Celebrity Death

I.M. Pei -- the famed Chinese American architect best known for his work at one of the most famous landmarks in Paris -- has died.

Pei died Wednesday night, according to architecture critic and writer Paul Goldberger, who says he got the news from Pei's son.

Pei -- who launched his career with a New York real estate developer in 1948 after graduating from Harvard -- is best known for designing the glass and steel Louvre Pyramid ... which serves as the entrance to the Louvre Museum. It was completed in 1989.

His other major works in his long and illustrious career include the East Building of the National Gallery of Art in D.C. in 1978 as well as the JFK Library in Boston and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland in 1995.

All in all, Pei designed over 50 projects in the U.S. and internationally -- including in France, China, Japan, Luxembourg and Qatar -- many of which won awards for their excellence.

Goldberger says his buildings in Boulder, Colorado are among his best and most underrated.

Pei was 102.

Nipsey Hussle's final day on a music video set was an uplifting, almost spiritual experience alongside DJ Khaled and John Legend ... as you can see here.

TMZ obtained this behind-the-scenes footage showing Nip, John and Khaled recording the vid ... just a few days before Nipsey would be gunned down outside his Marathon Clothing store in South L.A. The video setting was atop a parking structure the crew rented out in nearby Inglewood.

The song is for the Khaled track, "Higher," which will be on his upcoming album, "Father of Asahd."

John referenced the project in his tribute tweet to Nipsey on the day he died, saying he'd just filmed with him and calling the collab "beautiful."

He was right ... the song sounds like a straight banger, and also looks like it'll have pretty interesting visuals -- John at a grand piano, right next to classic cars with hydraulic suspensions firing. Not to mention Nipsey in a dope head-to-toe blue suit.

"Higher" drops Friday, and is presumably one of the last collabs Nip recorded before his death.

Khaled says 100% of the proceeds from the song and music vid are going to Nipsey’s children, Emani and Kross Asghedom … and he says Nip’s family gave him their blessing.

Seeing him in action here really reminds you ... gone way too soon.

Nipsey Hussle's family and the woman who gave birth to his daughter had an emotional showdown in court ... which left his baby mama in tears.

Nipsey's sister, Samantha Smith, and his brother, Blacc Sam, appeared in L.A. County Superior Court Tuesday for a hearing on the guardianship of the rapper's 10-year-old daughter, Emani Asghedom. Emani's mother, Tanisha, was at the hearing as well and broke down crying when she saw her daughter for the first time in what she said was months.

The courtroom was cleared for 20 minutes while Tanisha and Emani spent some time together. However, the hearing was pushed until Friday when a final decision is to be made on custody and finances.

We broke the story ... Samantha filed legal docs requesting guardianship last month because our sources say she believes the child's biological mother is unable to care for her.

Nipsey took care of Emani before he was killed, but Samantha says she's helped raise her too and is seeking legal guardianship "to ensure the continued stability for Emani and ensure that she will be able to maintain her current and ongoing relationship" with their family.

Nipsey's brother, Blacc Sam, has also filed a declaration in support of Samantha getting guardianship of their niece. Meanwhile, Sam's in a legal fight of his own to take control of his brother's estate ... including $2 million worth of assets.

As you know ... Nipsey was gunned down on March 31 outside his Marathon Clothing store in Los Angeles. The suspected murderer, Eric Holder, pled not guilty in April ... but he needs a new lawyer after Christopher Darden quit the case.

The actor who allegedly choked Paris Jackson and accused Seth Green of pedophilia jumped off a bridge in Arizona and died.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety has confirmed Isaac Kappy is the guy who jumped to his death Monday at the bridge near Bellemont, Arizona. Kappy reportedly forced himself off the Transwestern Road bridge onto Interstate 40 where he was struck by a Ford pickup truck ... officials confirmed Tuesday morning.

