The home of Ron Ely, who played Tarzan on TV, is a crime scene after his wife was murdered there ... and police shot and killed the suspect, who might be related to the actor.

Santa Barbara Sheriff's deputies responded Tuesday night to a domestic disturbance at Ron's Hope Ranch property, and found an elderly woman dead inside with stab wounds. TMZ has obtained police dispatch audio where a first responder describes an "elderly gentleman" on scene saying his son was somehow involved in the incident.

Law enforcement sources tell us the victim is Ron's wife of 35 years, Valerie Lundeen.

Ron himself was unharmed, but responding deputies searched the premises and found the male suspect, who the Sheriff's Dept. says "presented a threat."

Several deputies opened fire and killed him. The Sheriff isn't confirming the suspect's identity ... or what his relationship was with Ron and his wife.

Ron played "Tarzan" on the 1960s TV series, and had several other appearances on other hit shows. He married Valerie (a former Miss Florida) in 1984. They had 3 children together.

Valerie was 62.

Ex-NFL running back Cedric Benson had THC in his system during his fatal motorcycle crash on August 17, this according to the autopsy report obtained by TMZ Sports.

The 36-year-old running back was driving his BMW motorcycle with a female passenger in Austin, Texas around 10:20 PM when he slammed into a minivan that was trying to make a left turn across his lane of traffic. Both Benson and his passenger, Aamna Najam, passed away.

The Travis Country Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy on Benson and determined he died from blunt force injuries combined with severe burn injuries from the ensuing fire.

According to the report, Benson suffered burns to the majority of his body -- including his face, neck, torso, arms, hands, thighs, etc.

Benson also suffered several broken bones in the crash including a rib, a fractured pelvis, multiple abrasions and lacerations and severe injuries to his hands and wrists.

The report says witnesses called 911 and desperately tried to put out the flames on Benson's body with clothes and a fire extinguisher.

Benson was initially responsive when paramedics arrived, but ultimately died on scene.

As for the toxicology report, Benson tested positive for THC -- 42 ng/mL.

Benson also tested positive for a small amount of alcohol in his system but we're told the number is more consistent with ethanol produced by the body during decomposition than alcohol consumed that night. In other words, officials do NOT believe he was drunk.

The presence of THC could open the door for a possible lawsuit against Benson's estate if Najam's family wants to pursue a wrongful death claim.

Benson was an incredible athlete -- he racked up more than 5,500 yards at the University of Texas and won the Doak Walker Award (top running back in the country) his senior year.

He signed a rookie deal with the Chicago Bears -- 5 years, $35 mil -- and was a key part of Chicago's 2006 NFC Championship team.

Two members of Machine Gun Kelly's crew got busted in connection with that infamous 2018 beatdown -- captured on surveillance cam -- of actor Gabriel "G-Rod" Rodriguez.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Brandon Allen and John Cappelletty were arrested Tuesday by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office and charged with misdemeanor battery causing substantial physical harm. They were released after each posted $2,000 bond.

TMZ broke the story ... MGK's crew unleashed a can, or 2 or 3, of whoop-ass on G-Rod in the lobby of a Hampton Inn back in September 2018. In the video ... it looks like Allen and Cappelletty, who is MGK's drummer, punch, kick and stomp on G-Rod shortly after another monstrous crew member body slammed the actor.

As we first reported ... G-Rod sued MGK in June claiming the rapper ordered his crew to attack him. G-Rod also sued the hotel for negligence.

Milla Jovovich's stuntwoman in the last 'Resident Evil' movie lost her arm while shooting a scene, but the film company says investigators determined she has no one to blame but herself.

Olivia Jackson is suing director Paul W.S. Anderson, the production company and others associated with the 2016 flick, "Resident Evil: The Final Chapter," after getting brutally injured in a motorcycle stunt while filming in South Africa.

In her suit, Jackson says the stunt called for her to ride toward an oncoming vehicle with a camera attached to a mechanical arm. She says the arm was supposed to lift up at the last second, but that didn't happen ... and the equipment ended up slicing her arm and shattering the bone.

Eventually, it had to be amputated, and Jackson says she was in a coma for 2 weeks.

In new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the production company -- Impact Pictures -- fires back, saying Jackson rehearsed the stunt twice before a final run-through, and she was given every opportunity to speak up if she was uncomfortable with anything. Impact says she did not.

IP also cites a report issued by a South African insurer which says Jackson was riding the motorcycle faster than rehearsal, and she could have avoided the collision with "a mere throttle-off or use of the excellent brakes." The company says it has footage to prove it.

Jackson blamed it on Paul and co. alleging their insurance policy wasn't up to snuff to cover her injuries. She also claims, in docs, the stunt was carelessly planned and last-minute tweaks -- including start times -- made it unsafe.

Shawn Stockman is giving Gina Rodriguez a pass for singing the n-word ... he says it's totally fine because her parents are Puerto Rican, and Latinos are black.

