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The death of Team USA hockey legend Mark Pavelich -- a key part of the "Miracle on Ice" team -- has been ruled a suicide, officials announced.

The 63-year-old died on March 4 at the Eagle's Healing Nest in Minnesota -- where Pavelich had been undergoing court-ordered treatment as part of a 2019 assault case.

After a thorough investigation, the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office issued a statement Monday saying Pavelich "died of asphyxia due to a plastic bag over head. The manner of death is suicide."

Pavelich -- who famously made the assist on the game-winning goal to beat the Russians in the 1980 Olympics -- had been battling mental health issues in recent years.

In fact, during his assault case -- stemming from a violent altercation with a neighbor -- the ex-hockey star was diagnosed with PTSD and multiple clinical psychologists found him to be both mentally ill and dangerous.

One psychologist testified Pavelich suffered from "mild neurocognitive disorder due to traumatic brain injury with behavioral disturbance (psychotic symptoms, aggression)" -- and suggested the condition may have been caused by repeated hits to the head.

Pavelich's family had said they believe hockey was a major contributing factor to his brain injuries.

After his stint on Team USA, Mark spent 5 seasons with the NY Rangers -- followed by brief stints with the Minnesota North Stars and San Jose Sharks.

He retired from pro hockey in 1992.

Disney famously made a movie about the "Miracle On Ice" team in 2004 -- and Pavelich was played by actor Chris Koch.

Travis Scott is joining the millions across the world in hoping the best for DMX as the rapper remains on life support in a New York hospital for what will be day 4.

We got Travis and a friend in his Bugatti Chiron Monday night, and he shared his favorite DMX song and left us with a parting, "Love DMX, X for life!!!" before peeling out in his ride.

As we reported, hundreds -- including X's fiancee, kids and ex-wife -- attended a prayer vigil outside White Plains Hospital Monday night ... it was an emotional event, with some attendees breaking down in tears during prayer.

The hospital has enforced a strict visiting policy because of COVID-19, and only X's fiancee, Desiree, mom, Arnett, and some of his kids -- who arrived Sunday and Monday -- have been able to see him on a limited basis.

As for DMX's condition, we're told not much has changed since Saturday. TMZ broke the story, the rapper was rushed to the hospital after suffering an overdose.

Step aside, Cinnamon Toast Crunch ... Flamin' Hot Cheetos has raised a man's shrimp tails and rat poo claims with a bullet ... at least that's what a father in Montana's claiming.

Bow Horn Weasel of Elmo, Montana tells TMZ ... he bought the bag of chips Saturday at a local convenience store and his 6-year-old son broke it open Easter Sunday for a lil spicy chow down.

We're told the boy found the bullet at the bottom of the bag after devouring the chips. The bullet appears to have Hot Cheetos' red coating on it. Bow scoffs at the doubters, saying a bullet didn't just drop out of the sky into the bag ... and don't even get him started with people who think the whole thing is made up.

Bow says he reached out to Frito-Lay on Facebook and also fired off an email. He claims it wasn't long before a company rep reached out with a specialist who told Bow they're taking the matter seriously. Bow says Frito-Lay's sending him a kit for some sort of testing.

Bow says he's not looking for compensation. He just wants Frito-Lay to take a hard look so this thing doesn't ever happen again.

We've reached out to PepsiCo, Frito-Lay's parent company ... so far no word back.

Xzibit is learning a hard lesson about the rules of engagement when it comes to selling weed, and rule #1 seems to be ... don't name your company after a chemical weapon.

The rapper/entrepreneur's company -- Napalm Cannabis -- has been dragged online because its name is a sore reminder of a chemical agent that was used in firebombs during the Vietnam War ... firebombs that killed and maimed innocent citizens, including the little girl whose photo became a symbol of the horror of the United States' involvement in the war.

Napalm was also used against Japan in WWII. Its use on civilians was banned internationally in 1980 by the U.N.

Customers of The Higher Path dispensary were deeply offended by the name, not to mention one product in particular -- a pre-rolled joint known as "The Grenade." Seems people didn't like the cavalier reference to deadly weapons of war.

As Asian hate crimes are on the rise ... the name conjures up images that should not be celebrated.

As for how this product line could even make its way to digital shelves in the first place -- Higher Path is chalking it up to ignorance and a lack of diversity. HP says, "As an entirely-white marketing team that lacks knowledge or trauma surrounding this weapon, we didn’t realize how violent and ignorant it was to promote such a brand/product. That’s on us." Fact is ... plenty of white people also knew the misery napalm caused.

