Why do some people care about the death of celebrities they never personally knew?

I've moved on.

If it is a celebrity who through their artistry or talent had an impact on my life then I care.  If not, then meh...moving on.

I have felt a bit of sadness when certain celebs died.  It's been few and far between though.  I think for entertainers like Whitney Houston, I'm old enough to remember her when she was young and a member of a family of great musicians.  Those families gave us gifts of their God-given talents.  I felt sad when she died.  I felt sad today when I heard of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant.  I mostly felt sad knowing that his daughter's last conscious thoughts were terror, as were his.  It's unspeakable, my idea of what it might have been like...for all aboard that doomed chopper.   

I am terrified of flying...hate it.    

People feel the loss of others they look up to, role models and high achievers (dare I say heroes) whose accomplishments or persona are particularly inspiring to them. They can seem larger than life. I submit (the now late) Kobe Bryant was among this level of luminaries. It’s part and parcel of being a fan. It isn’t necessary for a fan to actually meet the celeb to feel a connection to them. 

The most sincere fans become familiar with the careers, the ebb and flow of the lives of celebrities they admire, over numbers of years, cheer them on, perhaps even living vicariously through them. They are icons who become part of the fabric of their lives; sometimes even to a point of unhealthy obsession. The demise of such a deeply respected individual can be a relatively personal affair. 

In confiding your difficulty with this type of empathy, it must be said that effectively describing the aspects of empathy -in print- to one so challenged, is akin to conveying a Mozart concerto in print to the hearing impaired.
But I gave it a shot. Hope that helps. 

This post was edited by Don Barzini at January 26, 2020 9:05 PM MST

Kobe Bryant's death matters to me though I didn't follow his career and never met him.  
His fine example as a father and husband is greatly needed in this world.  Young people emulate sports figures because they admire them.  Mr. Bryant was a good example for kids to follow.  His wife and kids look truly happy and supported.  The picture below is very telling.  The smiles come from an inner glow, not just a smile for the camera type of smile.  You can tell they were loved and cared for.  
Anyone who is loved like that has an uncommon calmness about them, a security that is missing in a lot of lives.  He had the heart and means to unite his family and set an example to the rest of the world.  The world was a better place because he was in it.  His death matters to everyone really. 

My friend is constantly sending me texts when someone who graduated our high school dies.  
Not just people from our graduation class, but anyone.
She also knows I don't care about sports.  But I do recognize some names.
So this is how the text conversation went, when she texted me Kobe Bryant died:

Her: "Did you hear Kobe Bryant died?  I'm sooooooooo sad."
Me: "Who?  Did we go to school with her?"
Her: "He played with the Lakers.  Geez."
Me: "I don't follow Curling.  Or is that Hockey?"
Her: "Turn in your man card."



Why do people make a bigger thing out of Kobe dying, than the other 12 people in the crash?
Because he's a celebrity, and they don't have anything better to do.

For a celebrity still producing "material", fans are mourning the loss of what might have been, in terms of future performances, material, products, etc. That would be disappointment for themselves, and for the world, maybe. I've felt that when an author I admire and enjoy died.
I have actually thought about this very thing you're asking here, with the extreme outpouring of grief at the loss of celebrities you have no relationship with. It becomes an instant fad and yeah... social media, tweeting, posting, #RIP, etc. I guess it gives people something to think about and relate to one another about. 

For me, I immediately think about the person's loved ones, whether a celebrity or not, and I feel empathy for them, for the suffering they are enduring and will endure. I feel sadness for them. 

I can understand you not feeling sadness at the loss of people you were close to, if you had unhealthy relationships with them, or unresolved trauma, etc. Otherwise, I would agree that it's unusual to not feel sadness or mourn the loss of people you are actually close to. But people experience emotions differently, and are bothered and unbothered by different things. 

If it's someone I looked up to and admired, I feel a sense of loss - particularly if they die quite young from something that isn't necessarily their fault. Cricketing wizard Shane Warne was my age when he suffered a fatal heart attack.

I agree. What also gets me is the recency bias with it. Toward the end of almost every year, people in the media say it's been one of worst ever for the loss of famous people. However, a number of famous people die every yea. They're just remembering the most recent.