 82 years old in 2022.Bored Panda/Alper Yesiltas

13 of 37Tupac Shakur was an influential rapper who was passionate about speaking on the plight of Black Americans. The 25-year-old was killed in a drive-by shooting in 1996. Facebook/2PAC

14 of 37If Tupac hadn’t been shot, he’d be 51 years old in 2022. alperyesiltas/Instagram

15 of 37Princess Diana of Wales joined the British Royal Family in 1981, when she married Prince Charles. She died in a 1997 car crash while trying to escape paparazzi. Twitter/@royalfocus1

16 of 37If nothing had happened to Princess Diana, she’d be 61 years old in 2022. alperyesiltas/Instagram

17 of 37River Phoenix was a talented actor who won hearts with his boyish good looks. Sadly, he died of a drug overdose in 1993 outside the Viper Room nightclub in Hollywood.Alan Light/Wikimedia Commons

18 of 37If River Phoenix were still alive, he’d be 52 years old in 2022. alperyesiltas/Instagram

19 of 37Musician Jimi Hendrix died in 1970 after asphyxiating on his own vomit — likely after taking too many sleeping pills. Breezin704/Wikimedia Commons

20 of 37If nothing had happened to Jimi Hendrix, he’d be 80 years old in 2022. alperyesiltas/Instagram

21 of 37John Lennon, both as a former Beatle and as a solo artist, had a profound impact on the world. His death in 1980 at the hands of a deranged fan still has people mourning the loss of an icon. Joost Evers/Anefo/Wikimedia Commons

22 of 37If John Lennon were alive, he’d be 82 years old in 2022. alperyesiltas/Instagram

23 of 37Janis Joplin was one of the most gifted singer-songwriters of the 1960s. Her untimely 1970 death was ruled an accidental heroin overdose. Facebook/Janis Joplin & Big Brother and The Holding Company

24 of 37If Janis Joplin hadn’t tragically died young, she’d be 79 years old in 2022. Bored Panda/Alper Yesiltas

25 of 37Jim Morrison was as enigmatic in his death as he was in his life. The charismatic but troubled singer for The Doors was found dead in 1971 from heart failure, but the when and how of his demise is still hotly debated. PXHere

26 of 37If nothing had happened to Jim Morrison, he’d be 79 years old in 2022. alperyesiltas/Instagram

27 of 37Michael Jackson is a polarizing figure in the world of celebrities. His death from cardiac arrest in 2009 led to the arrest of his personal physician, who had prescribed the drugs that brought about the singer’s demise.Chris Walter/WireImage/Getty Images

28 of 37If nothing had happened to Michael Jackson, he’d be 64 years old in 2022. alperyesiltas/Instagram

29 of 37Aaliyah was a groundbreaking R&B singer who died at the age of 22 when her Miami-bound plane crashed just one minute after takeoff in 2001. mika-photography.com/Wikimedia Commons

30 of 37If Aaliyah’s plane hadn’t crashed, she’d be 43 years old in 2022. alperyesiltas/Instagram

31 of 37Paul Walker, beloved actor and philanthropist, shared his Fast & Furious character’s love of sports cars. Tragically, that passion led to Walker’s death in a car accident in 2013. Andre Luis/Wikimedia Commons

32 of 37If nothing had happened to Paul Walker, he’d be 49 years old in 2022. alperyesiltas/Instagram

33 of 37James Gandolfini was an award-winning actor who wowed audiences with his role on The Sopranos. He died of a heart attack in Rome while on vacation in 2013. VoicesFilm

34 of 37If nothing had happened to James Gandolfini, he’d be 61 years old in 2022. alperyesiltas/Instagram

35 of 37Philip Seymour Hoffman was known for taking offbeat roles, but the character actor was prolific in his craft. He died of a drug overdose in 2014. Georges Biard/Wikimedia Commons

36 of 37If nothing had happened to Philip Seymour Hoffman, he’d be 55 years old in 2022. alperyesiltas/Instagram

37 of 37Like this gallery?Share it:

Flipboard

This Is What 18 Famous Figures Would Look Like If They Were Still Alive Today View Gallery

This Is What 18 Famous Figures Would Look Like If They Were Still Alive Today

View Gallery

However, we must be aware that the same technology that makes this possible can also be abused to make deepfake photos and videos for the purpose of deception, as in the case of the Pennsylvania mother who created fake nude photos of her daughter’s cheerleading rivals. Clearly, the invention can be dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands. Luckily, technology is getting better at detecting harmful deepfakes, according to Scientific American.

