Celebrity Death

Yvonne Staples -- best known as the baritone voice of The Staple Singers -- has died at her home in Chicago ... according to Chicago’s Leak & Sons Funeral Homes.

Yvonne helped her family's gospel, soul and R&B group reach the top of the music charts with "I'll Take You There" in 1972, shortly after bursting onto the scene with another smash hit, "Respect Yourself."

She performed with her sisters, along with their father -- guitarist Roebuck "Pops" Staples -- in churches across the South Side of Chicago before branching out and making it big in the '70s ... after she replaced her brother in the group.

The Staple Singers also had chart-topping hits like "If You're Ready (Come Go With Me)" and "Let's Do it Again." They made more than 30 albums and had 8 Top 40 tracks from 1971-1975. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999.

With Yvonne's passing, 78-year-old Mavis is the only living Staples sister ... and their father died in 2000.

Yvonne was 80.

Richard Pryor's widow says his daughter needs to be proud of her father's truth -- that he also liked having sex with men ... and there's no shame in that.

We got Jennifer Lee Pryor leaving Book Soup on Sunday in WeHo where she was signing copies of Richard's reissued book, "Pryor Convictions And Other Life Sentences." She was particularly upset about Richard's daughter, Rain, insisting Richard never slept with Marlon Brando.

Jennifer told us why she thinks it's true. Remember, she's planning to publish Richard's diaries in October ... so, she clearly has inside knowledge.

Tiffany Haddish will introduce a man who needs no introduction, but will get it anyway, because he's the late, great and legendary Richard Pryor.

We're told Tiffany's writing the intro to the highly-anticipated 'Richard Pryor Diaries' ... a project spearheaded by Richard's wife, Jennifer Lee Pryor. The book's due out in October, but there's been tremendous buzz since TMZ broke the story that Richard did, in fact, bang Marlon Brando.

The book, of course, will dive into Richard's bisexuality, his home life and storied career.

We're told Tiffany jumped at the opportunity because Richard's one of her heroes. Tiffany, of course, attended a Laugh Factory camp back in the late '90s when she was in high school, which Pryor visited. He also mentored Tiffany, whose career skyrocketed since "Girls Trip."

Unclear what Tiffany's gonna let outta the bag -- she's good at that -- but pretty sure it'll be hilarious.

Richard's wife will be at a book signing Sunday for the reissue of Richard's book, "Pryor Convictions And Other Life Sentences" at Book Soup in WeHo.

October can't come soon enough.

Ex-MTV "Road Rules" star Brian Lancaster has died at just 43 years old ... TMZ has learned.

Brian appeared on season 7 of "Road Rules" back in 1999. His family tells us he was found dead in his Pennsylvania home last Thursday. They believe it was heart failure, and tell us he had a history of arrhythmia.

The family says the death was not drug or alcohol related -- and, as far as they know, no substances were found in the home.

Brian was 23 years old when he competed on "Road Rules." He didn't win the grand prize of $43k, but he competed on 13 different "missions" over the course of 15 episodes while shooting in Mexico, Costa Rica and the United States.

Dolores O'Riordan sounded pumped and ready to belt out her old tune with a new band the day she died ... this according to her last voicemail ever.

TMZ has obtained a voice message Dolores left for her longtime friend and label exec, Dan Waite, on Jan. 15 -- the day she unexpectedly passed away -- which also happened to be the day she was set to record a cover of The Cranberries' song "Zombie" with Bad Wolves.

We're told the voicemail's time stamp was 1:12 AM GMT in London ... and, as you can hear, Dan -- who set up the collab -- is clearly mentioned in the audio. Dolores also says she loved Bad Wolves' version of "Zombie" ... adding it "sounds f****** terribly good."

Clearly, she was excited to get in the studio -- but, unfortunately, she never made it. As we reported ... The Cranberries singer was found dead just hours later in her hotel. Her cause of death has yet to be released -- police have only said she died suddenly.

Reports surfaced Dolores may have taken her own life, especially because she had extreme bouts with depression. If it turns out to be the case, it would be eerily similar to Chris Cornell's death ... where his wife said he was in a great mood hours before he died. You'll recall, Chris seemed as if nothing was wrong just before he took the stage for his final performance.

Dolores was officially laid to rest in her native Ireland a couple days after a public reposal was held for her. She was 46 years old.

