Celebrity Death

Nipsey Hussle's alleged killer, Eric Holder, has been indicted by a Grand Jury, and new charges have been added ... and this could have to do with a problem with the case.

The L.A. County District Attorney had previously charged Holder with 4 crimes, including premeditated murder. The D.A. decided to have the case revisited, this time by the Grand Jury, which indicted him on the 4 previous crimes -- murder, 2 counts of attempted murder, and possession of a firearm by a felon.

The Grand Jury added 2 new charges ... 2 counts of assault with a firearm for the victims who did not die.

As for why the D.A. chose to go to the Grand Jury when they had already charged Holder, the main function is to skip the preliminary hearing. The D.A.'s office will not say why they chose to jump the prelim -- where a judge must find probable cause of a crime in order to make the defendant stand trial -- but it's sometimes done if there's a problem with the evidence.

Holder allegedly shot and killed Nipsey in front of his store, The Marathon Clothing, on March 31.

Ex-WWE superstar Ashley Massaro was found hanging in an apparent suicide, multiple sources connected with the situation tell TMZ Sports.

The 39-year-old was found unconscious inside of her Suffolk County, NY home early Thursday morning -- and she was transported to a nearby hospital where she was later pronounced dead.

The death is being classified as "non-criminal."

She is survived by her daughter.

Massaro is being laid to rest in Suffolk County. The WWE honored Massaro with a full screen "In Memory" slate on Sunday during the "Money in the Bank" pay-per-view event.

CM Punk called into WMGM on Friday and had heard Ashley had taken her own life (the manner of death had not been publicly disclosed). He implored anyone listening who's struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts to get help.

"Tremendously sad way to go," Punk said ... "thoughts obviously go out to her family, especially her daughter."

"It's May. It's Mental Health Month ... if you're depressed and things aren't going your way, there's no reason to feel alone," Punk added.

"Just reach out to somebody. Text a friend. Call somebody. There's hotlines. There's ways you can get help."

Here's a link to the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.

The WWE had put out a statement on the former wrestler on Thursday saying, "We are saddened to learn of the tragic death of former WWE Superstar Ashley Massaro,"

"She performed in WWE from 2005-2008 and was beloved by her fellow Superstars and fans around the world. WWE offers its condolences to Ashley’s family and friends."

Legendary Formula 1 racer Niki Lauda has died ... according to his family.

Lauda, considered one of F1's greatest drivers ever, died Monday ... nine months after undergoing surgery for a lung transplant.

Niki won the F1 drivers' championship in 1975 and '77 with Ferrari and again in '84 with McLaren ... but he's most famous for crashing and catching fire in 1976 at the German Grand Prix.

Lauda was badly burned in the crash, but he made a miraculous recovery an returned to racing only 6 weeks later.

Lauda's incredible comeback after dodging death instantly made him the stuff of legend .. and his 1976 rivalry with British driver James Hunt was the plot line of the movie "Rush."

Niki, who was born in Austria, had a tight working relationship with 5-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton. Lauda was involved when Lewis signed with McClaren ahead of the 2013 racing season.

Niki's family released a statement after his death ... saying, "With deep sadness, we announce that our beloved Niki has peacefully passed away with his family on Monday."

"His unique achievements as an athlete and entrepreneur are and will remain unforgettable, his tireless zest for action, his straightforwardness and his courage remain."

"A role model and a benchmark for all of us, he was a loving and caring husband, father and grandfather away from the public, and he will be missed."

Lauda was 70.

Nipsey Hussle's daughter, Emani, will not go back to her mother ... and the mother is livid.

Tanisha Foster was in court Monday, trying to regain custody of her 10-year-old girl. Emani has been living with Nispey's sister, Samantha, since his death last March.

Nipsey's family was in court and squared off with Tanisha, whom they believe is not fit to care for Emani. The hearing was sealed ... but there's another date scheduled in July.

Tanisha's lawyer, Larry Lewellyn, tells TMZ he's working with Nipsey's family on a visitation schedule that will be in Emani's best interest.

As for Tanisha ... she left the courtroom crying and told us she's "pissed off."

We broke the story ... Samantha believes Emani's biological mother is unfit to care for the 10-year-old, and Samantha played a crucial role in helping raise her when Nipsey was alive. Samantha wrote in her petition that she wants to "ensure the continued stability for Emani and ensure that she will be able to maintain her current and ongoing relationship" with her fam.

