Celebrity Death

2:15 PM PT -- Anthony Comello's attorney, Robert C. Gottlieb, tells TMZ that his client has waived extradition Monday and will be arraigned in a Staten Island court next week. Gottlieb also tells us that Comello has been placed in protective custody after receiving "serious threats," where he will remain while his case is pending. Gottlieb adds that Comello's family cannot believe the accusations against Anthony, and promises to get to the truth of the matter.

The man suspected of killing Gambino crime boss Frank Cali came to court with a message on his hand ... "United We Stand MAGA Forever."

Anthony Comello faced a New Jersey judge Monday and displayed his left palm with words written with a blue ballpoint pen. A court officer scoffed at Comello -- who was arrested and taken into custody over the weekend -- asking him why he was waving his hand to reporters. His response ... "Why? I'm handcuffed," suggesting he couldn't do any harm by showcasing his palm.

Our law enforcement sources said cops believe Comello may have murdered Cali because the mob boss was blocking him from dating Cali's niece.

You'll recall, domestic terrorism suspect Cesar A. Sayoc pledged allegiance to Trump ... festooning his van with tons of pro-Trump stickers and allegedly sending pipe bombs to CNN, President Obama and others.

Then there's Florida shooter Nikolas Cruz, who wore a MAGA hat during target practice just months before killing 17 people at his former high school.

6:35 PM PT -- The Beach Boys' co-founder, Brian Wilson, just sent a message of condolences to Dick's family in light of his passing. He tweeted Sunday, "I’m sorry to hear about Dick Dale passing. Dick’s guitar playing was a big influence on all of us, and we covered “Misirlou” on our Surfin’ USA album in ‘63. Love & Mercy to Dick’s family."

Dick Dale -- one of the most influential guitarists and rock 'n' roll artists of all time -- has died ... TMZ has confirmed.

Dick passed away Saturday, according to Sam Bolle, Dick's former live bassist. Sam tells TMZ, "He was an original, he always did things the way he wanted to do them ... his own way. Long before punk rock, he was doing that."

A pioneer in music -- who was known as the King of Surf Guitar -- Dick spearheaded the surf rock sound that became globally popular through the Beach Boys and other bands in the '60s. He had tons of solo records and also performed with a group called the Del-Tones.

Dick also made multiple TV appearances over the course of his career with performances on "The Ed Sullivan Show," "Hollywood a Go Go," "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," "Late Show with David Letterman," "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" and others music-variety/talk shows.

He also acted in quite a few TV shows and movies -- often playing himself -- including on projects like "Beverly Hills, 90210," "An American Vampire Story," "Let's Make Love," "Muscle Beach Party," "Aloha, Scooby-Doo!" and lots more.

He released 11 LPs, 14 compilation and live albums, and had 11 singles over the course of his career. His iconic song, "Misirlou," was also used in the opening credits of Quentin Tarantino's cult classic film, "Pulp Fiction." The Black Eyed Peas sampled that track too for their smash hit, "Pump It."

Dick is credited with inspiring other legendary guitarists, like Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen. Oh, and every other surf rock band that ever existed -- them too.

Dick has said he's dealt with a number of health issues over the years, including battling back from rectal cancer twice, dealing with diabetes as well as damaged vertebrae. Despite all that, he continued to tour ... and even had shows booked for May and the summer.

He was 81 years old. RIP

T.I. is back on set and ready to move forward with his show in the aftermath of his sister's tragic death.

Sources connected to Tip tell TMZ ... he, Tiny and the rest of his family have resumed filming 'Friends & Family Hustle.' We're told they started production again about two weeks ago, after the funeral for T.I.'s older sister, Precious Harris ... who died last month.

We broke the story ... Precious passed away in late February after an asthma attack led to her slamming into a telephone pole while she was behind the wheel of T.I.'s Dodge Avenger. She died about a week later while in the ICU on life support. She was 66.

