Celebrity Death

Mandy Blank -- one of the most famous female fitness competitors ever -- died this week at the age of 42, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... the former IFBB World Champion was discovered by a housekeeper in the bathtub of her L.A. home on October 29.

The housekeeper called 911 and paramedics raced to the scene -- where she was pronounced dead.

Our sources say no drugs or alcohol were found at the scene and there's nothing criminally suspicious about her death. We're told the plan was to conduct an autopsy and toxicology to determine an exact cause of death.

Blank was a legend in the bodybuilding and fitness world -- winning the IFBB World Championships in 1999, the youngest competitor to ever do it at the time.

She also placed 5th in the 1998 World Arnold Classic and was later honored by Bodybuilding and Fitness magazine as having the "Greatest Glutes of All Time," according to her website.

Mandy went on to become a major celebrity fitness trainer and listed clients from Marcus Allen to Mickey Rourke, Alex Rodriguez, Pauly Shore, Rohan Marley and Natasha Lyonne.

12:09 PM PT -- A prison source tells us Bulger -- who is wheelchair bound -- was in general population Tuesday morning. We're told he was approached by 3 other inmates who wheeled him into a corner that could not be seen by surveillance cameras.

Our source says the inmates beat Bulger -- one used a lock in a sock as a weapon -- until he was unconscious. They also attempted to gouge his eyes out with some type of shiv, but were unsuccessful. Bulger fell to the ground covered in bruises and with several dents in his head.

As for the eyes, we've been doing some research -- back in the days of Murder Inc., (the 1940s gangsters, not the rappers) mobsters would gouge out the eyes of witnesses who talked to cops.

Whitey was an informant for the FBI starting back in 1975 -- so, this may have been a message from his killers to warn others about snitching.

11:43 AM PT -- A law enforcement source tells us Bulger's death is being treated as a suspected homicide.

11:15 AM PT -- TMZ has learned emergency dispatchers got a call from the prison for someone in cardiac arrest, and staffers at the facility were performing CPR. They also had a defibrillator on scene.

10:25 AM PT -- The Dept. of Justice says Bulger was found at 8:20 AM, and prison staff immediately attempted to resuscitate him. Bulger had just arrived at Hazelton on Monday.

James "Whitey" Bulger -- one of America's most notorious mobsters -- was found dead Tuesday in a federal prison where he had just been transferred ... TMZ has confirmed

Bulger was just moved to a new facility -- U.S. Penitentiary Hazelton in West Virginia, a maximum-security prison. Prison officials haven't released details, but say his body was found sometime after he was moved to the prison.

Bulger had been serving out his life sentence in a federal pen in Florida until last week, when he was transferred to one in Oklahoma City ... and then recently arrived in Hazelton. He was convicted in 2013 for a slew of crimes, including being linked to at least 11 murders.

The ex-crime boss was on the run for years and was one of the FBI's most wanted before being captured in Santa Monica in 2011.

Bulger's life story was documented in the 2015 flick, "Black Mass," where Johnny Depp played the ruthless Winter Hill Gang crime boss, and longtime FBI informant, who terrorized the Boston area for years.

On an episode of "Objectified" ... UFC honcho Dana White told Harvey Levin, Bulger was the reason he had to get the hell out of Boston.

Bulger was 89.

It's time to turn the page on the house where Mac Miller died ... it's now up for rent.

We're told the 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom San Fernando Valley house hit the market earlier this week and can be yours for $9,595 a month.

The 3,156 sq. foot house is modest but still loaded with coveted features -- panoramic city and canyon views, private courtyard and a built-in brick BBQ.

But, there may be an obstacle. As we first reported ... the rapper died in the house back in September from an overdose. And, there's a law in California (Civil Code 1710.2) that requires realtors to disclose to anyone buying or renting a house that someone died there within 3 years of a transaction.

Superstitious renters need not apply.

XXXTentacion's brutal murder should carry more weight than his confession to hitting an ex-GF, and everyone needs to forgive and forget his numerous mistakes ... so says Mally Mall.

We got Mally Friday in L.A. and asked him about promoting XXXTentacion's music after prosecutors released audio this week of X apparently talking about stabbing multiple people and hitting his then-girlfriend.

It's a personal issue for Mally, who produced the newly released collab between XXXTentacion and Lil Pump, "Arms Around You." He says people should respect the fact the slain rapper can't defend himself from the grave. Not to mention respecting his mourning mother, Cleo.

As we reported ... XXXTentacion was secretly recorded years ago apparently confessing to stabbing 9 people and beating his ex so badly she was scared to death. The Miami-Dade County state attorney's office released the audio, which they were planning to use in his pending domestic violence trial.

Aretha Franklin is getting dogged in death over legal bills ... TMZ has learned.

