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Brian Laundrie took his own life before the nationwide manhunt ... at least that's what cops in Florida are saying.

Sarasota County Sheriff Kurt Hoffman told folks in town Brian "went out there and by all accounts probably committed suicide and he was right out there where we thought he was" ... TMZ has confirmed.

As we reported ... Brian's remains were found Oct. 20 off a Florida trail near his notebook and backpack, ending a 5-week manhunt after he disappeared in the wake of his fiancée, Gabby Petito's death.

The FBI positively identified the bones found as Brian's, thanks to dental records, but the coroner could not determine a cause of death from Laundrie's remains ... and the bones were sent to an anthropologist for further examination.

Police say the area where Brian's remains were found had previously been under 4 feet of water ... one reason why he was not found sooner.

Huge win for female handball teams across the world -- players will no longer have to wear bikini bottoms for uniforms ... as the International Federation just reversed its sexist rule that sparked outrage.

Remember, the European Handball Federation made headlines back in July for fining each player 150 euros (almost $177 in USD) for wearing shorts instead of bikini bottoms ... which was considered a uniform violation.

The garment switch was a protest by female players to highlight the unfairness that men wear long shorts while women have to wear tiny bikini bottoms.

Even singer Pink was pissed about the controversy and offered to pay the players' fines.

No one will have to empty their wallets anymore ... 'cause the federation reversed the dress code and is now allowing women to wear shorts.

In the updated International Handball Federation rulebook -- women "must wear short tight pants with a close fit that are in accordance with the graphics."

The previous rule was to wear bikini bottoms "with a close fit and cut on an upward angle toward the top of the leg" ... and if you didn't, you would be fined or disqualified.

The new ruling will go into effect in January 2022.

Norwegian Handball Federation President Kåre Geir Lio told NBC News on Monday that this reversal is a big step toward gender equality in handball.

"I think it’s good for the game," Lio said, "but first of all, it’s good for the women, and it’s good for how we treat each other in sports."

Hilaria Baldwin thinks her husband, Alec, will develop post-traumatic stress disorder after the shooting that claimed Halyna Hutchins' life ... which is partly why they fled New York.

The actor's spouse revealed the reason behind their family's travel to Vermont, saying they needed to get away from all the madness following the fatal accident ... this according to the NYPost, who snagged a one-on-one interview on Saturday, separate from their pap encounter.

It also sounds like she was tasked with finding a solitary place for them all, telling the outlet she drove around "an entire day" before settling on Manchester, VT ... and before Alec and co. eventually joined her. She says they needed to get away to "mourn Halyna's death."

She added, "Alec had a really traumatic thing happen, and I am trying to limit the PTSD."

HB went on to compare Alec's situation to that of a war vet or cop ... who might normally develop the affliction -- saying, "You look at what happens to soldiers and police officers when something like this happens, it's traumatic. We just came up here for quiet."

She also spoke on whether her hubby would ever act again, and the Post says she replied she was "hopeful but not certain." Hilaria also said, "He needs space for me to take care of him and his mental health. It's an awful thing that happened. Alec feels awful."

Hilaria also echoed something Alec himself said on camera -- that this sort of thing shouldn't have happened, and tighter regulations need to be in place. She's clearly standing by her man, taking to IG after their eventful weekend to post a photo of their hands intertwined.

Alec Baldwin is speaking on the death of Halyna Hutchins for the first time on camera -- and he had a lot to say, including his doubts the film will ever finish.

The actor addressed a swarm of paps Saturday who were hounding him in Manchester, VT, where he and his family have been laying low since the fatal incident ... but have been getting followed around, including on the open road, where the Baldwin family literally pulled over to confront the photogs ... whom Alec says made his kids cry.

Alec came at them head-on with none other than his wife, Hilaria, at his side ... and they spoke their piece on where things stand, without divulging too much about the investigation.

Check out the video ... from the looks of it, the convo was pretty tense, albeit courteous. AB demands to know what the paparazzi wanted to know -- so that they could get off his back, and they sounded off one by one. On where things stand as the probe into this matter unfolds ... Alec said he couldn't discuss details, on orders of the Santa Fe Sheriff's Office.

He did say Halyna was his friend, and that he took her out to dinner upon arriving to shoot "Rust." Alec also characterized the crew as "well-oiled," noting the accident is obviously shocking and devastating to him. He also touched on how Halyna's family is doing ... saying they're mortified, but that he's in touch with them quite often. Ditto for the authorities.