T.I. had halted production of his show as soon as heard Precious was in the accident, not wanting to continue filming without one of their own. It'd been on a hiatus since mid-February, but it's back in full swing now.

Our sources say T.I. and his fam recently filmed a kickball episode called "Team Family vs. Team Hustle." Looks like the games might've gone down in an indoor arena. It also seems like T.I. didn't choose sides either way ... as he's dressed in a neutral black outfit here.

3/17 -- Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... cops are investigating whether Cali's killing was over a family dispute -- namely, whether Cali blocked Comello from dating his niece. We're told police believe this is something that could've possibly motivated Comello to shoot Cali.

2:21 PM PT -- The NYPD held a press conference Saturday, saying Anthony Comello is in custody and expected to be charged for Frank Cali's murder. NYPD Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea told the media that they believe Comello is the shooter. He's currently being held in a New Jersey jail but will be charged in Staten Island. No word on an official motive.

Police have apprehended a person of interest in the murder of Gambino crime boss, Frank Cali ... TMZ has confirmed.

Law enforcement sources tell us cops picked up a white 24-year-old man in New Jersey Saturday morning, who is now being questioned in connection with the killing.

As we reported ... someone rolled up to Cali's Staten Island home Wednesday night and opened fire on the mob boss, apparently running him over as well.

Our sources say the man was apprehended in Jersey in the vicinity of a blue pickup truck -- which is significant to the investigation. According to investigators, witnesses say they saw a man in a blue pickup truck slam into Cali's parked car, prompting him to come outside.

Police say about a minute after Cali confronted the man who'd struck his car, the other guy pulled out a handgun and fired 12 shots ... 6 of which hit Cali. Cops say Cali then tried to crawl under the back end of the other guy's truck before the man drove away.

We're told the 24-year-old, who has yet to be identified, has not been arrested or charged with a crime as of yet. He's simply someone cops wanted to talk to. Our sources also tell us the dude -- whom we're being told is from Staten Island -- was tracked down in part through his cell phone.

Also interesting ... we're told cops don't believe the murder was actually mob-related, as it appears to be more of a personal dispute than anything else.

Cali reportedly took over as head of the Gambino family in 2015. John Gotti was the "boss" before going down for murder and racketeering in 1992.

Iconic fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld is being remembered in France as one of the nation's favorite adopted sons ... and it's all spelled out in his death certificate.

We've obtained Karl's death certificate, issued last month in Paris, and it highlights the fact that the German-born designer was awarded the prestigious decoration, Commander of the Legion of Honor ... France's highest civil merit.

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy presented the medal to Karl in 2010 ... well-deserved, because Karl spent 55 years designing in Paris, so the Parisians made sure the honor wasn't forgotten. Fun fact: Napoleon started the Legion of Honor in 1802.

As we reported -- Karl died February 19 in a Paris hospital -- the certificate lists 10:20 AM as the time of death.

The cause of death is not revealed ... though Karl was battling pancreatic cancer.

The certificate lists "artistic director" as Karl's profession. As you know, he was the toast of the fashion world for decades, designing for Fendi and Chanel.

The doc says Patrick Negri, the branch manager of a Barclays Bank, identified Lagerfeld's body ... if only Karl's beloved cat, Choupette, could talk.

Karl was 85.

3/15 -- Félicité's close friend just posted a heartfelt tribute to her, and he’s lamenting the fact they were rarely sober when they were together.

Lukey Storey, a musician, writes … “There aren’t words for how painful this is. I’m writing in a state of shock. She was one of the kindest, sweetest, purist people I’d ever met. A purity too rare for this world."

Lukey touches on substance abuse, writing, “I relapsed in my flat with only you there beside me, I saw in you what I carry too, I wish we had spent more time together sober, but we rarely were."

“Too busy running away from our demons. Keeping each others pain in perfect company: We were pain twins."

Sources connected to the family tell TMZ, authorities found NO drugs or alcohol in the house where she died.

