Celebrity Death

No surprise here ... but Roy Halladay has officially been placed on the ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame ... 1 year after his tragic death in a plane crash off the Gulf of Mexico.

Halladay's nomination was NOT advanced due to his death -- he last pitched in 2013, satisfying the usual 5-year waiting period.

Most experts agree Halladay is a 1st ballot lock -- since he was an 8-time All-Star and won 2 Cy Young Awards during his 15-year MLB career.

In 2010, Halladay famously threw the 2nd no-hitter in MLB postseason history -- when the Philadelphia Phillies blanked the Cincinnati Reds in Game 1 of the NLDS.

Halladay died on Nov. 7, 2017 while piloting a new ICON A5 single passenger amphibious plane over the Gulf of Mexico.

Witnesses had said Halladay was flying dangerously and lost control of the plane -- which eventually plunged into the water.

Halladay was 40-years-old.

Other big names on the 2019 Hall of Fame ballot include Mariano Rivera, Todd Helton and Andy Pettitte.

Pettitte could be an interesting one to watch considering he admitted to taking performance-enhancing drugs during his MLB career.

Diddy hosted a private memorial to honor Kim Porter -- the mother of 3 of his children -- and the event was filled with friends, family and stories about Kim's life.

More than a hundred people came to Diddy's Bel-Air home Sunday to remember Kim. The house was filled with photos of Porter and the family. A candlelit walkway lined the entrance as guests arrived.

French Montana, Mary J. Blige and Pharrell were among the guests.

There were heaters in the back for comfort ... it's getting cooler in SoCal.

TMZ broke the story ... Kim was found dead in her Toluca Lake home on Thursday. The 47-year-old mother of 4 had recently fallen ill with the flu, and complained she wasn't feeling well before going to bed Wednesday night.

Mohamed Sanu honored comic book legend Stan Lee on his cleats during the Falcons game on Sunday ... and the final product would make the Spidey creator proud.

TMZ broke the story ... the man behind the Marvel Universe died last week at 95 years old after suffering several illnesses over the past year.

Sanu -- a huge superhero nerd -- paid homage to the guy who created icons like Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk and Black Panther with custom cleats which he busted out to use against the Dallas Cowboys.

The artist behind the shoe design is Dez Customz -- who has done work for other huge NFL stars like Leonard Fournette and Cam Newton.

The Falcons ultimately lost 22-19 ... but Sanu won the kick game for sure.

Diddy lost the mother of his children, Kim Porter, Thursday -- but put on a brave face Friday -- in an attempt to return to some normalcy.

Diddy was spotted out in L.A. at The Movement Performance Institute with the help of a private driver. There's no mistaking the expression on his face is one of complete devastation after the death of Kim Porter, who he has 3 children with.

It's the first time we've seen the mogul since Porter's unexpected passing, his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura was also with him.

TMZ broke the story ... Kim was found dead in her Los Angeles home Thursday. We're told she was battling the flu and went to bed Wednesday night, complaining she wasn't feeling well.

Avicii's father, friends and hundreds of his fans just gathered in Sweden to remember the late DJ.

The streets of Stockholm were packed with Avicii lovers Friday night hoping for a chance to get inside a massive church for a celebration of life for the 28-year-old. Avicii's father, Klas Bergling, was among the many to speak in front of the crowd about his son's life and legacy left behind.

The church was decorated with photos of the late DJ and music played during the ceremony was all tied back to Avicii.

Near the end of the event, a choir got up onstage to sing "Wake Me Up" -- one of Avicii's biggest singles -- released in 2013 with singer Aloe Blacc.

TMZ broke the story ... Avicii took his life back in April in a hotel in the Middle Eastern country of Oman. Sources told us the DJ used a shard of glass from a broken bottle to cut himself and bleed out.

Ex-Boise State running back Jack Fields Jr. was shot and killed by a cop at a Georgia hotel on Thursday ... after cops say he stabbed the deputy several times while resisting arrest.

According to multiple reports, cops responded to the Residence Inn in Augusta for a "trouble with subject" call at around 8 PM when Sheriff's Deputy Stephan Psillos found Fields in the hotel lobby.

When Psillos went to handcuff Fields, he allegedly grabbed a knife from his coat and stabbed the officer multiple times ... according to a release by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

The officer then fought back by shooting Fields with his gun. The 25-year-old was later pronounced dead at the scene.

Psillos was rushed to a nearby hospital ... where he's receiving treatment for his injuries.

Diddy is destroyed over the death of his ex, Kim Porter ... because even though they broke up years ago they were still a very tight family.

Sources close to Diddy say he never stopped interacting with Kim, despite breaking up way back in 2007. We're told their connection went beyond the fact they were co-parenting 3 kids ... they genuinely had love and affection for each other.

