Afterlives Of The Rich And Famous: Featuring over 40 stars we have loved and lost

by Sylvia Browne

In AFTERLIVES OF THE RICH AND FAMOUS, renowned psychic Sylvia Browne explains exactly what happens to our spirits when our bodies stop living. She describes what the Other Side is like, and how the celebrities that we have lost are coping in the world beyond. She begins with a brief biography of each celebrity, which helps lend important context to what is happening to them now in the afterlife. She then shares whatever information the celebrities care to discuss with her via her Spirit Guide Francine. Her insights include their regrets, their private thoughts, their role in the afterlife, details of who they visit on earth, and their plans for reincarnation if they have any. It is also fascinating to discover which celebrities strike up friendships and spend time together on the Other Side!

Celebrities featured Elvis Presley, Princess Diana, Patrick Swayze, Anna Nicole Smith, Brittany Murphy, Heath Ledger, Marilyn Monroe, Paul Newman, Clark Gable, Cary Grant, George Harrison, Michael Jackson, John Lennon, Grace Kelly, Bob Marley and Audrey Hepburn.

Genres: Nonfiction, Paranormal, Spirituality, New Age, Religion, Biography

287 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 8, 2011

About the author

Sylvia Browne was an American author and self-proclaimed psychic who built a lucrative career through books, television appearances, and psychic readings. Known for her frequent guest spots on The Montel Williams Show and Larry King Live, she claimed to communicate with angels, spirit guides, and the deceased, and said she had psychic visions from the age of three. In 1986, she founded the Society of Novus Spiritus, a Gnostic Christian church, and ran a variety of businesses, reportedly earning millions annually.
Browne wrote over 40 books, many of which were bestsellers, and maintained a dedicated fanbase throughout her life. However, her career was marked by controversy. She made numerous high-profile predictions about missing persons and criminal cases that were later proven false—errors that drew widespread criticism and scrutiny from skeptics and media outlets. A 2010 study by the Skeptical Inquirer concluded she had not been accurate in any verifiable case. Her reputation suffered further after her 1992 conviction for securities fraud.
Despite criticism from figures like James Randi and John Oliver, Browne retained a devoted following. Her vague prediction about a “pneumonia-like illness” spreading around 2020 drew renewed attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. She remained a polarizing figure—revered by some, discredited by others—until her death in 2013 at the age of 77.

Reviews

[Renee Thompson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I find everything Sylvia Browne writes in this book to be ridiculous. She seems to be so obviously making it up out of what the public already knows about these celebrities. It's also interesting that the celebrities who have passed on mysteriously will remark on everything but what really killed them. They simply don't care to discuss it.

The actual amount of time devoted to the "afterlives" of the rich and famous is small. Most of the book puts forth the author's description of the spiritual world, recycled from her numerous previous books, along with the earthly life bios of the people she's discussing.

Waste of time.

[Readasaurus Rex · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok

Half of this is interesting, and the other half is completely unbelievable haha. Either way it entertaining and not a waste of time

[Nanci Svensson · Rating 1 out of 5]

O.M.G... This woman, does she suffer the delusion that her psychic abilities are real and tangible or is she a pathological and opportunistic/clever liar? It is such a retarded topic that I after all can't help loving the campiness of it all. Could this be as good a read as "Is Elvis Alive", a poorly edited paperback I bought in St Louis in 1994 (the answer of course, is yes, he is alive, proved by the fact that the pall bearers thought the coffin "very heavy" which naturally only could be explained by the intricate cooling system needed to cool the wax doll posing as Elvis in the Memphis heat and had nothing to do with Elvis' actually weighing 350 lbs). But this woman, what's her spiel???
Ok, read it and want to have the part of brain that remembers it removed. And one question: did it just slip her mind to mention them, or are there no unicorns in this tacky afterlife?

[NON · Rating 2 out of 5]

Most of what is written here been told countless times before, and what's stated about the celebrities are well-known facts about each one of them.
The bits about Michael Jackson is why I picked this book in the first place.
All in all, it's a quick read with a couple of interesting general information.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting. I didn't know a lot of the biographical information about many of the celebrities. Sylvia's idea of the afterlife is intriguing and creative.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a longtime Sylvia Browne fan, I also believe in and enjoy aspects of the supernatural, including the belief in life after death and reincarnation. Needless to say, I am Ms. Browne's target audience for her books. If you are not a fan of Ms. Browne's or are skeptical to the point of not being able to open a new age genre book, you can probably stop reading this review now because Afterlives of the Rich and Famous is likely not for you.

