Celebrity Death

Dog the Bounty Hunter says the family's trying its best to celebrate the life of his wife ... but her death came unexpectedly, so they're hurting pretty bad right now.

Duane "Dog" Chapman spoke outside his Honolulu home Wednesday night about Beth's passing, saying it's a terrible time ... but he's feeling the love and support from millions around the world.

He also joked that on the bright side -- Beth would appreciate being famous in death ... getting to #1 trending on Twitter.

Dog got serious and emotional talking about her death, though ... revealing it came really fast and -- despite knowing the day would come as she battled cancer -- the family wasn't prepared for it.

He said ... "This cancer gig, of course, we gotta find a cure, because all we have now is some get lucky, but most pass away."

Chapman also cautioned any fans donating money to the family for Beth, telling them to save their cash because they're good on funds right now.

Dog then said he's still feeling Beth's presence ... and had some final words for her.

We broke the story ... Beth died Wednesday in a Honolulu hospital, days after being placed in a medically-induced coma. She had a years-long battle with cancer, which ultimately took her life.

She was 51. RIP.

Beth Chapman was taping alongside Duane "Dog" Chapman almost until her last day, but there's some unfinished work to be done ... and now it's in Dog's hands to decide how their project will end.

Their new show, "Dog's Most Wanted," had been shooting for several months, and they were coming to a close last weekend ... according to production sources. As you know, Beth suffered a choking emergency Saturday at their home in Hawaii and was placed in a medically-induced coma.

Although they were mid-production, we're told cameras were NOT rolling at that time.

Beth -- who was just as involved with the show as Dog -- was still scheduled to shoot for the series' final episodes.

Obviously, production came to a halt with Beth's hospitalization, and her death now means some big decisions have to be made about how to end the season. We're told it's possible producers will use the material they have in the can to put together an ending -- or shooting could resume after Dog and his family have time to cope with their matriarch's passing.

"Dog's Most Wanted" profiled both the family's bounty hunting business and also shed light on Beth's cancer battle. We're told it will ultimately be Dog's decision on whether there's enough raw footage to end the series, and also tell Beth's story.

As we first reported, doctors decided placing Beth in a coma would give her the best shot at surviving -- but she never recovered and died Wednesday morning.

Max Wright, who famously played the father on the 80s hit sitcom "ALF" -- died Wednesday ... TMZ has learned.

Family sources tell TMZ ... the actor passed away in his home in Hermosa Beach, CA ... just outside Los Angeles. We're told Max had battled cancer for years. He was diagnosed with Lymphoma in 1995, but had been in remission for a long time.

Max was a veteran TV star whose most popular role was as Willie Tanner on the puppet-led sitcom -- which ran for 4 seasons on NBC. He's also known for acting in shows like "Buffalo Bill," "Cheers," "Misfits of Science," "Dudley" and "Norm."

He also starred in a ton of movies -- "All That Jazz," "Reds," "The Sting II," "Soul Man," "The Shadow" and several others. All in all, Max had more than 60 credits to his name, dating back to 1974.

His wife, Linda Ybarrondo, to whom he was married since 1965, died in 2017 from breast cancer. They had 2 children together.

Max's costar Michu Meszaros -- who played the main character, ALF (Alien Life Form for those not in the know) -- in the early seasons ... passed away in June 2016 at the age of 76.

Max was 75 years old.

RIP

Beth Chapman, who along with her husband, Duane "Dog" Chapman, appeared for years on the iconic show, "Dog the Bounty Hunter," is dead.

Beth died Wednesday at a Honolulu hospital, days after being placed in a medically-induced coma. She had battled long and hard against cancer, which ultimately took her life.

The 51-year-old announced in 2017 that she'd been diagnosed with stage II throat cancer, but was cancer free by December of that year. The cancer returned last November -- after which she underwent aggressive chemo and fought valiantly to maintain normalcy in her life ... sometimes going out for the evening with her husband. She said last month on Mother's Day she had stopped chemo.

Dog just tweeted a goodbye to Beth, saying "Today, she hiked the stairway to heaven. We all love you, Beth. See you on the other side."

