Celebrity Death

Whitey Bulger was intentionally put in harm's way by the federal government which wanted him dead ... that's the claim the late mobster's family is now making.

The notorious mobster was transferred to one of the most violent prisons in America last October and placed in general population, where he was beaten with a lock in a sock, and one or more inmates tried to gouge his eyes out with a shiv and also tried to cut off his tongue.

The family's lawyer, Hank Brennan, says they plan on filing a wrongful death lawsuit against the U.S. Justice Dept., claiming "We believe that James Bulger was deliberately placed in harm's way."

Brennan went on ... "There is simply no other explanation for the transfer of someone in his condition and inmate status to be placed in the general population of one of the country's most violent federal penitentiaries."

The 89-year-old's family thought he was going to be moved to a medical facility because of his various health problems.

As we reported, he was on the run for 16 years ... living part of the time in plain sight in Santa Monica, where he was captured in 2011.

Bulger was in the Winter Hill Gang and was allegedly responsible for as many as 11 murders. He was convicted in 2013 of various crimes, including murder. He had been serving his life sentence in a Florida federal penitentiary before being transferred in 2018 to Hazelton. He was at that facility for less than 12 hours before he was attacked.

Ex-college basketball and BIG3 star Andre Emmett was shot and killed in Dallas on Monday morning ... TMZ Sports has confirmed. He was 37 years old.

According to Dallas PD ... Emmett was approached by 2 suspects while sitting in his car in front of his house around 2:30 AM on Monday. One of the suspects pulled out a gun and an altercation ensued.

Cops say Emmett was gunned down while trying to run away from the suspects ... and he was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he later died.

Emmett -- the 35th pick to the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2004 NBA Draft -- was the 2nd leading scorer in the 3-on-3 league this past season while playing for 3's Company.

"The BIG3 is in a state of shock over the sudden and tragic death of Andre Emmett," the league said in a statement. "Andre was a member of the BIG3 family for two seasons and never without a smile on his face."

"His kindness towards others and easy-going demeanor made him a joy to be around."

Emmett briefly played for the Grizzlies and New Jersey Nets ... and played several years overseas.

Emmett was a star at Texas Tech under Bob Knight ... and was inducted into the school's hall of fame in 2018.

#RIP

Sid Haig -- best known as Captain Spaulding in Rob Zombie's "House of 1000 Corpses" trilogy -- has died.

The horror icon's wife, Suzie, shared the news Monday on Sid's own social media account, writing ... "On Saturday, September 21, 2019, my light, my heart, my true love, my King, the other half of my soul, Sidney, passed from this realm on to the next."

She went on to say, "He has returned to the Universe, a shining star in her heavens. He was my angel, my husband, my best friend and always will be." Suzie added, "He adored his family, his friends and his fans. This came as a shock to all of us. We, as a family, are asking that our privacy and time to mourn be respected."

Sid had recently been hospitalized and transferred to the ICU after he was involved in some sort of accident -- this per screenshots of his IG account, which was apparently run by his wife. On Sept. 6, she was asking for prayers.

Sid's rep would only tell TMZ that the accident was something that took place at his home.

The exact circumstances of his death remain a mystery, but the outpouring of love from the horror community has been overwhelming -- including from Rob Zombie himself, who shared a brief remembrance of his longtime collaborator.

Sid has starred as the patriarch of the Firefly family in "House of 1000 Corpses," "The Devil's Rejects" and most recently, "3 From Hell," which just hit theaters last week.

Aside from acting in Rob's films, he also starred in several other horror flicks over his 50-plus-year career, including roles in "Bone Tomahawk," "Hatchet III," "The Lords of Salem," "Devil in My Ride," "Night of the Living Dead 3D," and tons of other films.

He also starred on TV shows like "MacGyver," "The Fall Guy," "Jason of Star Command," "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman," "Mission: Impossible," "Get Smart," "Gunsmoke," "Star Trek," "The Lucy Show," "The Six Million Dollar Man," and countless others.

Sid had 149 acting credits to his name, and was considered a fixture in the cult horror genre. We last talked to him in 2017, he was catching us up on projects he was working on at the time -- saying he had 4 projects in the can. Dude clearly stayed busy.

He's survived by his wife, Suzie. Sid was 80.

Food Network star and celebrity chef Carl Ruiz has died ... according to his closest friends in the biz.

Carl reportedly passed away Saturday night of a suspected heart attack, so says his pal and social media personality, Matt Farah. Matt also said Carl died peacefully in his sleep.

Guy Fieri also commented on Carl's death, writing on Twitter ... "I’m heartbroken that my friend chef Carl Ruiz is gone. I have no words to describe what a great friend he was to me and my family. His ability to make me laugh and smile under any circumstances was only outshined by his talent as a chef."

