Celebrity Death

Chadwick Boseman fans will be able to see his iconic performance as Jackie Robinson on the big screen one last time ... with "42" getting re-released days after his tragic death.

Boseman's main role as the baseball hero was one of his first major gigs on the silver screen ... leading to projects like "Draft Day," "Get on Up," and the legendary character of T'Challa in "Black Panther" and the 'Avengers' series.

AMC Theaters announced it will show the 2013 film -- which also stars Harrison Ford and Nicole Beharie -- in 300 different locations later this week ... as a tribute to the beloved actor.

Tickets will be made available on Tuesday ... and the showings will begin as early as Thursday.

As we previously reported, Boseman died at age 43 on Friday after a 4-year battle with colon cancer.

The entertainment and sports worlds have been grieving the loss ever since ... including a tribute from LeBron James prior to the Lakers vs. Blazers game on Saturday and a lengthy farewell from co-star Michael B. Jordan.

DJ Erick Morillo -- best known for his 1993 hit, "I Like to Move It" -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us the DJ and music producer's body was found this morning in Miami Beach ... the circumstances surrounding his death are currently unclear.

Best known for his work in international house music, Morillo produced his biggest hit in the '90s with the electro-dance track "I Like to Move It" ... which he put out under the stage name Reel 2 Real.

He's a 3-time winner of the DJ Awards' Best House DJ and a 3-time winner of Best International DJ ... including his most recent win in 2009.

Morillo's death comes a few weeks after he was arrested in Miami on sexual battery charges. The alleged victim claims she and Morillo went to his place after they were both DJing. She alleges she resisted his sexual advances, and then went to sleep at his place, but woke up nude ... with Morillo standing next to her, also nude.

He'd turned himself in on August 6.

Morillo was 49.

"Sucks so hard that some a-holes live forever and some really cool people die young."

That's Joe Rogan keeping it honest on the death of Chadwick Boseman ... saying he was crushed when he heard the news of the actor's death.

"I just looked at the news and said, 'F*ck!!!!'" Rogan said on SiriusXM's "Unlocking the Cage with Jimmy Smith."

"Just instantly, "F*ck. That guy was cool."

Didn't seem like Rogan knew Boseman personally -- but it's clear from the interview Joe had a tremendous amount of respect for the "Black Panther" star ... for what he did both on and off the screen.

"He was such a brilliant guy."

Rogan says he understands the impact the movie "Black Panther" had on the Black community -- and credits Boseman for playing the lead role to perfection.

"He was so perfect in the role -- as a human being outside of the movie, he was so perfect."

So, when Rogan learned Boseman passed away Friday after a secret 4-year battle with colon cancer, he could barely contain his emotions.

"It also speaks to his character that he suffered in silence like that and he didn’t make a big deal of the fact he was trying to get through cancer. It's a bummer man."

RIP

Chadwick Boseman's still playing the hero, because his life story's inspiring people to take action ... in the ongoing fight against colon cancer.

Several leading organizations focused on beating colorectal cancer -- the third leading form of cancer in both men and women in the U.S. -- tell TMZ ... the "Black Panther" star's shocking death instantly brought about a massive increase in awareness, donations, and love for those dealing with it.

Anjee Davis, President of Fight Colorectal Cancer, tells us along with a huge outpouring of grief for the actor, her org got a major boost in social media engagements and support ... which resulted in raising nearly $10,000.

She says the funds will go toward research to seek better treatment options and a cure for colon cancer, but just as important ... she hopes the heightened awareness pushes people to get early screenings, look into their family history of cancer, and be on alert for signs and symptoms.

Likewise for Michael Sapienza, CEO of the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, who says Chadwick's death -- at 43, after a 4-year cancer battle -- has already brought on "the most monumental change" to how people view the disease.

Though the Marvel superhero chose to keep his battle shielded from the public, Sapienza's encouraging the public to be more open to discussing colon cancer to shed the stigma ... especially since it's increasingly affecting younger people like Boseman.

Cindy Borassi, Interim President for the Colon Cancer Foundation, also points out the increasing impact on younger Americans, and adds, to make matters worse ... screenings have gone way down due to the pandemic.

She tells us it sometimes takes a "larger-than-life personality" like Boseman to boost outreach, awareness and support, and while it's tragic ... that's what is happening here.

Borassi says donations to the org have increased at least 300 percent since Friday, and she believes his death will result in huge companies like Disney and Marvel joining forces in the effort to eradicate colon cancer.

John Thompson -- one of the greatest and most important coaches in college basketball history -- has died. He was 78.

