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Grant Imahara, a big part of the "MythBusters" team, has died ... from a brain aneurysm.

The beloved host of Discovery's hit series, and brilliant electrical engineer, died suddenly Monday from the aneurysm ... rattling his family, close friends and longtime coworkers.

A Discovery rep tells TMZ, "We are heartbroken to hear this sad news about Grant. He was an important part of our Discovery family and a really wonderful man. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family."

As fans of the show know, Grant was a roboticist by training and joined the show in its third season. He left in 2014, but reunited with cohosts Tory Belleci and Kari Byron for the short-lived Netflix series, "White Rabbit Project."

Before becoming a TV star himself, Grant worked behind the scenes for 9 years at LucasFilm. He cranked out inventions for the THX and Industrial Light and Magic divisions that showed up in some of the biggest sci-fi films of all time.

His animatronic creations were featured in the 'Star Wars' prequels. Grant didn't just work for George Lucas, though ... he was a legit fan of the films and the characters. He was one of very few people in the world qualified to operate R2-D2, btw. How cool is that??!!

Adam Savage, a former "MythBusters" host, who also worked with Grant at ILM ... said he was a "brilliant engineer, artist and performer."

Imahara also worked on 2 of the 'Matrix' movies, "Galaxy Quest," "The Lost World: Jurassic Park," "A.I. Artificial Intelligence" and 'Terminator 3.'

Grant was 49.

Kanye West has a snowball's chance in hell to win the presidency, because his first poll numbers suck ... but he could definitely play spoiler -- question is, for whom?

Redfield & Wilton Strategies -- a consulting firm that does polling and market research -- released results from a poll it did last week ... and when Ye's included as one of the candidates, he only clocked in at 2%. That's out of 2,000 people polled.

Granted, the other third-party candidates from the Libertarian and Green Parties aren't polling much higher than he was either -- both also hit the 2% and 1% each, respectively.

Now, here's the really interesting thing -- while you'd think the rapper and producer getting in the race might hurt Joe Biden (that's how Chance the Rapper and others see it) ... it didn't. In fact, it actually hurt Trump!

According to R&WS, the sitting Prez got dinged, going from 40% to 39% when Kanye is factored into the race. Biden stays firmly in the lead in either scenario, sitting pretty at 48%.

The prevailing thought is Kanye would splinter the Democratic vote -- especially young and black voters -- and possibly sabotage Biden in the process.

Some of Joe Exotic's most prized possessions, like his crown and penis pump, are now in Zak Bagans' hands ... and the 'Tiger King' memorabilia is heading to a haunted museum.

Zak was at the original 'Tiger King' zoo, now owned by Jeff Lowe, over the weekend to film an episode of his show, "Ghost Adventures," and he left with a treasure trove of Joe's old things -- a gift from Jeff.

Some of the items in Zak's hilarious -- and possibly haunted -- haul include Joe's infamous jeweled crown, pill bottles, flashy clothing, wedding trinkets, penis pump and Travis Maldonado's glass pipe.

Zak's also heading back to Sin City with the park's original 'Exotic Animal Park' signage, complete with some super cool tiger imagery, and a section of an art mural wall featuring a bullet hole from Travis' suicide.

The memorabilia is the centerpiece of an upcoming 'Tiger King' exhibit at Zak's Haunted Museum in Las Vegas ... and an October "Ghost Adventures" episode will feature ZB's eventful trip to Joe's stomping grounds, which included cadaver dogs searching for human remains.

In the meantime, click through the gallery to see what Joe left behind for Zak.

Tory Lanez got busted after an alleged argument outside a house party led to cops finding a gun in his car, and Megan Thee Stallion was there too ... this according to law enforcement.

We've learned police got a call of a disturbance outside a Hollywood Hills residence around 4:30 AM Sunday. When officers arrived, we're told witnesses reported people were arguing in an SUV before someone fired shots in the air ... and the vehicle took off.

Our law enforcement sources say cops got a description of the SUV and located it shortly afterward, and found the rappers inside along with another woman.

We're told Meg had a cut on her foot believed to be from broken glass on the floor of the vehicle, and when cops searched it ... they found a gun.

Our sources say Lanez was taken to jail and booked for carrying a concealed weapon in a vehicle ... a felony.

It's interesting ... earlier on Saturday night, Megan and Tory appeared together on her Instagram Live with Kylie Jenner -- at what appears to be a pool party at Kylie's Holmby Hills pad.

The reported gunshots were allegedly fired several miles away in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood.

Before this plaid pipsqueak was a Hollywood heartthrob starring in movies and television, he was just another cool kid with a popped collar growing up in Toronto, Canada.

This slicked-back hair sweetie got his acting start on family-friendly sitcoms like "Life With Derek" and "True Jackson, VP" ... but now, he doesn't shy away from the big screen. In one high school-set rom-com, he scored on-screens kisses with both Bella Thorne and Mae Whitman.

