Celebrity Death

Edd Byrnes, who became famous acting in movies like "Grease" and iconic TV shows like "77 Sunset Strip" is dead.

Byrnes died unexpectedly Wednesday at his Santa Monica home of natural causes.

His career had a bunch of high points. Edd played Vince Fontaine in "Grease," he was the host of the famous National Bandstand dance-off.

As for "77 Sunset Strip" -- which ran from 1958-1964 -- it was one of the most popular shows on the boob tube. He became the breakout star -- Kookie. For most of you who have never heard of the show, he was as big as Luke Perry's character in '90210' ... and not dissimilar.

Edd even scored a gold record for the hit with Connie Stevens, "Kookie, Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb)," which hit #4 in 1959 and spent 13 weeks on the Billboard chart. The character Kookie was famous for combing his impressive locks with a comb.

Other credits include "Charlie's Angels," "Fantasy Island," "Married With Children," "Murder, She Wrote," "Maverick," and, of course -- where every star eventually landed -- "The Love Boat."

He leaves behind his son, Logan, an evening news anchor in San Diego and his longtime partner, Catherine Gross.

Edd was 87. RIP

Alexis Eddy -- who rose to fame on MTV's "Are You The One?" -- has been found dead in West Virginia ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... cops got a call just before 7AM Thursday morning for a female in cardiac arrest. We're told no foul play is suspected, but authorities are still waiting on a toxicology report to determine cause of death.

A West Virginia native, Alexis was a contestant on the reality dating show back in 2017, and she caused quite a stir in the house for her character and backstory, revealing on-camera her cousin is a convicted murderer.

Alexis was very open on social media about her struggles with substance abuse ... but as recently as late September she said she and her father were both clean and sober. She also posted pics comparing the 2 in a side-by-side from a couple years ago.

A family member tells us Alexis came home to her mom's house Wednesday night around 11 PM and seemed to be fine. She was found by another family member ... and they believe she was still sober.

In October of 2019, Alexis announced she was engaged, but it appears that engagement was recently ended.

RIP

The body of a 21-year-old college soccer player was found being devoured by sharks in Western Australia ... after the man went missing in the ocean last week.

Rising star Eric Birighitti -- from Perth, Australia -- was a stand-out player for Hastings College in Nebraska and won a national title with the team in 2016.

Birighitti was at Twilight Beach near Esperance last Thursday when he was swept into the ocean by a swell. Friends tried to save him with a life preserver ... but the current was too strong.

The man's body was discovered on Tuesday when the sharks were spotted attacking the corpse in the water, witnesses tell to 9 News Perth.

"My sister and my father saw the sharks attacking the body. And it was quite a big one, they say," the witness told the outlet.

Birighitti's college team released a statement on his death, saying, "The Broncos family are saddened to hear about the sudden passing of Eric Birighitti."

"Eric played for Hastings during the 2016 & 2017 season and won a national title with the team."

One of Gary Busey's ex-wives, Tiani Warden, died behind bars in Texas ... and according to her autopsy, it was a cocaine overdose that killed her.

Tiani was found unresponsive in her jail cell at the Hunty County Detention Center back on Nov. 4, the day after police arrested her for public intoxication ... the Hunt County Sheriff's Office tells TMZ.

The actress died from the toxic effects of cocaine ... this according to the Dallas County Medical Examiner. They've ruled her death accidental, and say chronic ethanolism -- heavy drinking -- likely contributed to her death.

It's interesting ... when Tiani was arrested, cops said they were responding to a call of a person lying in a ditch, and the person turned out to be Warden. Police say Tiani was intoxicated and they called for an ambulance, but she refused treatment and was arrested and brought to the Hunt County Detention Center.

"Ugly Betty" creator Silvio Horta, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, struggled with addiction and depression ... according to his family.

Horta's mother, Ana, and sister, Hilda, tell TMZ ... Silvio, who was found dead Tuesday in a Miami hotel room ... had an ongoing struggle with addiction and depression, "but through it all he always found a way to turn his struggle into laughter."

They add, "Through his friendships, his love and his work in TV and films, Silvio touched the lives of millions." They went on to say, "He was a kind and beautiful man. He may be gone but his light will shine on."

There will be a memorial service held in Miami for the 45-year-old writer and producer -- and the family says they'll also hold one in L.A. at a later date.