As for the Bad Wolves cover ... the band released their version in Dolores' honor about a month after she passed, donating the proceeds of the song to her three children.

Jose Fernandez and a passenger killed in his fatal boat crash were both drugged before the incident as part of a robbery scheme ... this according to a lawyer for the ex-MLB star's estate.

Attorney Ralph Fernandez has filed new documents in the wrongful death case brought against the Miami Marlins pitcher -- claiming he was carrying $15,000 in cash in a backpack on the night of the incident ... which made him a target for thieves.

Fernandez claims he and Eduardo Rivero were "unwitting recipients of a spiked drink or a mickey of sorts" in a plot to disorient them and steal the money.

Fernandez, Rivero and Emilio Macias were killed in Sept. 2016 when Jose's boat crashed while traveling at an extremely high speed. Investigators say Fernandez's body tested positive for cocaine and booze.

The families of Rivero and Macias filed a civil suit against Fernandez's estate each seeking $2 million.

But, Jose's attorney claims investigators found NO evidence of drug paraphernalia or drug residue at the crash scene ... supporting his theory that the player was drugged without his knowledge.

Fernandez also claims the investigative body handling the crash refused to consider the possibility Jose was not driving the boat. For the record, the boat was owned by Jose.

When Van Met Winnie, it was nothing like Harry and Sally ... but CNN host Van Jones still got an unforgettable story out of it.

We got the CNN host Monday at LAX as he was heading to Memphis to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. He also reflected on Winnie Mandela's death ... and the moment he, unexpectedly, came face-to-face with her.

As we reported, Nelson Mandela's wife died Monday after a lengthy battle with illness -- and even though her life was filled with scandals, Van says it's hard to judge her.

Prince had "exceedingly high" levels of fentanyl in his system at the time of his death, according to a new toxicology report obtained by the Associated Press.

The report -- which is said to have been confidential -- gives a glimpse into just how much fentanyl was flowing through the singer's body when he died in 2016. According to the AP, the concentration of fentanyl in Prince's blood was 67.8 micrograms per liter. The report notes people have died from as little as 3 micrograms per liter, and as high as 58.

A medical expert quoted by the AP -- Dr. Lewis Nelson of Rutgers New Jersey Medical School -- calls the level of fentanyl in Prince's blood "exceedingly high" ... even for someone who's a chronic pain patient, he adds.

The toxicology also reportedly shows Prince's liver had a concentration of 450 micrograms per kilogram -- while also noting that levels beyond 69 micrograms per kilogram often signal overdose or fatal toxicity cases. Experts cited in the report also say there were potentially lethal amounts of fetanyl in Prince's stomach, and that he likely took the drug orally.

We broke the story ... Prince died at his Paisley Park compound from an opioid overdose -- the drug, of course, being fetanyl.

3/28/18 -- Zeke Upshaw's autopsy confirmed he died of cardiac arrest ... possibly due to "cardiac abnormalities."

The coroner says he plans to conduct more tests in the coming weeks.

NBA G-League player Zeke Upshaw is dead at the age of 26 ... days after collapsing on the court during a basketball game.

Upshaw -- a swingman for the Detroit Pistons affiliate, Grand Rapids Drive -- collapsed during the final minutes of the 4th quarter of Saturday's game against the Long Island Nets ... after reportedly going into cardiac arrest.

He was stretchered off the court and rushed to the hospital ... where he remained in critical condition until passing away Monday morning.

John Mahoney, the beloved dad on "Frasier," left behind millions of dollars ... and TMZ's learned there's a long list of potential benefactors.

John's friend, Bernard Dowling, filed legal docs in Cook County, Illinois to open a probate case for his estate. According to docs, obtained by TMZ, John's estate is worth north of $5 million, including around $300k worth of real estate. There are also 38 relatives and friends listed as potential benefactors.

TMZ broke the story ... John died in hospice care back in February. As we first reported ... the official causes of death included brain disease, lung cancer and seizures. He also suffered from kidney disease and diabetes.

John played Kelsey Grammer's cranky father, Martin Crane, for 11 seasons on the hit sitcom.

5:01 PM PT -- Chicago Fire producer Dick Wolf released a statement on Brown's death. He says, "The Chicago Fire family is devastated to lose one of its own. Our thought and prayers are with DuShon's family and we will all miss her."

5:25 PM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell us Brown was at home Friday morning when her family called paramedics because she was feeling ill. We're told she was taken to the hospital, where she died around noon. Her death is now being investigated by the medical examiner.