Lukey also reveals, “the last thing you said to me was calling me ‘bubba’ that you were proud of me for getting clean again. I replied thank you my darling and what I asked of u the next day will haunt me to my grave."

“Today I wish I was right there with you. It could of been me, or anyone in our circle of maniacs. I think it should of been me."

“Felicite You graced my life in such a short time and I will now miss you forever. I know you’d want me to stay clean and stay creating so that’s what I’ll do until I come and look for you on the other side."

“Crying as I write this I have never been confused by so many feelings and I can’t identify what most of them are. My thoughts are with her family, anyone and everyone who knew and loved her. None of this feels real.”

Louis Tomlinson's teenage sister has died after suffering a heart attack ... TMZ has confirmed.

18-year-old Félicité Tomlinson passed away Wednesday at her studio apartment in London. She collapsed from a heart attack, and someone in the apartment called for an ambulance ... but after paramedics tried to revive her, she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Sources connected to the family tell TMZ, Félicité had absolutely no warning signs and they knew of no prior history of heart trouble. She did, however, suffer from sciatica.

Back in January, Félicité posted on social media she had stopped drinking and stopped smoking cigarettes.

Louis and Félicité were extremely close, regularly seeing each other when he was in London.

Félicité was a fashion designer and had more than 1 million followers on Instagram. It's apparent from her Insta, she was heavy into fitness. She was planning to publish a book of her own poetry.

She was one of 7 siblings; Louis is the oldest.

Louis has just pulled out of a performance on a BBC charity show, Comic Relief. The show was scheduled to air Friday night, but Louis obviously had to back out.

We're told Louis is with family right now and he's devastated. The One Direction singer lost his mother to cancer in December 2016 when she was only 43. He recently released a song called "Two of Us," about him and his mom. The lyrics include, "You'll never know how much I miss you/the day that they took you/I wish it was me instead."

RIP

Originally published -- 3/14 4:00 PM PT

Luke Perry was cremated and his remains were scattered on the place he most cherished ... his Tennessee farm.

Family sources tell us Luke's ashes now lay in the town of Vanleer, TN, where Luke had 380 acres. The "Beverly Hills, 90210" actor purchased the land in the '90s. He lived there on and off over the past 20-plus years.

TMZ broke the story ... Luke's death certificate lists his official cause of death as "ischemic cerebrovascular accident" -- doc talk for having a stroke. The cert revealed his body had been taken to Dickson, TN to a funeral home, but it was not more specific.

Vanleer is just over 13 miles away from Dickson, so it sounds like his family received Luke's ashes in Dickson and drove them north to the farm.

As for Luke's connection to the farm ... he bought it in 1995 during the '90210' run. He had just starred in the movie "8 Seconds" where he played a young rodeo champ and developed an interest in cattle raising. That's when he purchased the farm.

Our sources say a private ceremony for friends and family will be held for Luke in a few weeks.

As we first told you ... Luke was supposed to get married to his fiancee, Wendy Madison Bauer, later this summer. The date had been set for August 17, 2019, in LA.

Frank Cali -- the boss of the legendary Gambino crime family -- was murdered in front of his Staten Island home Wednesday night, officials confirm.

It's the first time a high-profile mafia boss has been shot and killed in public since Paul Castellano was whacked in front of the famous Sparks Steak House in Manhattan in 1985.

Officials say Cali was in front of his home when someone rolled up and opened fire, striking 53-year-old Cali in the torso multiple times. Reports say he was hit 6 times.

Cali's wife and children were reportedly inside the house when the shots rang out.

The perps also RAN OVER the mafia boss in an apparent attempt to make sure he was killed.

Someone called 911 and Cali was transported to a hospital in Staten Island where he was pronounced dead.

Cali -- known as the acting Gambino mafia boss -- began his rise to power after John Gotti went down for murder and racketeering in 1992.

He reportedly took over as "boss" in 2015.

Cali famously kept a low profile -- the opposite of Gotti. He was known as a unifying figure in the mafia world who was making more allies than enemies.