The late singer's lawyer, Gregory Reed, apparently had some trouble collecting what Aretha owed him when she was alive ... so he's now hoping her estate will cough up some financial R-E-S-P-E-C-T. It sounds harsh, so soon after Aretha's passing, but Reed's filed docs demanding the estate pony up nearly $54k to cover bills dating back 6 years.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, Reed's firm says it provided a number of services to the Queen of Soul -- who died in August -- including negotiations on her final Atlantic Records contract. The firm says her last payment, for about $10k, was made in August 2012.

Seems Reed doesn't want to be added to anyone's chain-chain-chaaaain ... chain of fools.

Country and blues icon Tony Joe White -- who had the huge '60s hit "Polk Salad Annie" -- has died ... according to his record label.

White died Wednesday in Nashville, according to his label, Yep Roc Music Group -- however, they did not release details about the cause of death.

He performed and wrote tunes in several genres -- including country, rock, blues and R&B -- but scored his biggest hit for himself with 'Polk Salad' in 1969.

The song was covered by the likes of Tom Jones and even Elvis Presley.

He also wrote the hits "Rainy Night in Georgia" for Ray Charles ... "Undercover Agent for the Blues" and also "Steamy Windows" -- which Tina Turner turned into a Top 40 hit when she covered it in 1989.

Over the course of his career ... Tony recorded 20 albums, with the most recent one being "Bad Mouthin'," which released was on September 28 of this year.

He was 75.

Lauren McCluskey -- the Utah track star who was brutally murdered on campus this week -- will be honored by the entire Utes football team when they take on UCLA Friday.

The school announced players will wear a black and white sticker featuring a winged foot with Lauren's name on it ... in remembrance of the slain student.

As we previously reported ... 21-year-old McCluskey -- a 2017 honorable mention Pac-12 All-Academic -- was shot to death by her ex-bf on Monday after finding out he was a registered sex offender.

Utah announced in addition to the helmet decals ... they'll hand out a similar sticker at this week's women's volleyball and women's soccer games to remember her legacy.

For their part ... UCLA says it'll hold a moment of silence for McCluskey at the Rose Bowl.

Rae Carruth has informed officials he's planning on moving to Pennsylvania now that he's out of prison -- though it's unclear why he's chosen that state or what he's planning to do there.

TMZ Sports spoke with the Pennsylvania Parole Board and a rep confirmed that Carruth is now under their supervision.

We're told Carruth must still abide by the same release conditions imposed on him by the state of North Carolina, where he served his prison time -- which include routine meetings with a parole officer and staying out of trouble. The usual stuff.

Carruth was released on Monday morning -- nearly 19 years after he participated in the shooting death of his girlfriend, Cherica Adams, who was 8 months pregnant with their child.

Rae and Cherica's son survived the shooting -- though he now has severe disabilities -- and lives with Cherica's mother in North Carolina.

Ron Jeremy says he's pretty sure his good friend, Dennis Hof, died a happy death ... but discovering his body was definitely tough.

We got Ron Monday night on the Sunset Strip in front of the Rainbow Room and asked about finding the famed Bunny Ranch owner dead in his bed. Ron tells us he's spent many a day waking Dennis up all over the world, but something was definitely amiss last week.

Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson both seemed to know marriage wasn't in the cards, even after they got engaged, because they never lifted a finger to seal the deal.

They got engaged in June, and our sources say an entire summer passed without locking down a venue, buying a wedding dress, or even picking a date. We are told Ariana talked about a wedding with her mom, but that's all it was ... talk.

The months of inaction predate the death of Ariana's ex, Mac Miller, last month. As we reported, Mac's death was the beginning of the end of Ariana and Pete's relationship, because she was emotionally paralyzed.

The only real signs of happily ever after were a $100,000 engagement ring -- which she's already given back -- and a pet pig which she's kept.

Rae Carruth -- the piece of garbage NFL star WR who hired a hitman to kill his pregnant girlfriend -- was released from prison Monday morning, 19 years after the deadly incident.

Rae was a talented football player -- the Carolina Panthers took him in the 1st round of the 1997 NFL Draft and made the NFL All-Rookie Team after a pretty solid rookie season.

But, he threw it all away in Nov. 1999 when he conspired with a gunman to murder 24-year-old Cherica Adams, who was 8 months pregnant with his child.

Officials say Carruth and Adams got in separate cars after a movie date and once they got on the road, he blocked her vehicle so the gunman could have a clean shot.

Adams was hit 4 times but managed to call 911 -- and emergency personnel were able to perform an emergency C-section and save the baby. Cherica died 4 weeks later.

The child, Chancellor Lee Adams, was born with severe cerebral palsy due to trauma from the shooting. He's been raised by Cherica's mother, Saundra, ever since.