"Chicago Fire" actress DuShon Monique Brown has died after suffering an apparent heart attack.

Production sources tell us Brown admitted herself to a Chicago hospital a few days ago after suffering chest pains, we're told she went through tests but was released a short time later.

Things apparently took a turn for the worse Friday ... our sources say Brown died at home after some type of cardiac episode.

DuShon -- a Chicago native -- has been on "Chicago Fire" since the show started in 2012. She played Connie, the assistant to Chief Boden. She was also on "Prison Break" from 2005 to 2007.

DuShon has a background in social work and a Masters in Counseling and once worked as a counselor at a local high school.

Brown also starred in a made for TV movie titled "Public Housing Unit" about Chicago cops ... the project is set to premiere later this year.

She leaves behind a daughter.

Music manager Jordan Feldstein -- Jonah Hill's older brother -- had Whip-It! canisters all over the room where he was found dead ... according to the Coroner's Office.

In the docs, the Coroner says Jordan had multiple canisters of nitrous strewn about his bedroom when first responders arrived. The report includes toxicology results, which show he had only trace amounts of a cocaine metabolite in his urine. Also, he tested negative for any alcohol in his system.

As we reported ... Jordan had called 911 in December, and when EMTs arrived he was found unresponsive on his bed. The Coroner's report says someone on the scene told officers Jordan had been abusing nitrous oxide for about a month.

Jordan managed Maroon 5, Miguel and Robin Thicke. He was 40.

Queen Latifah's mom has died after a very long battle with a heart condition ... TMZ has learned.

Latifah revealed the sad news Wednesday, saying ... "It is with a heavy heart that I share the news my mother, Rita Owens passed away today ... She had struggled with a heart condition for many years and her battle is now over."

The rapper and actress told People in 2015 she would stay at her mom's home in New Jersey to help take care of her when she wasn't working in California.

Owens had reportedly been taking meds and was aided by a defibrillator implanted in her chest to avert a heart attack. She also had to maintain a very healthy diet to live with the condition.

Charles Manson had his final hurrah Saturday during a memorial service that ended in fire.

Manson's body was front and center at a service held in Porterville, CA. We're told the body was decomposing badly, and needed heavy makeup and gloves to cover the deterioration. He died 4 months ago but his body was put on ice until a judge decided who would take control of it.

Approximately 30 people showed up at the funeral home. His grandson, Jason Freeman -- the man who won control over the body -- spoke at the service, as did a Manson follower.

Manson's service didn't end with a burial. His body was cremated and his ashes were spread along a nearby creek bed in a forest. Apparently it was a windy day, because the ashes blew back on the guests.

We're told the attendees included Manson's former fiancee, Afton Burton, and former Manson Family member Sandra Good.

As TMZ first reported ... Manson -- the mastermind behind one of the most heinous murder sprees in American history -- died of natural causes back in November 2017. He was 83.

O.J. Simpson insists his 'If I Did It' TV special was NOT a confession to murder -- and says the people on the show were all "a bunch of haters."

Simpson gave his first sit-down interview since leaving prison to the Buffalo News -- and gave his own take on "O.J. Simpson: The Lost Confession?"

"When people want to make money or get ratings, they're going to pimp me. I'm going to get pimped."

Simpson says his friends had been teasing him about the show and whether or not it was a REAL confession.

"Listen, if I confessed 12 years ago, you would have heard about it 12 years ago!"

When asked if he's watched the FOX special, Simpson replied -- "I watch nothing of me."

"I didn't watch the [FOX special] because I knew they were all haters, and people will say things that are just not true, and there's nobody there to challenge them, and that would piss me off."

Billionaire businessman Tom Benson -- who owned the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans -- has died, his family has confirmed.

The 90-year-old passed away peacefully Thursday at Ochsner Medical Center in Louisiana with his wife, Gayle Marie Benson, at his side after falling ill with the flu.

Benson started out as a bookkeeper at a Chevy dealership in New Orleans -- but went on to become a dealership owner and expanded the business into a billion-dollar empire.

Benson bought the Saints in 1985 -- when they weren't exactly winners (remember the Aints?). The team posted their first winning record in 1987 and made the playoffs that year. Of course, they got better and won the Super Bowl in 2010.

In 2012, Benson bought the New Orleans Hornets and changed the name to the Pelicans.