Beth endured at least one health scare over the past few months, having been rushed to the hospital in April for breathing trouble related to her cancer treatments.

Beth became a licensed bail bondsman at age 29 -- the youngest in Colorado history. Her record was broken by her stepdaughter, Lyssa Chapman, who became licensed at age 19.

She met Dog when she was 19 and he was 35 ... when she got in trouble with the law. She was in a grocery store and got distracted by a call from her boss, and she walked out with a lemon and got stopped for shoplifting. Turns out she had an unregistered, unlicensed gun in her pocket -- she had taken it from her then-boyfriend who was drunk at the time -- and Beth's dad called Dog to bail her out.

They married in 2006, one day after Dog's daughter, Barbara Katy, was killed in a car crash in Alaska.

Dog and Beth became international stars after "Dog the Bounty Hunter" debuted in 2003. The show ended its run in 2012. They did another show -- "Dog and Beth: On the Hunt" which ran through 2015. The couple took a break from TV for a bit, and during that time ... Beth ran for president of the Professional Bail Agents of the United States and won. They were in the process of filming a new show, "Dog's Most Wanted," which was set to air next year.

It's unclear for now if their new program will make it to broadcast in light of Beth's death. We do know that Beth's health struggles were supposed to be a key storyline and that she was going to be front and center alongside Dog ... just like the old days.

Production started in February -- but no word if the network they were working with, WGN America, completed a full season's worth of episodes or not. Beth herself said the series wouldn't hit the airwaves this year, but a trailer has already been released.

Beth had 11 kids -- the latter 2 she had with Dog. Beth also has 14 grandchildren ... one of whom she had custody of after Dog's daughter died in the crash -- and the boy's father was found to be abusive.

She was 51.

Eminem's biological father -- who the rapper frequently rapped about abandoning him -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr. died this week near Fort Wayne, Indiana ... according to family members and neighbors. A family source tells us he apparently suffered a heart attack while at home.

Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Bruce Mathers III, has made no secret of his lifelong grudge against his father and rapped about never meeting him in person. His hit songs like "My Name Is" and "Cleanin' Out My Closet" reflect those feelings.

According to Eminem's mother, Debbie ... Mathers Jr., who went by Bruce, married her when he was 22 and she was 15, and they had their son 2 years later. They split up shortly after, and Eminem and his mom settled in Detroit with her family while Bruce moved to California ... where he had 2 other kids.

Eminem has said in interviews that he wrote letters to his dad as a child but they always came back "return to sender." The rapper said Bruce would sometimes call while family members were babysitting, but he would never actually talk to him on the phone.

In 2001, Bruce published a letter addressed to his son in a newspaper explaining his side of the story -- that Eminem's mom kept him away. Still, Eminem apparently never got in contact with his father to reconcile.

In "Cleanin' Out My Closet" ... Em rapped, "My fa***t father must've had his panties up in a bunch ‘Cause he split, I wonder if he even kissed me goodbye. No, I don't, on second thought, I just f**kin' wished he would die. I look at Hailie, and I couldn't picture leavin' her side."

John Singleton's family as a whole isn't up in arms about his BET Awards tribute -- despite the mother of one of his kids raising hell that it was lacking.

Singleton's mom, Shelia Ward, tells TMZ ... Tosha Lewis -- mother of John's 26-year-old daughter, Justice -- griping BET did John dirty by spending a lot more time honoring rapper Nipsey Hussle is strictly her opinion.

Shelia says Tosha doesn't speak for the family, and the fam doesn't share Lewis' feelings at all.

If you missed it, Tosha blasted the award show Sunday night for taking time to honor Nipsey and not John, saying about Hussle ... "I guess he's trendy nevermind John was talking and doing the same stuff as Nipsey since the 90s."

When fans pointed out BET did include a tribute to Singleton -- led by Morris Chestnut and "Snowfall" star Damson Idris -- Lewis shot back saying it wasn't enough compared to Nipsey's.

Tosha also claims John's family, unlike Nipsey's, wasn't invited to the show, but we've learned that's, at least, partially false. Her and John's daughter, Justice, did get an invitation.