He added, "Over the years, I’ve met a lot of great people but a friend like Carl is one in a hundred million. Carl 'The Cuban' Ruiz will forever live on in my heart and in those of all who loved him."

CR had teamed up with Guy quite a bit over the years, having made appearances on three of his shows -- "Guy's Grocery Games," "Guy's Ranch Kitchen" and "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" -- for several episodes and even serving as a judge on some.

He was also close with a ton of other FN fixtures, including different Iron Chefs who competed on the popular program. Food Network regulars Jet Tila and Ben Ford also commented on Ruiz's passing, sending their condolences online with some kind words.

Carl -- who was Cuban-American -- was known as an expert in Spanish cuisine. He opened his restaurant, La Cubana, in NYC just earlier this year in June. According to his restaurant's website, he's helped open countless restaurants over the course of his 25-plus years in the food game ... and made several appearances on TV as well.

He was 44.

Aron Eisenberg, the actor who played Nog in "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" is dead.

Eisenberg, who became famous in the spin-off, had been battling health issues ... he received 2 kidney transplants. He was born with one kidney, which failed and he went on dialysis at age 14. He underwent his first transplant when he was 17 and another when he was 46. His kidney issues stunted his growth -- he was 5' tall.

He was also featured in the TV movie, "Amityville: The Evil Escapes" and "The Horror Show," "Beverly Hills Brats" and "Playroom." In all, he has over 30 credits.

Although Eisenberg was known for "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," he was also featured in "Star Trek: Renegades" as well as "Star Trek: Voyager." He was also involved in the Star Trek video game back in 2010.

His widow, Malissa Longo, posted, "We didn't officially announce that we had eloped on December 28th, 2018. We were hoping to have a big shindig in celebration of our nuptials, but had to wait to save up the money."

She went on ... "There will never be another light like Aron's. The beauty that he was and the legacy he leaves behind is beyond words. I love him dearly and will miss him eternally. At the moment I'm not sure how to do life without him."

Aron was 50.

Suzanne Whang, the woman whose voice and face opened "House Hunters" episodes for nearly a decade, has died after a long battle with cancer.

Suzanne's partner, Jeff Vezain, said he was by her side when she passed Tuesday evening, at 7:20 PM, at their Los Angeles home. Suzanne had been diagnosed with breast cancer 13 years ago but, in a Facebook post, Jeff said she always confronted it with "courage, humor, determination and optimism."

Suzanne became an HGTV fan favorite during her 9 years hosting episodes of the immensely popular "House Hunters" series. She was also an actress with supporting roles on countless TV movies and TV series, including, "General Hospital," "Criminal Minds," and "NYPD Blue."

Suzanne most notably played manicurist Polly Nguyen on 4 seasons of "Las Vegas."

She had an undergraduate psychology degree from Yale University and a masters from Brown University and was a published author, but Suzanne poured her energy and spirit into a vast array of fields. She was also a radio host, producer, political activist and a minister.

Jeff said she would "prefer that her life be celebrated, as opposed to her passing mourned."

Suzanne was 56.

RIP

Eddie Money really did have 2 tickets to paradise when he eloped 30 years ago with his wife, but the rock star managed to fulfill a lifelong dream to exchange church vows ... before he passed away.

Eddie and his wife, Laurie, renewed their vows back on February 7 at the California Community Church in the San Fernando Valley. The couple kept it a private ceremony, strictly for immediate family.

Laurie wore a Bob Mackie-designed wedding dress she had intended to wear when they eloped to Mexico in 1989 -- but the dress took 3 months to make. Turned out they didn't need it anyway because they ditched all formal wear for the beach ceremony.

The couple talked about exchanging vows in a church for YEARS but after he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer last fall, they finally formalized plans. The timing was perfect ... because just 3 months later, Eddie would also need to undergo a heart valve procedure.

Sadly, complications associated with his heart valve procedure led to his death last week.

The Money family tells TMZ ... they're thankful to all fans around the world who played Eddie's songs to celebrate his life and music after his passing. The family also set up the Eddie Money Cancer Research Fund at USC's Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Jessica Jaymes -- the porn star best known for becoming Hustler's first contract model to become a member of the AVN Hall of Fame -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... a friend went to check on Jessica Tuesday afternoon in her San Fernando Valley home because he hadn't heard from her in a while. When the friend arrived at her home, our sources say the friend found Jessica unconscious.

We're told fire and EMS got a call for cardiac arrest for a female. When they got there, nothing seemed amiss. They pronounced her dead at the scene. The cause of death is unknown and now the L.A. County Coroner's Office is investigating.

Jessica had a history of seizures. We're told authorities found various prescription drugs.

