Celebrity Death

Bridget Marquardt and Holly Madison were able to reach Hugh Hefner from the great beyond ... and Bridget says Holly's finally made peace with her famous ex.

Bridget came on "TMZ Live" this Halloween, breaking down her séance at Holly's house -- which she claims is haunted -- and telling us about the girls' paranormal chat with the late Playboy founder.

As we first told you ... the former 'Girls Next Door' stars planned to contact Hef the night before Halloween with the help of "Ghost Adventures" star and Hollywood psychic medium Patti Negri.

The girls accomplished their metaphysical mission, contacting Hef and several other spirits from beyond the grave.

Holly and Hugh had a rocky history before his death -- she claimed he abused her emotionally and verbally while she was in the Playboy Mansion -- but Bridget says Holly was totally okay with getting in touch with Hef's spirit.

It's kinda spooky ... Bridget says during the séance, Holly learned Hef periodically checks in on her from the spirit world, but Holly's happy to know he still cares about her.

Jeffrey Epstein's family is still waiting to hear about DNA evidence to prove he wasn't murdered -- evidence they've been demanding for more than 2 months, according to the family's forensic expert.

Dr. Michael Baden, a pioneer in forensics, says the family hired him to observe the autopsy that was conducted on August 11 ... the day after Epstein was found dead in his prison cell. Dr. Baden was on FOX News Wednesday, and he confirmed something TMZ first reported more than 2 months ago.

Baden says fractures in Epstein's neck are more consistent with homicide than suicide by hanging. Specifically, he says the hyoid bone (in the Adam's apple area) and 2 bones next to his thyroid cartilage were broken ... fractures common in strangulation. As we told you, those breaks are extremely rare in hangings.

Beyond the bones, Baden says the family had asked for DNA testing results from Epstein's fingernails -- which could show if he fought back against someone choking him to death -- and from the sheets he allegedly used to hang himself. Baden says the family wants to know if someone else tied the sheets together.

Baden says, immediately after the autopsy, the Medical Examiner said more information was needed to determine the cause of death -- presumably including that DNA testing.

He says the family doesn't understand why the ME suddenly announced, just 4 days later, it was suicide by hanging -- especially because the family never got the requested DNA results.

John Witherspoon, who made his mark in comedy and in films like "Friday" has died.

Witherspoon's family announced he died suddenly Tuesday at his home in Sherman Oaks, California. The statement reads, "It is with deep sadness we have to tweet this, but our husband & father John Witherspoon has passed away."

The statement continues, "He was a Legend in the entertainment industry, and a father figure to all who watched him over the years. We love you 'POPS' always & forever."

Witherspoon's career -- which started in stand-up comedy -- spanned for more than 5 decades, with his most notable role being Willie Jones, father of Ice Cube's character, Craig ... in all of the "Friday" movies.

John did voice work as Gramps on the animated series "The Boondocks," which is being revived for HBO. He also played Pops on "The Wayans Bros." and made appearances on "The Tracy Morgan Show" and "Black Jesus."

We last spoke to Witherspoon earlier this month at LAX where he told us he was excited about Eddie Murphy getting back into comedy and hoped to see him doing stand-up soon.

He is survived by his wife, Angela, and sons JD and Alexander.

John was 77.

RIP

The son of "Tarzan" star Ron Ely said he had a gun and pretended to draw the weapon before 4 deputies fired a total of 24 rounds, ultimately killing the actor's son ... this according to law enforcement.

According to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office ... Ron's 30-year-old son, Cameron Ely, was found outside the couple's Hope Ranch property where he fatally stabbed his mother, Valerie Lundeen Ely. Cops say Cameron then approached deputies and motioned with his hands as if he were drawing a weapon.

Cops later concluded Cameron was not actually armed at all, and only faked it. Cops aren't saying how many rounds actually hit Cameron. No deputies were injured

The 4 deputies involved in the shooting have 40 years total on the force. As we reported ... cops rushed to Ron's home after Cameron called 911 sometime after killing his mother. The operator had said Cameron was out of breath and crying.

Ron played "Tarzan" on the 1960s TV series, and had several other appearances on other hit shows. He married Valerie (a former Miss Florida) in 1984. They had 3 children together.