Shelia's bottom line is simple -- if Tosha has beef with BET or Nipsey's family, that's totally on her ... leave the Singleton family out of it.

BET pulled out all the stops for Nipsey Hussle at its annual award show ... and the emotion onstage and in the crowd was palpable.

In a powerful moment, Hussle's family took the stage to a standing ovation, including the late rapper's girlfriend, Lauren London, and his son, Kross Asghedom, to accept the 2019 Humanitarian Award on his behalf.

"I just want to thank you guys for all of the love and support and the marathon continues again," London said briefly.

"I was so amazed that so much love was out in the world that it uplifted me," said Hussle's grandmother. "God said to Nipsey, 'You've done your job, you've made your mark.' So thank you so much world for loving him, too.' His parents also spoke briefly of their son.

The slain South L.A. MC was presented with a special tribute Sunday night during the BET Awards --where T.I. spoke some kind words about the hip-hop icon, recounting the impact he had on the community as a whole.

"There will never be another Nipsey Hussle; he was a revolutionary," T.I. said. "He was our blessing and inspired people across the world.

The powerful moment led into a musical tribute to Hussle, with performances by Marsha Ambrosius on "Real Big," YG on "Last Time I Checc'd" and DJ Khaled and John Legend leading everyone in white for an emotional performance of "Higher."

They also played a video tribute to Nipsey's life with words from Snoop Dogg, Ava DuVernay and Los Angeles Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson ... it included footage from the last video Hussle shot before his death.

Nipsey was a driving force in his community ... inspiring people to make South L.A. better by both words and deeds.

TMZ broke the story ... Nipsey was gunned down in March outside of his Marathon clothing store in the Crenshaw district of Los Angeles.

Nipsey left behind two children -- 10-year-old Emani, and 2-year-old Kross, the latter whom he shared with Lauren London.

He was 33 at the time of his death.

A somber Anderson Cooper paid his final respects to his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, Tuesday in NYC.

The CNN anchor looked on as pallbearers loaded his legendary mother's casket into the hearse before she was laid to rest at a private family cemetery in Staten Island. The plan had been set in motion -- as she and Anderson revealed in the HBO documentary "Nothing Left Unsaid" -- for her to be buried with her husband, Wyatt Cooper, and next to her son, Carter Cooper, who died in 1988 at the age of 23.

As we reported ... the heiress to the Vanderbilt railroad fortune and creator of the insanely popular Vanderbilt jeans died Monday after battling stomach cancer. It was so advanced, she had been taken to the hospital earlier this month.

Anderson penned a touching tribute to his mother on Instagram not long after the funeral ... saying her love was the greatest gift to him. Gloria Vanderbilt was 95.

XXXTentacion is being remembered on the one year anniversary of his murder ... by a bunch of fans who have flooded to his gravesite.

Throngs of people made their way to the Gardens of Boca Raton Memorial Park on Tuesday ... where XXX -- gov. name Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy -- was buried. There's a massive mausoleum there erected in the rapper's honor.

We're told immediate family members also arrived and went inside the mausoleum and closed the doors behind them. The public was not let inside the structure for the private moment.

As we first reported ... XXX was shot dead exactly 1 year ago when 2 men wearing hoodies rolled up on XXX at a motorcycle dealership in Pompano Beach, FL and opened fire. The deadly shooting was caught on video.

The suspects -- who made off with a Louis Vuitton bag and $50k in cash -- are now awaiting trial.

X's girlfriend gave birth to the rapper's son 7 months after his death. He chose the name for his firstborn son -- Gekyume Onfroy, who was born 3 days after what would have been the rapper's 21st bday.

BTW ... X's official Instagram account just posted a video announcing that a documentary on the rapper has been in the works and is coming soon. Check it out.

Bernie McGee -- one of the stars of "Seeking Sister Wife" -- has died from a heart attack according to his wife Paige, who's blaming her brother for causing the stress she believes killed Bernie.

Paige confirmed to TMZ ... Bernie was riding his bicycle Saturday when he overheated and felt ill, and he called her to come pick him up. She says by the time she arrived, EMTs were already working on him ... and she knew it was very bad.

