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Richard Donner -- one of the most famed and prolific directors of all time, known for flicks like "Superman," "Lethal Weapon," "The Goonies" and countless others -- has reportedly died.

The legendary filmmaker recently passed away -- this according to his production company, The Donner's Company, who confirmed the news to Variety. No word on when exactly he passed, or under what circumstances -- we've got calls in to his reps to figure it out.

At any rate ... it's a tragic update, as the guy was absolutely beloved in Hollywood -- and rightly so. He's responsible for some of the most iconic films to grace the big screen over the years -- including an incredible run of pictures from the late '70s throughout the '80s.

Donner got his first big directing break with the cult classic horror film "The Omen" (the original one), which catapulted him into stardom and led to his next major studio film, "Superman" (also the original) ... which paved the path for countless other flicks, including 'Goonies,' and ALL of the "Lethal Weapon" movies, starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover.

Other notable film directing credits of his include staple movies, such as "Scrooged," "The Toy," "Maverick," "Ladyhawke," "Assassins," "16 Blocks," "Timeline" and more. His EP credits are even more impressive.

Donner shepherded films like "The Lost Boys," "Free Willy," "X-Men" ... this list goes on. His death is actually quite shocking, and seemingly sudden -- just last year, he announced a desire to direct the 5th installment of "Lethal Weapon," and it seemed that was in the works.

We even congratulated Rich on that news a full year ago, when we ran into him out and about in Hollywood ... and chatted him up about the controversy (at the time) surrounding Amazon's new show, "Hunters," which was catching flak for its portrayal of the holocaust and the fallout that followed. In his mind, he said producers were to blame ... not directors.

At any rate ... very sad to hear. Donner is survived by his wife, Lauren. He was 91.

Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks died Sunday night at the age of 24 after being struck in the chest by a firework at a July 4th celebration, according to local authorities.

Kivlenieks -- who was born in Latvia -- signed with the Blue Jackets in 2019 ... and appeared in 2 games for Columbus this season.

Matiss was at an Independence Day party at a private residence in Novi, Michigan when the deadly accident occurred.

Officials in Michigan say a mortar style firework was inadvertently fired in the direction of a group of people in a hot tub ... striking Kivlenieks.

Rescue workers rushed to the scene around 10 PM and transported Matiss to the hospital ... but doctors were unable to save the goalies life.

Law enforcement is still investigating ... but doesn't believe there was any foul play involved.

"At the moment, we're pretty certain this was a tragic accident," a police spokesperson said.

Authorities originally believed Matiss died of a subsequent slip and fall after the blast ... but on Monday morning, a medical examiner in Michigan said that wasn't true -- clarifying the firework caused the fatal injury.

The Blue Jackets issued a statement on social media, writing ... "It's with a very heavy heart that we share the news that goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks passed away last night at the age of 24."

"We are heartbroken. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers. Rest in peace, Kivi."

The teams General Manager, Jarmo Kekalainen, also weighed in on the horrific loss ... "Life is so precious and can be so fragile. Hug your loved ones today. RIP Matiss, you will be dearly missed."

Hollywood heavyweights rolled through en masse for a 4th of July bash in the Hamptons -- courtesy of Michael Rubin -- and it was a who's who of fame ... and dancing.

The 76ers team owner hosted what might perhaps be the bash of the year Sunday -- a "White Party," where folks are encouraged to dress in all white, and rage til the early morn'. That's exactly what his guests did ... and they didn't pass up the dance floor either.

Check out these pics of the festivities, including who swung by for a good time -- A-listers like Jay-Z, Beyonce, Meek Mill, Travis Scott, James Harden, Yo Gotti, Jon Bon Jovi, J Balvin, Winnie Harlow, Bobby Shmurda and more showed face ... the latter of whom, our sources tell us, talked possibly collab'ing with Mr. Balvin. More to come on that soon, we're sure ...

The entertainment was top-notch, too ... we're told Meg Thee Stallion got on stage in an area of the property that was converted to a club -- plus, Lil Baby and Tinashe grabbed a hold of the mic as well. Even Cactus Jack got in on the fun ... DJ'ing for a bit and then doing an impromptu performance of "The Scotts" with Kid Cudi, who also attended.