John Singleton's estate and the fortune it claims is aboutta get little more flush -- because the studio that distributed one of his biggest films is ponying up some belated cash.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, Sony Pictures has agreed to fork over a little more than half a mil to the late director's film company, New Deal Productions. The money -- $515,472 -- is tied to John's 2001 flick, "Baby Boy." Unleash the behind-the-door Rodney memes!!!

In case you haven't seen it, 'BB' stars Tyrese Gibson, Taraji P. Henson, Ving Rhames ... and, of course, Snoop Dogg playing a gangster who's out to square things with Tyrese's character, Jody, who's got a kid with Taraji's character, but still lives at home with his mom.

It made $29.3 million in the U.S. box office, with a budget of around $16 mil. Sony and its subsidiary, TriStar Pictures, were the primary distributors.

Based on the docs, it appears John had requested a formal audit for money the film made a while back, and now in wake of his death ... Sony is settling up with this dough. The company says the settlement was agreed to prior to John's death in April.

Robert Evans -- one of the most successful producers in Hollywood history -- is dead. Evans, who produced such iconic films as "The Godfather," "Chinatown" and "Urban Cowboy," died Saturday.

His credits are crazy ... "Rosemary's Baby," "Romeo and Juliet," "Goodbye Columbus" and "Love Story." These movies were shot under his watch as the head of Paramount productions.

Evans actually had issues with "The Godfather" and some say it was produced over his objections.

Evans started out as an actor, appearing as a bullfighter in Ernest Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises." He later wrote his memoir, "The Kid Stays in the Picture," which later became a documentary film.

One of the biggest challenges for Evans was filming "The Cotton Club," which was considered a nightmare, taking several years to shoot and going way over budget before coming out in 1984 and bombing big.

His last big hit was Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey's romantic comedy, "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" in 2003.

Evans was super close to Jack Nicholson, whom he often partied with in Hollywood and at his home.

His only Oscar nom was "Chinatown" back in 1975.

He suffered a stroke in 1998 that left him partially paralyzed and he recovered. It was the first of 3 strokes that same year, but he was able to bounce back.

Evans was married and divorced 7 times, including to Ali MacGraw, with whom he had a son, Josh. One of his marriages lasted a grand total of 10 days.

Former congressman Rep. John Conyers has died.

Conyers passed away in his sleep Sunday, per his son, John Conyers III. A longtime representative of Detroit and the longest-serving member of the House prior to stepping down in 2017, Conyers was instrumental in establishing the Congressional Black Caucus.

He was elected into office in the '60s and continued to serve in his capacity for decades to come ... working tirelessly toward civil rights for African-Americans and minorities along the way, helping to boost voter registration in the community while also securing legal representation for countless people who were wrongly arrested.

He co-sponsored the original Voting Rights Act of 1965, and shortly after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968 ... Conyers introduced a bill that would honor Dr. King with a federal holiday, which President Reagan signed into law years later.

He earned a seat on the House Judiciary Committee in 1965, and eventually went on to chair the committee in 2007 -- becoming the first black man in American history to do it. Conyers was also famously on President Nixon's "enemies" list during the Watergate scandal.

Rep. Conyers became embroiled in a scandal himself in 2017 after allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced in the wake of #MeToo. He denied the accusations but resigned nonetheless. His son, Conyers III, had shown interest in running for his open seat, but Rep. Rashida Tlaib ultimately ran and ended up winning it in the 2018 election.

Conyers' death comes a little more than a week after his congressional colleague and fellow civil rights activist, Rep. Elijah Cummings, passed away himself.

Rep. Elijah Cummings had a spectacular send-off after a life well-lived, with former Presidents and other dignitaries singing his praises at his funeral.

Among the mourners ... Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden, Senator Kamala Harris and many others filled all the seats at the New Psalmist Baptist Church in Baltimore. Interesting and predictable ... Trump was a no-show, although we're guessing he wasn't invited.

The theme from all of the speakers -- Rep. Cummings was a powerful, moral voice in Congress and was a pillar of integrity. As you know, he has famously squared off with President Trump, sometimes expressing moral outrage over the conduct of The White House.

Cummings had been hospitalized and underwent some sort of medical treatment. His office said the Congressman passed due to "complications concerning longstanding health challenges."

As for his health issues, Cummings had been dealing with ill health for years, which included heart surgery.

Cummings was 68. RIP.

