Celebrity Death

Cameron Boyce's shocking death triggered a flood of donations to a charity about which he was passionate ... with some help from Adam Sandler.

The Disney star, who was just 20 years old when he died this last week, worked closely with a charity called Thirst Project, which builds wells bringing clean drinking water to villages in need.

Thirst Project's co-founder and CEO, Seth Maxwell, tells TMZ ... more than 350 people have donated money to the initiative in Cameron's honor, totaling $15,000.

Maxwell says the money is pouring in from online donations through the charity's website, and a large chunk is coming from a Facebook fundraiser started by Adam Sandler.

Other celebs are raising awareness and driving donations as well ... actors Skai Jackson and Nolan Gould, some of Cameron's industry friends, also went on social media encouraging fans to donate to Thirst Project in Cameron's name.

Maxwell tells us Thirst Project has been overwhelmed by DMs and emails from people asking how they can get involved ... and he says there are lots of ways people can carry on Cameron's legacy.

Disney canceled a "Descendants 3" red carpet event to honor Cameron ... opting instead to donate money in his name to Thirst Project. Those funds are separate from the $15,000 in individual donations.

As we first reported ... Cameron, who died in his sleep from a seizure, suffered from epilepsy.

Roy Halladay -- nearly two years after his tragic death -- is STILL having an impact on the Phillies' locker room, so says stud pitcher Zach Eflin.

"We're always thinking about him," Eflin tells TMZ Sports ... "There's a lot of things I take away from him."

Halladay died after the plane he was piloting in the Gulf of Mexico crashed into the water on November 7, 2017.

It was a horrific moment for baseball -- losing such a legend at just 34 years old -- but Eflin says his legacy is still carrying on strong in Philadelphia.

In fact, Eflin tells us he's still to this day using tips Halladay taught him during their offseason together ... and says, "He's awesome, man. He was an amazing person."

Beth Chapman is about to get a final farewell in the Rocky Mountains -- her Colorado memorial service is just getting underway ... and TMZ's got you covered. 

The reality TV star is being memorialized Saturday afternoon at the Heritage Christian Center in Aurora, CO -- where her husband, Dog the Bounty Hunter, as well as friends, family and loved ones are gathering to say goodbye for the last time in the wake of Beth's tragic death last month. 

In fact, a line was already forming out the door before the ceremony got started at 2 PM CT. Looks like people were willing to wait it out in the hot sun. 

As we first reported ... Beth's family are expecting a massive turnout and have been coordinating with local hotels and law enforcement to make sure the ceremony goes off without a hitch. 

This will be Beth's second memorial -- Dog put together a public gathering in Hawaii shortly after her death -- and this time it got organized and coordinated by 'Facts of Life' star Kim Fields, who was a fellow worshiper at Beth's church in Aurora. 

We're told Kim felt God calling her to take on the planning for Beth's service, even though the two women never actually met. 

Beth's memorial will feature some video messages from a bunch of her celeb friends -- including Wynona Judd, who unfortunately isn't going to make it in person. 

No doubt, there will likely be some words imparted from those in the room as well -- not to mention a speech by Dog himself. 

We'll be posting updates as they happen ... stay tuned. And if you wanna watch the memorial live, check it out here. 

Wynonna Judd is super sad she can't be there to perform at her late friend Beth Chapman's final send-off ... but she's still making her presence felt from afar. 

Beth's memorial service is going down this afternoon in Colorado ... and she was a huge fan of Wynonna's music and the 2 got close, so the family asked the country music icon to come and sing. 

Unfortunately, Wynonna's on tour and can't be there to support a dear friend ... so she's giving Beth's family permission to feature her music during the service, including Beth's favorite Wynonna song, "Rescue Me."

Wynonna posted a tribute to Beth right after her death. 

Beth's memorial service, which is being planned by reality star Kim Fields, will feature video messages from some of Beth's celeb friends ... and Wynonna is part of it.

Nipsey Hussle's baby mama is fighting his family that wants to keep custody of their daughter away from her, saying they're denying her a basic right -- contact with her flesh and blood.

Tanisha Foster says in legal docs, obtained by TMZ, she and Nipsey shared responsibility for parenting 10-year-old Emani.

