Celebrity Death

Naya Rivera's autopsy is now complete and officials confirm she died by drowning.

According to the Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office ... they had to confirm Naya's identity using dental records. The cause of death is listed as drowning and the manner of death is an accident.

Officials say the autopsy findings are consistent with a drowning and the condition of the body is consistent with the time that she was submerged. They also said, “There is no indication from the investigation or examination that drugs or alcohol played a role in the decedent’s death, but specimens will be submitted for toxicology testing.”

TMZ broke the story ... the "Glee" star's body was recovered from Lake Piru Monday. Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub's said there was nothing to indicate any foul play took place or that she died by suicide. Sadly, he said this was simply a tragic accidental drowning death.

Naya's body was discovered in the northeast portion of the lake, near the surface of the water. The sheriff also said that, based on conversations with Naya's 4-year-old son, Josey Hollis Dorsey, the 2 of them went out for a swim. But, while she was able to boost him back on the boat ... she had disappeared below the surface.

The current was, apparently, very strong the day Naya went missing. Ayub said that may have contributed to her drowning. Also, the boat Naya and her son had rented that day was not anchored when they went for a swim.

As we reported ... Naya was reported missing last week. She was later presumed dead as the search shifted from a rescue to a recovery mission. She was 33.

The "Glee" family is looking after Naya Rivera's kin ... the TV series' creators are setting up a college fund for her son.

Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan announced plans Tuesday to set up a college tuition fund for Naya's 4-year-old son, Josey Hollis Dorsey, as part of a touching tribute to the late "Glee" star.

The show's creators said "the three of us are currently in the process of creating a college fund for the beautiful son Naya loved most of all."

In their statement to the Hollywood Reporter, the group also remembered Naya, who played cheerleader Santana Lopez, as "warm and caring and fiercely protective of the rest of the cast."

The show's creators said Naya was tough, demanding, fun, kind, generous and had "the rare combination of humility and endless confidence in her talent."

As we reported, Naya's body was recovered Monday from Lake Piru after the actress went missing last week while swimming and boating with her son.

Jahreau Shepherd -- a pro MMA fighter who competed for Bellator in 2018 -- has died after officials say he was stabbed at his own 30th birthday party in London.

Shepherd was found bleeding with stab wounds around 10 pm on Saturday in the Kensington area, according to the Evening Standard -- and while emergency personnel rushed to the scene, they were unable to save him.

Earlier in the evening, Shepherd was celebrating at a backyard BBQ with friends and family ... including his mother and small children.

But, something went terribly wrong ... and later in the evening, Shepherd was reportedly attacked, suffering fatal wounds in the process.

A tribute to Shepherd has already sprung up at the site where he was killed -- with flowers and pictures.

Scotland Yard is treating Shepherd's death as a murder -- describing it as a "terrible attack" -- though so far, no arrests have been made.

Officials are asking for witnesses to come forward -- but it sounds like they have some leads.

Shepherd was 6-2 as a pro and earned a TKO victory over Marcin Zywica at a Bellator event in May 2018.

Lisa Marie Presley's son and Elvis Presley's grandson, Benjamin Keough, has died of an apparent suicide ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us Ben appears to have died Sunday in Calabasas from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Not much is known about him other than the fact that he's got a super-famous family. He's the son of Lisa and musician Danny Keough -- and his sister is actress Riley Keough, who's been in a number of indie and horror films over the years, including 2019's "The Lodge."

Of course ... his grandparents are Elvis and Priscilla Presley.

Ben has kept a low profile throughout the years, but the one thing he's well-known for is looking almost identical to his famous grandfather, The King himself.

Lisa addressed the similarity, saying ... "Ben does look so much like Elvis. He was at the Opry and was the quiet storm behind the stage." She added, "Everybody turned around and looked when he was over there. Everybody was grabbing him for a photo because it is just uncanny." She even wrote a song about Ben called "Storm and Grace." Storm's his middle name.

He was also a musician ... he even struck a record deal back in 2009 worth $5 million. He's got a couple acting credits under his name, but aside from that, not much else is known about him publicly. He has few social media accounts.

One of the last times he was seen out with the family was during Elvis' 40-year death anniversary during a vigil at Graceland.

Benjamin was just 27.

RIP

Grant Imahara, a big part of the "MythBusters" team, has died ... from a brain aneurysm.

The beloved host of Discovery's hit series, and brilliant electrical engineer, died suddenly Monday from the aneurysm ... rattling his family, close friends and longtime coworkers.

A Discovery rep tells TMZ, "We are heartbroken to hear this sad news about Grant. He was an important part of our Discovery family and a really wonderful man. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family."