Nipsey Hussle's clothing brand is working with fashion designer Jerry Lorenzo on a limited edition capsule collection ... and sales proceeds are going straight to the trust fund for the late rapper's children.

The Marathon Clothing announced Thursday it's working with Jerry's Fear of God clothing company on a special capsule dubbed "08 Crenshaw" ... and the profits are ultimately benefiting Nip's kids, Emani and Kross Asghedom.

The collection, which drops this Friday at Fear of God's storefront in Los Angeles, includes a crewneck sweaters, pullover hoodies, sweatpants and sweatshorts ... available in both royal blue and gray.

We broke the story ... Nipsey made sure his children would be financially stable before he died, setting up a trust fund for Emani and Kross.

As you know ... The Marathon Clothing is a huge part of Nipsey's legacy. He opened the store in Crenshaw, giving jobs to tons of people in his neighborhood.

A famous gold medal-winning Paralympic athlete died Tuesday after taking her own life through euthanasia in Belgium, officials confirm.

40-year-old Marieke Vervoort battled degenerative spinal disease -- yet was able to compete in wheelchair racing at the highest levels.

She won two medals at the 2016 Paralympic games in Brazil and famously clinched a GOLD medal during the 2012 Paralympics in London.

But, when she wasn't competing, Vervoort lived with extreme physical pain which sometimes limited her to only sleeping for 10 minutes a night.

Vervoort also suffered epileptic seizures -- and in one case in 2014, a seizure caused her to spill boiling water on her legs while cooking pasta. She suffered major injuries and was hospitalized for several months as a result.

Vervoort had considered euthanasia for years and began planning for the end of her life back in 2016.

In fact, Vervoort spent her last night surrounded by friends and family, sipping on sparkling wine ... just as she planned.

After her passing, the Belgian royal family issued a statement praising their Paralympic hero -- saying, "Marieke 'Wielemie' Vervoort was an athlete tough as nails and a great lady. Her death touches us deeply."

NFL Hall of Famer Willie Brown -- one of the greatest cornerbacks of all time -- has died at 78, Raiders officials confirm.

Brown was a MONSTER on the field during his illustrious 15-year NFL career -- winning 3 Super Bowls and making 4 Pro Bowls in addition to making the AFL All-Star team 5 times!

Brown boasted 54 career interceptions -- 39 of them with the Oakland Raiders. He's currently the co-owner of the Raiders franchise record holder for INTs.

His career path was unusual ... Brown was a stud at Grambling State but was NOT drafted. So, he signed as a free agent with the Houston Oilers in 1963 but was cut during training camp.

He later signed with the Denver Broncos of the AFL, where he became a star -- only to be traded to Oakland in 1967, where he played until he retired in 1978.

Brown played in 3 Super Bowls with the Raiders -- XI, XV and XVIII -- and at one time, held the record for the longest Super Bowl interception with a 75-yard return in XI.

James Harrison later broke the record with a 100-yard return in Super Bowl XLIII.

After his NFL playing career, Brown became a defensive back coach with the Raiders from 1979 to 1988.

Brown was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1984, his first year of eligibility.

He's survived by his wife and 3 children.

Big break in the Andre Emmett murder case ... Dallas PD says they have identified and obtained warrants to arrest the two suspects in the shooting death of the ex-NBA and BIG3 star.

As we previously reported, 37-year-old Emmett was shot and killed on September 23. Surveillance footage showed Emmett sitting in his car in front of his house around 2:30 AM when he was approached by 2 men at gunpoint. Emmett tried to run but was shot dead.

After nearly a month-long investigation, detectives identified 29-year-old Michael Lucky and Keith Johnson, 32, as prime suspects ... and obtained capital murder arrest warrants for both men.

Johnson was booked in Dallas County Jail on Friday -- and he's still behind bars. Lucky has not yet been arrested.

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.

Nancy Pelosi's brother and one-time mayor of Baltimore, Thomas D'Alesandro III, has died.

The Speaker of the House confirmed the news Sunday, saying in a statement ... "My husband Paul and our entire family are devastated by the loss of our patriarch, my beloved brother, Thomas D’Alesandro III." He reportedly passed after suffering a stroke.