She seems to be rebutting the family's contention she's not capable of caring for the child, saying they are ignoring the fact Nipsey provided for her ... setting her up in an apartment and providing for her livelihood. She's insinuating she's been cut off and that's not what Nipsey would want.

She also says, she's not the only person involved in the case with a "problem past," but she says she's choosing not to "sling mud." 

She says she can't pay rent, she's been cut off financially and is in desperate shape. Foster notes the lifestyle she and Emani were used to before Nipsey's death won't be the same ... but she is willing to make it work to the best of her ability. She's asking the judge to at least give her visitation rights.

Foster says, "If everyone was truly interested in doing what is best for Emani, they would treat me as her mother and not in the manner that they have.

Nipsey's family was awarded temporary custody of Emani, claiming Tanisha is an unfit mother.

Disney has decided to honor Cameron Boyce by canceling its "Descendants 3" red carpet premiere event ... and instead will donate to a charity close to him in his honor.

Disney tells us the company will make a donation in Cameron's name to the Thirst Project ... a nonprofit that helps deliver clean water to communities around the world. Cameron helped raise more than $30k for that organization ... one that was close to his heart.

Disney said, "We are proud to be part of Cameron Boyce's legacy by showcasing his talents on screen but we are cancelling the red carpet premiere event for 'Descendants 3' scheduled for July 22 and instead, The Walt Disney Company will make a donation to the Thirst Project, a philanthropic organization to which Cameron was deeply committed. Thank you for understanding."

Cameron appeared in every 'Descendants' film. He played Carlos, Cruella De Ville's son. He began his Disney career in 2011 on the series "Jessie" and also appeared in "Jake and the Never Land Pirates" and the Disney XD series "Gamer's Guide to Pretty Much Everything."

The company said, with permission from the Boyce family, the Disney Channel will dedicate the telecast of "Descendants 3" in Cameron's memory.

As we first reported ... Cameron, who died in his sleep, suffered from epilepsy. He was only 20 years old.

Beth Chapman's upcoming memorial service -- where thousands are expected -- is being run like a major Hollywood production, which is why showbiz vet Kim Fields is running point ... TMZ has learned.

Kim is coordinating security and overseeing production details, right down to the flower arrangement, as director of visual and social media at Beth's church ... according to sources close to Beth's family. How the 'Facts of Life' and 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' star ended up in charge is pretty serendipitous. 

Kim relocated to Aurora, CO earlier this year and joined Beth's place of worship ... Heritage Christian Center. We're told Kim's pastor in Georgia asked her to help him with his new Colorado church and she happily obliged.

While Beth and Kim never met in person, we're told Kim took on this massive project because she felt like God was calling her to help people in mourning. 

Kim's many decades on Hollywood productions, and her obvious celeb experience, made her a natural fit to help Dog Chapman and his family pull off the high profile event. As we first reported, the family has been working with local police to make sure the venue is extremely safe and secure, in anticipation of a massive crowd. 

Some of the security protocols are interesting ... we're told all weapons will be banned at the service even though Colorado is an open carry state. All bags will be searched, and we're told the heightened security is partly related to the community still being sensitive to Aurora's 2012 movie theater shooting, and of course the nearby Columbine massacre.

Beth's Colorado service is her final sendoff ... following the heartwarming ceremony in Hawaii.  

The service Kim's planning is part of Beth's final wishes, and we're told the church will be heavily decorated with hundreds of stargazer lilies -- Beth's favorite flower.

Rip Torn, Emmy-winning actor and comedian, is dead.

Rip, perhaps best known for his role as Artie on HBO's "The Larry Sanders Show," died Tuesday. No cause of death has been released yet. 

He won an Emmy for his 'Larry Sanders' role, and was nominated 6 more times for it. He was also an Oscar nominee in 1984 for "Cross Creek." 

Rip made his film debut in the 1956 film "Baby Doll." From there, he began a prolific and decades-long career on stage and screen.

Torn's work on "The Larry Sanders Show" garnered him a whole new generation of fans, who would go on to enjoy his character work as Zed in the first two 'Men in Black' films. He also had memorable roles on "Will & Grace" and "30 Rock."

His full name was Elmore Rual Torn Jr. ... but he started going by the nickname Rip when he was a kid. Fun fact ... his cousin is iconic actress Sissy Spacek.