One major takeaway from his interview is the fact Alec spoke on what should happen with firearms on movie sets going forward ... he fully supports tightening up safety measures, and possibly banning real guns/live ammo altogether, while acknowledging he isn't a pro on that.

It's interesting ... Alec asked an open-ended question that seems to show where his head's at as far as consequences -- wondering how many real guns and bullets have been fired on film/TV sets over the past several decades, mostly without incident. In his mind ... a lot.

Up until now, Baldwin has only spoken about the tragedy once in his own words -- but it was via Twitter, and not in the flesh.

Shortly after the shooting took place, he issued a since-deleted statement saying, "There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours. I'm fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred."

He added, "I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family. My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna."

Baldwin has also been retweeting articles that dissolve him of responsibility -- noting he was simply handed a gun that he was told was "cold" ... and that he was only doing his job as an actor, relying on others to have properly checked it to make sure it was safe.

Those retweets, however, have also since been erased from his timeline -- it seems the guy figures saying less is best at this moment ... especially since a criminal investigation is still ongoing in New Mexico, and nobody has been ruled out for potentially being charged.

Alec touched base with Halyna's widowed husband, Matt, and their young son not too long after her death ... meeting them at a hotel in Santa Fe and embracing them. He looked as somber then as he did just recently while spotted out with his own family in New England.

You can see he's absolutely torn up about it ... just as he was on the actual day it happened, when he was photographed making calls on a nearby road and bawling his eyes out.

As you know by now ... how this all came to be is well-documented. Alec was rehearsing for a scene in a church on set, in which he was apparently going to be drawing his weapon for a gunslinging standoff of some sort.

While whipping the gun out, he pulled the trigger ... causing it to go off and fire a real bullet, which (for some reason) had been lodged inside prior to them starting work again. The bullet hit Halyna and director Joel Souza, who were standing close to Alec, near the camera equipment. Halyna was airlifted to a hospital, but succumbed to her injuries.

There appear to have been a number of slip-ups that led to this ... from the armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, seemingly not having thoroughly checked the weaponry -- not to mention the AD, David Halls, being the one who pawned it off ... prematurely proclaiming it to be safe.

Of course, we've also heard some crew member(s) took the gun off set at one point to screw around and do target practice. The biggest factors, though, are the fact that a real gun was being used, that live ammo was at play ... and that people were in the line of fire.

There is almost certainly going to be a wrongful death lawsuit filed -- among others, we imagine -- and it remains to be seen who exactly will be named as defendants.

Robert Durst is looking worse for wear since being shipped off to a California prison facility -- and based on how he's looking here ... he ain't gonna be in a cell for a long while.

The recently-convicted NY real estate scion posed for his first mug shot Thursday while apparently in a hospital bed of some sort. In the photo, obtained by TMZ, you can see Durst with his face mask pulled down to his chin ... and him solemnly looking into the camera.

Obviously, he appears quite frail and ill ... as he has been for some time now, but this is especially bad. Remember, the guy is recovering from a COVID-19 diagnosis that came down some 2 weeks ago, which saw him have to be relegated to a ventilator for oxygen.

As for where Durst is now ... he's been transferred from the L.A. County jail system to the California Health Care Facility in Stockton -- which is part of the CA state prison system, and which takes in and attends to their most health-impaired inmates.

Durst was taken to Stockton on Wednesday.

Durst was found guilty of murdering his friend, Susan Berman, just a few weeks ago -- and was handed a life sentence as a result.

Berman's killing is believed to have been tied to the 1982 disappearance of his then-wife, Kathy, whom many believed was also offed by Durst ... albeit, he was never officially implicated, until last week.

It appears prosecutors think they finally have the goods to pin him to the crime -- 'cause they filed charges against him after all these years ... so that case will play out in the future.

Mark your calendars ... Jake Paul and Tommy Fury will officially take the ring in December -- with the YouTube superstar announcing the fight date Friday.

"Pucker up Timmy, it’s time to kiss ur last name and ur family’s boxing legacy goodbye," Jake said on Twitter minutes ago.

The epic showdown is set to happen at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay ... and Jake is vowing to hang out with some local celebs after coming away with the win.