Pelosi went on to describe her brother as "the finest public servant I have ever known." She added, "His life and leadership were a tribute to the Catholic values with which we were raised: faith, family, patriotism.  He profoundly believed, as did our parents, that public service was a noble calling and that we all had a responsibility to help others."

The late mayor's sister also made note of his public service, saying ... "Tommy dedicated his life to our city.  A champion of civil rights, he worked tirelessly for all who called Baltimore home. Tommy was a leader of dignity, compassion and extraordinary courage, whose presence radiated hope upon our city during times of struggle and conflict."

She went on to say, "All his life, Tommy worked on the side of the angels. Now, he is with them. With his commitment to his family and public service, his life has truly blessed America."

D'Alesandro served as Baltimore's leader between 1967 and 1971, after which he stepped away from politics and public life ... going on to practice private law. His tenure as mayor is said to have been tumultuous, having to deal with the Baltimore riots of 1968.

People took to the streets in uproar following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. The Maryland National Guard had to be brought in to assist with the unrest.

D'Alesandro is survived by his wife, Margaret, five children as well as grandchildren. He was 90.

Paris Hilton is saying a final goodbye to her late grandfather, Barron Hilton, with loved ones around for support.

The hotel heiress showed up Saturday morning to a funeral service being held at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Bev Hills, where she and other family members gathered to pay their respects to former Hilton patriarch and founding owner of the L.A. Chargers.

Paris' sister, Nicky, was by her side as they solemnly greeted folks who were making their way inside. Eventually, the two siblings went in as well after most everyone entered.

As we reported ... Paris paid tribute to her grandfather in a touching Instagram post, calling  him a "Legend, a visionary, brilliant, handsome, kind" and someone who "lived a life full of accomplishment and adventure." She said his spirit lives on in her too.

Barron passed away last month from natural causes, according to the Conrad Hilton Foundation. He's survived by 2 daughters, 6 sons, 15 grandkids and 4 great-grandchildren.

Elijah Cummings, one of the strongest voices in Congress for decades who early on expressed outrage at the way Donald Trump was running the country, has died.

Cummings had been hospitalized earlier this week and underwent some sort of medical treatment. His office said the Congressman passed due to "complications concerning longstanding health challenges."

Cummings proudly served his Baltimore district where he grew up ... coming home every night from D.C.

He was a civil rights leader from an early age. When he was 11 he was partly responsible for integrating a Baltimore swimming pool ... as he was being hit by rocks and bottles.

Cummings attended Howard University where he became student body president and went on to get a law degree at the Univ. of Maryland. He became a member of the Maryland House of Delegates, where he became the youngest member of the Black Caucus.

He won his seat to the House in 1996, rose through the ranks and became the Chairman of the Black Caucus and Chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee.

Recently, after Trump attacked the City of Baltimore, Cummings went after the Prez ... something he was never afraid to do. He became a fierce opponent of Trump's immigration policies, especially the one that separated children from families, calling it inhumane.

As for his health issues, Cummings had been dealing with ill health for years, which included heart surgery.

Cummings was 68. RIP.

Boxer Patrick Day died Wednesday from brain injuries sustained during a violent knockout loss on Saturday, his team announced. Day was only 27.

Day (17-4-1) was knocked down 3 times -- once in the 4th, again in the 8th and finally in the 10th -- by 21-year-old rising star Charles Conwell during Saturday's fight at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago.

The final knockdown was particularly brutal -- Day's head bounced off the canvas and the ref immediately stopped the fight.

Medical personnel rushed into the ring, Day was taken out of the ring in a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance which transported him to a nearby hospital.

Day suffered a seizure after the fight and then fell into a coma. He later underwent emergency brain surgery.

Day fought for days but ultimately succumbed to "the traumatic brain injury" he suffered during the fight and was pronounced dead on Wednesday. He was surrounded by close friends, family and members of his boxing team.

Day's promoter, Lou DiBella, issued a statement praising the fighter as a champion in and out of the ring.

"He was a son, brother, and good friend to many. Pat's kindness, positivity, and generosity of spirit made a lasting impression with everyone he met."

"Patrick Day didn't need to box. He came from a good family, he was smart, educated, had good values and had other avenues available to him to earn a living."

"He chose to box, knowing the inherent risks that every fighter faces when he or she walks into a boxing ring. Boxing is what Pat loved to do. It's how he inspired people and it was something that made him feel alive."