His most recent Amazon Prime sci-fi, created by Greg Daniels, has gained a lot of popularity as well.

A Pennsylvania city is the latest to deal with the outrage over cops holding a man down with a knee to the neck ... and the incident was captured on video, quite by accident.

A man was driving on a street in Allentown Saturday afternoon when he saw cops trying to subdue a man. A few seconds into the video you see an officer in the same position that killed George Floyd and others.

The man recording the incident says what he's watching makes it clear ... black lives don't matter to these cops.

Famed Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump was among the outraged, saying, "Allentown Police held down this man's face to the pavement and then one of its officers placed their knee on his neck!! This happened yesterday and is exactly what led to #GeorgeFloyd's death.  We need this officers name and bade# NOW #ICantBreathe."

The police dept. recently banned the use of chokeholds and other neck restraints, so at the very least this would seem to violate department policy.

Protests erupted in the area -- organized by Black Lives Matter -- once the video was posted on social media. The Mayor and Police Chief showed up to keep the peace.

It's unclear why police were trying to subdue the man. Police have not released any details, including the man's condition.

Naya Rivera's body has been recovered from Lake Piru ... TMZ has learned.

Ventura County officials said Monday that a body had been found at the lake, and our law enforcement sources have confirmed it is, in fact, her. A press conference sharing the news publicly is forthcoming.

As we reported ... Naya and her 4-year-old son, Josey Hollis Dorsey, were swimming in Lake Piru when something terrible happened Wednesday. Josey got back in the boat and when authorities arrived for a check, he told them he and his mom were swimming and he didn't know what happened to her.

Naya made a name for herself as a child actress and model, who appeared in various national TV commercials. She landed the role of Hillary Winston on "The Royal Family" at just 4 years old. She received a nomination for a Young Artist Award.

Naya's big break came in 2009 when she landed the role of Santana Lopez on the FOX hit series, "Glee." She was a talented singer ... signing with Columbia Records in 2011. That same year ... she was part of the "Glee" ensemble nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "Don't Stop Believin'."

In 2013, she released a single, "Sorry," featuring Big Sean, whom she dated and was briefly engaged to in 2013, before ending the relationship in 2014.

Naya later dated Josey's father, actor Ryan Dorsey, marrying him in Cabo San Lucas in July 2014. They divorced in 2018 and had been sharing custody of Josey.

She was also no stranger to the big screen ... making her debut in 2014 in the horror film "At the Devil's Door." She also appeared on Lifetime's "Devious Maids."

Last time we saw her was in October 2018 at LAX, ... where we talked to her about doing her own lobbying for a part in Steven Spielberg's flick, "West Side Story."

Naya is survived by her son. She was 33.

RIP

Bryshere Gray -- famous for playing Hakeem Lyon on "Empire" -- has been busted in Arizona for domestic violence.

We've learned Bryshere was arrested early Monday morning in Goodyear, just outside Phoenix, after a standoff with a SWAT team and crisis negotiators, and he allegedly beat the hell outta his wife ... according to cops.

Goodyear PD says officers responded to a call to assist a woman at 10:15 PM Sunday night at a Circle K. Police and say the woman flagged down a good Samaritan for help and claimed her husband, Bryshere, assaulted her for several hours at their home.

Police say Bryshere's wife had numerous visible injuries on her body, and cops say she claimed Bryshere strangled her and she temporarily lost consciousness during the alleged assault.

While Bryshere's wife was being taken to a nearby hospital, cops say they went to the couple's home to try to contact the actor, but police say he refused to leave the home and barricaded himself inside.

After a SWAT team and crisis negotiators arrived, cops say the standoff finally ended around 7 AM when Bryshere surrendered to officers in front of his home.

Bryshere was taken into custody and booked into the Maricopa County Jail on 3 charges -- felony aggravated assault (strangulation), misdemeanor assault (domestic violence), and misdemeanor disorderly conduct.

Bryshere's wife was treated for her injuries and released from the hospital, according to police.

The 2 men and 2 teens who allegedly killed Pop Smoke have been slapped with murder charges, and while the death penalty is in play ... prosecutors haven't decided yet to seek it.

The L.A. County District Attorney's Office announced criminal charges against 19-year-old Corey Walker and 18-year-old Keandre Rodgers, who were each charged with murder with special circumstance allegations that the killing went down during the commission of a robbery and burglary.

With the special circumstances, the death penalty is on the table. The D.A.'s Office adds that gang and gun allegations were made in their complaint as well.

On top of those two, a separate pair of teenagers -- the youngest being 15 and the oldest 17 -- were also charged with one count of murder and robbery in juvenile court. Their names weren't released, as they're still minors.

We broke the story ... Pop Smoke was shot and killed back in February by 4 masked gunmen after what appeared to be a home invasion robbery at his home Hollywood Hills home.