Before jumping off the bridge ... several bystanders tried physically restraining Kappy from jumping but failed to hold him. There were no other injuries and authorities have now closed their investigation.

Kappy's suicide comes on the heels of an ominous and lengthy

Monday he captioned, "Beware the man has nothing to lose, for he has nothing to protect." His post included, "See the light in others ... This lesson has come too late for me, but perhaps it can inspire you. I will be using the remainder of my time on earth to atone for my transgressions, and to seek the light within, in others and myself."

Kappy, of course, once had Paris fearing for her life back in August 2018 after he allegedly choked her during a game night party. He continued texting her after that scary incident ... forcing her to beef up her security to protect herself.

Our sources said Paris initially replied to Kappy's texts because she feared he was suicidal and wanted to be supportive. Kappy had also posted a video in which he rambled about Seth Green being a pedophile.

Kappy had several small movie roles in "Thor," "Terminator Salvation" and "Beerfest."

Comedic actor Tim Conway -- Carol Burnett's costar on her long-running variety show -- died Tuesday in Los Angeles.

Conway's rep, Howard Bragman, says Tim was battling complications from normal pressure hydrocephalus -- an accumulation of spinal fluid on the brain. He had reportedly been suffering from dementia ... and had been under a conservatorship formed to make medical care decisions. The court appointed his wife, Charlene, his conservator.

Tim, along with the late Harvey Korman, starred brilliantly on "The Carol Burnett Show." Their scenes with Carol were legendary, as all 3 stars constantly tried -- and often succeeded -- in making the others crack up on camera.

Tim was originally a guest star when the series started in 1967, but became a regular in 1975, and remained a fixture on it until it ended in 1978.

He went on to guest star on many, many, many TV comedies ... such as "Married with Children," "Cybill," and "The Larry Sanders Show."

Conway also starred in his hilarious "Dorf on Golf" series of videos, and was the special guest in a famed season 8 episode of "The Simpsons" -- "The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase."

He's a 6-time Emmy winner -- 4 for 'Carol Burnett' and one each for guest roles on "Coach" and "30 Rock" -- and took home a Golden Globe in 1976 too.

Tim is survived by his wife, 7 kids and 2 granddaughters.

In lieu of flowers, Tim's family would like donations to be made to the Lou Ruvo Brain Center at the Cleveland Clinic in Las Vegas, Nevada.

He was 85 and funny as hell.

Ex-WCW president Eric Bischoff says he was devastated by the death of pro wrestler Silver King -- telling TMZ Sports the guy was a legit trailblazer who never got the credit he deserved.

Silver King wrestled under the WCW banner back in the late '90s -- and Bischoff says the guy was a KEY reason for the success of the "WCW Monday Nitro" brand.

"The luchadores, that whole crew that came out of Mexico and were such a vital, important part of 'Nitro' ... they never really got the credit," Bischoff says.

Bischoff says Silver King and his crew "were really way more responsible for the success of 'Nitro' and giving 'Nitro' the ability to outperform [WWE] than they were ever given credit for ... including by me."

Silver King -- real name Cesar Barron -- died in the ring on Saturday during a luchador match in London. He was only 51.

Bischoff says he'll always remember Silver King for being one of the nicest guys in the business ... and also for helping to turn the luchador style of wrestling into the pop culture phenomenon it is today.

RIP

Doris Day, one of the biggest movie stars in the '50s and '60s who became a fierce proponent of animal rights, is dead.

The Doris Day Animal Foundation confirmed her death. She died at her home in Carmel Valley, CA, surrounded by close friends. The Foundation said Day "had been in excellent physical health for her age, until recently contracting a serious case of pneumonia."

Doris became a star in 1956, when she appeared alongside Jimmy Stewart in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Man Who Knew Too Much." She then hit even bigger the next year, starring in "The Pajama Game."

Day became tied at the hip onscreen, beginning in 1959, with Rock Hudson ... the 2 starred in "Pillow Talk," for which she received an Academy Award nom for Best Actress.

