Celebrity Death

Former 3 Doors Down guitarist Matt Roberts died at the hands of a physician who was negligent and a pharmacy that enabled the doctor ... so claims Matt's estate in a new lawsuit.

The estate named Dr. Richard Snellgrove and Rite Aid as the ones responsible for Matt's death ... this according to new legal docs obtained by TMZ.

The estate claims Snellgrove's the one who prescribed high levels of opioids and benzodiazepines to Matt for years prior to his death. The suit claims Snellgrove has already been indicted in Alabama for Matt's death. The estate also faults Rite Aid for failing to comply with the Controlled Substances Act.

TMZ broke the story ... Matt died of an apparent overdose. He was scheduled to perform at a charity event when he was found dead in his hotel room. Matt's dad believed the possible OD was accidental.

John Mahoney's death was caused by multiple health complications, which included brain disease and lung cancer.

Our sources say the "Frasier" star's official causes of death include brain disease, lung cancer and seizures. We're told Mahoney also suffered from kidney disease and diabetes.

We broke the story ... Mahoney died Sunday in Chicago while in hospice care.

Our sources say Mahoney was cremated.

Mahoney played Kelsey Grammer's cranky father, Martin Crane, for 11 seasons on the hit sitcom. Shortly after John's death, Grammer posted, "He was my father. I loved him."

He most recently had a recurring role starring on the TV show "Hot in Cleveland," which ended in 2014. He's also had appearances on movies like 'American President,' "Say Anything..." and "Eight Men Out" over the course of more than 30 years in the industry.

John was 77. RIP

Actor Mickey Jones -- a regular on "Justified" and "Home Improvement," and a character actor in tons of huge movies -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... Mickey died at 2:17 AM Wednesday following a long illness. We're told the actor had been in and out of the hospital for the last few months. It's unclear what illness he was battling.

Mickey's been a hard working actor in Hollywood for over 3 decades. He's "that" guy ... whose face you've seen in 'MASH,' "Entourage" and "Bones." He also appeared in movies like "Total Recall," "Sling Blade," "Tin Cup" and many, many more.

He was also an accomplished drummer ... who used to play with Kenny Rogers. Mickey was 76.

RIP

The man who allegedly killed ex-Colts LB Edwin Jackson and his Uber driver while wasted drunk has been charged with 4 felonies ... and now faces more than a decade in prison.

37-year-old Manuel Orrego-Savala -- who was living in the U.S. illegally -- appeared in court today where he was charged with 2 counts of leaving the scene of a fatal accident and 2 counts of drunk driving resulting in death.

The first 2 charges are Level 3 felonies and carry 3 to 16 years in prison. The next 2 charges are Level 4 felonies and carry 2 to 12.

On top of that, Orrego-Savala has also been hit with a federal charge for illegally reentering the country after being deported. That charge carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.

As we've previously reported, officials say Orrego-Savala is from Guatemala and illegally entered the country multiple times over the years. He was deported twice before.

He's come under fire by Donald Trump, who on Tuesday tweeted -- "So disgraceful that a person illegally in our country killed Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson."

Cops say Jackson and his Uber driver were standing outside their car on the shoulder of a highway in Indiana when they were struck by Orrego-Savala's truck.

The car crash that killed beloved ex-NBA player Rasual Butler and his wife, Leah LaBelle, was so loud, the audio was picked up on a home surveillance camera about a block and a half away from the incident.

You can hear the tires screeching for roughly 2 seconds -- followed by a series of loud bangs.

Cops say Butler's Range Rover was traveling at very high speed around 2:30 AM on Jan. 31 when he lost control and struck several parking meters, slammed into a wall and flipped two times before coming to a stop.

Judging from the audio, it sounds like Butler slammed on the brakes and tried to avoid the collision -- but he was going too fast to regain control of the vehicle.

Butler was one of the most well-liked guys in the NBA -- and tons of huge stars like Ray Allen and Kobe Bryant paid tribute to him after the incident.

Butler was 38. Leah was 31.

Donald Trump says it's "disgraceful" that a former Indianapolis Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson was killed by a man who was in the United States illegally ... and is calling for democrats to get tough on the border.

As we previously reported, 26-year-old Jackson was hit by a pickup truck early Sunday morning while he was standing on the shoulder of a highway in Indiana.

Officials believe the man driving the truck is 37-year-old Manuel Orrego-Savala -- a Guatemalan citizen who had been living in the U.S. illegally. Officials believe Orrego-Savala was drunk at the time of the crash and tried to flee the scene.

