I’ve seen people talk about actors and artists that had a terrible time.
My own would be Anne Rice. She wrote Interview with the Vampire after her young daughter died of Leukemia. Then her husband suddenly died of a brain hemorrhage. I suspect her Christian, anti-fanfic phase was a result of mental illness and manipulation from the publishers, although I don’t think she ever apologized.
Poe was a household name when he died (due to “The Raven”, mostly). Although he was better known as a literary critic. He was well known enough that a biography of him was written the year after he died.
However, he did die at age 40, after losing two wives. Which is tragic in and of itself.