Paul Ritter -- best known around the globe for playing Eldred Worple in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" -- has died.

A rep for the British actor says Paul died of a brain tumor Monday night. He died peacefully at home with his wife Polly and sons -- Frank and Noah -- by his side. The rep added, "He was fiercely intelligent, kind and very funny. We will miss him greatly. Paul was an exceptionally talented actor playing an enormous variety of roles on stage and screen with extraordinary skill."

Some of Paul's bigger credits include appearing in the James Bond movie "Quantum of Solace" as government adviser Guy Haines. In his homeland ... Paul was best known for playing the family patriarch in the long-running Channel 4 comedy "Friday Night Dinner."

He was also a brilliant stage actor that landed him both Olivier and Tony Award nominations. Paul's work in "Coram Boy" earned him an Olivier nomination in 2006. His starring role in "The Norman Conquests" in 2009 snagged him a Tony nomination.

He was most recently in the HBO miniseries "Chernobyl" ... portraying Anatoly Dyatlov, the supervisor who was blamed for not following safety protocols leading to the nuclear disaster.

Paul was also set to appear in the upcoming World War II drama "Operation Mincemeat."

Answer: THIS is what Aaron Rodgers got hit with in the final seconds of his 'Jeopardy' hosting debut ...

Question: What is ... A SICK BURN!?!?

Yep, the Green Bay Packers QB was heckled during Final Jeopardy over that lousy NFC Championship playoff loss to Tom Brady ... and it was hilarious!!

Rodgers was a pretty solid guest host on Monday's show -- keeping a solid pace and offering some fun banter along the way. He crushed it.

But, the best moment of the show took place at the end ... when contestant Scott -- the reigning 2-day champion -- decided to have some fun at Aaron's expense during Final Jeopardy.

The category was Daytime TV Personalities -- but Scott realized he didn't know the material and couldn't win the game.

So, instead of scribbling down a legitimate guess ... he wrote on his monitor, "Who wanted to kick that field goal?!"

SICK BURN!!!

Aaron smiled, laughed and said, "That is a great question! It should be correct!"

Scott is referring to the bizarre call at the end of the NFC Championship game back in January ... where Packers coach Matt LaFleur opted to kick a field goal on 4th and Goal, despite being down 8 points with around 2 minutes remaining.

The Packers got the 3 points -- but Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Bucs got the ball back and successfully ran out the clock, winning the game.

Most people -- including Aaron -- think Rodgers should've gotten a chance to score a TD on 4th down, followed by a 2 point conversion try. But hey, hindsight is 20/20 right?

Don't worry, Rodgers has a solid support system around him -- including his fiancee, Shailene Woodley, who raved about Aaron right before he made his hosting debut.

"This guy right here is super sexy, super attractive ... just shaved his neck this morning! Has a little man bun growing," she joked.

"This guy is hosting Jeopardy! tonight!"

So, why was Aaron selected to host? Rodgers actually won "Celebrity Jeopardy" back in 2015 ... and explained in his opening comments that he wanted to honor the memory of the late, great Alex Trebek.

Pete Buttigieg says his boss's big-ticket infrastructure plan is overdue for modern American life -- but he's got even more to say about his new gig and his first run-in with Major!

The Transportation Secretary will be on 'TMZ Live' Tuesday ... pushing President Biden's robust American Jobs Plan -- a $2.3 TRILLION proposal he just unveiled, which entails sweeping changes not just to roads and bridges ... but a heck of a lot more, including stuff you'd never think of as traditional "infrastructure."

Pete says folks shouldn't find this bill or its vaulted price tag too daunting ... because the definition of infrastructure for Americans in 2021 has evolved, and this plan reflects that.

We also got into his day-to-day on the job, and turns out ... he and other Biden officials just recently got together for their first cabinet meeting. Check out how Pete describes it -- beyond having to keep it COVID-friendly, it sounds inspiring.

Of course, we also had to ask Pete about the President's pooch ... Major, who's had a streak of bad luck lately with a couple biting incidents. He tells us he's actually interacted with the canine himself, and by his account ... there's nothing to fear!

Kim Kardashian seems to be taking a page from little sister Kylie Jenner's playbook ... 'cause she's tapping into the skincare business.

Kim filed trademark docs to lock up the rights to a skincare line she presumably plans to launch ... and it looks like she's calling it "SKKN BY KIM."

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, KK is looking to slap the name on a wide range of products for skin, hair and nails, plus fragrances and cosmetics ... pretty much anything people buy to make their skin and bodies look and feel good.