Above, see what 18 beloved famous figures would look like today if they were still alive. And below, find out the tragic circumstances surrounding the deaths of two celebrities from the gallery that rocked the mid-90s to the core and shattered millions upon millions of young music fans.

The Death Of Kurt Cobain

As the frontman of Nirvana, Kurt Cobain was instrumental in creating the genre of grunge music in the early 1990s. However, the troubled young man who turned into a superstar almost overnight harbored some deep anxieties. Heroin was the therapeutic drug of the day, and Cobain was self-medicating regularly.

In March 1994, Cobain threatened to kill himself. Police came to the Seattle home he shared with his wife, Courtney Love, where they found four guns — even though Cobain was a pacifist. By the end of March, Love and Cobain’s fellow band members had staged an intervention, and the star reluctantly agreed to enter a rehab facility. Unfortunately, he left after just three days.

Kevin Mazur/WireImage via Getty ImagesKurt Cobain quickly gained fame as the lead singer of Nirvana, but his mental health struggles led to his untimely death in 1994.

By April 5th, he was dead. An employee who came to Cobain’s home to install security lighting found the singer in a room above the garage with a fatal gunshot wound to the head. Next to his body, investigators found a Remington 20-gauge shotgun, a pair of sunglasses, a drug-stash cigar box, cigarettes, and one of the most examined suicide notes in history.

Cobain had taken near-fatal amounts of both Valium and heroin — and then pulled the trigger.

The Death Of Selena Quintanilla

In the early 1990s, 23-year-old Selena was well on her way to superstardom. The Latina singer was widely adored in the world of Tejano music for her talent, fashion sense, and authentic personality. She was on the cusp of worldwide fame, having just won a 1994 Grammy award for Best Mexican-American Album.

Selena’s full-time fan club president and clothing boutique manager, Yolanda Saldívar, and the singer had a close relationship. Some even thought Saldívar was obsessed with the singer.

However, that relationship soured when Selena and her family began suspecting that Saldívar was stealing money and ultimately fired her. Saldívar denied the accusations but put up no fight to keep her job.

Arlene Richie/Getty ImagesSelena performing in Houston just one month before her death.

On March 31, 1995, Selena went to the Days Inn in Corpus Christi, Texas where Saldívar was staying to retrieve some final financial documents. Soon after she arrived, a maintenance man reportedly heard a loud bang — and saw Saldívar chasing Selena with a gun.

Selena ran to the hotel lobby and collapsed. There was a bullet wound in her back. Her last words were, “Yolanda… Room 158.” She died at the hospital shortly afterward.

Saldívar then entered a nine-hour standoff with police. She threatened suicide several times before finally surrendering. A jury convicted her of first-degree murder and sentenced her to life in prison. She claims the shooting was an accident.

After seeing these photos of famous figures if they were still alive today, read about 11 of the most tragic celebrity deaths. Then, see the living descendants of famous figures throughout history.

Photographer Alper Yesiltas uses artificial intelligence to imagine what departed icons like Princess Diana and Michael Jackson would look like if they’d lived — and the results are haunting.#

The Death Of Kurt Cobain#

The Death Of Selena Quintanilla#

Photographer Alper Yesiltas uses artificial intelligence to imagine what departed icons like Princess Diana and Michael Jackson would look like if they’d lived — and the results are haunting.

The Death Of Kurt Cobain

The Death Of Selena Quintanilla