Once apprehended, officials say Orrego-Savala had been previously deported twice before -- once in 2007 and again in 2009 -- yet somehow made it back and had been living in Indiana.

Now, Trump is weighing in ... saying, "So disgraceful that a person illegally in our country killed @Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson."

"This is just one of many such preventable tragedies. We must get the Dems to get tough on the Border, and with illegal immigration, FAST!"

"My prayers and best wishes are with the family of Edwin Jackson, a wonderful young man whose life was so senselessly taken. @Colts."

John Mahoney, the beloved dad on "Frasier," has died in Chicago ... TMZ has learned.

According to John's publicist ... he passed away Sunday in hospice care.

The British-born actor famously played Martin Crane, the father of Kelsey Grammer and David Hyde Pierce's characters, for 11 seasons of "Frasier."

John most recently had a recurring role in "Hot in Cleveland." Besides his TV success, John was in tons of movies -- like 'American President,' "Say Anything..." and "Eight Men Out" -- during more than 30 years in show biz.

He won a SAG Award in 2000 for "Frasier" -- and was nominated for 2 Emmys and 2 Golden Globes. John was also active in theater, and won a Tony in 1986.

John was 77.

Cops have launched an investigation into the car crash that killed ex-NBA player Rasual Butler and his wife Leah LaBelle ... and they're retracing the couple's steps that night to find out exactly what went down.

We've learned investigators have visited several businesses near the crash site in Studio City, CA -- including a popular bowling alley where the couple was spotted earlier in the evening.

We know what you're thinking -- was alcohol involved? We're told cops are not specifically looking for proof Butler was boozing before the crash ... they'll know from the toxicology report.

The priority, we're told, is finding video of the couple in the car right before the crash -- in order to see what specifically caused the Range Rover to lose control and crash.

Meanwhile, we're told the autopsies on both Rasual and Leah have been completed -- and the medical examiner has said the cause is "multiple traumatic injuries" and listed the manner of death as an "accident."

Dennis Edwards -- lead singer of the legendary group, The Temptations -- died at the Mercy Hospital in Chicago Thursday night ... TMZ has learned.

Edwards sang Grammy-winning songs for the Motown icons like "Papa was a Rollin' Stone" and "Cloud Nine" ... along with hits like "Ball of Confusion" and "I Can't Get Next to You."

Although Dennis was on-again, off-again with the group in the late '70s and '80s as the lineup changed frequently.... he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 with The Temptations.

Edwards -- a native of Detroit -- took over lead singer duties from David Ruffin in 1968 and continued The Temptations run of smash hits.

His 75th birthday would have been on Saturday. We're told the cause of death has not yet been determined.

Dennis was 74.

Kenny Smith says he's still reeling from the "horrific situation" that claimed Rasual Butler's life ... and he's expecting the NBA to honor Rasual in a big way.

"Overall, the NBA community will step up. We'll do something on TNT," Kenny said.

Condolences poured in Wednesday from ex-teammates and legends like Shaq, Kobe and Allen Iverson ... and the Miami Heat were the first team to put together a video tribute.

The Jet says fans should expect a lot more of that -- because "everybody loved him."

Stephen A. Smith says he's devastated over the death of his friend Rasual Butler -- telling TMZ Sports they knew each other for years ... and the NBA player was a really good dude.

"Just incredibly sad," the ESPN star said ... "He's a good guy. We have Philly roots together. I've known him for many years. I love his wife. Love his family."

"The world lost a good brother."

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Butler lost control of his Range Rover in Studio City, CA early Wednesday morning and slammed into a wall -- killing him and his wife, who was a passenger in the car.

Mark Salling was far from broke before killing himself -- and that's good news for his child porn victims, who now have to sue to get the money he agreed to pay them.

According to docs obtained by TMZ ... Salling set up a corporation in 2009 -- right around the time "Glee" took off -- to collect his income from the entertainment biz. As of December 2017, the value of this business was reported to be $1.971 million. His father is listed as the manager.

We broke the story ... Salling's suicide essentially screwed over the victims in his child porn case because a judge didn't get to order him to pay them $50k each in restitution. Salling agreed to pay that amount as part of his guilty plea, but the judge hadn't signed off because sentencing was set for March.

The victims will have to file suit against Salling's estate, and based on the actor's financial docs ... there's dough to go around.

Ex-NBA player Rasual Butler and his wife -- a singer who appeared on "American Idol" -- were both killed in a single car crash in Studio City, CA early Wednesday morning, TMZ Sports has learned.

38-year-old Butler -- who was drafted by the Miami Heat in 2002 -- lost control of his Range Rover around 2 AM, struck a parking meter and slammed into a wall. The car flipped.