Jessica started doing soft porn in 2002 when she was 26. She got her big break in 2004 when Hustler signed her. She made her "coming out" debut in 2005 in the adult film, "The Porn Identity." Jessica snagged Hustler magazine's "Honey of the Year" award that same year.

She went on to appear in well over 200 adult films and was an active performer as of late on her exclusive content website. She also earned some mainstream credits. Jessica appeared as herself on several episodes of the Showtime series "Weeds."

Jessica -- who just last week told her almost 1M Instagram followers she had been on vacation -- also appeared on "The Howard Stern Show," VH1's "Celebrity Rehab Sober House" and HBO's "Vivid Valley."

Jessica got her stage name combining her real first name and adding the first name of her then-lover, James. She was born Jessica Redding in Anchorage, Alaska. Her mother is of Czech and French descent while her father was reportedly an undercover DEA agent.

She attended New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell, New Mexico before attending and graduating from Rio Salado Community College. She was a fourth through sixth grade teacher for 3 years before becoming an adult film actress. Interesting life.

Mac Miller's fortune has officially been totaled up -- and the guy was worth over $11 million ... which will be split among his closest friends and family.

The rapper's estate filed new legal docs showing Mac's wealth has been appraised in full at about $11.3 million, including his personal property and cash on hand. A few of Mac's buddies are going to get a vast majority of his belongings -- including LOTS of jewelry and other cool stuff -- while his mom, dad and bro will get the rest.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Mac's trust left special instructions to give Bryan Johnson all of his clothing and electronics, specifically ... his TV, laptop, iPads, etc. Another friend named Q Chandler-Cuff is getting more than 20 pieces of jewelry ... valued at several tens of thousands of dollars.

His bud, Dylan Rectenwald, will be getting all of Mac's musical instruments and equipment -- MM was a known musician and producer, so he had his fair share of toys, including a $5,000 guitar. He also left a friend named Jimmy Murton his household furnishings.

As for Mac's family, he left them a whopping $5 million-plus in bank and brokerage accounts -- plus whatever else he had to his name.

Mac Miller died of an accidental overdose last year at the age of 26. His death resulted in the arrest of his alleged drug dealer, who the feds say provided him a lethal dose of spiked drugs.

John Singleton's daughter needs help with her bills ... and she wants her late father's estate to cough up the dough every month.

The late director's daughter, Cleopatra Singleton, filed a petition with her father's estate requesting a monthly allowance of $2,778 per month. According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Cleopatra is also asking for a one-time payment of $4,150 to cover her study abroad program.

In docs, Cleopatra says she's a student and her father used to cover all of her bills -- cell phone, car note, utilities, etc. But, since his tragic passing, Cleopatra says she's struggled to keep up.

The 21-year-old says she wants the allowance for now until the estate works out how to distribute John's fortune. Cleopatra says that could take at least another year, if not more.

Cokie Roberts -- the revered journalist and political commentator who was a pioneer for women during her storied career -- has died.

The network where she spent more than 3 decades, ABC News, announced Cokie's passing Tuesday morning. She died from complications of breast cancer, according to a family statement.

Cokie -- born Mary Martha Corinne Morrison Claiborne Boggs -- earned her name from her older brother, who couldn't pronounce Corinne. The name Cokie stuck for the rest of her life. She made a name for herself as a young Capitol Hill reporter for NPR before joining ABC News in 1988.

She became a contributor on "This Week" before co-anchoring the popular news show with Sam Donaldson. They co-anchored the show from 1996 until 2002.

Cokie was also a best-selling author with several New York Times Best Sellers titles to her name.

She was inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame and named one of the 50 greatest women in the history of broadcasting by the American Women in Radio and Television.

She was so respected ... Cokie was literally named a "Living Legend" by the Library of Congress in 2008. She famously came from a long line of family members embedded in politics -- her father was Congressman and Democratic House majority leader Thomas Boggs, who was also a member of the Warren Commission ... which investigated the JFK assassination.

Cokie's survived by her husband of 53 years, Steven Roberts, and her 2 kids, Lee and Rebecca.

She was 75.

Ric Ocasek's cause of death has been revealed -- The Cars frontman died of heart disease.

According to NYC's Chief Medical Examiner ... Ocasek died of hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. In layman's terms, that means he had heart disease caused by high blood pressure.

Pulmonary emphysema is also listed as a contributing condition to his death, and law enforcement sources tell us he had a history of cancer. His manner of death is listed as natural.

As we reported ... The Cars lead singer was discovered unresponsive Sunday at his townhouse in NYC and pronounced dead at the scene. He was reportedly found in his bed by his estranged wife, Paulina Porizkova.

