Saying goodbye to a familiar face is never easy, and 2018 was no exception. Before we turn the page to 2019, it's important to look back at the famous people we lost in 2018, and their last messages posted on social media.

These social media posts are not celebrities' official last words, but the posts might encapsulate their great spirits and legacies, show their little-known interests and personalities, as well as give snapshots into the final moments of the deceased.

Offering a platform for paying tribute

Although the last social media posts are not the most important things the celebrities left behind, sometimes they can be the most heartrending, heartfelt and heartwarming. 

Dolores O'Riordan, who gained international fame in the 1990s as the lead singer of the Irish band the Cranberries, was found dead in London on January 15.  Devastated fans of the 46-year-old rock legend were left heartbroken by her last tweet posted on January 3, saying she was heading home to Ireland. O'Riordan's final tweet was soon flooded with commemorative comments from fans and Twitter users.

In his last social media post on February 1, Li Ao, the renowned writer and political commentator promoted his newly published autobiography. When the news came that Li died from brain cancer on March 18, tens of thousands of fans and readers left comments under Li's last post, with quotes and portraits from his autobiography. 

The last post from the Marvel Comics creator Stan Lee's official Twitter account was posted on November 11, just a day before he died at the age of 95. The tweet posted on Stan's behalf read: "Thank you to all of America's veterans for your service. Fun fact: Stan's official US Army title during WW2 was ‘Playwright.' # VeteransDay." Alongside the tweet was a black and white picture of Stan in his army uniform. Fans replied to the post with memes and emojis created on the basis of Lee's masterpieces, so as to pay respects and honor the comic legend. 

Whether these deceased celebrities' last social media posts were promoting upcoming shows or latest works, sending love to friends and family members or delivering heartfelt messages, they're the last words fans will ever get to read. These haunting last posts also offer fans a platform to commemorate and pay tribute to the idols they adored. 

Sounding the alarm for mental health problems

The spotlight is always on the fame, glitzy life and incredible experiences of the celebrities. What people fail to realize is the burden that fame takes on them, such as the hectic schedules, constant threats from paparazzi，and also mental trauma. Several celebrity suicides that happened this year have brought the focus of the public eye toward mental health issues. 

Swedish artist, DJ, and producer Tim Bergling, aka Avicii, 28, took his own life at a hotel in Oman on April 20, shocking fans and music enthusiasts worldwide. 

August saw two high-profile suicides happen within four days of each other. Canadian model and artist Rick Genest, 33, who was well known for his skull-like face tattoos and dubbed "Zombie Boy", was found dead at his home in Montreal, Canada on August 1 after an apparent suicide. Ellen Joyce Loo, the 32-year-old singer and songwriter committed suicide by jumping off her Hong Kong apartment building on August 5. 

Avicii and Genest were revealed that they had long suffered from mental health problems, while Loo was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2013. But in their last social media posts, we didn't see the dark side of their lives.

Avicii shared the picture of "sunny California", Genest made jokes about stonewalls, and Loo posted her selfie, saying to "do something great". However, the contrast between the positive social media posts and tragic death may expose their struggle with mental anguish and sound a warning to the silent but deadly killer—mental health problems.