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Robert Downey Jr.'s mourning the loss of his late assistant, Jimmy Rich ... and his Marvel co-stars are remembering Iron Man's right-hand man.

Downey Jr. says Jimmy was in a fatal car accident around 8 PM Wednesday night, calling it a "terrible and shocking tragedy." He says Jimmy was like a brother to him, an uncle to his kids and "beloved by all who experienced his singular character and wit."

RDJ's also thanking Jimmy for supporting him throughout his recovery from drug addiction, saying Jimmy stuck with him every step of the way.

Robert's not alone in mourning Jimmy ... his celebs pals, in and out of the MCU, are recalling what he meant to them.

Mark Ruffalo is thanking Jimmy "for always being real, always being there to lend a hand and showing the way of light forward to so many people."

Chris Pratt says Jimmy was "awesome" and Jack Black says he was a "good man" ... while Jeremy Renner called his death a "devastating loss" and Ryan Reynolds said it's "heartbreaking."

Rich was 52.

The ladies from SWV aren't backing down from playing their famous Michael Jackson sample in an upcoming "Verzuz" matchup ... telling us they wouldn't be there without him.

Tamara "Taj" Johnson and Leanne "Lelee" Lyons joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday and we asked if SWV is going to play their hit, "Right Here (Human Nature Remix)," when the R&B group battles Xscape Saturday on "Verzuz."

Some folks have issues with MJ's legacy and using his sample might cause some controversy ... after all, it's happened recently on "Verzuz," when The Isley Brothers sampled R. Kelly.

But, SWV says they will NOT cancel the MJ sample ... telling us why the King of Pop's done wonders for their career.

It's pretty interesting ... Taj and Lelee say Michael didn't even make them pay to sample his 1983 hit, "Human Nature," and they tell us how the freebie fell in their lap.

The way they see it ... Michael's paid the price for his transgressions, and it's not their job to judge him by canceling his music.

Italians now have an option for who makes their most beloved food -- their favorite neighborhood pizzaiolo or ... a machine!!! Yeah, some folks ain't happy about option dua.

A company called "Mr. Go Pizza" rolled out pizza vending machines Thursday in Rome -- offering 4 kinds of pie which take just 3 minutes to make, and cost as little as $5. The machine kneads the dough, puts on toppings and bakes ... all in a small glass window, so customers can see the magic.

Well, as you can imagine, in Italy ... not everyone thinks it's magic. A couple early reviews: "Acceptable" if you're in a hurry, while a student from Naples (birthplace of pizza) said it tastes like a bread wrap.

Look, it's one thing if machines/robots wanna take over the world -- we all kind of expect that -- but can't we keep A.I. out of our pizzas???

No word on Mr. Go Pizza's expansion plans, but if it's in Italy today, can Brooklyn, the Jersey Shore and Chicago be far behind?

Bill and Melinda Gates are shifting more of their fortune into Melindas' name ... and new documents show she's gonna be a big fan of Mexican Coca-Cola.

Here's what we know ... the day after Melinda filed her divorce docs, the estranged couple filed docs with the Securities Exchange Commission that show she now owns more than 5 percent of Coca-Cola Femsa  ... which is why they had to notify the SEC.

According to the docs, Melinda acquired 25,793,660 shares of the Coke bottler which is based in Mexico, and Bill has zero shares. Those shares would be valued at around $120 million today.

It appears the shares were transferred from The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. For reference, the Foundation still retains more than 62 million shares of Coca-Cola Femsa.

Another doc, also filed on May 4, shows Melinda now owns more than 155 million shares of Grupo Televisa ... which is a Mexican multimedia company that produces programs, several of which air on Univision.

For those keeping score ... the Grupo Televisa stock is worth about $386 million.

As we reported, nearly $2 billion in shares of AutoNation and the Canadian National Railway were also transferred to Melinda on May 3 ... the day she filed the divorce docs.

Kim Kardashian was unaware her name was attached to an ancient Roman artifact -- a piece of art the U.S. government is now desperately seeking to return to Italy -- a purchase we're told was made by her estranged husband, Kanye West.

Think "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" meets "Raiders of the Lost Ark" -- in a new lawsuit, the government claims a statue dating back to 1st or 2nd Century Rome ended up getting shipped to the U.S. in 2016.

The problem for Kim is the paperwork listed "Kim Kardashian dba Noel Roberts Trust" as the consignee and importer of said statue. Noel Roberts is, in fact, a trust Kim has used to make other big-ticket purchases -- but a rep for Kim denies she made this deal.