And yes, like we mentioned ... these stars were showing off their moves, including JT from the City Girls and her boo, Lil Uzi Vert, who led the charge with a dance-off. Peep this.

LUV went straight up into break-dancing mode ... and the dude can get down! JT was filming him as he did his thing -- and safe to say, those watching were in awe at what they were seeing. Not only is he a good musician, but the guy can break it down like it's nobody's business.

Speaking of dancing ... TikTok star Charli D'Amelio was getting her groove on as well. JT filmed a clip of the 17-year-old grinding with her girlfriends, and she event twerked a bit too.

We don't know if we should crown this guy Dad of the Year, or Gutsiest Dad of the Year ... because he could easily fall into both for this incredible feat with his kid and a baseball.

Check out this insane clip of what seems to be a relatively new father holding his child at the Arizona Diamondbacks game Sunday, where they were in Phoenix facing the visiting SF Giants. Of course, when you go to a live game ... ya gotta look out for those foul balls.

They can come at you fast when coming off a player's bat at the plate ... and that's exactly what happened here for this fella. His instinct was ... catch the damn thing, barehand!

Watch for yourself -- he literally releases the baby that he's holding in his left hand/arm to reach up and snag the ball midair (which he successfully does) ... and an instant later, he swings his arm back down to catch the falling kid (again, he pulls it off somehow).

BTW, we forgot to mention ... Papa Bear here was also carrying a beer in his free hand -- so it's literally like a circus stunt. He spilled a little while making the amazing catch(es), but the suds stayed mostly intact. As freaked as people were, they were equally impressed.

Stephen Dorff came out swinging against Marvel and its latest big screen offering, "Black Widow," as well as its lead star in Scarlett Johansson ... for whom he says he feels sorry.

The veteran actor straight-up bashed ScarJo's newest flick in an interview with the U.K.'s Independent outlet ... saying, in part, "I still hunt out the good shit because I don't want to be in Black Widow. It looks like garbage to me. It looks like a bad video game. I'm embarrassed for those people. I'm embarrassed for Scarlett!" Tell us how you really feel!

Steve went on to add this for good measure ... "I'm sure she got paid five, seven million bucks, but I'm embarrassed for her. I don't want to be in those movies. I really don't. I'll find that kid director that's gonna be the next [Stanley] Kubrick and I'll act for him instead."

SD continued on with his diatribe, expanding the scope to include the film industry at large -- which he characterized as a "big game show" -- but his main gripe seems to be with what he considers selling out to the big studios ... and maintaining some sense of artistic integrity.

That's interesting coming from Steve ... seeing how he's been in superhero movies himself -- including a Marvel fan fave, 'Blade' -- but also another superhero film that many considered "garbage" ... his 2015 appearance in "American Hero," which was like a farce of the genre.

One could argue -- as many online are right now -- that Stephen's other film credits aren't necessarily Kubrick-esque either. He's been in a bunch of films that some might consider bullish and not-that-artsy (aka, B-films) ... including "Felon," "Carjacked" and lots of others.

Britney Spears claims she wants to get married and is being blocked by her conservatorship, but it seems her boyfriend is a stumbling block ... we're told he's never popped the question.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Britney's boyfriend of over 4 years, Sam Asghari, hasn't made a move or attempted to get engaged. They've talked about it, we're told, but never formalized it with a proposal.

As we told you ... Britney and Sam hopped on a private plane to Maui last week after she railed on her dad, Jamie Spears, and her management team during an explosive court hearing ... a romantic getaway fans speculated might end with an engagement.

But, our sources say Sam didn't propose in Maui and he and Britney are already back in Los Angeles.

TMZ broke the story ... both her father and her personal conservator say there are no restrictions on Britney with regards to marriage or having kids, despite her claims to the contrary. The fact is, conservators have no legal authority to block conservatees from marrying or having a baby.

It's turning into a he-said, she-said situation, but there's still one thing Sam's never said ... "Will you marry me?"

The remaining section of the collapsed condo building in Florida has been demolished ... it went exactly according to plan and could actually help in the rescue/recovery effort.

Explosives were detonated in the middle of the night Sunday ... bringing down the remaining structure of the tower. Authorities made the move to get ahead of a looming tropical storm, which could have caused the structure to fall to the ground ... severely hampering the search.

Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett warned extreme winds could have destabilized what remained of the Champlain Tower South, endangering search crews.

Residents in nearby buildings were urged to stay inside and close all windows to prevent debris and dust from coming in.

The demolition could actually assist in the search efforts ... rescuers are now able to access the underground garage, which had not been accessible before.

So far, 24 bodies have been found ... 121 people are still unaccounted for, but it's been 11 days since the collapse and after the first few hours no one has been pulled out alive.

Search teams resume their work Monday

Miley Cyrus gave a solo performance in Vegas for the 4th, but she also joined a chorus ... as in the "Free Britney" chorus.

Miley hit the stage for the opening of Resorts World ... as she sang her biggest hit, "Party in the U.S.A." ... she added the Britney Spears chant -- "Free Britney!"

She sang, "The taxi man turned on the radio, he turned to me and said, 'Free Britney, Free Britney!"

The song has lyrics about Jay-Z and Britney ... Miley said, "We love JAY-Z, but we got to free this bitch. It's stressing me the f*** out!"

This isn't the first time Miley's supported Britney. During a performance on the NFL's TikTok Tailgate Super Bowl Pregame show, she screamed out, "We love Britney." She did something similar during a 2019 Memphis concert when she repeated the refrain, "Free Britney."

Kate Middleton is in isolation after coming in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID.

Apparently, Kate interacted with someone last week who had the virus. According to British rules, people who come in contact with someone with COVID should self-isolate for 10 days.

It doesn't seem to have affected her health, at least so far. A Kensington Palace rep said, "Her Royal Highness is not experiencing any symptoms, but is following all relevant government guidelines and is self-isolating at home."

Here's how tricky this becomes ... Kate showed up at Wimbledon Friday and met with the staff at the All England Club kitchens. She also interacted with people as she ambled through the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum.

She also attended the England Euro 2020 match at Wembley Stadium with Princes William and George on June 29.

Kate was vaccinated in May, so the worst-case scenario if she contracts COVID is probably flu-like symptoms.

There's zero need to fill in H.E.R. about "Schoolhouse Rock!" ... 'cause not only has she heard of the iconic series, but she's also helped the Obamas improve on it with their new Netflix animated series.

The 4-time Grammy-winning singer joins us Monday on "TMZ Live" to let us know how executive producers Barack and Michelle Obama got her onboard for "We the People." Here's a hint: there was no arm-twisting involved.

The series features roughly 3-minute long episodes teaching viewers about different aspects of American civics and politics -- and they're centered around originals songs from H.E.R., Janelle Monae, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Bebe Rexha and others.

Now, for older heads this is gonna sound very familiar ... kinda like ABC's popular series, "Schoolhouse Rock!," from the 70s and 80s. You know "I'm Just a Bill" was a jam!

Well H.E.R. says "We The People" differs in one big way -- it has established hitmakers, like herself, which she says will immediately draw young audiences, and help them connect with the message. Let's just call it better learning through better music.

H.E.R. hopes the songs from the Netflix series live on like those from "Schoolhouse Rock!" ... and help young people get more invested in the country's political future.

Seems Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian can't get enough Disneyland.

They hit up the theme park Sunday for the third time in a month. Kourtney's 2 boys, Reign and Mason, tagged along with Travis' kids, Alabama and Landon.

They already seem like a blended family ... all smiles as they jumped on rides at Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain.

Travis was clowning with his kids and they all mugged for pics during their day at the park.

It wasn't your average fam, for sure. Two bodyguards kept a watchful eye on the brood as they meandered around the park grounds.

They also had a VIP guide ... the cost is crazy -- $600 an hour with a 7-hour minimum.  One thing's for sure ... they can surely afford it.

Travis and Kourtney began dating in January, but they've known each other forever.  There are all sorts of rumors they'll get engaged. Who knows, but it wouldn't be surprising.

These "Friends" stars are really taking the whole friends thing seriously, because 3 of them hung out together to celebrate the 4th.

Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow all presumably shared food and drink Sunday.

Laura Dern got in on the action as well ... posing for a pic with Courteney. The 2 collabed together back in 2008 on the short film, "The Monday Before Thanksgiving."