He is survived by his wife Amy, his 6 kids, his sister Patricia, and his 4 grandchildren.

Rip was 88. 

Michelle Obama shared a heartfelt tribute to late Disney star Cameron Boyce ... remembering him as a talented young man with an incredible heart.

The former First Lady shared a picture of her with Cameron on Twitter during one of his visits to the White House. She wrote, "I was lucky enough to hare a few moments with Cameron Boyce -- on set, at the White House, and on a service project -- enough time to recognize that not only did he have incredible talent, but also an incredible heart."

Michelle added, "Sending out a lot of love and hugs to his family, friends, and his many, many fans."

Even at a young age, Boyce was fueled by his philanthropic spirit. Back in March, he received the Pioneering Spirit Award at a gala for the Thirst Project ... which helps deliver clean water to communities around the world. He reportedly helped raise more than $30k for the org.

Los Angeles Angels superstar Mike Trout is honoring Tyler Skaggs during the All-Star Game on Tuesday ... sporting the late pitcher's #45 jersey when he takes the field.

Skaggs tragically died last week in his team hotel room in Texas. Details surrounding his death are still unclear ... but the news shook many teams, players and managers throughout the MLB.

Trout -- who usually wears #27 -- and injured Angels infielder Tommy La Stella will don Skaggs' digits on their backs during Tuesday night's ASG as a tribute to their teammate.

Trout shared his condolences last week ... saying "Words cannot express the deep sadness we feel right now."

"Remembering him as a great teammate, friend, and person who will forever remain in our hearts... we love you, 45."

Ross Perot, 2-time presidential candidate and self-made billionaire, is dead.

The Texas software pioneer became a billionaire in 1984 when General Motors bought his company, Electronic Data Systems, for $2.5 billion.  

Perot founded EDS in 1962 with a $1,000 loan his wife floated him. 

Perot ran for president in 1992 and 1996 and was famously portrayed on 'SNL' by Dana Carvey. 

Perot famously would break down American politics and the economy using bar graphs and pie graphs, using his handy pointer.

The conventional wisdom is that Perot was the reason Bill Clinton got elected, because he split the Republican vote when he ran as an independent. The Perot spoiler factor in presidential elections lives to this day.

Perot, who amassed $4 billion, donated a total of $90 million to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

EDS was only one of Perot's businesses. In 1988, he founded Perot Systems Corp., which Dell bought in 2009 for $3.9 billion.

Perot died Tuesday after battling leukemia for 5 months.

Perot is survived by wife of 63 years, Margot. They had 5 children and have 16 grandchildren.

Charles Manson LIVES ... on in ink, now featured on the arm of a weirdo who made sure to get the mass murderer's burnt up particles poked deep into his own skin. 

Get ready for a morbid body art tale -- 'cause that's exactly what this is. Artist Ryan Almighty tells TMZ that he recently gave one of Manson's longtime fanboys an arm tattoo for the ages -- which featured the real (dead) guy's leftover ashes from his cremation.

Ryan says a friend of his by the name of John Michael Jones -- who claims to have been one of Manson's pen pals before he died -- wanted to get a tat of the killer's face plastered on his arm, so Ryan did him a solid, and then did him one better ... throwing some of Manson's actual ashes into the ink, free of charge. Nice guy!!!!

We're told John drove up from Boston to Ryan's tattoo shop in rural New York -- where he parked it for 6 hours of needling. The ashes were mixed into the ink that Ryan used.

Check out the final product ... creepy AF, if ya ask us. Which is fitting, of course.

BTW, this ain't the first time Ryan's done some strange Manson art. He put together a blood painting of Manson last year (which also featured some of his ashes), which ended up in Zak Bagans' Haunted Museum in Las Vegas. 

Disney Channel star Cameron Boyce died in his sleep.

The 20-year-old actor, who starred in several Disney shows including "Descendants," could not be revived after paramedics rushed to his home ... this according to law enforcement sources.

Cameron's family said he had an ongoing medical condition and died in his sleep ... the result of a seizure.

Cameron starred in both the 'Descendants' TV series and movies. He was filming a new HBO show, "Mrs. Fletcher."

Although he was only 20, Cameron racked up a series of hits, appearing in "Grown Ups" and "Grown Ups 2" ... he played one of Adam Sandler's kids.