Rae was hit with several criminal charges -- but when the time came to turn himself into authorities, he infamously ran like the coward he is. He was later found hiding in the trunk of a car in Tennessee.

Carruth was ultimately convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, attempting to destroy an unborn child and discharging a firearm into occupied property.

He was sentenced to 18 to 24 years in prison.

Carruth -- now 44 years old -- told WBTV in a recent interview he's "excited" to get out of prison but nervous about how he'll be received by the public, acknowledging there is "so much hate and negativity toward me."

Dennis Hof's longtime pal in the sex biz, Heidi Fleiss, tells us the famous brothel owner's sugary diet and poor eating habits played a major role in his death.

Heidi would know better than anyone ... she's known Dennis forever and tells us he was constantly chowing down on an insane amount of Fudgsicles before and after dinner, and things got so bad recently, Dennis could barely walk.

Dennis' eating habits were so out of whack, Heidi says the famous pimp equated a Taco Bell salad to kale. She's convinced Dennis' declining health was a direct result of his poor diet, and believes it contributed to Hof's death.

The two longtime friends were planning to turn things around with a health retreat, but Heidi says they never got the chance.

As we first reported ... Dennis' Love Ranch has been shut down in the wake of his sudden death, and the future of his other brothel, the Bunny Ranch, is also up in the air.

Paul Allen's cause of death was the septic shock brought on by his battle with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma ... TMZ has learned.

We obtained Allen's death certificate, and it lists septic shock and immunosuppression as causes of death ... but both were clearly the result of his cancer. According to the document ... Allen died Monday at 12:35 PM at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle.

The Microsoft cofounder had announced nearly 3 weeks ago his cancer had returned after 9 years of remission.

Allen owned the Seattle Seahawks and the Portland Trailblazers, and cofounded Microsoft with Bill Gates in 1975. His estimated net worth was north of $20 billion. Allen was never married and had no children. He was 65.

According to the death certificate, he opted to be buried instead of cremation.

You're gonna have to go somewhere else to fulfill your wildest fantasies ... because we've learned Dennis Hof's famous Nevada whorehouse closed its doors the day he died.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the Love Ranch was shut down Tuesday immediately after the owner's death.

Dennis was the sole owner of the famous brothel where Lamar Odom overdosed, and no one else is legally permitted to run the biz. The Love Ranch had its prostitution and liquor licenses stripped, 'cause Dennis was the only name on the paperwork.

Other sources tell us sheriffs hit up the Love Ranch Wednesday night and took away the girls' permits to legally prostitute themselves. The women have been told to hit the road.

It's been a long time coming ... we're told sheriffs have been trying to close the Love Ranch ever since Dennis announced he was running for State Assembly.

The brothel's future looks bleak ... the Love Ranch can't reopen until someone else locks down licenses, and that person will have to prove they own the property, prove it can be financially stable and pass background checks. It's not clear who will inherit the property.

There's still some good news for those starved for sex ... Hof's other whorehouse, the Bunny Ranch, is still operating.

But, get those last pumps in quick, we're told the D.A. is exploring whether to shut down the Bunny Ranch as well.

Max Lomas -- the friend who discovered Bobbi Kristina submerged in a bathtub with a toxic mix of drugs in her system -- died from a fentanyl overdose himself ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us Lomas' official cause of death was "fentanyl toxicity," and his death was ruled accidental. We broke the story ... Lomas died of an overdose in Mississippi earlier this year, but it was unclear at the time what drug had caused it.

As we've reported ... Lomas was the guy who found Bobbi Kristina lifeless in a tub all those years ago, which eventually led to her death after she was taken off life support. A bunch of drugs were later found in her system.

Lomas was ID'd by some authorities as Bobbi Kristina and Nick Gordon's drug dealer, but he denied that. He was at their home in the hours leading up to her death.

Mike Tyson could barely contain his emotions while reflecting on the night his good friend, Tupac Shakur, was shot ... saying the rap legend was "really happy" just before he was gunned down.

Tyson and Pac were great friends in the '90s -- and he was Tyson's VIP guest the night he fought Bruce Seldon on September 7, 1996 at the MGM Grand in Vegas.

Tyson says Tupac was in great spirits during their last interaction at the post-fight press conference ... and remembers Pac talking "a bunch of sh*t" after his 1st-round TKO.

Of course, Tupac was shot 4 times while leaving the fight in Vegas by an unknown assailant while Suge Knight was in the driver's seat next to him. Pac died 6 days later.

Tyson choked back tears while recounting that night while sitting down with radio legend Big Boy from 92.3 ... saying, "It's very difficult to talk about. Young kid that wanted to be great and then that happened."

Tyson recalls being frustrated because he wasn't allowed to visit Pac in the hospital before he passed away.

But, Iron Mike says Pac's legacy lives on ... and he's still asked about the late MC wherever he goes.