Thompson passed away Monday morning. The circumstances surrounding his death are still unclear.

Thompson was the first Black head coach to win a major college championship, when he led Georgetown to the NCAA title in 1984.

That team featured stars like Patrick Ewing, Reggie Williams and David Wingate.

Thompson coached at Georgetown for 27 seasons -- and has the most wins in the school's history ... racking up 596 wins.

Before his coaching days, Thompson was a college basketball star at Providence -- where he was an honorable mention All-American in 1964.

He was later selected in the 3rd-round of the 1964 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics -- where he played for 2 seasons. Oh, the team won the NBA title in both of those seasons!

After that, Thompson became a high school basketball coach in Washington D.C. before making the jump to Georgetown ... and the rest is history.

Among the stars who played for Thompson -- Ewing, Allen Iverson, Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo.

Thompson ultimately resigned from Georgetown in January 1999 -- and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame later that year.

Iverson famously credited Thompson for "saving my life" after he was accused of hurting people in a bowling alley brawl in 1993.

Thompson didn't turn his back on Iverson as the case played out -- he supported him until an appears court overturned multiple convictions against A.I..

Iverson brought up the situation in his Hall of Fame speech, saying he wouldn't be there without Thompson.

“I want to thank Coach Thompson. For saving my life," Iverson said ... "For giving me the opportunity."

"I was recruited by every school in the country for football and basketball. And an incident happened in high school and all that was taken away. No other teams, no other schools were recruiting me anymore. My mom went to Georgetown and begged him to give me a chance. And he did."

RIP

Chadwick Boseman's old stomping grounds won't soon be forgetting their hero, because city officials are ramping up to pay tribute to him ... now and later.

Anderson, South Carolina Mayor Terence Roberts' office tells TMZ ... the city where Chadwick grew up will be honoring him this week in a public get-together, but also down the road as well with what we're told will be a massive enshrinement.

As for this week's plans ... a rep for the Mayor says they're hosting a remembrance Thursday at an outdoor amphitheater, where they'll have 3 guest speakers -- including a pastor, a former high school classmate of Chadwick's and the Mayor himself. After that, we're told they'll be putting on a screening of "Black Panther."

Now, we know what you're thinking ... a public gathering at an amphitheater?? In a pandemic??? Yes, but rest assured ... we're told the city is taking all precautions to do this safely, with social distancing and masks in mind. The venue normally has a max capacity of about 10,000 ... we're told they're cutting it down to half. First come, first serve.

Oh, and the place will be adorned with Chadwick-themed artwork from locals, so that'll be neat to see too. At this time, it's a little unclear if any of his immediate family members will join, but some of his extended fam who are still in the area are said to be potential drop-ins.

As for a more long-term tribute to their homegrown star -- who died Friday of colon cancer -- the Mayor's team tells us they're still not settled on a final plan, but they know it'll be a grand, lasting public display.

The tributes continue pouring in for Chadwick Boseman ... and Marvel Studios let it be known the late actor will be their king forever.

The studio honored T'Challa with a touching, emotional, tribute video in which many refer to Chadwick as flawless and regal. Lupita Nyong'o said Chadwick wore the crown with dignity in "Black Panther." Michael B. Jordan, Angela Bassett, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson and Robert Downey Jr. are just some in awe of Chadwick's immense talent.

Chadwick, of course, was also honored Sunday at the MTV VMAs with the virtual show dedicated to him. The main host, Keke Palmer, gave Chadwick a shout-out right out of the gate, saying, "We dedicate tonight’s show to the man whose spirit touched so many. He is a true hero, not just on screen but in everything he did. His impact lives forever."

Chadwick Boseman just received a shout-out at the MTV Video Music Awards -- and the way they did it was by harkening back to a speech he once gave at the ceremony.

Sunday's show -- which was completely virtual this year because of the pandemic -- was a full-on tribute to the late actor ... with the VMAs official Twitter account saying they were putting it on in his honor.

The main host, Keke Palmer, also made sure to shout out Chadwick right from the top of the show, with her saying, "We dedicate tonight’s show to the man whose spirit touched so many. He is a true hero, not just on screen but in everything he did. His impact lives forever."

Not too long into the broadcast, MTV played a full-on tribute to Chadwick ... by replaying his acceptance speech at the 2018 VMAs when he won for Best Hero for his portrayal as the Black Panther. The opening title card to the clip read, "The World Needs More Superheroes" ... and then it launched into Chadwick's remarks.

At the time, he actually took a moment to honor a real-life superhero he wanted to acknowledge ... one James Shaw Jr., who stopped a gunman at a Waffle House in Tennessee. The fact that Chadwick shared the spotlight was incredible and clearly not forgotten by the folks at MTV.