It's kinda hard to believe, but Kylie is the only sister with her own dedicated skincare line, Kylie Skin ... at least now.

"I think it's interesting for sure."

That's CM Punk weighing in on Chris Jericho's upcoming interview on WWE Network ... the first time Jericho will appear on a WWE platform since leaving the company in 2018.

"Honestly, my major reaction and opinion on it is I think that it shows Vince McMahon isn't afraid of AEW at all because if he was, he wouldn't allow that to happen."

Wow!

FYI, Jericho currently works for WWE rival All Elite Wrestling (he's a former AEW World Champion) -- and everyone is waiting to hear what he has to say about his former and current employer when he sits down with Stone Cold Steve Austin for his "Broken Skull Sessions" show, set to air on WWE Network (and NBC Peacock) on on April 11.

For the most part, WWE doesn't really play into feuds with rival wrestling promotions -- but Jericho was a staple in Vince McMahon's operation for nearly 20 years ... and a massive fan favorite.

So, how will things go down when Jericho gets in the hot seat? CM Punk has some thoughts ...

"It feels like it's gonna be softball questions. I don't know if they're going to ask Jericho all the tough questions -- and nor do I think that they possibly should."

He adds, "It will probably just be like a feel-good interview. They'll talk about Jericho's past at WWE, I'm sure they'll mention AEW but they won't get into the hard questions that I think a lot of people would be interested in."

Ultimately, Punk thinks the interview is a win for both sides.

"Anytime anybody's talking about you, it's good. There will be people who don't know AEW exists who will watch it and say 'Oh wow cool, I didn't know that, I just thought Jericho was retired.' But, there is also something to be said about keeping your guys special and the only place you can see the superstar is on my television show. It's new age and I think both companies need all the eyeballs they can get at the moment so kudos to everybody involved."

BONUS! We also spoke with Punk about a possible return to the MMA cage for a 3rd pro fight ... and while he acknowledges it's unlikely, he's not shutting the door completely.

"There's a lot more gray in this beard than there was even a year ago. I never say never but I'm 42, I'm getting a little long in the tooth especially for MMA."

California native Roger Lodge is best known for his hosting chops in the late '90s and early '00s -- while thrusting two willing singles into a wild date night with crazy co-eds -- on the classic dating game show "Blind Date."

"Blind Date" was a pioneer in the dating game reality television show genre and really opened up programming to the seemingly endless shows that followed after "Blind Date's" success including: "Date My Mom," "Next," "DisMissed," "ElimiDate," "Taildaters," "Room Raiders," "Parental Control" and many more terribly awesome reality shows.

Roger Lodge now stays busy hosting a Los Angeles Angels radio program The SportsLodge on AM830 and raises two children.

DMX's family, friends, fiancee, kids and fans have turned out big time to send him prayers and positive vibes at the hospital where he's still fighting for his life.

The rapper's family announced there would be a prayer vigil outside White Plains Hospital in New York, and hundreds showed up Monday for X.

Among those in the crowd are his fiancee, Desiree, his ex-wife Tashera Simmons, who he has 4 kids with, Yadira Borrego, who he has children with as well as some of his kids, including his sons, Xavier and Exodus. Along with all the support outside the hospital ... workers on the inside have also joined in on the spirit of the event by standing in the windows holding up an "X" sign.

Monday night's prayer vigil is just the latest showing of love for the rapper. Members of the "Ruff Ryders" motorcycle crew rolled up to the hospital Sunday to pay tribute, and several hospital staff members held their own little vigil Sunday evening.

As we've told you ... X's kids began arriving Monday to visit their father one at a time in the ICU, where he's on life support and his outlook remains grim. Desiree and X's mother have been with him since the weekend.

TMZ broke the story ... DMX overdosed Friday night, which triggered a heart attack. Though resuscitation efforts kept him alive, we've been told X was left without oxygen to his brain for nearly 30 minutes, resulting in very little brain activity.

Paul Pierce's run with ESPN is officially over -- the network is parting ways with the ex-NBA superstar just days after Pierce posted a racy twerk session with some scantily clad women on Instagram.

Unclear if the video is the reason for Pierce's departure ... but it drew a lot of attention over the weekend.

Also worth noting -- the timing of the move is interesting ... especially since the NBA season is far from over.

Pierce spent the past 3.5 years with the network ... appearing on "NBA Countdown" and "The Jump."

The ex-Celtics forward seemingly addressed the split on Twitter just minutes ago ... saying, "Big Things coming soon stay tuned make sure u smile #Truthshallsetufree"

PP also shared a 4-second video with the message ... showing himself laughing and smiling.