You can't understate the star power of the quintessential girl next door ... she was voted Top Box Office Female Star for 4 straight years in the early '60s.

As big as her movie career was ... she was equally famous for her singing. She went to the top of the charts with her 1956 song, "Que Sera Sera." In 2008, Doris was awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Day briefly dated Ronald Reagan back in the '50s. She was married 4 times.

Her influence was enduring. She was referenced in The Beatles' song "Dig It," Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire" and Wham!'s "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go."

Doris got the Presidential Medal of Freedom award in 2004 from President George Bush, but her fear of flying prevented her from attending the White House ceremony.

Day's son, Terry Melcher, became a famous and successful music producer, working with The Beach Boys for many years. He notoriously put a song written by Charles Manson on a Beach Boys' single, but when Melcher distanced himself from Manson the future murderer targeted him. In fact, it's widely believed the Tate murders were really directed at Melcher and his then-girlfriend, Candice Bergen, who had been renting the Tate home until just weeks before the murder.

She loved animals ... at one time she had 30 dogs living on her property.

Doris was one of the founders of Actors and Others for Animals in 1971 and in the late '70s she started The Doris Day Foundation. She has 2 stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame -- one for movies, and one for her music.

She was 97.

John Singleton will get one last official sendoff from his fans, friends and family ... and it's going down where he graduated film school.

TMZ's learned the late famed director will have a big memorial celebration at USC on May 21 from 11-2 PM. We're told details are still being worked out regarding which celebs may speak or perform ... but several have already RSVP'd they'll be there.

As we reported ... a private funeral and Celebration of Life was held last week for John's closest friends and loved ones -- like Ludacris, Ice Cube, Tyrese, Maxine Waters, Ving Rhames and Jim Brown -- but the USC event will be much larger.

We're told it's not going to be a total free-for-all for the public ... it won't be super small like the funeral, but a few thousand invites will go out.

The memorial will showcase Singleton's past work and pay homage to his life and career.

Singleton died on April 28 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A. after being taken off life support following a massive stroke on April 17. The "Boyz n the Hood" director had been in a coma in ICU since then.

He was 51.

Elsa Patton -- the mother of 'Real Housewives of Miami' star Marysol Patton -- has died.

Patton passed away over Mother's Day weekend surrounded by loved ones after battling a "long illness," according to a statement put out by her family. It's unclear what illness she was afflicted with -- her family didn't elaborate beyond that.

They did, however, go on to thank the countless fans and friends who've asked about her condition as of late. The Patton family says private funeral services will take place in Miami.

"Mama" Elsa was a recurring star on the hit Bravo series when it ran from 2011 to 2013, having constant laugh out loud moments that made her a beloved character. Her one-liners and hilarious zingers were popular enough to get Elsa her own web series spinoff, "Havana Elsa" ... which covered her endeavors to start her own coffee chain.

Elsa is survived by her two children, Marysol and Thomas Anthony Jones, her daughter-in-law and her grandson. Elsa's husband, Donald, died in 2018.

She was 84.

Former WCW wrestler Silver King, who also starred in the 2006 comedy "Nacho Libre" with Jack Black, died Saturday night in the ring ... and a kick may have triggered the coronary.

Silver King was playing his tried-and-true role of villain in London at the Roundhouse when he suffered a heart attack, collapsing and dying. Authorities say he died at the venue.

In the video, you see him get knocked down 3 times, kind of writhing on the ground look somewhat dazed. It doesn't really look odd -- just doing what wrestlers do when they choreograph matches. But, then he takes a kick to the chest, and that drops him to the ground. His face is planted into the mat and he never gets up.

It looks like Silver King was supposed to win the match, because the ref didn't count him out, holding on the second count. His opponent turned Silver King over, making it appear he's pinning him to end the match, but Silver King is unresponsive. The ref ends the match, but Silver King doesn't move.