They celebrated holidays as a family, vacationed together and just hung out ... and there was never an extended period where they were at odds with each other.

Perhaps the most telling example of their ongoing union ... they never had a formal custody agreement. They accommodated each other's schedules when it came to the kids -- and it always worked.

TMZ broke the story ... Porter was found dead at her Toluca Lake home Thursday, and the emergency dispatch revealed a call came in for a patient in cardiac arrest. A source told us Porter was recently sick with pneumonia.

She leaves behind their 20-year-old son, Christian, and twin, 11-year-old daughters Jessie James and D'Lila ... as well as 27-year-old Quincy whose dad is Al B. Sure!.

Porter was 47 years old.

William Goldman -- the screenwriter who made tumbling down a hill romantic in the classic "The Princess Bride" -- has died.

Goldman, who also won Oscars for writing "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and "All the President's Men," died Thursday night in his Manhattan home following complications from colon cancer and pneumonia, this according to multiple outlets.

He was surrounded by family and friends. Goldman's health had been deteriorating as of late but had worsened over the summer.

Goldman's hit 'Princess Bride' featured a star-studded cast that included Robin Wright, Billy Crystal and Andre the Giant. No doubt Goldman will be best remembered for concocting a battle of wits with a Sicilian, and imagining Westley the stable boy growing up into the Dread Pirate Roberts (spoiler alert) in the '80s ... however, his career stretched across decades.

The Oscar-winning screenwriter began his career as a novelist before writing his first screenplay in 1965. Goldman paired up with Robert Redford in 1969 for the western classic 'Butch Cassidy' ... earning Goldman an Academy Award for best original screenplay in 1970.

They paired up again a few years later for the political thriller ... earning him again another Academy Award in 1977 for best original screenplay. Goldman also wrote "Marathon Man," "The Stepford Wives," "Chaplin" and "A Bridge Too Far," and had a hand in "A Few Good Men" and "Indecent Proposal"

He was 87.

RIP

7:00 PM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell TMZ, Kim went to bed early last night, because she wasn't feeling well and when family members went to wake her Thursday she was non-responsive. Paramedics pronounced Kim dead at her home.

As for the cause ... we're told she was battling an illness -- either the flu or pneumonia -- over the last few days and was being treated with Saline and vitamins. Authorities are also looking at a recent trip Kim took to Africa, to determine if she contracted a disease.

No illegal drugs were found.

The coroner will perform an autopsy and perform toxicology tests.

5:02 PM PT -- The coroner's van just left Porter's home.

Kim Porter, the model and actress who dated Diddy for 13 years, was found dead Thursday at her L.A. area home ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us they got a call to Porter's Toluca Lake home around noon. Police are still on the scene right now.

According to emergency dispatch audio the call came in as a patient in cardiac arrest.

A source connected to Kim tells us she'd been suffering flu-like symptoms, and possibly pneumonia, for several weeks, but it's still unclear what exactly caused her death. Another source says Kim had contacted her doctor just yesterday complaining she wasn't feeling any better.

Diddy and Kim's relationship spanned more than a decade with several breakups and makeups. They started dating in 1994 and broke up, for the last time, in 2007.

They have 3 children together -- twin girls Jessie James and D'Lila were born in 2006, and she had their son, Christian, in 1998. She also has a son, Quincy Brown, from her previous relationship with Al B. Sure!.

The whole family was last together, in public, supporting Quincy at last month's premiere for his movie, "The Holiday Calendar."

Kim worked as both a model and an actress, and she made appearances on Diddy's show, "I Want to Work for Diddy."

Diddy's rep Cindi Berger tells us, "Sadly, I can confirm the passing of Kim Porter. I ask that you give the families privacy at this time."

Kim was 47.

RIP

Verne Troyer's estate is getting a harsh reminder about the high cost of medical care, because it just got a hefty bill for his final days in an L.A. hospital.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Valley Presbyterian Hospital slapped Verne's estate with a $364,797.05 invoice for his nearly three week hospitalization. Verne eventually died there from alcohol abuse.

It might sound like a move straight outta Dr. Evil's playbook ... the fact is, creditors have a limited amount of time to file claims after someone dies. We've seen this happen with Michael Jackson and several other celebs.

We broke the story ... the 'Austin Powers' star was rushed to a hospital after cops got a call Verne was extremely upset, drunk and suicidal. He was placed on life support, and remained in the hospital until he died.

Roy Clark -- the legendary country singer and host of "Hee Haw" -- has died.

A rep for the Grammy, CMA and ACM Award winner tells us Clark died Thursday morning at his home in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Clark had recently gotten pneumonia and ultimately passed because of complications from the illness.

Clark has been performing since the age of 14, and was one of the first artists to land singles on both the pop and country charts ... and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2009. Roy played the guitar, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, harmonica and many other instruments.