Emani's mother, Tanisha, broke down crying in court last week, saying she hadn't seen her daughter in months. At the time, the judge gave them about 20 minutes alone together.

Still ... Nipsey's sister might have a strong case in asking for guardianship. Tanisha has a warrant out for her arrest right now, relating to an unsettled DUI case in 2017. She's also got a lengthy rap sheet filled with arrests dating back to 2006 and 2007.

Bijou Phillips' mom -- a South African model, actress and singer -- died over the weekend in L.A. ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to Bijou tell us Geneviève Waite passed away in her sleep Saturday. We reached to Bijou who tells us, "Our beautiful mother Geneviève Waite Phillips, passed away in her sleep. She was a beautiful soul, and born from another planet. Her ideas, her songs, her voice, and her heart beat to a beautiful African rhythm no one else had and I am so thankful she was able to share it."

Geneviève married John Phillips from The Mamas & The Papas in 1972 ... and they had two children together, Bijou and Tamerlane.

Bijou continues, "She was a light, a fairy, and a gift of a creature. The lyrics she wrote on her album were timeless and smart. Her mind was poetry and wit, her sense of humor was quick and dry. My father and my mother had a magical, wonderful, heartbreaking life together but they created a masterpiece of music (Romance is on the Rise) and I'm so honored to be their child."

Geneviève's most notable film performance was in "Joanna" in 1968 ... a drama about an interracial couple in London.

Bijou says, "My mother's role in 'Joanna' was groundbreaking for racial divides. My mother was a gift and I will miss her everyday. In everything I cook, and in everything I sing and in everything I do without her wise guidance."

"It's nice thinking she is with our Dad, dancing around in heaven."

Geneviève was 71 years old.

Bobby Brown says he and Chris Rock are all good ... after the comedian made what some consider a tasteless joke about Whitney Houston -- but you can tell Bobby's still waiting for 2 magic words.

He was leaving LAX Monday, when we asked if he was still mad at Chris for using Whitney's image to make a joke about people wasting his time. His punchline was, "Hurry up I got crack to smoke."

Bobby told us Chris hasn't reached out to apologize personally, but added ... "He's still my boy" and made it clear he'd like to make peace with him.

Sounds like a simple "I'm sorry" would go a long way with B Brown.

Rock, btw, was getting flooded with comments from pissed Whit fans ... including Bobby, who wrote, "During this time of women empowerment you choose to use your time to try and humiliate our QUEEN!!!"

Chris eventually deleted the post, and Bobby's at least saying he harbors no ill will.

Unclear if Bobby's gonna hear from Rock on this subject -- dude's been taking shots at Whitney for a minute. Still, Bobby says there's one big ticket item Chris could give him if he's truly interested in making amends.

If you were thinking something basic like a Rolex, think bigger. As Bobby put it, "I got one of those."

Sammy Shore -- the Comedy Store co-founder and the father of actor Pauly Shore -- has died, according to his longtime club.

The veteran comedian passed away peacefully at his Las Vegas home surrounded by friends and family, per a Facebook post from the Comedy Store itself. The company says he died of natural causes.

Sammy was doing comedy as recently as his 90th birthday!!! Where else would he rather celebrate than his own place of business?

Sammy co-founded the Comedy Store with his wife, Mitzi, and his writing partner Rudy Deluca in 1972, establishing the place in the heart of Hollywood on the Sunset Strip. The club went on to host some of the biggest names in comedy and continues to be a cornerstone of stand-up.

Just to give you a sense of who's performed at the Comedy Store -- Jerry Seinfeld, Eddie Murphy, Jim Carrey, Richard Pryor, Dave Chappelle, Whoopi Goldberg, Andy Kaufman, Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, Robin Williams, George Wallace, David Letterman and many, many more famous comics.

Sammy's former spouse, Mitzi, died last year after battling a neurological disorder for years. She and Sammy had four children, Pauly, Scott, Sandy and Peter.

Pauly wrote a touching tribute to his father on Twitter, saying in part ... "Dad, you lived an amazing life and I'm so proud to say that you are my father. When you're in heaven I'll be killing the crowds night after night and carrying on your legacy. Love you Dad. Rest in peace."

DJ Khaled offered nothing but love and praise for Nipsey Hussle who appears on his new album in one of the last projects Nip ever worked on.