"DEC 18th Im changing this wankers name to Tommy Fumbles and celebrating with Tom Brady."

Of course, Jake has previously claimed Tommy will have to legally change his name if he loses ... which he's told us he's not sweating at all, 'cause Fury is guaranteeing to put Paul into retirement.

Jake is 4-0 with wins over Nate Robinson, Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley ... but this is his first fight against a boxer.

Fury -- heavyweight champ Tyson's lil' bro -- is 7-0.

After months and months of going back and forth, it's finally happening ... and we legitimately cannot wait.

"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan was back in the operating room on Friday ... the WWE legend had yet another surgery -- this time after he revealed he's been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

The former wrestler and his family spelled everything out on his social media page this week ... announcing in a video on Thursday that doctors had recently found cancer in his body.

"It's been going on for a couple months now," Duggan said, "and [my wife] Debra and I have been living with it and getting ready, but reality is here."

Duggan said he went down to Charleston, SC on Friday to have a procedure done to try to help eradicate the disease ... and, fortunately, Duggan's family said everything went well and the 67-year-old is now recovering.

"Jim's surgery went as planned," Duggan's family said. "He is resting comfortably now. Thank you for your prayers, good vibes and well wishes. Please continue them as he continues to heal."

As we previously reported, Duggan just had surgery less than two weeks ago ... though it's unclear if it was related to the cancer or for another issue.

Duggan has battled health problems in the past ... back in 2018, he spent time in the ICU suffering from heart issues -- but he recovered from that a short time later and thanked doctors for it all.

Duggan is one of the best wrestlers of all time and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011.

New York's former-Governor Andrew Cuomo isn't walking away clean from office ... he's now been hit with a criminal charge for alleged sexual misconduct.

Prosecutors in Albany, NY say the ex-Gov. has been charged with forcible touching, which is a Class A misdemeanor. The alleged victim is unknown, but this is the first criminal charge against Cuomo since he resigned in shame back in August.

You'll recall, NY's Attorney General Letitia James announced her investigation found the then Governor had sexually harassed several women -- mostly former and current staffers. The next day, Cuomo stepped down ... however he had not been charged with any crime.

For what it's worth ... if Cuomo were to be found guilty of forcible touching, he could face up to a year in jail or 3 years probation.

When he resigned, Cuomo tried to dismiss his behavior as a product of changing times -- claiming he'd just grown up in an era where his actions were commonplace. Almost no one bought that excuse.

The local sheriff and D.A. investigating the fatal shooting on Alec Baldwin's "Rust" movie set are speaking for the first time about the case ... and they made clear, criminal charges are still on the table for all involved, and the armorer and AD's work history WILL be considered.

Santa Fe County Sheriff, Adan Mendoza, and Santa Fe District Attorney, Mary Carmack-Altwies, were in front of cameras Wednesday to discuss the probe and potentially answer questions -- and while they insisted the investigation was still ongoing, they did offer clarity on what they're looking at in weighing potential criminality ... when they get there.

Mendoza said his deputies recovered about 500 rounds of ammo, which included a mix of blanks, dummies and live bullets. He didn't specify how much of each was found. He also said a whopping 600 pieces of evidence were seized in total, including the gun itself.

The Sheriff said they are still in the process of interviewing people who were working on set -- about 90 people total -- even though he said there was a small crew in the immediate vicinity of the shooting. He also said they want to re-interview a number of people ... including Baldwin, the director, the assistant director as well as the armorer in charge of weapons.

Speaking of those latter two -- who are at the center of this whole drama -- the Sherriff and D.A. noted without ambiguity ... they will take Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and David Halls' rumored incidents and/or conduct on previous sets into account as they consider whether to charge anyone over this. They're encouraging anyone with info to contact them, STAT.

The D.A. also made a point to say ... nobody has been ruled out at this point when it comes to potential charges, and that includes Baldwin himself -- who fired the fatal round.

As you know, Alec pulled the trigger, firing the fatal live round of ammunition that killed director of photography, Halyna Hutchins, and injured director, Joel Souza.

Assistant director Dave Halls handed Alec the weapon used in the scene, and told him it was a "cold gun" ... meaning it was not loaded. Clearly, it had not been adequately inspected beforehand. As we first told you, some crew members were using the same gun for target practice with real bullets.