This book, like Browne's previous efforts, is broken into easy-to-read sections, told in the author's unique voice. Reading a Browne offering, for this reader, is akin to a warm chat between friends and her books never fail to leave me with a warm, comforted feeling. My favorite books of hers are those that describe The Other Side and the life that awaits us there. Afterlives of the Rich and Famous goes one better by describing what awaited those famous celebrities and personalities and what they are doing there now.

The book begins with a relatively brief introduction to Browne and her spirit guide, Francine, noteworthy for those readers who are new to Browne's repertoire. Following the introduction is an overview of what happens when our bodies die and the variety of places our spirits may go, including the tunnel to The Other Side, the buildings that populate The Other Side, the horrible Left Door that leads to The Dark Side, The Holding Place and ghosts. Finally, the section on the "rich and famous" is preceded by a glosssary of terms, in which everything from astral travel to each soul's individual chart is defined. If you have read any of Browne's previous books you may already understand these sections and feel them redundant but they are clearly geared toward the novice reader.

The sections on each celebrity begin with an overview of the person's history, including their deaths, which is helpful for those people you may not be wholly familiar with. Even with those persons I had solid knowledge about I appreciated the quick rundown on before reading the text on their new lives on The Other Side.

I was pleased with the selection of personalities Browne chose, including everyone from Bob Marley to Katharine Hepburn to John Ritter to Sharon Tate. I chuckled while reading about Hepburn, while remembering an earlier assertion by Browne that Hepburn lived so long because she was stubborn and did not believe in life after death. I felt saddened by Sharon Tate's horribly violent end and relieved reading Browne's account of Tate's productive and happy life on The Other Side.

The first celebrity written in the book, and one of my personal favorites, is Paul Newman. From Afterlives of the Rich and Famous:


Paul's father was waiting for him at the end of the tunnel, silhouetted against the sacred white light, before Paul even reached Home. They emerged from the tunnel together, where Paul stepped into the ecstatic embrace of his son, Scott, before greeting the huge crowd of animals and friends from his forty-nine incarnations and from his stunningly productive eternal life here at Home. . . .

Paul's chosen life themes of Aesthetic Pursuits and Humanitarian served him well. He says that while acting was never his passion, he enjoyed the process of it and appreciated it as a means to an end, with the end being the wealth and celebrity that allowed Newman's Own, the charity that was his passion, to be such a success and, as a result, to help countless people and animals in need. . . .

Paul believes that "usually those things that 'go without saying' are the exact things that most need to be said," so he makes a pont of expressing that Joanne Woodward was his "rock" and his "anchor" and they're "too much a part of each other to be apart." He clearly remembers all four of their lifetimes together - - two as husband and wife, one as brother and sister, and one as brothers - - and he frequently visits her and hopes that she is aware of his loving presence. He has no intention of incarnating again, but promises he'll go right on making a contribution to life on earth "for as long as life on earth needs a helping hand."
pp. 61-62

I greedily rushed through Afterlives of the Rich and Famous in about a day, so anxious was I to hear what Francine, Browne's spirit guide, had to say. Even those persons that didn't hold as much interest to me prior to picking up the book had my undivided attention; this book is simply impossible to put down.

My only complaint with Afterlives of the Rich and Famous was that it ended too soon. I, for one, would be thrilled if Sylvia Browne were to provide us with a sequel, including more classic Hollywood figures, including Joan Crawford, Irving Thalberg, Louis B. Mayer, Mary Pickford and Jean Harlow, among others.

I would most definitely recommend Afterlives of the Rich and Famous to any fan of Sylvia Browne, and to those readers who enjoy reading about "life after life."

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'll admit that the title snagged me. I realize people have differing opinions on the afterlife and reincarnation. Being a person of faith and having spent a year working at Edgar Cayce's ARE, I've been exposed to all sorts of beliefs, but I won't go into my personal beliefs here. I'll merely review this title based upon it's entertainment value.

Really, all you'll get here is a "directory" of random celebrities and historical figures. There's a generous biography of each, some more accurate than others (James Dean is incorrectly listed here as an Oscar winner - he's been nominated but never won). After Sylvia briefs us on the life, her "spirit guide" Francine lets us know what happened afterward.

Really, it would be nice to imagine an afterlife where you can go to a ballgame and watch Joe Dimaggio in action while Abe Lincoln sits in the stands, or go to a concert where a seeing Ray Charles headlines, but I imagine the skeptic is going to think it pretty hokey, or a load of BS. The description of people on "The Other Side" is difficult for me to grasp. Why does everybody have to be 30 in Heaven? I recall a passage in the Bible where Christ said there is no Jew or Greek, no male or female, but "all the same in Christ Jesus." I guess everybody being 30 is close enough.