Silvio served as showrunner and head writer on ABC's "Ugly Betty" starring America Ferrera. He was nominated for an Emmy in 2007 and won the Writers Guild Award for Best New Series the same year.

Mac Miller has a new album coming out a little over a year after his death from an overdose, and his family says a well-known producer was a key figure in bringing it to fruition.

A message with the news was posted to Mac's official Instagram account Wednesday, announcing a posthumous record was set to be released on Jan. 17 -- two days before what would've been his 28th birthday -- and the project is called "Circles."

His fam says it's meant to be a complimentary piece to his last album, "Swimming," with the idea being ... Swimming in Circles. They also say record producer and composer Jon Brion was a major contributor in completing it.

Jeffrey Epstein's autopsy has revealed how he may have killed himself in his jail cell, as photos show nooses fashioned from orange bedsheets ... and the bloody neck wound from where he hanged himself ... but some experts think it could have been murder.

The photographs were obtained by "60 Minutes" and shown Sunday night during an interview about Epstein's apparent suicide and the conspiracy theories that have followed. Along with pics of the nooses and Epstein's neck and dead body, there's also a photo of a handwritten note found in his cell.

The note seemingly contains complaints Epstein jotted down about prison conditions, including "Kept me in a locked shower stall for 1 hr," "sent me burnt food" and "Giant bugs crawling over my hands. NO FUN!!"

There's also a photo of Epstein's prescription medicine bottles and other meds, like a bottle of Milk of Magnesia.

The conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein's death have been fueled in part by forensic expert Dr. Michael Baden, who claims evidence suggests he was strangled and murdered more so than suicidal hanging.

Jenji Kohan, who created "Weeds" and "Orange Is the New Black," is remembering her late son as her "best work" ... but she says his fatal skiing accident has left her "broken."

Jenji says she can't even come up with a list of adjectives to describe her kid with justice ... which is saying a lot coming from a supremely talented writer.

TMZ broke the story ... Jenji's 20-year-old son, Charlie Noxon, died on New Year's Eve after crashing into a sign on the ski slopes in Park City, Utah. We're told he was skiing alone at the time of the crash, with his family ahead of him on the ski run. He crashed into a sign, was airlifted to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Jenji just shared a heartfelt tribute to Charlie ... saying she's doesn't "understand what life is now without him in the world." She adds she doesn't understand where he's gone and wonders if the tragedy is real.

The son of the woman who created "Weeds" and "Orange Is the New Black" tragically died after crashing into a sign on the ski slopes ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Charlie Noxon was skiing down the intermediate run in Park City when he came upon a fork. We're told Noxon had two choices -- left or right. Our sources say Noxon was unable to successfully navigate the move and instead slammed into a direction sign.

We're told Noxon was wearing a helmet at the time of the collision. Our sources say there were no witnesses and no surveillance video. Our law enforcement sources say they based their findings on where the body was found. Noxon was skiing alone at the time of the accident. His family was ahead of him on the ski run.

Ex-Bengals head coach Sam Wyche -- who led Cincinnati to the Super Bowl in 1989 -- has died at age 74, the team announced Thursday.

Wyche -- who also played QB for the Bengals back in the day -- was battling melanoma and reportedly went into hospice in Pickens, South Carolina on December 30.

"Sam was a wonderful guy," Bengals president Mike Brown said in a statement. "We got to know him as both a player and a coach. As our coach, he had great success and took us to the Super Bowl."

"He was friends with everyone here, both during his tenure as head coach and afterwards. We not only liked him, we admired him as a man."

"He had a great generosity of spirit and lived his life trying to help others."

Of course, Wyche also famously gave a powerful speech to Bengals fans throwing debris on the field back in 1989 ... saying, "You don't live in Cleveland, you live in Cincinnati."

Wyche played professionally from 1968-76 ... and went on to coach the Bengals from 1984-1991. He's the second-winningest coach in franchise history.

Nick Gordon had some sort of black fluid foaming out of his mouth when someone called 911 ... and he wasn't breathing.

TMZ has obtained the Florida dispatch audio and it raises questions about the cause of death.

The 911 call came in as "cardiac respiratory" on New Year's Day. As we reported, Nick was rushed to the hospital where he died.

A man claiming to be Nick's brother said Nick died of an apparent OD, and the "black stuff" could support that conclusion. Black discharge is sometimes related to a "foam cone" that comes out of the mouth and nostrils after an opioid OD.