As fans of the show know, Grant was a roboticist by training and joined the show in its third season. He left in 2014, but reunited with cohosts Tory Belleci and Kari Byron for the short-lived Netflix series, "White Rabbit Project."

Before becoming a TV star himself, Grant worked behind the scenes for 9 years at LucasFilm. He cranked out inventions for the THX and Industrial Light and Magic divisions that showed up in some of the biggest sci-fi films of all time.

His animatronic creations were featured in the 'Star Wars' prequels. Grant didn't just work for George Lucas, though ... he was a legit fan of the films and the characters. He was one of very few people in the world qualified to operate R2-D2, btw. How cool is that??!!

Adam Savage, a former "MythBusters" host, who also worked with Grant at ILM ... said he was a "brilliant engineer, artist and performer."

Imahara also worked on 2 of the 'Matrix' movies, "Galaxy Quest," "The Lost World: Jurassic Park," "A.I. Artificial Intelligence" and 'Terminator 3.'

Grant was 49.

Naya Rivera's body has been recovered from Lake Piru ... TMZ has learned.

Ventura County officials said Monday that a body had been found at the lake, and our law enforcement sources have confirmed it is, in fact, her. A press conference sharing the news publicly is forthcoming.

As we reported ... Naya and her 4-year-old son, Josey Hollis Dorsey, were swimming in Lake Piru when something terrible happened Wednesday. Josey got back in the boat and when authorities arrived for a check, he told them he and his mom were swimming and he didn't know what happened to her.

Naya made a name for herself as a child actress and model, who appeared in various national TV commercials. She landed the role of Hillary Winston on "The Royal Family" at just 4 years old. She received a nomination for a Young Artist Award.

Naya's big break came in 2009 when she landed the role of Santana Lopez on the FOX hit series, "Glee." She was a talented singer ... signing with Columbia Records in 2011. That same year ... she was part of the "Glee" ensemble nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "Don't Stop Believin'."

In 2013, she released a single, "Sorry," featuring Big Sean, whom she dated and was briefly engaged to in 2013, before ending the relationship in 2014.

Naya later dated Josey's father, actor Ryan Dorsey, marrying him in Cabo San Lucas in July 2014. They divorced in 2018 and had been sharing custody of Josey.

She was also no stranger to the big screen ... making her debut in 2014 in the horror film "At the Devil's Door." She also appeared on Lifetime's "Devious Maids."

Last time we saw her was in October 2018 at LAX, ... where we talked to her about doing her own lobbying for a part in Steven Spielberg's flick, "West Side Story."

Naya is survived by her son. She was 33.

RIP

Kelly Preston's quiet battle with breast cancer has ended -- the actress died Sunday ... according to a family rep.

The rep said John Travolta's wife of nearly 29 years was diagnosed with cancer about 2 years ago, but chose not to reveal that to the public. The rep told People, "Choosing to keep her fight private, she had been undergoing medical treatment for some time, supported by her closest family and friends."

Kelly is probably best known for her role in "Jerry Maguire" as Jerry's girlfriend, Avery Bishop, who he dumps -- but not before she gave him a few body shots.

She also starred opposite Kevin Costner in "For Love of the Game" and had roles in "The Cat in the Hat," "Battlefield Earth" and "What a Girl Wants."

Kelly and John met in 1987 on the set of the film, "The Experts" and eventually got married in 1991. Her last film was "Gotti" in 2018 ... when John played the mob boss and she played his wife, Victoria Gotti.

John and Kelly had 3 kids together ... Jett, Ella Blue and Benjamin. Jett, who had autism, died in 2009 after suffering a seizure.

The family rep added, "She was a bright, beautiful and loving soul who cared deeply about others and who brought life to everything she touched."

Kelly was 57.

RIP

Authorities will search cabins that line Lake Piru ... not because they believe Naya Rivera is there, but because there has been so much social media activity about the cabins that law enforcement wants to put the theory to bed.

An official from the Ventura County Sheriff's Dept. tells TMZ ... they have been seeing a ton of Twitter users imploring cops to search the cabins in the area ... presumably, because they think Naya may have made her way to one.

The official tells us ... they do NOT believe Naya is in a cabin. They're confident she's still in the water, but nevertheless, a search team will walk the area where the cabins are located.  Deputies will knock on doors and ask if they know anything about Naya's whereabouts.

If a cabin is not occupied, deputies will peer inside for any signs.

That said, the focus of the search is still Lake Piru, where Naya went missing Wednesday while swimming with her 4-year-old son. Because of extremely poor visibility due to debris in the water, searchers will be primarily relying on sonar.

Rapper Lil Marlo was shot to death over the weekend in Atlanta ... law enforcement confirms with TMZ.