Pierce played 19 seasons in the NBA before joining ESPN ... he was a 10-time All-Star and won a title alongside Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett in 2008. He was named NBA Finals MVP.

Bethenny Frankel could soon be doing backflips into a huge stash of cash ... because it looks like she's flipping a mansion in one of America's richest cities.

'The Big Shot with Bethenny' star is listing a 5-bedroom estate in Greenwich, CT for a cool $3,375,000 ... putting the home on the market after scooping it up last year.

The two-story house is 4,698 square feet and the master suite comes with vaulted ceilings, a fireplace, seating area and a private balcony. The master bath features a walk-in shower, freestanding tub and double sinks.

There's another fireplace in the living room, which includes a couple sets of French doors opening up to a stone terrace, which overlooks the large, oval pool in the 2.1-acre yard.

Bethenny's big into real estate, and she's flipping this property apparently for a handsome profit ... she bought it back in 2020 for $2.1 million.

MLB fans in Texas pretended like it was 2019 on Monday ... packing into the Rangers' stadium to see a game with absolutely no regard for social distancing.

The scenes from Globe Life Field are WILD ... there's hardly an empty chair in the 40,000-seat stadium -- and people wearing masks over their noses and mouths are few and far between.

In fact, it straight-up looks like nobody in the stadium has any worry that a global pandemic is still raging onward.

Of course, we knew this was coming ... the Rangers announced last month they would not put a limit on attendance for Opening Day against the Blue Jays -- something President Joe Biden blasted the team for.

"I think it's a mistake," POTUS said to ESPN last week. "They should listen to Dr. Fauci, the scientists and the experts. But, I think it's not responsible."

The Rangers have said repeatedly Monday will be a one-time-only event ... with team president of baseball operations Jon Daniels saying he believes there will be no more sell-outs following Monday's action.

"I think after Opening Day, reality is we're not going to be at full capacity, I doubt it," Daniels said.

The Rangers have insisted they'll enforce a mask policy -- only allowing fans to drop the face coverings to eat or drink.

Bassnectar knowingly had sex with underage girls, paid them money for sex, and kept tight control over their lives in order to keep it all a secret ... so 2 women claim in a shocking new lawsuit.

The popular EDM DJ is being sued for sex trafficking and possessing child pornography by 2 women -- Rachel and Alexis -- who claim he groomed them into having a sexual relationship when they were minors ... starting in 2012.

According to the legal docs ... Bassnectar first contacted the girls via direct message on social media to start a relationship. Both women claim he encouraged them to watch the film "American Beauty" -- described as "a movie about an older man having a relationship with a young girl" -- and even referenced the theme of the film at his shows.

Bassnectar allegedly learned the girls were underage through the DM before he sent them tickets to his shows ... and then the women claim he invited them back to his hotel room for sex ... which he allegedly "mandated be without the use of a condom."

According to the docs ... the DJ paid the girls for sex in amounts ranging from $300 to $1,600, and is accused of maintaining control over their lives while directing them to keep their relationship secret.

Rachel claims she was first contacted by Bassnectar in late 2012 and began having sex with him in May 2013 when she was underage. She says he also solicited her to "take and send sexually explicit photographs of herself while naked."

Alexis claims she was contacted by Bassnectar in 2014 and he had sex with her on numerous occasions between 2014 and 2016, when she was underage.

The women are suing for damages, past and future emotional distress as well as medical expenses.

Some of DMX's children have flown to New York to visit their dad in the ICU -- a visit that could be a final goodbye -- but it's been complicated by COVID.

Family sources tell TMZ ... a number of DMX's kids have touched down in White Plains, NY, and are now on the ground at the hospital to get time with their father -- this as we're hearing his condition remains unchanged and dire.

Our sources tell us his children will only be allowed to see X one at a time -- per COVID regulations. His fiancee, Desiree, and his mom have already been there with him. We don't know if the hospital has begun allowing some of the kids into the ICU, but that's the plan.

Unclear just how many of X's kids have arrived at this point -- remember, he has 15 children ... but it'd be safe to assume a good majority will get the chance to see him, especially those who are older and understand the situation.

As we reported over the weekend, X's chances of recovery are not looking good -- he's still on life support and there is little brain activity.

TMZ broke the story ... X overdosed Friday night, which triggered a heart attack. Despite resuscitation efforts, we've heard X was simply left without needed oxygen to his brain for nearly 30 minutes.