We got the Boyz II Men singer Wednesday at LAX and asked him to weigh-in on the backlash Gina's getting after saying "n***a" while singing along to The Fugees on social media.

Shawn says he's not offended by Gina's use of the word, and he goes one step further ... saying people of Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican and Mexican descent can say "n***a" because they're all different shades of black.

Gina quickly apologized after her social media post went viral, saying sorry for offending anyone and explaining her connection to Lauryn Hill and The Fugees. But, Shawn thinks Gina has absolutely nothing to apologize for.

Felicity Huffman won't even spend a full two weeks behind bars despite her 14-day prison sentence ... TMZ has learned.

Felicity will only spend 13 days behind bars. That's because when she was initially arrested at her home, taken in and booked, that counts as one day toward completing her sentence ... even though she was only in custody for a few hours.

So, she entered FCI Dublin Tuesday, October 15, and Federal Bureau of Prisons officials tell us she'll be out October 27. Do the math, and use your hands if you must -- 13 days.

This must be especially galling for prosecutors, because as we reported they initially wanted Felicity to serve a year behind bars -- although they never said that publicly. When they did get around to a public proclamation, they said they wanted 4 months, but when they realized the probation dept. wasn't supporting that, they reduced it to 1 month and only got half that.

Pete Buttigieg is nipping at the heels of Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren when it comes to campaign donations -- thanks, in no small part, to Mayor Pete's strong celebrity backing.

We combed through 2019 Federal Election Commission filings to find which celebs keep cutting checks for Pete, Bernie and Liz ... and Buttigieg has the upper hand.

Alyssa Milano is leading the way for Mayor Pete after throwing down $3,050 this past quarter ... while Michael J. Fox, Jennifer Garner and David Hyde Pierce all plunked down $2,800.

Zachary Woods is right behind with his $2,500 donation ... and Pete got $1,500 from both Anthony Rapp and Emmy Rossum, plus $1,000 each from Ben Platt, George Takei and Christine Taylor.

Josh Holloway's wife, Yessica, chipped in $3,000 ... while Thomas Lennon contributed a little under $900, Cherry Jones and Meredith Baker added $200 and Harvey Fierstein gave $100.

All told, including non-celebrities, Mayor Pete's campaign raised north of $19 MILLION in the 3rd quarter, and only Sanders ($25.2 mil) and Warren ($24.6 mil) raked in more among Democrats.

The list isn't as long, but Sanders and Warren are getting some support in Hollywood. Bernie's includes $550 from Mark Ruffalo and $250 from Jason Mraz and Matthew McGorry ... plus $2,500 from Dan Castellaneta, the voice of Homer Simpson.

David Pierce is hedging his political bet, plopping another $2,800 down for Warren ... and she also got $1,000 from Lance Reddick, $500 from Rosie O'Donnell, $284 from Lily Tomlin, $250 from Chelsea Peretti and William Baldwin and $200 from Adam Arkin.

Hundreds of birds launched themselves into the side of the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Tuesday night, killing themselves ... and the surreal scene was all caught on video.

A woman in Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina filmed the chaos ... saying for OVER AN HOUR -- birds continued to kill themselves by running into the building's windows.

According to the Carolina Waterfowl Rescue ... 310 birds total were found at the scene -- with 97 dead on arrival and another nine needing to be euthanized once they got to the shelter.

CWR officials add that 103 more are injured ... while 102 others are expected to survive after initially being stunned.

As for why they slammed themselves into the building ... a CWR spokesperson tells TMZ Sports, "These birds don't normally travel at night so we believe that their roosting area where they sleep was disturbed."

The org is asking for donations to help the injured birds ... calling the situation serious and saying they "desperately" need volunteers to help feed the wounded fowl.

There's no holding back Travis Scott when he's in the mood to go clubbin' ... not even a dislocated knee.

The "SICKO MODE" rapper hit some of the most poppin' clubs in WeHo Tuesday night ... and we got him at almost every stop. Travis made his first stop at The Nice Guy -- where we saw him walking with a severe limp ... hopping into his waiting Bentley.

We also got someone on his team loading Travis' crutches into a separate car. Travis and his crew later headed to Delilah before showing up at Bootsy Bellows. On his way out, Travis needed help from a handler.

Dislocated knees are no joke, but obviously ya gotta keep the party going!

TMZ broke the story ... Travis hit up orthopedic specialist Dr. Neal ElAttrache at L.A.'s Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute where he was diagnosed with a dislocated knee that might require surgery.

Travis injured the knee last weekend while performing at NYC's Rolling Loud Festival ... landing wrong on his leg while jumping. Our sources had said doctors want to wait another day or two before conclusively deciding if surgery's needed.

Travis' night on the town might not be doctor's orders, but it was working for him!

Food Network star and celebrity chef Carl Ruiz died from a hardening of his arteries ... TMZ has learned.

A spokesperson for the Maryland Department of Health tells TMZ ... Ruiz died after succumbing to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease -- typically a buildup of fats, cholesterol and other substances in arteries which restricts blood flow.