A source connected to the situation tells us Kim only found out this week that the piece was actually bought by Kanye as part of a larger purchase which included more art. We're told it's unclear if Kanye had bought it as a gift, or when he had planned on telling Kim, but our source says she was in the dark.

Now, the reason the feds want it back is because Italy's determined the piece is a cultural treasure that was essentially looted from an archaeological site.

As for the alleged Kardashian ties -- well, there's one smoking gun. The feds say a Belgium designer named Axel Vervoordt shipped the statue to the U.S., and presumably, his company put Kim's name on the customs document. Vervoordt has worked with Kim and Kanye in the past, and back in 2016 -- when the statue was imported -- they were building their Hidden Hills mansion ... which has been compared to a museum.

Still, Kim says she has no knowledge of the statue or its purchase. For his part, Vervoordt tells TMZ ... he acquired the statue "in good faith" from a French gallery, which in turn says it bought it from a German auction house. He adds, "At this point there is no evidence that this piece was illegally imported from Italy. If investigation proves that the piece was actually exported from Italy without a proper export license from the Italian Ministry of Culture, then we will of course take our responsibility."

A source close to Kim says that while she doesn't know the origins of the work, she hopes it gets resolved ASAP.

'Tiger King' star Jeff Lowe's got trouble with the feds again ... but this time he says they're actually hauling animals out of his zoo.

Jeff tells TMZ ... the authorities executed a search and seizure warrant Thursday morning at his Tiger King Park in Thackerville, Oklahoma and began taking animals away, which he believes is a violation of his constitutional rights.

He says the feds are refusing to tell him exactly what's going on, but according to the warrant ... they're taking animals protected by the Endangered Species Act. We're told the warrant was issued by a federal judge this week in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

Jeff sent us video from the scene, where he says the feds are hauling away one of his liligers ... an animal he claims is NOT protected under the Endangered Species Act. BTW, a liliger is the offspring of a male lion and a female liger ... a lion and a tiger.

Jeff's wife Lauren is heard saying the feds are taking all of the zoo's hybrid animals, and she's concerned they are all going to be spayed or neutered.

Jeff tells us, "This is why Lauren and I are moving overseas to take over an animal refuge there. 'Tiger King' made the USDA look so incompetent that they have a vendetta against everyone that was featured on the show."

We broke the story in January that the feds were coming after Lowe's big cats at his park, allegedly over an unauthorized euthanasia of a tiger cub. According to legal docs at the time ... the authorities made it clear they wanted to seize all of Jeff's big cats that were a year old or younger, plus their mothers.

Love County Sheriff William Grisham tells us his office was alerted the feds would be executing a search and seizure warrant, and he was present for it. He says the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was the lead agency, but the USDA was also there during the seizure of the animals.

Sheriff Grisham says the warrant was for 8 big cats, but he believes the feds only took 4. However, Jeff tells us they seized 6.

Chris Brown threw an enormous soiree to celebrate his birthday ... but things got so out of hand cops stepped in and pulled the plug.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... LAPD received multiple calls about loud music and cars double-parked all over Chris' neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley. He turned 32 on Cinco de Mayo but neighbors apparently reached a boiling point in the wee hours of the morning.

We're told cops showed up to the crib Thursday around 2 AM and talked to CB's security. Our sources say the music was turned down but that also spelled the end of the shindig ... which cops estimated had between 400 and 500 guests in attendance.

As you can see from the video ... LAPD showed up in force, with squad cars all over the place directing a massive traffic jam as limos and fancy cars zig-zagged their way out. We're told parking tickets were also issued to improperly parked cars.

You can see a helicopter also hovered above the area ... even more noise for those sleepy neighbors. Cops are all too familiar with CB's crib. In fact ... our sources say 4 police cars and a supervisor were sent over given the troubled history surrounding the pad.

As we've reported ... cops did a welfare check after Chris posted his address on social media during his February 2019 beef with Offset. Cops were also called after CB threw a massive yard sale at his pad back in November 2019.

The Bill and Melinda divorce has been a done deal for months, TMZ has learned, and they had a plan to announce it back in March ... a plan that included renting a remote, private island where the entire family -- with one BIG exception -- could avoid the media once the announcement was made ... sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ.

Our sources say Melinda Gates rented Calivigny Island in Grenada ... yes, she rented the entire island for $132,000 a night. The plan was for Melinda and the kids, as well as their significant others, to come to the island -- everyone except Bill. We're told everyone in the family already knew Bill and Melinda were divorcing. There was a considerable amount of acrimony associated with the split and we're told virtually everyone in the family took Melinda's side. Another way of putting it ... we're told they were very angry at Bill, and that's why he wasn't invited.

