7/13/2010 12:15 AM PDT by TMZ Staff
TMZ has learned Michael Jackson's tomb has been defaced by a stealth band of vandals -- who have marked the walls of MJ's mausoleum with hidden messages ... and it's all in permanent ink.
Security at Forest Lawn in Glendale, CA is on the lookout for "fans" who have been writing messages in hard-to-spot places outside the main window of the building in which MJ is entombed.
The writing is mostly hidden underneath ledges -- or in spots covered by bushes -- and contains messages like, "Miss you" and "Keep the dream alive."
Reps at Forest Lawn are pretty ticked off -- telling TMZ, "Activity such as this, is a prime example why we are evaluating the level of access to the various entrances of the Great Mausoleum."
Forest Lawn also tells us that anyone caught vandalizing the cemetery will be banned for life.
UPDATE 07/16/10 -- according to sources at Forest Lawn, the graffiti has successfully been removed.
Filed under: Michael Jackson, R.I.P.
7/13/2010 6:38 AM PDT by TMZ Staff
TMZ has confirmed legendary New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner died this morning after suffering a "massive" heart attack.
According to multiple reports, Steinbrenner -- who turned 80-years old on July 4th -- was rushed to St. Joseph's hospital in Tampa where he was later pronounced dead.
Steinbrenner -- a U.S. Navy veteran -- retired from running the Yankees in 2006 ... leaving his sons Hank and Hal to run the team.
Since Steinbrenner took over the team in 1973, the Yankees locked up 11 pennants and 7 World Series titles.
Among Steinbrenner's many accomplishments -- his famous "grooming policy" ... in which players and coaches are not allowed to sport hair past their collar ... and the only acceptable facial hair is a mustache.
UPDATE: A rep for the Steinbrenner family has released a statement saying, "It is with profound sadness that the family of George M. Steinbrenner III announces his passing. He passed away this morning in Tampa, Fla., at age 80."
The rep adds, "Funeral arrangements will be private. There will be an additional public service with details to be announced at a later date."
Filed under: George Steinbrenner, TMZ Sports, R.I.P.
7/10/2010 8:55 PM PDT by TMZ Staff
Bobby Spillane -- a small-time actor and son of legendary mobster Mickey Spillane -- fell out of a sixth floor window in Manhattan and died today. He was 45.
Foul play is not suspected.
Spillane had guest roles on "Law & Order" and "Rescue Me" and wrote an Off-Broadway play called "All Dolled Up" about a real-life cross-dressing gangster.
His father, Mickey, was gunned down in 1977.
Filed under: Bobby Spillane, R.I.P.
6/21/2010 1:54 PM PDT by TMZ Staff
Slipknot bassist Paul Gray died of an "accidental overdose of morphine" ... this according to investigators.
The Urbandale Police Department has released the toxicology results and final autopsy report, which shows the 38-year-old rock star had morphine in his system when he was found in his hotel room in Iowa on May 24th.
In the report, the Polk County Medical Examiner's Office also noted the presence of significant heart disease.
As we previously reported, the person who discovered Gray's body told the 911 operator that there were hypodermic needles next to Gray's bed.
Filed under: Paul Gray, Music, R.I.P.
6/19/2010 12:15 PM PDT by TMZ Staff
Manute Bol -- best known for being one of the tallest players to ever play in the NBA -- died today, according to various reports.
Bol was hospitalized in Virgina back in May after suffering acute kidney
failure.
Bol played in the NBA from 1985-1994 and was one of the best shot blockers in the league. Bol was extremely involved in charities in his native Sudan -- donating an estimated $3.5 million aid Sudanese refugees.
He was 47.
Filed under: TMZ Sports, Manute Bol, R.I.P.
6/15/2010 8:24 AM PDT by TMZ Staff
A man died this morning after falling through the roof at a New York motorcycle shop owned by "American Chopper" star Paul Teutul Jr. ... law enforcement sources tell TMZ.
We're told the man -- a construction worker not employed by Paul Jr. Designs -- was working on the roof when the accident occurred.
The Orange County Sheriff's Office confirmed that cops are still on scene. We're told someone at the shop called 911 around 8:30 AM to report that someone "fell through the roof."
We're told none of the regular shop employees were inside the building at the time.
Story developing...
Filed under: Paul Teutul, Jr., R.I.P., American Chopper
6/4/2010 7:58 PM PDT by TMZ Staff
John Wooden, the most successful basketball coach in NCAA history, died of natural causes today ... he was 99 years old.
Wooden won 10 national championships at UCLA in the '60s and '70s -- more than earning his legendary nickname, the Wizard of Westwood.
University officials said Wooden died at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center where he had been hospitalized since last week.
Wooden coached future Hall of Fame players like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton -- and his Bruins teams are recognized as one of sport's greatest dynasties. He won 7 NCAA Championships in a row from 1967 to 1973.
The Wizard is in the Hall of Fame as a player and a coach.
Filed under: John Wooden, TMZ Sports, R.I.P.
6/3/2010 8:23 AM PDT by TMZ Staff
Rue McClanahan -- who played Blanche Devereaux on "Golden Girls" -- has died.
Rue's manager, Barbara Lawrence, says the actress passed away at 1 AM this morning at a hospital in New York after she suffered a massive stroke on Monday.
Barbara says Rue's son, sister and nephew were with her at the time.
Rue was 76.
Filed under: Rue McClanahan, R.I.P., Developing Stories
6/2/2010 12:45 AM PDT by TMZ Staff
Michael Jackson had some unexpected company drop by this weekend -- a surprise visit from his close friend Stevie Wonder.
TMZ has confirmed that the singer and three of his children stopped by Michael's tomb at the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, CA this weekend to pay their respects.
According to Stevie's rep, Wonder and his kids had gone to the cemetery to visit Stevie's dearly departed mother -- but Stevie's children insisted they visit MJ too.
Wonder and MJ were famously close -- and at MJ's memorial last year, Stevie told the crowd he often let Michael know how much he loved him ... and was "at peace with that."
Filed under: Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, R.I.P., Budweiser Select 55
6/1/2010 2:16 PM PDT by TMZ Staff
Jorge Garcia -- who played Hurley on "Lost" -- claims the island has taken another life ... and this time it's his precious chihuahua Nunu.
Garcia took to his blog yesterday, saying his dog Nunu had been run over by a car on Sunday -- right before he left for the airport on the island of Oahu ... where they filmed a bunch of stuff for "Lost."
"She died in my arms," Garcia explained ... adding, "We are burying her in the Pet Garden at Valley of the Temples in
Kaneohe. Nunu hated the water so we couldn't bring ourselves to having
her ashes scattered in the ocean."
R.I.P.
Filed under: Jorge Garcia, Lost, R.I.P., Pets
6/1/2010 6:00 AM PDT by TMZ Staff
Ted Koppel's son Andrew has died -- reportedly after a drinking binge in NYC.
The 40-year-old was found unconscious and not breathing in an apartment in Washington Heights early Tuesday morning -- and he was pronounced dead on the scene.
According to the Post, Koppel had been drinking all day with Russell Wimberly, a 32-year old waiter he'd just met.
The two ended up at the apartment of one of Wimberly's friends, where he says he told Koppel to sleep it off.
Wimberly and friend Belinda Caban later discovered Andrew wasn't breathing and called 911.
Andrew was Ted's only son.
Filed under: R.I.P.