The finding confirms the suspicions of Carl's family ... that he died of a heart attack.

The Dept. of Health also lists his death as natural, which just means there was no foul play.

As we reported ... Ruiz died in his sleep last month at just 44 years old. His death shook the food community ... with several chefs reacting publicly to the loss. Guy Fieri said he was heartbroken.

Todd Chrisley thinks his daughter sold him down to the river to a Georgia tax official -- but she's calling BS ... saying the only reason they talked was to run interference for her child.

Sources close to Lindsie Chrisley tell TMZ ... her father is dead wrong by assuming she gave up dirt on him and the family to Joshua Waites -- the Director of the Georgia Dept. of Revenue's Office of Special Investigation, whom Todd is now suing.

We're told that, contrary to Todd's claims, Lindsie was only in communication with Josh to protect her 6-year-old son, Jackson, from seeing the ugliness of it all.

Case in point ... we're told Todd got served legal papers at his home back in 2017 while Lindsie and Jackson were both there, and she was uncomfortable having the kid around that scene. Therefore, we're told she stayed in touch with Josh for updates on when he and the Dept. would be coming around ... in order to keep the boy away.

In fact, our sources tell us that Lindsie is adamant ... she never EVEN met the guy in person.

That's basically it ... according to Lindsie's side, anyway. Of course, Todd and co. think something way more nefarious was going on between his daughter and the tax chief ... claiming they teamed up in an attempt to smear him and the Chrisleys in the media.

From Lindsie's POV ... we're told the fact that nothing came from the state tax case against Todd should prove in and of itself that she wasn't giving up the goods.

Unfortunately, her dad clearly isn't buying it ... and, apparently, even confronted Lindsie over this alleged conspiracy back in July -- which will be detailed later this week on "Dr. Phil."

HE'S STILL GOT IT!!!

He hasn't fought in almost 15 years, but 53-year-old Mike Tyson can still hit like a Mack Truck ... and here's the video to prove it!!

Mike was hosting a bunch of UFC stars at Tyson Ranch earlier this month -- including Ottman Azaitar, a rising MMA star from Morocco.

During the meeting, Ottman and Tyson were talking about striking -- specifically a stick-and-move technique, when Mike decided it was time for the jacket to come off and the guns to come out.

Ya gotta watch the speed, power, footwork and movement ... it's still pretty damn impressive -- especially considering Mike has said he's stopped training, boxing, lifting weights etc. because it reminds him of the days when he was a monster.

But, maybe he's turning a corner ... and possibly thinking about coaching??

Of course, "Iron" Mike Tyson was 50-6 as a pro boxer -- with legendary victories over guys like Larry Holmes, Michael Spinks, Frank Bruno and Trevor Berbick.

Lauren London has just gotten a judge's approval to manage her son's finances with an eye toward the 3-year-old inheriting half of his dad's estate ... and he's poised to get a cool mil.

London was in court Tuesday to get a guardianship over 3-year-old son, Kross's estate. It's a little misleading because an estate is created when someone dies, but this case is different.  Lauren is the go-to person who will handle the financials that could set Kross up for life.

It's worth noting, there was never a dispute between Lauren and Nipsey's family when it came to Kross.

Things haven't been so smooth with Nipsey's other baby mama, Tanisha Foster, who battled with Nipsey's brother and sister over the care of Nip's 10-year-old daughter, Emani. The girl is expected to inherit the other half of Nipsey's estate. It appears there's at least 2 million on the line because the docs say Kross is expected to pocket a million bucks.

Nipsey was killed outside his clothing store in Los Angeles earlier this year. During his memorial, Lauren took the stage with both Kross and Emani to say a few words.

Nipsey's alleged killer, Eric Holder, was charged with murder, two counts of attempted murder and one count of possession of a firearm. He is currently awaiting trial.

Kim Jong-un might be on the verge of some major policy shifts, 'cause he just Paul Revere'd his ass to a snowy mountain ... where he traditionally likes to sit and think.

The Supreme Leader/dictator released some interesting photos this week, showing himself galloping on a gorgeous white stallion through the snowy grounds surrounding Paektu Mountain -- an active stratovolcano on the Chinese-North Korean border.

The mountain is said to be a sacred getaway, with tons of symbolism and mythical history to a lot of Koreans. For this guy specifically, Kim has previously visited Paektu before major decisions for his country ... so a recent visit could mean he's up to something.

Of course, the horseback outing is hilariously similar to Russian President Vladimir Putin's ride through the mountains of Siberia in 2009 ... when he famously went shirtless.

Kim wasn't so bold here ... keeping his shirt (and winter coat) on as he was made to look heroic in a photo shoot for the ages, with the help of trusty state photogs, who were obviously following nearby. N. Korea's version of a setup paparazzi shot, if you will.

Speaking of blind propaganda, the state media described Kim's eyes as "full of noble glitters" during the journey. In reality, they were probably full of cold wind and eye boogers.