Paige says the coroner told her Bernie died from heat stroke and a heart attack ... but she believes her brother, Patrick Marble, was the biggest factor in his death.

We broke the story ... Paige's bro accused the reality TV couple of harassing him, and they were arrested in March on stalking charges. Paige says the arrest greatly upset Bernie because it happened in front of their sons, and he never got over it.

Their court date for the case was approaching, and Paige says it had a terrible effect on Bernie, saying ... "the stress of going to court this coming Wednesday with fear of 1 year in jail wore on Bernie."

Paige claims, ultimately, her brother's actions led to her husband suffering a heart attack, saying ... "Patrick's constant lies and attacks against us caused this!"

She adds, "YOU KILLED MY HUSBAND AND I HOPE YOU BURN IN HELL!!!!!"

Patrick tells TMZ, due to Bernie's passing, he is dropping the stalking charges against Paige pronto. He says he last spoke to her a few weeks ago to try to resolve things. Paige says she doesn't have a relationship with her brother and never has.

Gloria Vanderbilt, the heiress to the Vanderbilt railroad fortune and creator of the wildly popular Vanderbilt jeans, has died.

It appears she died of stomach cancer, which was so advanced she was taken to the hospital earlier this month.

Gloria, the mother of Anderson Cooper, was a woman of many trades, including model, fashion designer and actress. She was also one of the biggest socialites in New York City.

During the '70s, Gloria launched a line of designer jeans with her signature, designer swan. One of her slogans is "My bottoms are tops."

Gloria was married 4 times ... one of her husband's was famed director Sidney Lumet. She was linked over the years to a number of famous men, including Howard Hughes, Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly.

Her life was not without tragedy. Gloria's oldest son with Wyatt Cooper, Carter Vanderbilt Cooper, committed suicide at age 23 back in 1988 by jumping out of the family's 14th floor window.

She was also embroiled in a famous custody battle. Her dad died when she was a baby and her mom and aunt fought over who should raise her. The custody trial became the basis for the 1980 book and subsequent miniseries, "Little Gloria ... Happy at Last." It was nominated for 6 Emmys.

She was super close to Anderson. In 1995, Gloria sold her mansion and moved in with Anderson to write her book, "A Mother's Story" ... which dealt with coping with Carter's suicide. In 2016, the two also released a book and a documentary on HBO together titled 'Nothing Left Unsaid.'

Anderson just gave a tribute to his mom, saying, "Gloria Vanderbilt was an extraordinary woman who loved life and lived it on her own terms. What an extraordinary life. What an extraordinary mom. What an incredible woman."

Nipsey Hussle's family has a new argument for why they should retain custody of his daughter -- they claim there's ample proof her mother is unfit, based on her 2 other children.

Sources close to the late rapper tell TMZ ... his family's lawyers think they can win the custody battle for his 10-year-old girl, Emani Asghedom, by highlighting Tanisha Foster's track record with her 18-year-old daughter.

We're told the girl is currently in juvenile detention in L.A., and has been in and out of the system since she was 12. Our sources say she's in juvi now for petty theft, and nobody will come forward to claim her ... including Tanisha.

Even though her daughter is 18, we're told the detention center won't release her because she doesn't have a GED or a stable environment to which she can return. Our sources say Tanisha's been MIA most of her daughter's life and has refused to attend her court hearings.

We're told Foster also has a 17-year-old son who bounces around from home to home and doesn't attend school regularly.

Nipsey's family claims the proof is in the pudding and feels Foster is not a fit parent -- and definitely isn't qualified to care for Emani.

We broke the story ... the family also believes Foster is unstable due to her long rap sheet and current legal issues.

Emani is currently living with Nipsey's sister, Samantha, who kept custody of her after a court hearing last month ... much to the chagrin of Tanisha.

Pat Bowlen -- the longtime owner of the Denver Broncos who helped the team win THREE Super Bowls -- has died at 75.

The Broncos announced Friday the Hall of Famer passed away late Thursday night following his battle with Alzheimer's disease.

Bowlen is one of the most successful team owners in sports history ... he bought the Broncos back in 1984 and helped SEVEN different rosters make the Super Bowl.