The ref takes off Silver King's mask, and it's apparent something is terribly wrong.

The 51-year-old Mexican wrestler, whose real name is Cesar Barron, was part of the Lucha Libre event. He played the bad guy character, Ramses, in "Nacho Libre."

London Metro Cops say they're treating the death as "non-suspicious."

The WWE said in a statement, "WWE extends its deepest condolences to Silver King's family, friends and fans."

The fight that got him the most attention was back in '98, during a WCW Cruiserweight Championship when he lost to Juventud Guerrera.

Jack Black posted a Spanish tribute, translated ... "Go with God, brother."

He was 51.

Peggy Lipton, a giant TV star who also had a singing career, a super famous husband and a famous daughter is dead.

Lipton lost her battle to cancer and died over the weekend.

Lipton's career began in modeling when she was just a teen, but before her teens ended she started to hit it big in acting. She appeared on "Bewitched'' and "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour" when she was only 19, and then ... she became part of a cultural phenomenon -- "The Mod Squad," which aired between '68 and '71.

'Mod Squad' was a huge hit, but she had reservations, saying, "I didn't realize how violent 'Mod Squad' was, adding, "When it was over, I was so happy I couldn't wait."

She transitioned into singing and had a successful career there too.

Lipton tied the knot with Quincy Jones and produced 2 daughters. The marriage lasted from 1974 - 1989.

After getting divorced, she scored another cultural hit, playing Double R Diner owner Norma Jennings on "Twin Peaks." She also appeared in the 2017 reboot.

Lipton has many other credits, including "A Dog's Purpose," and "Angie Tribeca."

One of her daughters, "Parks and Recreation" star Rashida Jones, said, "We feel so lucky for every moment we spent with her."

Peggy was 72.

Legendary boxing judge and HBO's longtime unofficial scorer Harold Lederman has died after battling with cancer.

Lederman passed away Saturday at a hospice care center in New York ... according to his daughter, Julie, and confirmed by HBO. Boxing promoter and former HBO exec Lou DiBella says Harold had fighting cancer for a while -- it's unclear which type.

A fixture of professional boxing, Lederman got his start judging matches back in 1967, but stopped in 1999 -- when he judged his final bout alongside his daughter. He covered more than 100 world title fights, including some legendary ones like Muhammad Ali-Ken Norton, Evander Holyfield-Dwight Muhammad Qawi, Marvin Hagler-Mustafa Hamsho and lots and lots of others.

When he became part of the HBO family in '86, he quickly became known for breaking down his unofficial score cards ... offering viewers an insight into how a judge picks apart a bout.

HBO Sports' executive VP, Peter Nelson, issued a statement on Harold's passing, saying ... "Harold Lederman had a lifelong love affair with the sport of boxing. Over the past 50 years he was universally respected and celebrated by the many people who make the sport what it is. Harold was happiest when seated ringside, studying the action and scoring the fight."

Harold was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2016 after storied career. He's survived by his wife, and his two daughters.

'Power Rangers' star Pua Magasiva, who played the Red Ranger, is dead.

Magasiva died early Saturday morning in New Zealand. Police called it a "sudden death" but neither they nor his spokesperson would be specific.

He was found unresponsive in a building in the central business district in the city of Wellington.

Magasiva appeared on "Power Rangers Ninja Storm" and played Red Wind Ranger, Shane Clarke. It was a spinoff of the original series that aired in 2003. He also appeared in a popular New Zealand medical drama series, "Shortland Street." He also appeared in "Outrageous Fortune."

The actor was more recently a radio show host but left the job last month after getting a DUI.

His brother Robbie, also an actor, flew to Wellington and is grieving with his wife and 7-year-old daughter from a previous relationship. He married a year ago.

12:32 PM PT -- Darden just joined us on "TMZ Live" where he further explained his reason to back off of the case. He also said that while he's got a lot of haters ... his supporters really show out to help him as well. Darden hopes the same attention that people put into intimidating him off of the case will be used to stop violence in the streets.