Even though the D.A.'s Office says they haven't decided on whether to pursue capital punishment yet, both adult men face still face life in prison if convicted.

Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez didn't just walk away after their first attempt to buy the NY Mets fell flat -- they came back with a squad of rich NFL and NBA players ... and now they're back in the game!

The power couple recruited a dream team of current and former NFL ballers to join their investment group to make a 2nd run at the MLB franchise ... with names like Travis Kelce, Brian Urlacher, Joe Thomas, and DeMarco Murray.

There are two NBA stars in the group as well -- Washington Wizards beast Bradley Beal and Denver Nuggets center Mason Plumlee.

Remember, J Lo and A-Rod had previously tried to buy the Mets for around $1.5 billion -- but it didn't exactly work out since the Wilpon family (which owns the team) was hoping to get around $2.5 billion.

Now, J-Rod's group is back with a larger bid -- $1.7 billion, according to ESPN ... and they're reportedly in the mix.

Hedge fund billionaire Steve Cohen is the front-runner to buy the team -- he's loaded and has already made a $2 billion bid, according to the NY Post.

But, there's still time for J-Rod's group to come back with a larger bid -- and ESPN says the Wilpons would prefer to sell to Lopez and Rodriguez if they can come closer to the top bid.

NFL Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher is stoked about the possibility of becoming an owner -- telling ESPN, "It's pretty cool."

"It's especially cool to be involved with Alex. Alex is the man. You've got Kelce, Joe Thomas, DeMarco Murray. It's great to be in a group with them."

Kelce -- K.C. Chiefs superstar tight end -- also weighed in ... saying it's a "crazy opportunity."

"I had a chance to meet Alex Rodriguez a couple years ago and just told him how much of a fan I was as a kid of him. I'm very thankful for the success that I've had in the NFL, to have an opportunity like this come across the table. I couldn't think of a more unique set of people to be in charge of this."

As we previously reported Alex and Jennifer see tremendous potential for the Mets -- with sources telling us he feels the organization has been "so mismanaged" over the years, there is nothing but upside if he can right the ship.

The big question ... can the dream team of investors ultimately compete with a single motivated billionaire?

CNN's Bakari Sellers says bias in the health care system forced his family to make a critical decision -- one he believes helped save his wife's life hours after she had their twins.

Bakari joined "TMZ Live" on Monday and talked about why they chose black doctors instead of white ones when he and his wife, Ellen, were expecting. It's a fascinating story from his new book 'My Vanishing Country.'

The former South Carolina state legislator didn't mince words ... saying, "the pain that black folk go through is not looked at with the same urgency as white folk in this country." Case in point ... the day his twins, Stokely and Sadie, were born in January 2019. A mere 5 hours after Ellen gave birth, she passed out after hemorrhaging 7 units of blood.

Check out the video ... Bakari says it's a known fact black women are 3 times more likely to die during childbirth than white women.

In his book, he explains the thought that Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam was a physician -- who infamously wore blackface while in medical school -- gave him pause about the kind of bias that exists, even in medicine.

A passenger on an Alaska Airlines flight threatened to kill everyone onboard in the name of Jesus ... and the horrifying outburst was caught on camera.

The in-flight incident went down Saturday night on a flight from Seattle to Chicago, with an unruly passenger walking the aisle and screaming, "I'm going to kill everybody on this plane. Die in the name of Jesus!!!"

Fortunately, flight crew and 2 other passengers swiftly subdued the man after his outburst and no one was injured. It's unclear what led to the threat -- but you can see the fear on other passengers' faces as the man yelled.

The incident played out about 20 minutes into the flight, and the plane was forced to turn around for an emergency landing back at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Once back on the ground, Port of Seattle Police took the man into custody and he was booked into King County Jail for harassment.

Kelly Preston's quiet battle with breast cancer has ended -- the actress died Sunday ... according to a family rep.

The rep said John Travolta's wife of nearly 29 years was diagnosed with cancer about 2 years ago, but chose not to reveal that to the public. The rep told People, "Choosing to keep her fight private, she had been undergoing medical treatment for some time, supported by her closest family and friends."

Kelly is probably best known for her role in "Jerry Maguire" as Jerry's girlfriend, Avery Bishop, who he dumps -- but not before she gave him a few body shots.

She also starred opposite Kevin Costner in "For Love of the Game" and had roles in "The Cat in the Hat," "Battlefield Earth" and "What a Girl Wants."

Kelly and John met in 1987 on the set of the film, "The Experts" and eventually got married in 1991. Her last film was "Gotti" in 2018 ... when John played the mob boss and she played his wife, Victoria Gotti.

John and Kelly had 3 kids together ... Jett, Ella Blue and Benjamin. Jett, who had autism, died in 2009 after suffering a seizure.

The family rep added, "She was a bright, beautiful and loving soul who cared deeply about others and who brought life to everything she touched."

Kelly was 57.

RIP