The actor was only 11 when he first appeared on the Disney Channel. Other credits include "Shake it Up," "Austin & Ally" and "Good Luck Charlie." His breakout role was playing Luke on "Jessie," which ran for 4 seasons.

The family said Saturday, “He passed away in his sleep due to a seizure which was a result of an ongoing medical condition for which he was being treated. The world is now undoubtedly without one of its brightest lights, but his spirit will live on through the kindness and compassion of all who knew and loved him,”

The family spokesperson went on ... “We are utterly heartbroken and ask for privacy during this immensely difficult time as we grieve the loss of our precious son and brother.”

We last saw him in March, when we asked him about the college admissions scandal.

Beth Chapman's family is doing everything it can to make sure her memorial service in Colorado goes off without a hitch, and it's an enormous undertaking ... they're coordinating with local law enforcement and hotels to accommodate a HUGE crowd.

Sources close to Beth's family tell TMZ ... her relatives are determined to make the memorial fan-friendly, reaching out to hotels in Aurora to hammer out discounted rates for people attending the service, and working with police to plan security and crowd control.

We're told Beth wanted her send-off in her home state to be accessible for everyone ... so her family is putting together a live stream for those that can't make the trek to Colorado. 

TMZ broke the story ... Beth died June 26 at a Honolulu hospital, only days after doctors placed her in a medically-induced coma. The 51-year-old had been battling cancer for a long time.

Dog Chapman and Beth lived in Hawaii and Colorado, and her Aurora memorial will be her second public service ... following a beautiful ceremony in Honolulu.

As we first reported ... Dog and his children snuck away to spread some of Beth's ashes in the Waikiki waters during her Hawaiian send-off. They didn't spread all the ashes, we're told they will spread her remaining ashes in Colorado. 

The services in Hawaii and on the mainland are part of Beth's final wishes. 

Ex-NFL quarterback Jared Lorenzen -- aka The Hefty Lefty -- has died at 38 after battling heart and kidney issues, his family confirmed.

Lorenzen was admitted to the hospital over the weekend and underwent dialysis after falling ill with an infection that affected his kidney and heart.

But, after doctors tried to save his life, Lorenzen succumbed to to his ailments and passed away Wednesday.

"It is with heavy hearts that the family of Jared Lorenzen, would like to extend our sincere thanks and appreciation for all of your support and prayers over the past 6 days," the family said in a statement.

"We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Jared today, July 3, 2019."

"Again, we appreciate all of the warm wishes and prayers but as a family we would request your respect and privacy."

Jared became a national sensation as the QB at Kentucky back in the early 2000s because -- well, he wasn't built like a traditional QB ... weighing in around 300 pounds.

After college, Lorenzen joined the NY Giants as an undrafted free agent -- where he became Eli Manning's backup ... and he won a Super Bowl ring as a part of the 2007 team, when they beat the undefeated Patriots.

He went on to play indoor football for the Northern Kentucky River Monsters in 2013 -- and played well until suffering a broken leg, which ultimately ended his career.

Before college, Lorenzen was a high school stud -- he was awarded the prestigious Kentucky Mr. Football award for the best player in the state.

In college, he was the All-SEC 2nd team QB.

Just one day after the death of their teammate, Tyler Skaggs, the L.A. Angels decided to take the field against the Texas Rangers on Tuesday ... and they WON!

The Angels dedicated the game to Skaggs -- and had decided that playing the game is what the 27-year-old would have wanted them to do.

It was an emotional game ... with the Halos emerging victorious in a 9-4 game.

Afterward, Mike Trout fought back tears as he talked about how much Skaggs meant to the team.

"We were close," Trout said ... "I see these guys more than my family."

Right fielder Kole Calhoun hit a home run in the 8th inning to help seal the victory -- and pointed to the sky in an obvious reference to Skaggs.

"We know we’ve got an angel watching over us now," Calhoun told reporters after the game.

"When I got to the plate, it felt right to pay some respect to him, and like I said, we know we’ve got somebody watching over us up there."

L.A. Angels starting pitcher Jose Suarez also honored Skaggs with “RIP 45” on his cap -- along with Tyler's initials "TSK" written above the bill.