Nipsey Hussle's alleged murderer is going to need a new lawyer -- Christopher Darden is quitting the case ... and it sounds like a wave of death threats to him and his family were just too much.

Darden says he's filed a motion to withdraw as Eric Holder's defense attorney. Holder happens to have a hearing scheduled for Friday in L.A. Superior Court, and Darden says it's the last time he will appear in court on the case.

Darden, who famously prosecuted O.J. Simpson in his double murder trial, says he's received death threats since taking Holder's case -- and the flood of hatred reminded him of the O.J. case. As he put it, "Just as they were in 1995-Cowards never change. These days these cowards don’t send letters instead they sit anonymously behind keyboards threatening a man’s mother and children."

Darden hinted he might reveal more in the future about exactly why he's bailing on Holder -- aka "Shitty Cuz" -- but made it clear to his haters that he won't forget ... "To those who issued those threats to my children please pay close attention so there is no misunderstanding. Later. F**K YOU!"

Truth is, Darden's been mercilessly berated ever since agreeing to defend the man accused of killing someone as beloved as Nipsey. One threatening tweet said, "Remember it was written in the book of life that the children shalt suffer from what the parents do."

But, Darden wants to make the point that under the Constitution, EVERYONE deserves a defense in court. He says, "After centuries of a history of black men hung from trees without trial, or after the thousands of cases of black men tried, convicted and executed without counsel ... I cannot understand why in 2019 some people would deny a black man his 6th Amendment right to counsel of his choice."

Nipsey Hussle's brother wants to take control over the late rapper's estate ... and he's asking the court to be put in charge of about $2 million worth of assets.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... Nipsey's brother, Blacc Sam, says he needs to take over Nip's affairs so he can make good on tons of business opportunities that keep flowing in.

In the docs, Blacc Sam says Nipsey died without a will ... and the docs list property worth $2,035,000. It's possible that's not all the money Nipsey saved away. As we first told you, Nipsey set up multiple trust funds for his kids and family.

Blacc Sam claims his brother's sudden death whipped up a media frenzy, and it's bringing loads of time-sensitive business opportunities because of Nipsey's life story and rap career ... so he wants to be the estate's administrator STAT.

TMZ broke the story ... Nipsey was gunned down March 31 outside his Marathon Clothing store in Los Angeles.

Jim Fowler -- the famous zoologist who made tons of appearances alongside Johnny Carson on the 'Tonight Show' and made a cameo on "Seinfeld" -- has died.

The longtime co-host of "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom" died Wednesday at his home in Norwalk, Connecticut ... according to his family. The cause of death is unclear.

Fowler worked at a raptor sanctuary in Florida before landing his show 'Wild Kingdom' in 1963 ... co-hosting with fellow zoologist Marlin Perkins before going solo from 1985 to 1988. The show was later revived in 2002 and it aired until 2011.

Fowler, of course, appeared in over 100 episodes alongside Johnny Carson and also served as a wildlife correspondent for 'Today.' Fowler and Carson were tight ... to the point both families all went on a vacation to Africa after the 'Tonight' host retired.

Fowler was huge in the bird world ... becoming the first man to successfully trap a harpy eagle and bring it back alive in the U.S.

"Seinfeld" fans will remember him for his appearance on season 9 of the hit series ... "The Merv Griffin Show" episode. Kramer invited Fowler for his animals segment of the show. Fowler brings a hawk which hilariously attacked George Costanza, who was holding a squirrel.

Fowler was born in 1930 in Albany, Georgia. He was a standout baseball player who fielded offers from the Yankees and Phillies. Fowler was also rather tall ... standing an intimidating 6-foot-6.

But, he was a big softy when it came to all animals. The "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom" wrote on its page Fowler's mission as a naturalist was to "educate the public about wildlife specifies throughout the world and how to preserve environments for both animals and humans."