The movie's chief electrician, Serge Svetnoy, recently shared what he says is the last photo of Hutchins on set, and he's blaming her death on Halls and the film's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed.

Soccer star Josh Cavallo -- who played for Australia's national U-20 team -- has announced he's gay ... saying in an emotional video he's tired of trying to live a "double life."

"It's exhausting," the 21-year-old said of trying to play soccer and keep his secret. "It's something that I don't want anyone to experience."

The Adelaide United player added in the video he's hopeful his announcement helps others come forward with their truths and live their lives without any hiding.

"I want to inspire and show people that it's OK to be yourself and play football," Cavallo said. "It's OK to be gay and play football."

Cavallo, according to CNN, is now the only openly gay "top-flight" player in the world.

Josh said the response to his announcement has been amazing ... and has caused him to ask himself "why have I been hiding this burden for so long?"

"I want to show all the other people that are struggling and that are scared -- whoever it may be -- that, don't act like someone you're not," Cavallo added. "Be yourself. You were meant to be yourself."

Top teams and orgs all over the globe have thrown their support behind Cavallo in the wake of his announcement ... with the Premier League saying in a tweet, "The footballing world is behind you and we wish you all the very best."

A haunting image showing Halyna Hutchins on the set of "Rust" helps paint an eerie picture of the DP's surroundings in her final moments after the fatal accident on set of the Alec Baldwin film.

The photo -- uploaded by the movie's chief electrician Serge Svetnoy -- claims to be the last photo with Halyna on set. Hutchins is wearing a tan beanie with headphones covering her ears.

The setting is what makes the photo so tragic considering it was inside the same church where she was shot and killed after the gun Baldwin was holding fired a live round that struck her in the chest.

According to the search warrant, obtained by TMZ, the fatal scene was supposed to depict Baldwin, sitting in a church pew, pulling his gun from his holster and firing into the camera. The warrant says Baldwin believed he was getting a "cold gun" without ammo from the assistant director, but that was not the case.

In a scathing Facebook post, Svetnoy blamed "negligence and unprofessionalism" on the part of the film's armorer and assistant director for Hutchins' death. He claims he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Halyna during the fatal shot, saying, "I was holding her in my arms while she was dying. Her blood was on my hands."

As we reported, the accident is still under investigation, but a lot of suspicion has been raised about the level of experience armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed brought to the project.

In a podcast recorded last month, Reed claimed she had only recently come off her first film as head armorer and almost didn't take the gig because she felt she wasn't ready.

Alec Baldwin was practicing a "cross draw" -- pointing his gun at the camera -- when a live round struck the director in the shoulder and the cinematographer fatally in the chest ... this according to new court documents.

Director Joel Souza told Sheriff's investigators he heard someone -- we're told the assistant director -- say "cold gun" while they got ready for the scene ... meaning the gun did not have live rounds in the chambers. Significantly, it appears the gun had been inspected before the lunch break but Souza could not remember if it had been checked when the crew returned.

A cameraman named Reid Russel told authorities, "Alec was trying to explain how he was going to draw out the firearm and where his arm would be when the firearm was pulled from the holster."

Souza explained Baldwin pointed the gun directly at the camera and fired, striking him in the shoulder and Halyna Hutchins in the chest. Souza says he had a vague memory that Hutchins was complaining about her stomach and grabbing her midsection. He says she then began to stumble backward and was assisted to the ground. He says he was bleeding from his shoulder and could see blood on Halyna.

Russel said after the shooting, Halyna said she could not feel her legs. Once on the ground, medics frantically began treating her as she was bleeding on the ground. She was airlifted to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Steve Wolf, a special effects coordinator and theatrical firearms safety expert, told CNN there were 3 errors committed that resulted in the tragedy -- using a real gun rather than a prop gun, having a live round in the gun and having people stand behind the camera in the "line of fire." He also said the assistant director should not have been the one to clear the gun before the incident  ... that should have been the armorist's job.

Souza told authorities ... there should never have been live rounds near or around the scene that's being rehearsed or shot.

Authorities have obtained a search warrant to seize all camera footage and any other computer data that may have recorded the fatal incident.

Snoop Dogg's mother, Beverly Tate, has died ... this according to her own son.

The rapper broke the news Sunday, posting a tribute to her on Instagram and writing ... "Thank u god for giving me an angel 🕊 for a mother 💖🙏🏽🌹💝 TWMA." There's another post where he thanks his mom for having him. A cause of death wasn't revealed.

