Celebrity Death

Pink Taco Founder Harry Morton's impact in Hollywood -- although he was just 38 when he died -- is perfectly illustrated by the friends who showed up Saturday for his memorial service.

Morton's service was held in Beverly Hills and industry titans like Jimmy Iovine and wife Liberty Ross and Steve Tisch were front and center. Actors Demi Moore and Stephen Dorff also attended ... along with oil heir Brandon Davis.

Lori Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, put their legal woes -- in the college bribery scandal -- aside to honor the Morton heir at the private service for family and friends.

The group gathered afterward at the home of Harry's father, Peter Morton, the Hard Rock Cafe cofounder.

TMZ broke the story ... Harry was found dead in his Bev Hills home last Saturday. The L.A. County Coroner has since revealed the restaurant tycoon suffered from coronary artery disease. He died from a heart attack brought on by blockage in 3 main arteries.

Harry, who founded the popular Pink Taco Mexican restaurant and food truck chain, grew up in the Hollywood scene and once dated Lindsay Lohan.

He worked with his father when he started out, but eventually struck out on his own ... following in the footsteps of not only his father, but his grandfather, Arnie Morton, who was cofounder of the Morton Steakhouse chain.

Pink Taco founder Harry Morton died after a heart attack brought on by several blockages in his arteries ... according to the Morton family.

The family's spokesperson says the L.A. County Coroner found the 38-year-old restaurateur was suffering from coronary artery disease and also had a "mildly enlarged heart."

The family says another doctor confirmed for them that Harry had calcification in 3 of his main arteries ... which caused a sudden cardiac arrest.

TMZ broke the story, Harry -- son of Hard Rock founder Peter Morton -- was found unresponsive this past Saturday at his Beverly Hills home. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

We're told the Coroner's Office is still conducting further testing on Harry's other organs, and will issue the official cause of death once those are completed.

Harry Morton went under the knife to repair a deviated septum just weeks before his death -- and we're told authorities are looking at this as one scenario that could have caused his death.

Sources close to Morton tell us he recently got a septoplasty -- a surgery designed to straighten out the septum to allow for better airflow through the nose. Here's the scenario ... if the surgical instruments go deeper than they should, it could end up damaging the base of the brain ... something that could lead to death.

There's no way of knowing precisely what caused Harry's death until an autopsy is performed ... that will occur Monday. What's more ... our sources say Harry was back to his normal routine and as far as we could determine, he never complained about complications from the surgery.

As for other theories ... our law enforcement sources say there were no illegal drugs found at the scene and only a couple prescription drugs. There are other possibilities as well ... that would result in the death of an apparently healthy 38-year-old male, but so far, no answers.

TMZ broke the story ... Morton was found unresponsive by a family member at his home in Beverly Hills on Saturday. He was pronounced dead at his home.

Harry's ex, Lindsay Lohan, posted a photo of the couple in their heyday on Sunday, captioning the post, "Best friends. Best life."

Harry was best known as the founder of the Pink Taco restaurant chain, which became a big hit on the Sunset Strip and has since expanded to other cities. His grandfather, Arnie, cofounded the incredibly popular Morton's The Steakhouse chain in 1978, and his dad, Peter, cofounded the Hard Rock Cafe empire in 1971. Harry worked at HRC for years and later headed up the business' development wing.

He was also a volunteer sheriff's deputy in and around L.A. and dedicated hundreds of hours a year to the department. Morton was recently honored as Reserve Detective of the Year.

Harry was 38.

RIP

Harry Morton -- the business tycoon and son of Peter Morton -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us that Harry was found unresponsive Saturday afternoon at his Beverly Hills home by a family member. Paramedics were called, but we're told Harry was pronounced dead at the scene and was then transported to the coroner's office -- where an autopsy is pending. Our sources say no foul play is suspected at this point.

Harry is perhaps best known as the founder of the Pink Taco restaurant chain, which blossomed on the Sunset Strip in L.A. but has since expanded to other cities across the U.S. He is also part of a very famous family of restaurateurs. His grandfather, Arnie, cofounded the incredibly popular Morton's The Steakhouse chain in 1978, and his dad, Peter, cofounded the Hard Rock Cafe empire in 1971. Harry worked at HRC for years, and later headed up the business's development wing.

He founded Pink Taco in 1999 when he was just 18. He's also the owner of the Hollywood nightclub the Viper Room -- where Joaquin Phoenix's brother, River Phoenix, died of a drug overdose in 1993. Harry bought it in 2008 -- it appears he still owns it to this day.