Ocasek started the band in the '70s and they busted through to stardom with their 1978 song, "Just What I Needed." They went on to have a number of hits, including "My Best Friend's Girl," "Good Times Roll," "Bye Bye Love," "Let's Go," "Shake It Up" and their biggest hit ... "Drive."

Ric was known for his distinct voice and became known as a new wave rock pioneer.

He was 75.

RIP

NASCAR champion Mike Stefanik -- a 9-time touring series winner -- died in a plane crash near Rhode Island on Sunday. He was 61.

Stefanik was flying a single-engine, single-seat Aerolite 103 -- which took off from the Riconn Airport in Coventry, Rhode Island -- when something went wrong.

Officials say the plane was attempting to return to the airport when it crashed in the woods near the runway, killing the pilot.

NASCAR chairman Jim France issued a statement remembering the former stock car racer ...

"Mike Stefanik was one of the most successful drivers in NASCAR history, but even more so, he was a true representative of our sport," France said.

"His tough, competitive nature and excellence on the race track won him the respect and admiration of fans and competitors alike."

"His career stretched more than 30 years, bridging the generations between Jerry Cook and Richie Evans to our current drivers."

"He recorded achievements in this sport that are likely untouchable, and his legacy as a champion will endure. We will keep his wife Julie and his family and friends in our prayers."

Stefanik was named Busch Series Most Popular Driver in 1995, 1997, 1998 and 2004.

Most people know Stefanik for crushing the Whelen Modified Tour Circuit from 1989 to 2006, when he won 7 different times!

Stefanik made NASCAR history in 1997 and '98 when he won dual titles by winning both the Modified and K&N Pro Series East divisions.

In other words, the guy was a legend and he'll be missed.

Ric Ocasek -- the frontman and lead singer of the rock band The Cars -- has died.

Police say Ocasek was discovered unresponsive Sunday at his townhouse in NYC, and was pronounced dead at the scene -- according to an NYPD spokesperson. It's unclear for now how he might've died. He was reportedly found in his bed by his estranged wife, Paulina Porizkova.

Ocasek started The Cars back in the '70s and made a name for themselves with their 1978 song, "Just What I Needed." They went on to churn out a number of hits, including "My Best Friend's Girl," "Good Times Roll," "Bye Bye Love" and many others.

Their first Top 20 single, "Let's Go," arrived from their second album, "Candy-O" in '79, with other hits to follow such as "It's All I Can Do," "Double Life" and more. Their biggest hit to date, "Drive," peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and topped other charts as well.

The tune was prominently featured in the 1985 event Live Aid, where it was used as the background song in a montage depicting famine in Ethiopia.

The Cars were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame just last year, where they reunited to perform at the induction ceremony.

Ocasek is survived by his five children. He was 75.

Brian Turk -- who starred in HBO's "Carnivale," and had countless appearances in hit shows -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

The veteran actor passed away Friday due to complications from cancer, according to his rep. We're told he was diagnosed a year ago, but that his cancer recently became terminal.

He's acted in some of Hollywood's biggest shows and movies over the years, including supporting roles in series like "Two and a Half Men," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "The Jamie Foxx Show," "Step by Step," "Wings," "Beverly Hills, 90210," "Boy Meets World," "ER," "Criminal Minds," "General Hospital," "Animal Kingdom," "NCIS" and others.

Brian also had smaller roles in flicks like "American Pie 2," "A.I. Artificial Intelligence," "Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles," "The Lost World: Jurassic Park," "Big Fat Liar" and more. He had 42 acting credits to his name, per his IMDb page.

He's perhaps best known for his starring role on "Carnivale" in the early 2000s, in which he played strongman Gabriel, who was part of the travelling circus depicted on screen.

A GoFundMe has been created on Brian's behalf -- funeral arrangements are currently being made and donations are being solicited to assist his family.

Brian is survived by his wife, and his 8-year-old son. He was 49.

Nate Dogg is getting a fancy new tombstone on his grave ... designed by the same guy who just gave Eazy-E's final resting place a face-lift.

Cemetery Tim, the man behind Eazy-E's updated gravestone, tells TMZ ... Nate Dogg's family hit him up this week looking to spruce up the rapper's plot with a new headstone. The original headstone is kinda basic, and the elements have taken their toll.

Nate's loved ones saw how CT worked wonders with Eazy-E, and they wanted something similar for Nate.

We broke the story ... Eazy-E got an extravagant tombstone on what would have been his 55th birthday.

Nate Dogg, who was 41 when he died back in 2011, is buried in his native Long Beach, CA at Forest Lawn cemetery ... and we're told his family is talking to Tim about their vision for the new tombstone.

The headstone will take about 60 days to be designed, manufactured and delivered ... and we're told the target date for the unveiling is December 1.

If Eazy-E is any indication, Nate's family will be pleased with Tim's vision ... nobody does it better.