Anyway, I picked up this book as research for a story I had in mind. It's entertaining, but I suppose we'll find out what's on the other side soon enough.

[mary]

Honest to God, that's the title: AFTERLIVES of the Rich and Famous.

I spotted it while surfing around somewhere and thought it must be a joke. "No such-a thing," as my m-i-l would have said; in this tome, crazy Sylvia updates us on the latest doings of the celebrity dead.

So far I've learned that Paul Newman is continuing his philanthropic work, and Marilyn Monroe welcomed Joe DiMaggio when he came Home. You might be interested to know the straight dope on her death. She did not commit suicide. Someone injected something nasty into her heart.

Here's a psychic prediction of my own: The library will be getting this one back right smart.

[Marianne Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a "bit" of a Sylvia Browne fan. I like her take on death and dying and heaven and where you go, yada, yada, yada.

This book was "interesting". Yes, folks, Elvis has left the building but he has reincarnated.

[Jana · Rating 3 out of 5]

''I don’t know any individuals, including myself, who can imagine having deliberately chosen some of the unpleasantness, ugliness, and tragedy in their lives. But again, our sole reason for incarnating is to learn to overcome challenges, negativity, and despair, none of which even exist on the Other Side, for the advancement of our souls. And then there’s the fact that we write our charts in the blissful euphoria that is our constant state of mind on the Other Side. We’re fearless there, we’re utterly confident, we’re our most loving selves, and we’re surrounded by nothing but unconditional love from each other and from God. There’s nothing we feel we can’t handle, nothing we’re reluctant to take on in our pursuit of spiritual growth. I guarantee you, no matter how challenging your life is, you were in the process of planning something even more astonishing for yourself until your Spirit Guide and the Council convinced you to tone your chart down to something a little more realistic.

And so, hard as it may be to believe, before you came here, among countless other details you chose your parents, your siblings, and every other family member; every aspect of your physical appearance; the exact place, date, and time of your birth; your friends, your lovers, your spouses, your children, your bosses, your co-workers, your casual acquaintances, and even your enemies; the cities, neighborhoods, and houses you’ll live in; your preferences, weaknesses, flaws, sense of humor (or lack of one), skills, talents, and areas of incompetence; every minor and major injury and illness you’ll experience; and even your hobbies, interests, passions, and private little quirks that no one else might know about but you. Not that our charts deprive us of free will once we’re here. We actually arrive on earth with countless choices surrounding every detail we’ve designed. If, let’s say, one of those enemies you charted, maybe even someone you knew in a past life, shows up as you planned for, it’s your choice whether to avoid that person like the plague, be polite but keep your distance and watch your back, or engage him or her and suffer the inevitable consequences. Or if you charted yourself to catch a cold when you’re twenty-two, it’s your decision whether to take care of yourself and get over it or to keep pushing your luck and run the risk of letting it develop into pneumonia. A charted life is absolutely a life filled with options, and beyond that it’s proof that the success of our souls isn’t measured by the obstacles we face, but by how we handle them when they come along.''

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another of the many books written by psychic Sylvia Browne, Afterlives of the Rich and Famous is at least entertaining and certainly thought-provoking. After having read her books on Jesus and the Two Marys I was ready for (curious about) more of her spirit-guided insights about the Other Side. Whether you believe it or not, it does make you think about what lies beyond our current lives. This one is focused, as the title implies, on Hollywood, political actors, royalty, and other highly visible and well known people. I found it interesting and it does explore a foundational aspect of this Other Side that includes coming back in another life, whether you think of it as reincarnation or by some other name. The author also describes how spirits on the Other Side can plan or lay out the basic desires for their next life. Some, on the other hand, decide that they have had enough after a particularly traumatic life experience and state that they will not be coming back. Whether you read this and other books by this author as a believer or primarily as entertainment and an escape from everything else happening today, you will most likely find it worth your time.

[Nícolas Bragança · Rating 1 out of 5]

So bad that it's still very bad.

This book has two parts: 1) A long, long, long (long) barrage of vaguely kardecist drivel and 2) Facts from Wikipedia followed by afterlife fanfics. However, at times, Sylvia lets us know with emphasis that she wasn't a fan of some of the famous people she has written about, so they turn into half-assed I-Think-They-Were-Ok-Fics. Very unimaginative.