Cops say they are investigating the Cali murder -- so far, no arrests have been made.

Luke Perry's death certificate confirms what we already know -- he died as a result of a massive stroke -- and it also reveals his final resting place is in Tennessee.

The document was released Wednesday and it lists the cause of death as an "ischemic cerebrovascular accident" -- a stroke -- that occurred 5 days before his death at 12:44 PM on Monday, March 4.

According to the certificate, obtained by TMZ, Luke's fiancee, Wendy Bauer, is listed as his next of kin, or "informant." It also says Luke's body was transported to Dickson, Tennessee and he was buried there on Monday, March 11.

Luke was a part-time resident of Tennessee, and had owned a farm there since 1995.

TMZ broke the story -- Luke died in Burbank at St. Joseph's Hospital, where he'd been since suffering the massive stroke.

As we first reported ... paramedics rushed to Luke's home in Sherman Oaks on Feb. 27 after he suffered the stroke. He was responsive and talking when EMTs arrived, but his condition deteriorated. Doctors sedated Luke in hopes his body could recover -- but the damage was too extensive and his family made the decision to remove him from life support.

Luke was 52.

Stand-up comedian Brody Stevens' struggle with mental illness is listed as a factor in his suicide on his death certificate.

TMZ obtained the document which confirms Brody died by hanging. Specifically, it says he used a belt to hang himself from a door. It also says his "history of depression and bipolar disorder" was a significant condition contributing to his death.

As we reported ... the comedian and actor was found dead last month at his home in L.A. He had been hospitalized in 2011 after suffering a bipolar episode, and tackled topics like depression on his Comedy Central series, 'Enjoy It!'

Despite that, Brody was famous for preaching positivity during his popular stand-up act. He also had roles in movies, such as "The Hangover" and "The Hangover II" -- and was an avid baseball fan. Brody pitched in college at Arizona State University until he suffered an elbow injury.

He was 48.

Luke Perry and his fiancee, Wendy Madison Bauer, were planning on getting married later this year before his shocking death -- this according to their "save the date" cards.

TMZ obtained one of their "save the dates," and it forecast a late summer wedding in L.A. It looks like Luke and Wendy planned to get hitched August 17. The card doesn't get into more specific detail, but it does say a formal invite would follow.

BTW ... the "save the date" card was elegantly designed, featuring a grey and gold color scheme as well as a Naive Inline-type font. Very Gatsby-esque.

Wendy broke her silence over the weekend, expressing gratitude for the outpouring of love and support she's received in the wake of Luke's passing earlier this month.

We broke the story ... Luke died in the hospital a few days after suffering a massive stroke at his Southern California home. Doctors sedated him, hoping he'd recover, but he never did.

Regarding Luke himself, Wendy said, "The past 11½ years with Luke were the happiest years of my life, and I am grateful to have had that time with him,” she continues, “I also want to thank his children, family, and friends for their love and support. We have found comfort in one another and in the knowledge that our lives were touched by an extraordinary man. He will be dearly missed."

It's unclear when exactly Luke and Wendy got engaged, but what is clear is that they were aiming to make things official very soon.

2:58 PM PT -- The Harris County Coroner's Office just listed Foreman's death as "asphyxia by hanging."

George Foreman's daughter, Freeda Foreman, died of an apparent suicide -- and based on the evidence surrounding her demise ... it appears she hanged herself.

A spokesperson for the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office in Texas -- the same county where Freeda was found dead over the weekend -- tells TMZ ... early indications are that Freeda's cause of death was an apparent suicide.

A final determination on the cause of death will be made by a coroner, but law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation tell us that Freeda appears to have died by asphyxiation. Seeing how no foul play is suspected, all signs point to a hanging.

Unlike her father, Freeda had a short-lived boxing career ... having appeared in only 6 bouts and winning 5 of them. She retired with a 5-1 record after her first loss in 2001. George reportedly paid her to quit boxing 'cause he wasn't happy about her being in the ring.