The Chadwick Boseman tributes continue to pour in, but none stand out quite like this one ... which started out upside down.

A Senegalese artist named Bou Bou posted a moving video of himself whipping up a mural of the late Marvel actor, but he did so in his signature style -- starting from a completely inverted point on the canvas -- and not just that ... he did it with just 4 roses and paint.

The video goes through a time lapse of Bou Bou doing his work, and before you know it ... he has a picture-perfect recreation of Chadwick's face and upper body -- only you can't really tell at first ... at least not until he flips it around.

It's quite the reveal ... you gotta see it for yourself. Afterward, Bou Bou does a Wakanda Forever sign across his chest. He captioned his post, "#R.I.P @chadwickboseman ❤️🕊 #ripchadwick."

As we reported ... Chadwick's passed away Friday after a 4-year battle with colon cancer. His death came as a shock to millions of fans, as he kept it his illness private ... and continued to work regularly through what turned out to be grueling and painful treatments.

Chadwick Boseman's impact on the youth cannot be overstated ... some children are remembering their fallen hero ... with action figure memorials.

Mark Ruffalo -- who starred opposite Chadwick in the 'Avengers' movies -- posted a couple of touching photos of two little boys holding their own versions of wakes for Black Panther with their toys, placing the Marvel figurines in a circle around a laid out T'Challa.

He writes, "This is his power and impact on the next generation. #ChadwickForever." Mark's right here -- other kids were doing this as well in other parts of the country, including one boy named Kian ... who created a casket for his Black Panther action figure.

A guy named King Westbrook posted a photo of his son holding his own memorial outside their garage, with Kian throwing up a Wakanda Forever X-sign across his chest.

The proud papa says of his child, "Kian wanted to thank everyone from the bottom of his heart for all the loving and kind words given to him for this post." King goes on to add, "When he found out about Chadwicks passing, he was heart broken. But he knows death is a part for being human, and wanted to cope with losing his hero this way."

LeBron James honored Chadwick Boseman Saturday night at the Lakers/Trail Blazers game ... and echoed a feeling millions of people share about the tragedies of 2020.

LeBron took a knee before the game and flashed the Wakanda sign from "Black Panther," a sign of mad respect for Boseman, who died Friday at 43 after a 4-year battle with colon cancer.

After the game -- which the Lakers won, knocking Portland out of the playoffs -- LeBron talked about the pain of losing such a great person ... "It actually felt like we had our black superhero and nobody could touch us. To lose that, it's sad in our community. To lose Black Panther and Mamba in the same year -- 2020 is the sh**tiest year."

Chadwick Boseman was doing more than just putting on a brave face during his 4-year battle with cancer -- the guy was actively visiting and inspiring kids while privately suffering from the same disease.

St. Jude Children's Hospital paid tribute to the fallen star, reminding folks he popped into their facility in 2018 to meet with patients ... bringing gifts and words of inspiration for the kids.

They write, "We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our friend Chadwick Boseman. Two years ago, Chadwick visited the St. Jude campus and brought with him not only toys for our patients but also joy, courage and inspiration." The organization sang his praises, adding ... "He was an incredible role model for our patients and children from all around the world. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time."

At the time, St. Jude's posted more photos from the face-to-face ... and it's clear the guy made the rounds and met with a bunch of kids who couldn't have looked more overjoyed to meet a Marvel superhero. The fact he was right in the thick of his own cancer battle just makes this gesture all the more heartbreaking, especially considering he didn't utter a word about his battle.

Chadwick discussed meeting some of these kids and how much of an impact it had on him -- he even broke down during the Sirius XM interview while talking about two terminally ill children who passed before the next Marvel movie could come out. Dude was a true saint.

As we reported ... Chadwick succumbed to his illness and died Friday, shocking the entertainment world -- scratch that, shocking the entire world. He was just 43 years old.

Chadwick Boseman, the iconic "Black Panther" star, has died at age 43 after a 4-year battle with colon cancer.

His family released a statement, saying "It is with immeasurable grief that we confirm the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman. Chadwick was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016, and battled with it these last 4 years as it progressed to stage IV."

They continue that "it was the honor of his career to bring King T'Challa to life in Black Panther."

"He died in his home, with his wife and family by his side"

Chadwick, who most famously brought the first black Marvel superhero to life in "Black Panther" along with a string of 'Avengers' movies was no stranger to giving life to iconic roles. He portrayed Jackie Robinson, James Brown, and Thurgood Marshall in "Marshall."