Apparently if you were rich and famous in your life, when you die... Everything's pretty much the same, except you're dead.

Also, why the hell did she censor the word 'fuck' but let the N-Word slide? Is the afterlife located in Southern United States?

[Inra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hanya sedikit yang aku percayai dari buku ini. Contohnya tentang jiwa (soul) dari orang-orang terkenal yang diwawancarai di dalam buku ini yang katanya sebagian besar sudah tidak mau ber-reinkarnasi lagi. Really?

Lalu cerita tentang Michael Jackson yang endingnya mengambang: did he or did he not abuse those children? Dan ternyata baru-baru ini ada 2 (dua) korbannya, Wade Robson & James Safechuck, yang memberi pengakuan di HBO Documentary bahwa benar Jackson telah melecehkan mereka saat mereka masih kanak-kanak. Jeez...

[Laurie Norris · Rating 2 out of 5]

After lives of the Rich and Famous - Sylvia Browne

I thought I would give this book a try. It sounded interesting. It was a quick read, but felt more like a novel.

There were quite a few celebrity stories. Each chapter started off with an overview of the celebrities life. Once the celebrity passed on, Sylvia's spirit guide (Francine) told you about their life on the other side (Sylvia did a few as well).

For me, the first part about their lives was interesting, but the afterlife part was pure fiction. Unfortunately, I found that part to be completely ridiculous.

[AMAO · Rating 5 out of 5]

The world's most acclaimed psychic, Sylvia Browne, the New York Times bestselling author of Life on the Other Side, All Pets Go to Heaven, Contacting Your Spirit Guide, and more, returns with a rare and riveting look at the lives of some of our favorite celebrities—after their deaths. How do Elvis Presley, Heath Ledger, John Lennon, and others view their time on Earth? After they have shuffled off this mortal coil, what wisdom do they wish to send back to us? Sylvia Browne's moving look at these once larger-than-life heroes is a captivating voyage into the secrets they hold beyond the void.

[Jerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting Read

This is an interesting read! I was curious to see what she had to say about different celebrities afterlives! I take everything she says with a grain of salt since I don't believe in reincarnation. Plus I don't believe everyone goes to Heaven. I believe Hell exists. Some of the people mentioned I believe actually went to Hell instead of Heaven. But still an interesting read.

[frenbill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good to read

A good book to read. Very personal stories shared in this book. It is enlightening about afterlife. Very touching, in many places. Should be read with respect for the departed ones, and not as
entertainment.

[Anya · Rating 1 out of 5]

No, this is a genuine one star. I'm not just rating it to 'drive down the average'. I just didn't like it, especially a lot of the set-up; like, no sun, moon or stars, the same dusky time of day for eternity? come on. not a heaven in anything but name. flat and made-up by Sylvia.

[Natajia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find Sylvia Browne's books to be interesting, but quite repetitive.

[Effie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book hope to find a srquil.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing read....who knows!

[Leah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pure fluff, 100% brain candy. I love my girl Sylvia.

I skimmed this one a lot, only because so many of the stories were already highlighted in other books.

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just didn't find it very believable.

[Amber the vintage girl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating learning about the other side and what celebrities are up to over there.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book and I would recommend it to anyone.

[Musing Midnight Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a big Sylvia Browne fan in the mid 90s to the mid 00s . Anything I have ever read by her I’ve taken with a grain of salt. However, this was one of my favorite books by her.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure how much of Sylvia Browne's vision of the Afterlife is one that I personally belief in. Probably not much of it at all, but what I appreciate is that she believes it. This isn't a woman who is making stuff up to give false hope and make a ton of money. This is only the second book of hers that I've read, but the fact that she truly believes in what she writes is evident and welcomed.

This book, like the last one I read, is easy to read and she doesn't come across as thinking that she is better than us for not knowing this stuff to begin with. The book itself is broken up into four sections that allowed me to quickly get a grasp on the material. The Introduction, is simply that. It gives a quick glimpse into her background and what the book is going to be about, the current happenings in the lives of celebrities that have passed away. The second section is titled, "Death...and Then What?" It simply gives a quick introduction to the Afterlife and what happens as someone departs from this world and goes back home. The third section is the glossary and it came in handy a few times. While nothing is too terribly technical, it's helpful to have a reference point for certain terms and ideas that the author talks about as she relates the afterlives of the celebrities. The fourth section is the good stuff. In it Sylvia recounts what some of the most cherished celebrities are now doing with their lives.