Pat's Broncos also averaged more than 10 wins per season in his 35-year tenure as Broncos' owner.

"We are saddened to inform everyone that our beloved husband and father, Pat Bowlen, passed on to the next chapter of his life late Thursday night peacefully at home surrounded by family," his family said in a statement released by the team.

"His soul will live on through the Broncos, the city of Denver and all of our fans."

Pat -- who stepped down from his day-to-day role as owner of the Broncos in 2014 because of his battle with Alzheimer's -- is most famously known for his relationship with John Elway.

After Elway won his first Super Bowl with the Broncos in the 1997 season ... Pat famously grabbed the Lombardi Trophy and said, "This one's for John!"

Of course, about 20 years later -- after Elway won Super Bowl 50 as Denver's general manager -- he said, "This one's for Pat!"

Bowlen was just named a Hall of Famer this year ... and will be officially inducted at a ceremony in Canton, Ohio this summer.

“Our family wishes to express its sincere gratitude for the outpouring of support we have received in recent years," Pat's family said ... "Heaven got a little bit more orange and blue tonight."

Sylvia Miles -- who rose to fame for her role in "Midnight Cowboy" -- has died.

TMZ has confirmed the two-time Academy Award nominee passed away Wednesday in New York ... and she reportedly died in the back of an ambulance on the way to a hospital.

Sylvia was in her mid-40s when she acted alongside Jon Voight in the 1969 movie, "Midnight Cowboy" ... and she played an Upper East Side hooker trying to out-hustle Voight's character, an aspiring gigolo. She was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

Miles earned her second Oscar nomination for her role in the 1975 film, "Farewell, My Lovely" ... appearing in a five-and-a-half minute scene with Robert Mitchum.

Sylvia also acted in tons of TV and theater productions ... and she was a fixture on the NYC party scene, turning up with pal Andy Warhol.

Miles, born and raised in Greenwich Village, was reportedly in declining health -- struggling with respiratory problems -- and had recently left a nursing home.

Sylvia was 94.

Geto Boys rapper Bushwick Bill turned to alternative medicine in his final days, and he went to the Mile High State to find some peace of mind before his death ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the hip-hop pioneer tell us Bill passed away Sunday night in Colorado. Our sources say Houston was relayed to the media to protect the family's desire for privacy. We're told BB had checked into a Houston hospital in late May -- but when doctors said he could catch a blood infection due to his deteriorating immune system ... he opted to head for the clean air of the Rockies.

We're told Bill decided to try holistic treatments at the Colorado facility where he checked in late last week. It was exactly the kinda setting he wanted -- in nature surrounded by majestic mountains.

As we reported, he died Sunday with his kids by his side after a hard-fought battle.

BB was able to tie up some last-minute business as well -- we're told he was able to finish his final album, "Check Morals/Turpitude Balance" and also put the final stepping stones in place to launch a Pancreatic Cancer Foundation.

Mary Duggar -- the mother of "19 Kids and Counting" star Jim Bob Duggar -- has died.

The family announced Mary died suddenly Sunday afternoon. The cause of death is unclear and it's unknown if she suffered from any ailments, but the family seems to be in shock. She often appeared on '19 Kids' and the TLC spin-off show "Counting On."

Mary -- from Farmington, Arkansas -- was in real estate and married to Jimmy Lee Duggar for almost 50 years. She, of course, famously gave birth to Jim Bob, who went on to have 19 kids ... hence the show.

The family wrote on Facebook, "She is greately loved and will be missed so very much! She lived a tremendous life as a follower of Christ, a wife, a devoted mother, a loving mother-in-law and a much-loved grandmother."

Mary's grandson Josh Duggar's wife, Anna, took to Instagram to share the news. She posted pics of Mary with her 6 kids. She wrote, "Great-Grandma Duggar went to heaven today to be with Jesus! What an awesome woman of faith and such a loving example of God's love. She was a true soul-winner and loved everyone she met."

Anna went on to say, "Miss her soooo much and we cherish each moment we were blessed to spend together! Lots of tears being shed here -- grateful for all the prayers!"

Mary's survived by her son, Jim Bob, her daughter, Deanna, 21 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. She was 78. RIP