"Friends," one of the most popular sitcoms of all time, ran for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004. It chronicled the lives of 6 friends, their adventures, relationship, career struggles, and so on in a comedic way.

Courteney and Jen have been super close since the show wrapped in 2004, and Lisa's also been with them from time to time. Maybe the 4th soiree was inspired by the reunion special last May, when all 6 of them got together for an HBO special.

Robert Irwin, the son of the late Steve Irwin, did something that lots of folks might find bone-chilling ... he swam with a giant sea creature that looks like a stingray.

Robert was celebrating Discovery's "Shark Week" when he made the dive. As you know, Steve died in 2006 after being stung in the chest by a stingray off the Great Barrier Reef.

The 17-year-old was undaunted, saying, "I get the honour of kicking off shark week on @discovery in the USA with ‘Crikey! It’s Shark Week’🦈 For the first leg of this epic adventure, I’ll travel to the spectacular Great Barrier Reef as a warm up before I go face to face with great white sharks at the Neptune Islands. From night diving with sharks on the hunt, to getting one-on-one with massive manta rays, it was a great way to start this expedition!"

Robert was fearless, extending his hand in front of the massive manta ray.

John Stamos showed some major versatility Sunday as he played a variety of instruments when he joined the Beach Boys for a really cool performance celebrating the 4th.

John put his pipes on display for "Wouldn't It Be Nice," "California Girls," and "Sloop John B," in front of a huge crowd in Ft. Lauderdale as part of the CNN 4th of July special.

John's been a staple with the group, even showing up in the 1888 music video for "Kokomo."  He's been a frequent guest with the group on July 4th's past and also made a couple of appearances during the Beach Boys 50th reunion tour back in 2012.

Not every boxing superstar hates Logan and Jake Paul ... 'cause heavyweight champion Tyson Fury tells TMZ Sports the two brothers have been AWESOME for the sport!!!

Remember, Canelo Alvarez felt the exact opposite when he spoke to us about the YouTubers-turned-fighters back in December 2020 ... saying they were being "disrespectful" to boxing.

But, the Gypsy King couldn't be more kind about Logan and Jake ... saying, "I've been pretty impressed with the Pauls -- both of them -- to be fair, they've been a good breath of fresh air to the boxing scene."

"Fantastic, guys. Well done if you're watching."

After all, both brothers have been able to put on a show -- Logan just went 8 rounds with Floyd freakin' Mayweather ... and Jake most recently KO'd former UFC star Ben Askren.

Very kind words coming from the 30-0-1 fighter, but don't get it twisted -- Fury thinks his little brother, Tommy will completely wreck Jake if they ever get in the ring together.

"I think Tommy knocks him out cold. I think [Jake's] a decent fighter for sure. But, I know Tommy's a dynamite puncher."

Tommy has been going back and forth with Jake for months ... and even told us back in April he thinks Paul is a "massive p***y."

Jake's busy prepping for his fight with Tyron Woodley ... but it's clear Tyson wants his brother to get a piece next.

There's a rare piece of movie history going up for auction ... the 1949 Oscar trophy for Best Special Effects for "Mighty Joe Young" ... and it's expected to fetch a fortune.

It's not often you see Oscars on the auction block ... the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences loathes seeing its trophies sold, but this one falls outside of the rules preventing the sale because it's neither personalized nor engraved.

Willis O'Brien won this vintage Oscar trophy for his groundbreaking special effects work in the original "Mighty Joe Young," when he transformed a bunch of wood, tar paper and old toupees into an 80-foot gorilla.

Willis famously turned down the first Oscar the Academy offered him for his work on "King Kong" in 1933 -- he wanted a trophy for everyone in his crew.

When 'Mighty Joe' won for special effects, Academy rules called for the producer, Merian C. Cooper, to receive the statuette and he did. However, Merian never got his name engraved on it, because he really wanted Willis to have the Oscar.

So, he essentially slipped him the award under the table, and since it's not personalized and the award was given before the 1951 rule ... it's able to go up for sale.

The statuette is hitting the auction block July 16 as part of Heritage Auctions' Entertainment Memorabilia sale ... and we're told the Oscar is expected to fetch $500,000.