Recently, Chadwick had sparked concern amongst his fans, as he appeared very thin in videos on social media. This worry nearly overshadowed the impactful words he wanted to share with the world about Jackie Robinson and the pandemic.

Born in South Carolina, he always had an affinity for theater, and wrote his first play in high school. He attended the famous HBCU, Howard University, and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Fine arts.

He started his career in writing and directing, but clearly, he was meant to be on the other side of the camera. He took the world by storm in 2013 in the role of Jackie Robinson in "42." On playing that role, Chadwick said, "The story is relevant because we still stand on his shoulders. He started something - I would even say maybe he didn't even start it, it started before him. But he carried the torch. And he carried it alone for a period of time before other people could help him." Clearly, he forwarded the narrative of that, as he moved on to play one of the most influential roles of a generation in the portrayal of T'Challa, aka Black Panther.

The impact he had on Hollywood, while too short, was phenomenal. He hosted 'SNL' in a very memorable episode, and was slated to star in 'Black Panther 2' which was meant to be released in 2022

As outstanding of an actor as he was, Chadwick was also an incredibly effective activist and role model ... he had a unique and powerful voice that resonated with kids and adults, showing them anything was possible.

And, there's this. Today is Jackie Robinson Day in Major League Baseball, honoring the first black player in the league. All players wear the number 42.

Cliff Robinson, the longtime NBA player who also appeared on "Survivor" has died.

The cause of death was not revealed, but in 2017 Cliff suffered a brain hemorrhage. We don't know if that was a factor in his death.

Cliff played in the NBA for 18 seasons. He first joined the Portland Trailblazers back in 1989 where he stayed for 8 seasons. From there he went to Phoenix where he played for the Suns. He also played for the Detroit Pistons and the New Jersey Nets.

After retiring, Cliff was a competitor on season 28 of "Survivor" back in 2014. He finished in 14th place.

Cliff was a star during his college days at the University of Connecticut. The school broke the news, saying, 'The UConn Basketball family mourns the loss of a legendary player and person, Clifford Robinson. Our thoughts and prayers are with Cliff’s family at this difficult time. Rest in Peace, Cliff'

Cliff is survived by his wife, Heather Lufkins, and his son, Isaiah.

Pro wrestling legend "Bullet" Bob Armstrong -- a WWE Hall of Famer -- has passed away Thursday after battling bone cancer, his family announced.

He was 80 years old.

Armstong is a true legend in the sport -- he started wrestling back in 1960 and became famous for his signature move, the Georgia Jawbreaker.

He became a fan favorite back when pro wrestling was split into territories throughout the U.S. -- and was particularly beloved in his home state of Georgia.

He initially "retired" in 1988 -- but never really hung up biz boots ... staying involved in the sport for decades in one way or another.

Armstrong famously teamed up with Dusty Rhodes and Larry Zbyszko back in the early 2000s and continued to perform until 2019!!

Many huge wrestlers also looked up to Armstrong as a mentor -- including CM Punk, who posted a tribute on social media.

"Bullet Bob. Always so nice to me. I’d like to think he saw how thrilled I was whenever I got to speak with him, which fortunately for me was often."

Armstrong has 4 sons who all became pro wrestlers -- notably Scott Armstrong (who became a famous referee) and Brian, known as WWE Hall of Famer Road Dogg.

Armstrong was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011, alongside "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan and Shawn Michaels.

Lute Olson -- one of the greatest college basketball coaches of all time -- has died, his family confirms. He was 85.

The University of Arizona legend passed away Thursday while in hospice care in Tucson.

Olson led the men's hoops program for U of A for 25 years -- from 1983 to 2008 ... bringing home a national championship in 1997.

That team featured future NBA stars like Mike Bibby and Jason Terry.

He was a 7-time PAC-10 Coach of the Year and brought 5 different teams to the Final Four.

And, get this ... starting in his 2nd year at Arizona, Olson's teams made the NCAA tourney in 23 straight seasons!!!

Olson was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002 -- while he was still coaching! He retired 6 years later.

His record at U of A is insane -- 589 wins and only 187 losses.

In the years after his retirement, Olson became a fixture at all Arizona home basketball games and often traveled to road games in California.

On April 12, 2018, The University of Arizona honored Olson with a statue outside the McKale Center on campus.

Some of the stars who played under Olson include ... Steve Kerr, Damon Stoudamire, Gilbert Arenas, Richard Jefferson, Luke Walton and Channing Frye.

He also coached Kenny Lofton -- who went on to become a big MLB star.

Olson is survived by his wife, children and several grandchildren.