Harry recently made headlines for buying Elvis Presley's former Bev Hills estate the singer bought the year he married Priscilla Presley. We're told that Harry did not die there though -- he was found at a separate Beverly Hills residence of his.

It should also be noted that Harry was a volunteer sheriff's deputy in and around L.A. -- specifically, with the West Hollywood Sheriff's Station, where he was recently honored as a Reserve Detective of the Year. The station says he had dedicated hundreds of hours a year in support of the station's Detective Bureau. In other words, he was big on giving back.

Harry dated Lindsay Lohan back in the 2000s. He's also been linked to Demi Moore after her breakup from Ashton Kutcher, as well as Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Jennifer Aniston and Hayden Panettiere. It doesn't appear he's been married or has any kids of his own.

His half-sister, model/bounty hunter Domino Harvey, died of a drug overdose in 2005. Both of his parents -- Peter Morton and Paulene Stone -- are still alive today.

Harry was 38.

RIP

Goo Hara, a former member of the K-Pop group Kara, is dead.

Hara was found dead at her home Sunday in South Korea. Authorities have not released the cause of death ... it's still under investigation.

Hara reportedly attempted suicide in May and was hospitalized for a time. It occurred after an ex-boyfriend tried blackmailing her, threatening to release a sex video.

Her last post on Instagram was Saturday ... a pic of her in bed with the caption, "Good night."

Hara's death comes a month after another former K-Pop singer, Sulli, was found dead and authorities suspect that was suicide.

Hara joined Kara in 2008. She released a solo hit in 2015 and released another song -- "Midnight Queen" -- a few weeks ago.

Hara was 28.

XXXTentacion fans are about to get something special from the late rapper ... his fourth and final album is set for its long-awaited release.

XXX's posthumous album is dubbed "Bad Vibes Forever" and it's dropping in just two weeks on Dec. 6.

The late rapper's manager, Solomon Sobande, describes 'Bad Vibes' as the love child between 2 of XXX's previous projects, "17" and "?" ... and the new album is the second released since XXXTentacion's death.

XXX's mother, Cleopatra Bernard, is the album's executive producer ... and the project has a healthy number of features, including Blink-182, Tory Lanez and Mavado, plus a country collab with Lil Nas X.

'Bad Vibes Forever' includes some previously released singles in "Royalty" and "Hearteater" ... with the latter's music video featuring an appearance from the ex-girlfriend who accused XXX of physical abuse.

It's been almost a year and a half since XXX was murdered ... as we first reported, XXX was shot dead in June 2018 when 2 men wearing hoodies rolled up on the rapper at a motorcycle dealership in Florida and opened fire. The deadly shooting was captured on video.

As for the new album ... its title track is now streaming on all major platforms.

Oprah paid tribute to Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Toni Morrison by reading some of her literature and sharing a great anecdote about their first meeting.

Toni's celebration of life was held Thursday at The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in Manhattan. Angela Davis, Fran Lebowitz, Jesmyn Ward -- along with Oprah -- stepped up to the pulpit to honor their friend.

Oprah talked about the first time she met Toni -- during a gathering in Maya Angelou's backyard, of all places -- and called it "One of the great thrills of my life." That's despite the fact Oprah admitted saying something a little embarrassing to the celebrated author -- watch the clip, the story got big laughs.

To close out her time, Oprah recited a passage from Toni's 1977 work "Song of Solomon" ... and, again, the audience burst into applause.

Toni died in August of complications from pneumonia while surrounded by her loved ones.

Toni was perhaps best known for her 1987 best-seller, "Beloved." She was a renowned figure in literature for her novels that spoke to the African-American experience. "Beloved," "Jazz" and "Paradise" made up a loose trilogy -- with the first book being adapted into the 1998 film starring Oprah and Danny Glover.

Robin Williams' former crib along the San Francisco Bay is up for grabs ... and the view alone might make it go quickly.

The late funny man's single-story Mediterranean home in Northern California -- located in Paradise Cay -- is a nearly 6,500-square-foot palace with walls of windows in the living room and kitchen to ensure you never lose sight of the gorgeous bay.

The house features a wood-paneled library/den, an office and 6 beds and 6.5 baths. Outside, there's a gorgeous stone patio with a pool and spa.

Williams -- who first started doing stand-up comedy in the San Fran area in the mid-1970s -- bought the property in 2008 for just over $4 million. Following his suicide in 2014, the home was transferred to a trust tied to his widow, Susan.