The reason for going to the island ... so no one from the media could reach them and ask about the split when it was announced during their stay.

But, there was a problem ... lawyers for both Bill and Melinda were trying to hash out a divorce settlement and there were still outstanding issues that couldn't be resolved at the time of the trip. We're told Melinda decided to go anyway ... well, with everyone BUT Bill.

So here's the takeaway. First, we're told this was not a friendly split. We're told Melinda and most of the family were furious at Bill for various things they claim he had done.

Here's a skit for Elon Musk on 'SNL' -- terrified Los Angelenos staring into the sky thinking aliens finally arrived to take them away ... only to discover it's just Elon's new space toys.

Yeah, people in L.A. were freaking out Wednesday night when they saw a string of lights moving across the sky in unison. The freakout was in full effect for those who happened to be looking up, and many turned to Twitter (naturally) for answers.

One person tweeted, "Did anyone else see a strand of moving lights above Los Angeles tonight?" ... followed by an alien emoji. If you're in L.A. and reading this, you've probably figured out there's no invasion. Yet.

What really happened is SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 60 of its satellites earlier this week. It was the second such launch in less than a week ... giving SpaceX well over 1,000 satellites up there.

The new ones had just deployed on Wednesday afternoon, and as astronomer Dr. James Davenport put it ... "They were still in low orbit, and they were still clustered together so we call this like the Starlink train."

He added, "You see like a little chain of satellites all close together reflecting sunlight back at us."

The launch itself also freaked out people all over the West Coast last week.

People in Washington and Oregon reacted to the lights and also figured aliens were invading!!!

If Quavo and Saweetie weren't broken up, they might be celebrating together -- neither of them will face criminal charges for their elevator altercation ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... the case was referred to the L.A. City Attorney's Office, which declined to file charges. We're told, based on the evidence -- surveillance video of the then-couple in a physical confrontation -- there was no likelihood of a conviction for either party.

Remember, we'd been told the cops wanted to talk to both Saweetie and Quavo to get more info on what went down before and after the video, but we now know that never happened.

The exes were clearly looking to put the situation behind them, and, at least publicly, it didn't seem like either was holding a grudge over the fight. Quavo said, "We had an unfortunate situation almost a year ago that we both learned and moved on from. I haven’t physically abused Saweetie and have real gratitude for what we did share overall."

Saweetie said something to the same effect ... while also indicating this was far from the last straw in their relationship, noting there were other "hurdles" before they split.

Childish Gambino's "This is America" is a blatant ripoff of a track that sounds similar, has a similar name and was all over the Internet almost 2 years before the rapper's smash hit was released ... so claims a musician in a new lawsuit.

Emelike Nwosuocha, a rapper who performs under the name Kidd Wes, is suing Childish Gambino, AKA Donald Glover, claiming he ripped off his song, "Made in America."

According to Kidd Wes ... he created his track on SoundCloud in September 2016 and released it on YouTube a couple months later, where people could listen to it for free. He says he also registered the song with the U.S Copyright Office in May 2017, and it was set to be the lead single on his upcoming album.

As you likely know ... Gambino's "This is America" was released in 2018, became incredibly popular and went on to win Grammy for Record of the Year.

According to the docs ... Kidd Wes claims the chorus, or hook, of "This is America" is "unmistakably substantially similar, if not practically identical" to his "Made in America."

Wes claims Gambino's "flow" is also substantially similar to his, and points to key lyrics in "Made in America" being similar to the hook's refrain in "This is America," for example:

"Made in America / Flex on the radio / Made me a terrorist / Pessimistic n***as / You should just cherish this"

Compared to this: "This is America / Guns in my area / I got the strap / I gotta carry 'em"

Kidd Wes claims there are also scientific similarities in the 2 tracks, and alleges it's not a coincidence -- he believes he was intentionally ripped off, and he wants major damages.

He's suing Gambino, the co-writers of "This is America," the record labels that put it out, Roc Nation, and even Young Thug ... who sings backup vocals on the track.

The mother of the Florida 6-year-old paddled by her principal had the tables turned on her -- as investigators grilled her kids about alleged neglect at home.

The family's attorney, Brent Probinsky, tells TMZ ... the little girl and 2 of her siblings -- plus a cousin for whom the mom cares -- were yanked out of class Tuesday by officials with the Florida Dept. of Children and Families, and questioned one by one.

Probinsky tells us this was done without the mother's knowledge, and he only learned about it after the fact when the Dept. came to him seeking to talk to the mom.