Cops tell us, they responded to a call late Saturday night. The call came in as a car accident on Interstate 285 in downtown Atlanta, but when police arrived they found the rapper had been shot. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

An police official tells TMZ, the investigation so far points to Lil Marlo being shot while he was driving.  The official adds, "At this time, investigators believe the victim was the intended target of the gunfire and they are working to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting."

The Medical Examiner confirmed with us they have the body of Rudolph Johnson ... that's Lil Marlo's government name.

Someone shot video of the aftermath.

Lil Yachty broke the news Sunday morning, saying, "We just did a song a 4 this morning smh rip brother."

Lil Marlo was signed to the Quality Control label and scored big with several songs, including "1st N 3rd," "F****em" and "9 + Z6ne = 1'5."

Marlo was in good company at QC ... other artists include Migos, Lil Yachty, Lil Baby and City Girls.

Marlo joined Quality Control in 2017 ... you hear him on "The Load" with Lil Baby and Gucci Mane.

Lil Marlo leaves behind a daughter and a son. On Father's Day he posted a video of himself and the little girl ... you see her trying to put a shoe on her father's foot. He captioned the post, "Thanks For Making Me Y'all Father I Wouldn't Trade Y'all For Da World."

Lil Marlo was 30.

Naya Rivera's ex-husband, Ryan Dorsey, made his way to Lake Piru Saturday, and the emotion was palpable.

Ryan, whose son was on the boating trip when Naya disappeared last Wednesday, ventured out into the water -- just like Naya's dad -- as if to gain a connection to her. He then sat by himself as authorities continued their search for Naya's body.

Naya's father, George, and her brother also went into the water and stood, as if to pray.

As we reported, Naya and her 4-year-old son, Josey, were on a boating outing when they jumped in for a swim and she disappeared ... this according to what he told authorities.

Pop Smoke's murder investigation just led to a slew of arrests ... TMZ has learned.

Our law enforcement sources tell us the LAPD served multiple search warrants around Los Angeles early Thursday morning, and 5 people were arrested on warrants in connection to the rapper's murder.

Sources tell us 3 adults and 2 juveniles were arrested. It's unclear what the suspects are being charged with, but we're told all 5 will be interviewed by police and then booked.

TMZ broke the story ... Pop Smoke was shot and killed by 4 masked gunmen back in February in what appeared to be a home invasion robbery at a rental pad in the Hollywood Hills.

Charlie Daniels -- a country and Southern rock legend known for his hit "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" -- has died after suffering a stroke ... according to his website.

The Country Music Hall of Famer died Monday morning at the Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tennessee. Doctors determined the cause of death was a hemorrhagic stroke.

Daniels' career began in the late 1950s, as a skilled player of the guitar, fiddle and banjo ... he formed a rock band and hit the road.

In the '60s, he co-wrote an Elvis Presley song -- "It Hurts Me" -- and played instruments for the likes of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen.

Daniels put out his first solo album in 1971 and had his first big hit -- "Uneasy Rider" -- in 1973. He'd go on to play the fiddle for acts like the Marshall Tucker Band and Hank Williams Jr. in the '70s, before his Charlie Daniels Band put out its most famous song in 1979.

"The Devil Went Down to Georgia" reached #3 on the Billboard charts and landed Daniels his only Grammy win of his storied career for Best Country Vocal Performance.

Daniels would be nominated for 5 more Grammys, including Best Country Instrumental Performance for "I'll Fly Away" in 2005.

Charlie was also inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2008.

He's survived by his wife, Hazel, and their son, Charlie Daniels Jr.

Daniels was 83.

Nick Cordero -- a veteran leading man on Broadway -- has died after a long battle with COVID-19 -- this according to his wife, Amanda Kloots.

First word of Cordero's passing came Sunday when Sony music exec Tommy Mottola tweeted ... "NICK CORDERO..REST in PEACE our dear brother!!!" He added, "lead actor and star of 'A BRONX TALE MUSICAL'..beautiful sweet man.. amazing talented actor and singer...loving family man ..we pray for you and your family .. @amandakloots."

Tommy finished his thoughts by saying, "..no more pain ..no more sufferin…" Nick's wife, confirmed the news herself on Instagram, writing a lengthy tribute to her husband.

Amanda writes, "God has another angel in heaven now. My darling husband passed away this morning. He was surrounded in love by his family, singing and praying as he gently left this earth."

She continued, "I am in disbelief and hurting everywhere. My heart is broken as I cannot imagine our lives without him. Nick was such a bright light. He was everyone’s friend, loved to listen, help and especially talk. He was an incredible actor and musician. He loved his family and loved being a father and husband. Elvis and I will miss him in everything we do, everyday." Amanda went on to thank Nick's team of doctors as well as his supporters who poured in love and well-wishes during his lengthy battle.