What I loved about this section is how she broke it up. The first part of each celebrities bio starts off with who they were and what they accomplished on Earth. After that, Sylvia lets us know what they are up to now. She does this by going into a trance and channeling her spirit guide, Francine. Francine then shares what information she has about the given subject. If found the recap of their Earthly life to be helpful as it reminded me of some of the great movies and accomplishments they achieved before they passed. It also recounts, briefly, their personal life and manner of death.

The second though gives the reader what they picked this book up for to begin with. Sylvia lets us know that who met them on the other side (it was nice to know that animals are always the first ones to greet them), what their mindset was when they arrived, and what they have been doing since. She reveals that Anna Nicole Smith has begun, once again, to study Buddhism and is training to teach meditation. She has also reunited with her son and couldn't be more content. Francine let Sylvia know that John Ritter along with Lucille Ball are taking studying cardiovascular genetic disorders in order to someday prevent them. Natalie Wood, Dean Martin, Eva Gabor, and Gregory Peck are a few of the other celebrities that Sylvia allows us to know about.

Whether or not I believe in the vision that Sylvia Browne puts forth in this book doesn't really matter. What matters, at least to me, is that she gives us something to believe in. She gives us an account of the afterlife that is both reassuring and in a few cases dark at times. Not everyone passes from this world into a perfect afterlife, Bela Lugosi being one of those. No matter what though, Sylvia gives us a recounting of those afterlives as she sees them. It's an unflinching and at times personal glimpse into the lives of those that we cherished while they were here with us and still miss since they have left.

[Amy Siggelow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am on the fence about whether I believe in the afterlife or not, but I thought this book would at least be entertaining. Not only do I hope that what Sylvia Browne is telling us about "The Other Side" is true, I also am kind of looking forward to going there when my life is through! Now, I'm not saying that I want to die, only stating that it's nice to believe and hope that there really is a paradise waiting for us when this life is ended.

The beginning of this book was a description of what the "Other Side" is like, going from the minute your spirit leaves your body, continuing through the various "healing" phases and looking back to your life, and on to how people live out their spirit lives. Like I said before, I'm not sure that I believe in this, but after reading this book, the idea of an afterlife seems very appealing to me and it makes me hope that when I die, there is something to look forward to. I see that alot of people have very negative reviews of this book, and I can understand that, but of those who doubt this book, how many of them actually know for a fact what happens to us when we die. Nobody can know what it's like, therefore, this book offers a suggestion or alternative to what happens when we leave this world.

This book also covers many celebrities that have passed on. While it was interesting to read the short biographies of each of the said celebrities, the "Other Side" portion of their lives was hard to relate to, as it is portrayed that they are back to their "true forms" and these are not described as the way we are used to viewing them.

All in all it was an interesting and quick read, that kept my interest throughout the book. I would recommend this book to people who have open minds concerning religion, faith and the afterlife. A definite "Feel Good" book!

[Monique · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd say 2 1/2 stars...I'm not usually a Sylvia Browne fan, I don't know why, just never really felt a connection with her, but, I happened to see this book on the new non-fiction shelf I'm guessing right after it had came in, and I too it out and read it...It took me about three days...Didn't list it on here because at first I wasn't even sure if I was going to finish it or what...But, I did...And I mean in some parts it was interesting to here what her and her spirit guides view of the otherside was...Did I believe all of it...IDK...I mean I'm a believer in psychic ability for sure, but, I think that different people see different things...And this was from Sylvia's view point...Would I recommend this to snyone? Hmmm....I would say only if you are a Sylvia Browne fan or firm believer in spiritual and/or metaphysical studies..If you are than you might find this book a tad interesting...Would I read another book of hers...IDK...I'll have to wait and see if another one of her books calls to me....

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blehhh, I love Sylvia but this was kinda boring. Especially since I don't even know who half these celebrities are. I skipped over the first 50 pages because after scanning it's stuff she has all ready wrote several times over in pretty much all of her previous books. Then, I found myself also skipping over celebrities whom I've never heard of, or know little about or don't care to know anything about. So basically, I read this book in just a few hours. The biographies of the celebrities were pretty boring and just assume that pretty much every celebrity in this book is happy on the other side, studies to make Earth a better place by implanting the knowledge of whatever killed them and how to avoid it, into the minds of future scientists, and still occasionally acts or performs concerts on the other side. Francine doesn't really provide much interesting insight into celebrities past lives, mysteries of their last lives when they were famous (could she not explain Princess Di's crash?), and nothing that they are doing on the other side is particularly interesting in most cases.