As for what all the fuss was about -- we're told the kids were asked if their mother is abusive in the home ... to which the children said no. Probinsky says the investigators then told him they wanted to follow up with the mother to ask why she didn't step in and intervene during her daughter's paddling.

Apparently, investigators were acting on a tip about the mom allegedly being neglectful -- but so far, there doesn't appear to be any evidence of that. Probinsky says it's an outrage law enforcement would come after the mom, when the real culprit's on camera in the paddling video.

As Probinsky previously explained -- there's a number of reasons the mom didn't step in ... for one, she's undocumented and was afraid of repercussions.

There was also a language barrier, and the mother didn't know what was about to happen.

Pfizer is pledging to donate thousands of doses of its COVID vaccine to inoculate Olympic athletes in the hopes of saving the Games ... this, in the wake of a new movement in Japan to call the whole thing off.

The pharmaceutical company -- along with its German partner, BioNTech SE -- announced Thursday its plan to get the vaccine to all athletes participating in the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics.

Vaccinations would begin ASAP in the hopes all athletes would receive their 2nd of 2 doses BEFORE they arrived in Tokyo for the Games, which are set to kick off on July 23.

FYI, the CDC website suggests a 21-day interval between the 1st and 2nd doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

The issue ... the AP reports a new petition picking up steam in Japan calling for the games to be canceled out of fear of an outbreak,

The petition, which sports the headline, "Cancel the Tokyo Olympics to Protect Our Lives," reportedly already picked up tens of thousands of signatures in just a few short days.

The concern, obviously, is people flying in from all parts of the world could turn the Games into a super-spreader event and lead to a spike in COVID infections and deaths.

The Pfizer vaccine effort -- if effective -- should help ease those concerns ... but it all boils down to the athletes actually taking the shot.

IOC President Thomas Bach commented on the Pfizer donation -- saying it's "another tool in our toolbox of measures to help make the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 safe and secure for all participants."

Johnny Depp's relationship with George Jung went far beyond their "Blow" connection ... and it's on display in a new docuseries about the late and infamous drug smuggler.

In this clip, obtained by TMZ, Depp calls Jung, AKA Boston George, "one of my favorite people instantly" ... describing their first meeting as the actor was preparing for his role in the film inspired by Jung's life.

Chris Chesson, Executive Producer of "Boston George: Famous Without the Fortune," says they began working on the 5-part series in December 2016, right as a parole violation sent Jung back behind bars for 8 months.

Chris says full production began in July 2017, and the crew filmed with Depp in May 2019. The rights to the completed documentary were purchased by 123 Go Films, which is shopping it to networks and streaming services.

Based on this exclusive clip, and the trailer, it seems like there should be some takers ... especially on the heels of Jung passing away.

Kamaru ain't the only member of the Usman family making noise in the MMA world ...

Meet Mohammed Usman -- Kamaru's younger brother -- who's set to compete in the PFL's $1 million heavyweight tournament ... and turns out, fighting talent runs in the family.

32-year-old Mohammed is 6'2", 265 pounds -- and previously played defensive end at the University of Arizona.

Now, he's focused on MMA -- he's 7-1 as a pro and currently on a 4-fight win streak.

Usman will step into the cage to fight Brandon Sayles on Thursday -- and hopes to score a win to advance to in the $1 million tourney.

Mohammed says he knows his brother's rise to superstardom makes him more of a target -- but he loves the pressure and can't wait to show the world he's a legit contender.

"I'm at a point in my life and my career that I'm a complete fighter," Usman tells TMZ Sports ... "So, I'm gonna go out and put pressure and everything that I want to happen will happen."

Kamaru -- the UFC's reigning welterweight champ -- also believes his bro is the real deal.

"The thing is Mohammed ... he was just a raw, athletic specimen and I’ve got him to commit to it. He’s really putting in the time and the effort right now."

Mohammed says he's got a friendly competition with his big bro when it comes to knockouts ... and since Kamaru obliterated Jorge Masvidal in the 2nd round of their fight, Mo is gunning for a 1st round KO on Thursday.

Los Angeles local Emily Schulman was only 8 years old when she shot to stardom after she landed the role of the curious little girl next door, Harriet Brindle -- who was always getting in the family's business and even fancied Jamie -- in the robotic '80s family sitcom "Small Wonder."

Emily shared the small screen with some iconic actors including Dick Christie and Marla Pennington as the parents, Ted and Joan Lawson, Jerry Supiran as the older brother, Jamie Lawson ... and of course Tiffany Brissette as the adorable android, Voice Input Child Identicant ... also known as Vicki.