Khaled was in NYC Friday -- to promote his new album, "Father of Asahd" -- and we asked about a special track he has with Nipsey and John Legend. It's clear to see, Khaled was touched, and loved working with Nipsey.

TMZ obtained footage from the set of the music video with Nipsey and Legend in what we're told was the last music video Nip ever shot. The three stood on top of a parking structure with tricked out cars and a piano ... the song is called "Higher" and has an emotional feel.

Khaled also shouts out "The Marathon Continues" -- Nipsey's famous slogan, tied to his clothing store -- throughout the interview before heading to Times Square for more album promo. Khaled will also be on 'SNL' this weekend.

Nip isn't the only celeb on Khaled's latest project ... he's also got Travis Scott, Cardi B, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z and a ton of others.

Former WWE superstar Ashley Massaro -- who later competed on 'Survivor' -- has died, TMZ Sports has learned. She was only 39.

Officials tell us ... Massaro was transported from her home in Suffolk County, NY to a nearby hospital where she died early Thursday morning.

Officials would not reveal the cause of death at this point, but we're told it's being classified as "non-criminal."

Massaro famously won the WWE's "2005 Raw Diva Search" -- which included a $250,000 1-year contract.

She went on to become a valet for WWE tag team champions Paul London and Brian Kendrick.

Her most high-profile matches including a WWE Women's Championship against Melina at Wrestlemania 23 in 2007 ... and a Playboy BunnyMania LumberJill match at Wrestlemania 24 the following year.

Massaro appeared on "Survivor: China" in 2007 -- but she was voted off on the second episode of that series.

She also appeared on the April 2007 cover of Playboy Magazine, which she revealed on an episode of "Smackdown."

She later cut ties with WWE in 2008. She later returned for a stint with a lesser known pro wrestling company in 2017.

"We are saddened to learn of the tragic death of former WWE Superstar Ashley Massaro," WWE said in a statement.

"She performed in WWE from 2005-2008 and was beloved by her fellow Superstars and fans around the world. WWE offers its condolences to Ashley’s family and friends."

WWE stars from all generations have reached out to share their heartbroken feelings on Massaro's death, with Torrie Wilson saying, "I can’t even begin to explain how devastated I am to hear about @ashleymassaro11 - legit one of the sweetest people I’ve ever known."

Melina Perez added, "I am gutted by the news of Ashley’s passing and my brain doesn’t want to believe it. How can this be real? It’s difficult and awful news to take in."

Trish Stratus, who says she was Ashley's first-ever suplex in the ring, said, "I’m having a hard time processing this news of my friend, a fellow worker, a fellow mom. I’m both sad and mad ... Rest In Peace baby girl,take in."

The Bella Twins, Nikki and Brie, wrote on their Twitter page, "We are so saddened to hear the news of Ashley Massaro. She had such a tender heart and sweet soul. We will always remember her of that. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family. RIP Ashley"

Even legendary wrestler Mick Foley offered his condolences, saying, "She lived in the same town as me...I loved seeing her around. She was always so nice...and now she’s gone."

A ton of other stars -- including Rikishi, The Iron Sheik, Bayley and TAZ -- also shared their thoughts and prayers for Ashley and her family on social media.

The world is a little less grumpy ... because a cat with a real sourpuss attitude has sadly bit the dust.

Grumpy Cat -- government name Tardar Sauce -- died Tuesday. She passed "in the arms of her mommy, Tabatha," the woman who's owned the critter since birth.

As for the cause of death, according to the feline's official Twitter page, "Grumpy encountered complications from a recent urinary tract infection that unfortunately became too tough for her to overcome."

"Besides being our baby and a cherished member of the family, Grumpy Cat has helped millions of people smile all around the world," the message continues.

Grumpy Cat became a marketing sensation, with countless products bearing her sour visage sold around the world ... She appeared in commercials for Friskies and Honey Nut Cheerios and even starred in her own 2014 movie, "Grumpy Cat's Worst Christmas Ever" on Lifetime.

TMZ got video of Grumpy leaving Pitfire Artisan Pizza restaurant in L.A. with a full entourage ... on its way to the MTV Movie Awards. BTW ... Grumpy's owner said the cat was a baller, only flying first class.

Fun, furry fact ... aside from 9 lives, the first 2 cat years is roughly equivalent to 25 human years, after which each year equates to 4 cat years. So, by human standards, Gumpy lived to a middle-aged woman of 45.

RIP

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