Freeda is survived by her husband, two daughters, 3 grandchildren and 11 siblings.

She was 42 years old. RIP

Prodigy frontman Keith Flint hanged himself to death ... according to the coroner's report.

The Essex County Coroner's Office released its report Monday on the singer, who was found dead one week ago. The report confirms what Flint's bandmates said shortly after news broke he had died.

Prodigy founder Liam Howlett said Keith had taken his own life, leaving him, "shell shocked, f**kin angry, confused and heart broken."

The coroner is still completing toxicology testing, but is confirming there was no foul play involved in Keith's death.

Jed Allan -- another member of the "Beverly Hills, 90210" family and a soap opera legend -- has died, according to his son.

Rick Brown posted the sad news on Jed Allan's official Facebook fan page Saturday, saying Jed passed away peacefully while surrounded by family. He added, "Thank you for all who are part of this wonderful tribute to my dad on Facebook."

Jed played Rush Sanders on '90210' -- the father of Ian Ziering's Steve Sanders. Ian posted a tribute to Jed Sunday, saying, "So sad to hear we've lost another 90210 castmate. I had the pleasure of working with Jed Allan from 94 to 99. He played Rush Sanders, Steve's father. Such a great guy to work with, he will be missed."

Jed was perhaps more known for his roles on soaps like "Days of Our Lives," in which he played Don Craig, as well as the TV series "Santa Barbara," where he played C.C. Capwell. He had a very prolific career spanning 6 decades, having appeared on shows like "Lassie," "Columbo," "Adam-12," "Love, American Style," "CHiPs" and many, many others.

Jed had 64 acting credits to his name.

Of course, his death comes less than a week after Luke Perry's tragic passing. TMZ broke the story ... Perry died Monday after suffering a massive stroke the week prior. Doctors sedated him hoping he'd recover, but he never did.

Jed is survived by his three sons from his marriage to Toby Brown, who died in 2001. No doubt, a very tough week in TV.

U.S. Olympic track cyclist Kelly Catlin died this week, according to her father ... who says she took her own life.

Kelly's dad, Mark Catlin, told VeloNews that his daughter passed away Friday night at her California home. He didn't get into the details about her suicide. He did, however, say to the outlet, "There isn’t a minute that goes by that we don’t think of her and think of the wonderful life she could have lived ... The hurt is unbelievable."

With the help of Kelly, the U.S. women's pursuit team took the silver medal in competition at the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016. USA Cycling's CEO, Rob DeMartini, said in a statement Sunday, "[T]he entire cycling community is mourning this immense loss. We are offering continuous support to Kelly’s teammates, coaches and staff. We also encourage all those who knew Kelly to support each other through the grieving."

Kelly was a three-time world champion over the course of her pro sports career. She was also pursuing a graduate degree in computational mathematics at Stanford.

George Foreman's daughter, Freeda -- who followed in her dad's footsteps and became a professional boxer -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... Freeda's body was found in her home near Houston, Texas by a family member. Cops are awaiting a report from the coroner's office on the cause of death, but we're told no foul play is suspected.

Freeda began boxing professionally as a middleweight in 2000 and won her first 5 fights before losing her sixth bout in 2001. She retired after the loss with a pro record of 5-1 with 3 KOs to focus on being a mother and other projects, including boxing promotion.

Her parents also didn't enjoy her being in the ring ... so George reportedly paid her to quit.

Freeda was born in Texas and is one of George's 5 daughters. He also has 5 sons, all named George, and Freeda's middle name is George as well.

She appeared in a couple documentaries about her dad, and had a guest role on a 2003 episode of "King of the Hill."

Freeda wrote on her Twitter bio ... "Aside from my love of family, being a good mother, wife, and friend, I aspire to make a positive difference in our American Criminal Justice System."

She's survived by her husband, 2 daughters, 3 grandchildren, her parents and 11 siblings.

Freeda was 42.