On September 18th, 1932, LAPD central station received an alarming call from a woman who said she was hiking near the Hollywood sign and saw a dead body. She also found a woman’s jacket, purse, and shoes nearby.
A suicide note was found in the bag. It simply said: “I am afraid I’m a coward. I am sorry for everything. If I had done this a long time ago, it would have saved me a lot of pain. P.E.” After searching the area for almost an hour, the police discovered the body of a 23-year-old blonde-haired woman.
Identified as Peg Entwistle
It took two days for investigators to identify the woman: actress Peg Entwistle. She was from a small town and came to Hollywood with big dreams. It’s believed that the aspiring actress’s first movie received awful reviews, and that’s why she took her own life. However, this wasn’t true.
Born in Wales, Peg Entwistle and her family came to America in the 1920s. Shortly after, Peg lost her father and stepmother. Then, her uncle, a successful Broadway star manager, raised her. Peg was starstruck and immediately decided she wanted to be a star. And so, she pursued and acting career.
An Aspiring Actress
Getting her start in Broadway, Peg made quite a name for herself in comedies. However, that wasn’t enough for the aspiring starlet. She wanted to get out of her comfort zone and to take on even more challenging roles. Her wish came true when she got to portray a lesbian in the movie Thirteen Women.
Even though her “scandalous” role of a lesbian in the film successfully ended her contract with RKO Studio, Peg’s uncle strongly believes that it wasn’t her acting career that led to her death. He knew that there must have been something else going on.
Jumping off the Hollywood Sign
After identifying her lifeless body, Peg’s uncle noted that his niece had always had a tendency of being moody and impulsive. He also claimed that Peg had been upset about her ex-husband getting remarried.
On that dreadful day, Peg told her uncle that she was going to the drug store, but that was just an excuse. Instead, she made her final trip to the Hollywood sign. So, was this just another case of a troubled actress? We may never know. People haven’t been able to forget her death because of the chilling rumors of hauntings around the suicide site.