Clark's show "Hee Haw" -- a country music variety show -- ran for 24 years ... making it one of the longest syndicated television shows in history. He often had musical guests on the show including Johnny Cash, Garth Brooks and Loretta Lynn.

Clark is survived by Barbara -- his wife of 61 years -- and his 5 children.

There will be a memorial to honor the singer in Tulsa -- which Roy has called home since 1974 -- in the coming days.

Al Sharpton counts Stan Lee as a pioneer at the height of the civil rights movement ... and one need not look further than Black Panther.

We got the Reverend on Capitol Hill Tuesday and wanted to get his take on the legendary Marvel Universe creator's death. TMZ broke the story ... Stan died Monday morning after he was rushed to the hospital. He was 95.

Al says Stan wasn't late to the game when it came to inclusion in Hollywood. Stan -- no stranger to tackling politically sensitive issues in his comic books -- created the Black Panther character in 1966, the first black superhero.

Stan Lee was smiling and cheerful during what would be his final sit-down with the man he trusted to run Marvel Comics.

This is the last known pic of Stan, taken on Saturday, as Stan smiled next to his protege, comic book writer Roy Thomas. Just 2 days before Stan died, we're told he was in good spirits during the visit.

Roy's manager, John Cimino, tells us Roy and Stan talked for about 30 minutes and, surprise ... they discussed comics and superheroes. John tells us Stan's last words before he and Roy left were ... "God bless. Take care of my boy, Roy."

Roy released a statement about his last moments with Stan, noting the Marvel legend "lacked much of the old Stan Lee energy" most people had come to know him by. He also says Stan seemed enthusiastic about future Marvel movie cameos if he could do them without being too much of a burden. Roy called Stan "one of the most important mythmakers of the 20th century."

Stan Lee was supposed to deliver one of the most memorable lines in "Spider-Man 2," according to Donnell Rawlings ... who ended up replacing the late Marvel legend.

We got Don at LAX soon after we broke the news that Stan had passed away, and he had a hilarious story for us about his cameo in the original "Spider-Man" sequel. In case you've forgotten, Donnell briefly shows up when Tobey Maguire goes swinging with pizzas in hand.

According to Donnell, Stan was set to drop the classic line ... but, apparently, he'd fallen ill during filming and Don got tapped instead. He even reenacts the "Oscar-worthy" scene for our camera guy, and does a pretty good job at recapturing the magic.

BTW, Stan did end up making a cameo in 'SM2,' but it was a non-speaking part. He was notorious for showing up in the Marvel movies ... someway, somehow.

Like we first told you ... Stan was rushed to Cedars-Sinai by ambulance from his Hollywood Hills home early Monday morning, and he died at the hospital.

He was 95.

Stan Lee, the man responsible for much of the Marvel Universe, has died ... Stan's daughter tells TMZ.

We're told an ambulance rushed to Lee's Hollywood Hills home early Monday morning and he was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. We're told that's where he died.

Lee had suffered several illnesses over the last year or so -- he had a bout of pneumonia and vision issues.

Stan started Marvel with Jack Kirby in 1961 with The Fantastic Four. He went on to create Spider-Man, Black Panther, The Incredible Hulk, X-Men, Iron Man and The Avengers.

Stan made cameo appearances in many of the Marvel movies.

Lee had a rocky relationship with Marvel once the company went full-tilt Hollywood. He sued the company in 2002 for royalties he said he was owed for the first "Spider-Man" movie. Three years later he settled the case for $10 million.

"Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse" is the latest installment of the film's franchise and will be released next month.

Lee is survived by his daughter, J.C. His wife of 69 years, Joan, died in 2017.

J.C. tells TMZ, "My father loved all of his fans. He was the greatest, most decent man."

Lee was 95.

RIP

If you were one of the people who thought "No puede ser" after a rumor surfaced that Juan Gabriel is not actually dead ... congrats, you were 100% right.

One of Juan's sons, Ivan Aguilera, who actually served as his dad's manager for the last 8 years of Juan's life, tells us the claim -- made by a man named Joaquin Munoz that Juan faked his death and is alive and well -- is complete BS. Ivan tells us squarely ... his dad is deceased.

He held his father's cremated remains at a memorial service back in 2016.

Munoz claimed to be Juan's ex-manager and told a Mexican news outlet last week the Latin singer was alive at home and had faked his sudden death. That story was picked up by other outlets ... and, suddenly, the buzz was Juan was going to surface by the end of 2018.

Juan's former attorney and rep for his estate, Guillermo Pous, backs Ivan's account ... telling us Munoz never managed Juan. He was just a pal.

Pous thinks Munoz is only peddling this conspiracy theory to sell a new book. Needless to say, Juan's family is pissed, and Pous says they're considering legal action.

FWIW, we obtained Juan Gabriel's death certificate back in 2016. Juan's official cause of death was arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.