Jake Burton Carpenter -- the founder of Burton Snowboards and a pioneer of the sport -- has died after another bout with cancer, the company announced. He was 65.

Carpenter built his very first snowboard in a barn in Vermont in 1977 ... and things exploded from there. The sport became massive and now you can't go to a mountain anywhere in the world without seeing people shredding on a Burton board.

The news of Carpernter's death was revealed to Burton employees in an email on Thursday ... with co-CEO John Lacy saying, "It is with a very heavy heart that I share the news that Jake passed away peacefully last night surrounded by his family and loved ones as a result of complications from recurring cancer."

"He was our founder, the soul of snowboarding, the one who gave us the sport we all love so much."

Lacy added, "This all happened very sudden, and it’s a tremendous loss for his family, his friends and all of you. We will share more details about plans to celebrate Jake’s life soon."

Carpenter had battled testicular cancer in 2011 -- but on Nov. 9 he told the company the cancer had come back.

"It’s the same tumor as the first time around," Carpenter said at the time ... "We just never got rid of it all. A bit of it hung out in my lymph nodes and got back into business."

Carpenter added, "As much as I dread what is facing me, it’s easier to deal with when you know that you have a family that will carry on. I feel the same way about my company, my friends and our sport."

He noted the company was in "good hands, which is an amazing feeling when entering this zone of uncertainty."

Carpenter is survived by his wife and 3 sons.

Dog the Bounty Hunter wants it known -- he's NOT dead like the Internet might have you believe ... and we got our hands on a good old-fashioned "proof of life" photo to back it up.

The reality TV star took this hilarious photo of himself Tuesday holding a handmade "I'm Alive!" sign in one hand and that day's Denver Post to prove he is, in fact, still with us. We're told this was in response to a fake death story that was going around on Facebook.

Tons of fans were flooding Dog's social media with condolences and "RIP" posts, and our sources say Dog's team even reached out to him to make sure he was all good.

We're told Dog was on his way to a workout when his phone started blowing up and he first heard about the hoax -- which claimed he'd died because his grief over his late wife, Beth Chapman, caused a flare-up of his recent heart problems.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the 2 guards have pled not guilty to falsifying records on the night in question. They were released on $100k bail.

Two of the prison guards who were on watch when Jeffrey Epstein hanged himself in his cell are now facing prison time, themselves, thanks to their arrest on a federal indictment.

According to new legal docs ... Tova Noel and Michael Thomas are both facing charges of falsifying the logs of exactly when they performed checks on Epstein's jail cell.

The feds claim Noel and Thomas were 2 of the guards on duty on August 10 from 12 AM to 8 AM, and during their watch, they were supposed to conduct 5 scheduled checks on Epstein.

The 2 guards allegedly completed slips stating they made those checks, but the feds say not a single one was actually carried through. According to the indictment, Noel and Thomas were at their desks in the common area using computers ... just 15 feet from Epstein's cell. BTW, they weren't doing work either ... the feds allege they were shopping for furniture and hunting down motorcycle deals and sports news.

The feds claim for a period of approximately 2 hours, the guards were sitting at their desks "without moving, and appeared to have been asleep."

Epstein was found dead at 6:33 AM alone in his cell with a noose around his neck ... according to the indictment. Both guards allegedly fessed up to a supervisor that they skipped their checks.

As we reported ... Epstein had attempted suicide a couple weeks prior in July, which is why he was placed in a special housing unit requiring extra supervision.

Thomas and Noel are now each facing one count of conspiracy to falsify records. That carried a max sentence of 5 years in prison. Additionally, Noel is charged with 5 counts of falsifying records while Thomas only got 3. Each of those also carries a max sentence of 5 years

Epstein's death was ruled a suicide by hanging according to the autopsy, but as we've reported ... his team has not ruled out a cover-up, and at least one forensic expert claims the autopsy is missing DNA evidence.

U.S. Olympic legend Harrison Dillard -- whom General Patton once called "the best goddamn athlete I’ve ever seen" -- has died at 96.

Dillard was an absolute BEAST of an athlete -- winning 4 Olympic gold medals and smashing more than 11 world and Olympic records during his illustrious career, according to the NY Times.

In fact, Dillard was the "World's Fastest Man" in 1948 after winning the 100-meter dash at the Olympics ... and became "World's Fastest Hurdler" at the 1952 Games.

Dillard is also a military veteran who served in the U.S. Army for 32 months during World War II and after dominating at an Army track meet, Gen. Patton called him, "The best goddamn athlete I've ever seen."

He later worked as a running coach for the Cleveland Indians and the New York Yankees.