Amanda had publicly shared updates while her husband was fighting for his life ever since contracting the virus in March.

Nick was initially hospitalized thinking he had pneumonia, which was later found to be COVID-19. Since being admitted, he's had several complications with his treatment, including septic shock, lung infections and a leg amputation.

Most recently, he had a procedure done to remove a pace maker, and Amanda said Nick might even need a double lung transplant down the road.

Prior to his diagnosis, Nick was an absolute stud on the big stage, having starred in several big shows like "Bullets over Broadway," for which he got a Tony Award nomination in 2014. He was also in "Waitress," "Rock of Ages," and the musical version of "A Bronx Tale," which earned more nominations and accolades.

Nick also had some on-screen credits, notably playing a cop in the CBS crime drama, "Blue Bloods."

He's survived by Amanda and their one-year-old son, Elvis. Nick was 41.

Bonnie Pointer of The Pointer Sisters died after going into cardiac arrest ... TMZ has learned.

The Grammy-winning Motown artist's cause of death is listed as cardiopulmonary arrest ... this according to her death certificate obtained by TMZ. Bonnie -- real name Patricia Eva Pointer -- died on June 8 at 3:37 AM. The doc lists her as divorced, and an entertainer in the music industry for 50 years.

According to the doc ... there were other underlying issues she'd been battling for about a decade, including liver disease.

TMZ broke the story ... Bonnie, one of the OGs of the wildly popular group of sisters in the '70s, died earlier this month. Her sister, Anita, told us, "It is with great sadness that I have to announce to the fans of The Pointer Sisters that my sister, Bonnie died this morning. Our family is devastated, on behalf of my siblings and I and the entire Pointer family, we ask for your prayers at this time.”

Bonnie's best known for her cover of "Heaven Must Have Sent You," which peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard's Hot 100 chart. She earned a Grammy for Best Vocal by a Duo or Group in the country category for their hit, "Fairytale."

Pop Smoke's closest friends are getting iced out before his debut album drops ... with some custom jewelry honoring the slain rapper.

Pop's inner circle reached out to New York City's Benny The Jeweler for some special commemorative bling ... according to our sources, and it was just in time for Friday's posthumous release. Ya gotta see what @bennydajeweler cooked up in Pop's honor.

Check out the 5 "Woo Star" pendants for the guys over at Forever Smoke Entertainment ... the record label founded by Pop's brother, Mike Dee, along with Ace Makaveli, Eazy, Stacks and Hunter.

There's a rose gold pendant and 4 yellow gold pendants ... and they're covered with 20 karats of VS diamonds, retailing at a cool $18,000 each. We're told the bling represents rising above adversity, as well as shooting for the stars, and aiming for the moon -- the title of the album.

Pop's girlfriend, Alyssa Danielle, is also getting some special jewelry from Benny ... an insane custom piece featuring Smoke's face surrounded by diamonds. We're told it's still in the works, and the finished product will be super colorful.

The sad news is Benny was working on a couple pieces for Pop himself before the rapper was fatally shot in February in a home invasion.

Remember, fans demanded a do-over of the cover art Virgil Abloh designed for "Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon," and they're getting their wish.

Hugh Downs -- a broadcasting legend with 60 years experience on "Today," "20/20" and 'The Tonight Show' -- has died.

Hugh died Wednesday at his home in Scottsdale, AZ ... according to his family, who released a statement Friday, saying his passing is not related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Hugh was one of TV's most familiar faces during his incredibly long and successful run as a broadcaster ... he co-anchored NBC's "Today" show from 1962 to 1971 and is most remembered for his 21 years as Barbara Walters' co-host on ABC's "20/20."

Downs was also known for his signature sign-off during his time at "20/20" ... ending the nightly program with this gem, "We're in touch, so you be in touch."

Hugh was on the tube for so long, at one point he held the record for most hours spent in front of a TV camera with a whopping 15,188 ... a long-standing record eventually topped by Regis Philbin.

While Hugh officially retired from "20/20" way back in 1999, he lent his smooth voice to a number of TV specials and documentary films during the 2000s.

Hugh was born in Akron, Ohio and he got his broadcasting start on radio in Detroit and Chicago before moving to TV in 1949 as an announcer on a classic children's puppet show called, "Kukla, Fran and Ollie."

Downs also served as the announcer for one of the earliest versions of NBC's "Tonight Show," working alongside Jack Paar in the late 1950s and early '60s.

He even launched one of the most popular daytime shows in the 1960s, "Concentration," a memory-matching game he hosted for over a decade.

Downs worked for PBS too, for much of the 1990s he was the host of the network's "Live From Lincoln Center" broadcasts.

Hugh was 99.

RIP