SD's father, Vernell, also confirmed the news ... and he too asked for prayers, noting the family needed it now more than ever.

Ms. Tate had been hospitalized earlier this year for undisclosed reasons -- Snoop had asked his fans send good vibes while his mother was in the hospital. He later updated folks by letting them know she was "still fighting" and had opened her eyes ... but didn't mention much else specifically.

Clearly, they were close. Snoop attributes a lot of his good qualities to how she raised him -- even recently disclosing that she was the one who encouraged him to apologize to Gayle King over his comments in response to her Kobe Bryant remark last year.

Beverly had two other sons by Vernell ... and raised the family in Long Beach, CA. She brought Snoop up in a church environment -- something he still alludes to this day.

James Michael Tyler -- famous for playing Gunther on "Friends" -- has died.

The actor's rep tells TMZ ... JMT passed away peacefully Sunday morning at his home in L.A. -- this after battling stage 4 prostate cancer.

His family says ... "The world knew him as Gunther (the seventh "Friend"), from the hit series "Friends," but Michael’s loved ones knew him as an actor, musician, cancer-awareness advocate, and loving husband."

They add, "Michael loved live music, cheering on his Clemson Tigers, and would often find himself in fun and unplanned adventures. If you met him once you made a friend for life."

James first revealed his cancer diagnosis earlier this year -- which stunned fans, as he'd just appeared in the reunion special and made no mention of it. He later clarified why he hadn't gone public at that time -- saying he didn't wanna be a downer for the special moment.

He was first diagnosed with cancer in 2018, and kept it private for 3 years.

James has acted in several big shows over the course of his career -- including "Sabrina the Teenage Witch," "Scrubs," "Modern Music," "Just Shoot Me!" and others ... but his biggest claim to fame is the long-running sitcom, where he played a worker at the Central Perk cafe.

He starred in 150 episodes of "Friends" over the course of its 10-year run ... and is absolutely beloved by the fan base. James is survived by his wife, Jennifer Carno.

James Michael Tyler was 59.

The assistant director on the set of "Rust" who told Alec Baldwin the prop gun he was about to fire was safe has allowed an unsafe working environment on previous productions ... this according to someone who worked with him on a previous production.

Propmaker Maggie Goll worked with A.D. Dave Halls in 2019 on Hulu's "Into the Dark" series. She says, "At first he seemed like an older, affable first [A.D.] with the usual run of idiosyncrasies, but that facade soon disappeared," adding, "He did not maintain a safe working environment."

"He did not maintain a safe working environment," Goll said in a statement to NBC News. "Sets were almost always allowed to become increasingly claustrophobic, no established fire lanes, exits blocked ... safety meetings were nonexistent."

Goll says in one case Halls continued to let cameras roll in the middle of a medical emergency -- when something happened to the pyrotechnician -- and she says that created a dangerous situation.

Perhaps most alarming ... she says Halls didn't hold safety meetings when a gun was used on the set.

Halls is the one who gave Baldwin the prop gun and yelled, "cold gun" ... meaning it had no live rounds. Apparently that was a fatal error.

Ed Sheeran is hitting the pause button, because he says he's tested positive for COVID-19 ... which disrupts a few things in his immediate future.

The singer made the announcement Sunday on Instagram, writing ... "Hey guys. Quick note to tell you that I’ve sadly tested positive for Covid, so I’m now self-isolating and following government guidelines."

He adds, "It means that I’m now unable to plough ahead with any in person commitments for now, so I’ll be doing as many of my planned interviews/performances I can from my house. Apologies to anyone I’ve let down. Be safe everyone x"

It sounds like the guy will be well enough to carry on with some scheduled responsibilities -- of which we're sure there's quite a few, seeing how Ed's new album is due out next week.

Speaking of one of those commitments, 'SNL' just announced yesterday that Ed would be the musical guest alongside host Kieran Culkin for Nov. 6's episode -- but it's unclear if he'll be able to make that or not ... it's 13 days away, and he could presumably be well by then.

Ed is also supposed to be appearing on "The Voice" this week as a musical mentor -- but they seem to have taped his segment well before this diagnosis. No word if he was planning on making an in-person visit as well -- but if so, that's almost certainly off now.