EXCLUSIVE: Brandon Lee Was Terrified of 'Ancient' Family Death 'Curse' Before He Was Killed in Tragic on-Set Accident 33 Years Ago — 'He Said He Would Never Live to See 30'
Brandon Lee died at 28 years old.
March 31 2026, Updated 7:41 p.m. ET
33 years ago, Bruce Lee's son, Brandon, was tragically killed in a bizarre on-set accident while filming The Crow.
Prior to his death, the young actor believed his family had been cursed and was constantly plagued with thoughts of dying young, RadarOnline.com can exclusively reveal.
Family Death Curse
Brandon Lee reportedly believed the men in his family had been 'cursed' in the past.
Eliza Hutton, Brandon's former fiancée, told a friend many years ago that he firmly believed all the "males in his family had been cursed because his grandfather angered some Chinese merchants."
"They had their revenge by hiring a mystic," the pal added at the time. "Hе placed an ancient curse that would bring death, destruction and unhappiness."
His belief was so strong that he reportedly told Hutton that he would "never live to see 30" and urged her to "get married and start a family" with him in the near future.
"Brandon would wake up sweating at night," the friend recalled Hutton telling them. "He'd say: 'Time's running out, I'm going to die young just like Dad. I seе this gun in my dream. Then I feel a bullet ripping through my guts... and I'm gone.'"
Hutton was set to tie the knot with the Legacy of Rage star just after he finished shooting Alex Proyas' action fantasy The Crow, which follows Eric Draven (Lee), a musician who is murdered only one day before his wedding and comes back to life to exact revenge on his killers.
Tragically, much like Draven, Brandon also never made it to his wedding day.
Inside Brandon Lee's Death
Brandon Lee died in an accidental on-set shooting while filming 'The Crow'.
On March 31, 1993, Brandon died at 28 years old after his co-star Michael Massee fired a prop gun in his direction on set. While the weapon was loaded with blanks, he was reportedly hit with a bullet fragment after gunpowder ignited in the cartridge.
He was buried on April 3, 1993, at the Lake View Cemetery in Seattle, Washington, next to his father, who passed away decades earlier in 1973.
"Brandon told me he always felt he would die an early death," the actor's grieving mom told a source after his heartbreaking passing. "Bruce was always on Brandon's mind and he often wondered if all the talk about a curse was really true. After this I can't say there isn't something to it."
Bad Luck on 'The Crow' Set
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The Crow's production was rumored to be plagued with accidents.
The Crow has long been rumored to be cursed after repeated accidents occurred both on and off set. From fires and car accidents to an accidental electrocution, disruptions supposedly haunted production.
According to an insider, Brandon's death wasn't the first time there was an issue with a prop weapon.
"About three weeks before Brandon died, one actor, just before the cameras were set to roll, checked his gun and found a live bullet," the insider shared. "The guy was badly shaken."