Officers believe the car was speeding before it lost control.

Butler had a long NBA career after an impressive run at La Salle -- where he was a 2-time First Team All-Atlantic 10 Player. He's a member of the La Salle Hall of Athletics.

He went on to play in the NBA until 2016 -- with stints on the Hornets, Clippers, Bulls, Raptors, Pacers, Wizards and Spurs.

Rasual most recently played in Ice Cube's BIG3 league.

Butler's wife Leah LaBelle, 31, was an R&B singer who was signed to Epic Records. She placed 12th on the 3rd Season of "American Idol" back in 2004.

Rasual is survived by a daughter from a previous relationship, Raven Butler.

R.I.P.

Rasual Butler's death is hitting the NBA hard -- with his friends and former teammates sending their condolences to Butler's family.

John Wall -- "I will always remember the time we shared together as teammates, you were the big brother. I appreciate the advice you shared, not just about basketball but life. Sending my deepest condolences to the families of Rasual and Leah. May you both rest in peace."

Blake Griffin -- "You were a great teammate and an even better person. Rest in peace my friend."

LaMarcus Aldridge -- "Devastated to hear the news about the passing of my former teammate, Rasual, & his wife. My thoughts and prayers go out to their families during this difficult time. Rasual was an amazing teammate and an even better person. He will truly be missed!"

Kyle Lowry -- "I remember I called you when you got drafted on draft night and I was at a camp and I wanted to show off because I knew you and you answered the phone for a 16 year old who was one of your biggest fans.. this is truly a sad day for me !! RIP Sual bop my oldhead!!"

Austin Rivers -- "It was a pleasure meeting you man. Getting to work with you last year was amazing. For you were not only a knowledgeable player....but more so a great man! Smh Crazy this just happened. May you and your wife RIP in heaven."

Kevin Love -- "Incredibly sad news to hear about Rasual Butler and his wife Leah. Prayers to both of their families through this tough time."

Ray Allen -- "I cannot believe this!!!!!!!!!My heart is heavy!!! We lost a good one today! RIP Rasual you were such a great talent on the court but an even better man off it! My thoughts are with the entire Butler family as they mourn the tragic loss of their son/brother and his beautiful wife, Leah. Gone too soon. Rest in power."

Reggie Miller -- "Saddened by the news and the loss of Rasual Butler and his wife Leah. Talk about a great dude and family man. I know he had many stops during his 13 year NBA journey, but he was beloved becasue of his work ethic in Indiana. New guardian Angels."

Paul Pierce -- "So sad this morning to here about my friend and teammate 😢 RIP Rasual Butler appreciate the people around u because u never know."

Chauncey Billups -- "I’m shocked, saddened and in disbelief about the news on my friend Rasual Butler and his wife Leah. May God be with their families. We will miss you 'Sul.'"

Allen Iverson -- "Rest easy my brother. See you when I get there!!!"

Shaq -- "Still can’t believe the news about my main man SOOL BOP. #riprasualbutler🏀#THELILHOMIEFROMPHILLY."

Kobe Bryant -- "Rest In Peace my brother #RasualButler."

Miami Heat -- "We are deeply saddened by the passing of Rasual Butler and his wife, Leah LaBelle. Our sincere condolences, thoughts and prayers go out to the family and many friends of Rasual and Leah. They will be missed."

L.A. Clippers -- "The L.A. Clippers are deeply saddened by the loss of Rasual Butler and his wife, Leah LaBelle. Rasual will long be remembered not only for his accomplishments on the court, but for his vibrant personality, positive outlook and the compassion he had for everyone around him."

Mark Salling tried to kill himself multiple times before he finally took his own life ... law enforcement sources tell TMZ.

Sources involved in the investigation tell us their interviews with witnesses paint a dark picture of the actor, who was facing years in prison after pleading guilty to child porn charges.

There were "several suicide attempts," according to our sources.

TMZ broke the story .. Salling cut his wrists back in August. We got this pic 2 months after the attempt and he was wearing long sleeves in the middle of a heat wave ... presumably to hide the scars.

Jane Lynch is clearly struggling with Mark Salling's apparent suicide ... for several complicated reasons.

Jane was out in L.A. just a few hours after TMZ broke the story her former "Glee" co-star was found dead. Police believe he hanged himself. Jane said the news was "sad and very tragic."

As for how she'll remember Salling? Watch the video, and you can tell Jane was reaching for the right words -- especially in light of the fact Salling had entered a guilty plea to child pornography charges.

Ultimately, she took the high road and shared a story about his early days on the "Glee" set.