The medical examiner will conduct an autopsy -- possibly Thursday -- and the toxicology results should be available in about 3 weeks.

TMZ broke the story ... Nick was present when Whitney Houston's daughter and his girlfriend -- Bobbi Kristina -- OD'd in a bathtub in 2015. He was found civilly liable for her death and the cops investigated him in connection with her death for years, but he was never charged, and the investigation was still ongoing when he died.

Nick Gordon -- the boyfriend of Bobbi Kristina Brown who was found legally responsible for her death -- has died in Florida ... TMZ has learned.

Nick's brother, Jack Walker Jr., shared the news Wednesday by writing, "GOD WHY I DID I HAVE TO LOSE MY BROTHER ON NEW YEARS," and adding ... "All I can do is cry." He later shared a tribute post with several photos of himself with Nick.

It appears Gordon was hospitalized for a short time before his death ... Walker says he was at his brother's bedside and spoke to him in his final moments. Reports say Gordon died of a suspected drug overdose.

As you'll recall ... Gordon and a friend found Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown's daughter face down in a bathtub on January 31, 2015, and she was placed in an induced coma. Brown suffered irreversible brain damage and remained unresponsive, and passed away in hospice care on July 26, 2015.

Don Larsen -- the only pitcher in MLB history to ever throw a perfect game in the World Series -- died Wednesday ... Major League Baseball announced.

Larsen's agent, Andrew Levy, told the Associated Press the ex-New York Yankee passed away due to esophageal cancer. He was 90 years old.

Larsen pitched for seven different teams during his 14-year MLB career from 1953-1967 ... but it was his performance in the 1956 World Series that he'll be forever remembered for.

The right-hander tossed a perfect game -- no hits and no walks allowed -- against the Brooklyn Dodgers in Game 5 of the Fall Classic. He was later named MVP of the series.

Larsen ended his baseball career with an 81-91 all-time record, and finished with a career 3.78 ERA and 849 strikeouts in 1548.0 innings pitched.

"We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Don Larsen, who remained a welcome & familiar face at our annual Old-Timers’ Day celebrations," the NY Yankees announced in a statement.

"The Yankees organization extends its deepest condolences to Don’s family and friends during this difficult time. He will be missed."

David Stern -- Hall of Fame ex-NBA Commissioner -- has died 3 weeks after suffering a brain hemorrhage.

The NBA says Stern passed away Wednesday afternoon with his wife, Dianne, and their family at his bedside.

As we reported ... Stern was in serious condition after undergoing emergency brain surgery to address the sudden hemorrhage he suffered at a Manhattan restaurant on December 12. Sadly, he was unable to make a recovery.

David took over as commissioner of the NBA in 1984 and ushered incredible growth in the league over his 30-year tenure. Of course, he was in charge during the heyday of Bird, Magic and Michael ... and helped the NBA become the global juggernaut it is today.

The American star of the Australian reality show, "Bride and Prejudice," is dead.

26-year-old Micah Downey died suddenly Saturday -- it appears he died in the U.S. The cause of death has not been revealed.

Micah was engaged to Milly Johnson. The premise of the show is following couples planning on tying the knot when their families disapprove.

As for Micah and Milly, she's pregnant with their second child but said back in November they had broken up. There were reports -- unconfirmed -- that the relationship fell apart because of his alleged drug addiction.

Milly posted, "It is so sad & unbelievably surreal that i am making this post ... I am struggling to put into words how sad & heartbreaking this is. I just hope he is at peace wherever he is & that he will always be watching over his babies."

She ended by writing, "A bad, bad dream ... I can't believe you're not here. Rest in Peace, Micah."

There were a lot of shocking and sad celebrity deaths in 2019 ... including a tragic murder, fatal strokes and seizures, and another star taking their own life.

The rap world lost Nipsey Hussle, who was shot and killed in his own neighborhood, and Juice WRLD, who died after suffering a seizure in an airport.

Cameron Boyce also left this Earth too soon, suffering an epileptic seizure and dying in his sleep when he was only 20 years old.

Keith Flint died by suicide, hanging himself to death.

There was also a ton of health-related deaths -- both expected and unexpected. Hollywood lost legends like Luke Perry and John Singleton to strokes, and heart issues claimed the lives of John Witherspoon, Rip Taylor and Sid Haig ... while Beth Chapman and Katherine Helmond also passed.

Take a look back at who we've lost in Tinseltown and beyond this year.