Dillard is a two-time Hall of Famer ... he was elected to the National Track and Field H.O.F. in 1974 and the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in '83.

Dillard passed away on Friday after battling stomach cancer.

Diddy had the bubbly overflowing this past weekend ... but it wasn't a Sunday Funday on the heels of his ex's death anniversary.

Diddy and his crew hit up BBCM on Sunset Blvd. in WeHo on Sunday and guzzled mimosas. It looks like he had a variety of flavors ... evidence the near-empty flutes on his table. He looked somber.

The mimosa fest came just 2 days after the 1-year anniversary of the death of his ex, Kim Porter. He paid a touching tribute to her over the weekend, saying, "I MISS YOU SOOOOOO MUCH. Every time I get sad I look at this video and it brings a smile to my face."

Diddy went on to say, "I thank god for the precious time he allowed us to have with you. I wish you were here with us right now and this was all a dream. I will never give up on that wish. Never!!!! Love you forever Kimberly Antwinette Goodwin Porter."

The father of the 16-year-old who killed two of his classmates in a terrorizing school shooting was an avid hunter who had no problem posing with his kills.

We've obtained photos of shooter Nathaniel Berhow's dad, Mark, on various hunting and shooting excursions. While most of the photos are pretty standard -- two of them are particularly disturbing -- one of Mark posing with a dead goose and another that shows him holding what appears to be the heart of a freshly killed animal.

Mark died in 2017, and his obituary read, "An avid sportsman, he loved big game hunting and fishing of all kinds."

In another photo, Mark poses with his family, including Nathan, during an apparent hunting trip. A former childhood friend of Nathaniel told KTLA Mark used to make his own bullets.

On Friday, cops announced they'd recovered several firearms at Nathan's home, six of which were registered to Mark. The origin of the gun used in the attack remains unclear.

As we reported, Nathan opened fire at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, CA Thursday, killing two students. Berhow allegedly turned the gun on himself, but is still in custody and being treated at a local hospital.

The Detroit Lions tells TMZ Sports ... the team will honor WR Charles Rogers at Sunday's home game after the WR tragically passed away earlier this week.

"At some point during the game we’ll take a moment to recognize Charles Rogers’ passing similar to how we’ve acknowledged other recently deceased Legends," a team rep tells us.

The Lions are set to play the Dallas Cowboys at Ford Field.

As we previously reported, Rogers died on Monday after battling liver disease and cancer. He was only 38.

Rogers was selected by the Lions with the #2 overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft after dominating defenses at Michigan State.

Rogers flashed enormous potential during his rookie season but broke his clavicle during Week 6, ending his season.

He returned in 2004 -- but suffered ANOTHER broken clavicle on the 3rd play of the season.

Rogers was never able to return to form after that and was out of the league by 2006. But, he's still considered a legend by many in the state of Michigan.

After his passing, the Lions issued a statement saying, "We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Charles Rogers."

"From Saginaw, to East Lansing, to Detroit, Charles' connection to the state of Michigan and its football community was felt by many during the course of his life."

NBA superstar Draymond Green -- who's also from Saginaw, Michigan -- praised Rogers as a local hero and said CrR was one of his idols growing up.

Rapper Bad Azz -- one of Snoop Dogg's close friends in the game -- has died in jail.

Bad Azz appears to have passed away Monday while being held in custody at a detention center in Riverside, CA on a domestic violence charge. It's unclear how he may have died, but the guy was picked up Friday and had an upcoming court date Tuesday.

His bail was set at just $10,000, and based on jail records ... it doesn't look he'd bailed out.

The west coast MC was an affiliate of Snoop's, Daz Dillinger, Kurupt, Warren G, Nate Dogg and others associated with Tha Dogg Pound Gangsta Crips based out of Long Beach.

He'd collaborated with all of those guys, plus Tupac (when he was alive) as well as MC Eiht, Mistah F.A.B., Bizzy Bone, The Lady of Rage, Ice Cube, Busta Rhymes and others. He put out four solo albums and was featured on at least 2 collaborative albums.

His DPGC buddies posted tons of tributes on social media -- seeming to confirm his death -- including an Instagram post by Snoop who wrote ... "Damn 😥. R. I. P. To my young. D. P. G. L. L. G. L. B. C. Crew original @badazzlbc gone 2 soon."

One of his most famous tracks was "Wrong Idea," which featured SD. He had well over 70 features credited to his name over the years, dating back to the mid-90s.

Bad Azz was 43.

RIP