Celebrity Death

"Superman" star Margot Kidder was battling the flu just 4 days before she died, and talked about her struggle during what appears to be her final interview.

Kidder phoned in to “The Drew and Mike Show” in Detroit on May 9 to promote an upcoming appearance at Motor City Comic Con. She told the hosts she was "in bed with flu" because she's "puking every hour and a half." Kidder sounded rough, very raspy -- and, even though she was in good spirits, she said the flu battle was "not fun."

As we previously reported ... Margot was found dead Sunday at her home in Livingston, Montana. Cops responded to a call that Margot was unconscious and not breathing. Her death is under investigation, but police have said they don't suspect foul play.

Kidder was 69.

The man best known for playing surgeon Major Charles Winchester on "M*A*S*H" wanted to help people in the real world too ... or so it seems, based on his will.

David Ogden Stiers -- who died in March after a battle with bladder cancer -- left hundreds of thousands of his fortune behind to various charities ... and also donated valuable collections to his local library and symphony orchestra in Newport, Oregon.

According to the docs ... Stiers earmarked $50k each to 5 different charity organizations, including the Southern Poverty Law Center, My Sister's Place and Newport's Children's Advocacy Center.

He also left all his CDs and DVDs behind to the Newport Library, donating his vinyls, artwork and wine collection to the Newport Symphony Orchestra ... and gave another $50k to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore to establish a scholarship program for someone planning a political career.

As for some of Stiers' more flashy gifts ... the Newport Symphony music director gets his Tesla Model X, and his Oregon home is left to the man he named his conservator -- Jeremy Robinson.

David was 75.

Avicii committed suicide with broken glass he used to cut himself ... TMZ has learned.

Multiple sources familiar with the circumstances surrounding the famous DJ's death tell us, he did indeed take his own life ... something his parents alluded to last week.

Our sources say the method of death was a shard of glass that caused massive bleeding. Two sources tell us Avicii broke a bottle and used the glass to inflict the fatal wound. One of the sources says it was a wine bottle.

Two sources tell us the point of injury was Avicii's neck but another strongly denies that, saying it was his wrist. We cannot confirm this, but the sources were privy to specific information about Avicii's death.

As TMZ reported ... the 28-year-old was found dead April 20 in the Middle Eastern country of Oman. He battled alcohol problems for years, and his friends worried those issues would eventually kill him.

Avicii's family released a statement that included the clear message it was suicide ... "He really struggled with thoughts about Meaning, Life, Happiness. He could not go on any longer. He wanted to find peace."

TMZ has obtained a copy of Verne Troyer's

... and it reveals his family's plans for his remains.

As we previously reported, Troyer died April 21 at a Los Angeles-area hospital. His death certificate shows Verne was cremated, and his remains will be sent to his home state of Michigan for interment.

Verne's cause of death is listed as "deferred" pending further investigation. Toxicology testing has not been completed yet.

He was rushed to the hospital early in April after cops got a call that he was suicidal. Sources say he was treated for alcohol poisoning because his BAC was triple the .08 limit, and he'd been on life support since then.

Verne was 49.

Bobby Brown says the biopic, "The Bobby Brown Story," was therapy for him regarding the death of his daughter Bobbi Kristina, but no therapy will ever be enough.

We got Bobby Friday night at LAX, and he was pretty open with us ... the biopic helped him deal with some of his feelings that have been bottled up since 22-year-old Bobbi Kristina died back in 2015.

The biopic has been an emotional roller coaster for Bobby. He says he's still working through the grieving process but it will never make things good.

Bobbi Kristina's death has been shrouded in mystery, and her boyfriend Nick Gordon has been living under the specter of suspicion for years.

Mike Posner's still coping with the loss of Avicii, and says the world-famous DJ's death has been a harsh reminder for him -- nothing lasts forever.

We got the singer at LAX Thursday and asked him how he feels about his hit track, "I Took A Pill In Ibiza" -- known for its mention of Avicii in the second line -- now that he's gone. He tells us it definitely has a much deeper meaning now ... and will always make him think of Tim.

Mike also says he wants his friend remembered for his music above all else, because that's the highest honor for musicians ... and what he hopes for himself. He shares some fond memories of working with Avicii, too ... even on the never-released stuff.

Avicii was struggling with major issues at the time of his death ... which his family is now strongly insinuating was a suicide.

The superstar DJ, whose real name was Tim Bergling, was found dead last week in Oman, and while there's been no cause of death released ... his family just released a statement referring to his struggles to find meaning in his life once he finished touring.

Here's the full statement:

Our beloved Tim was a seeker, a fragile artistic soul searching for answers to existential questions.
An over-achieving perfectionist who travelled and worked hard at a pace that led to extreme stress.
When he stopped touring, he wanted to find a balance in life to be happy and be able to do what he loved most – music.
He really struggled with thoughts about Meaning, Life, Happiness.
He could not go on any longer.
He wanted to find peace.
Tim was not made for the business machine he found himself in; he was a sensitive guy who loved his fans but shunned the spotlight.
Tim, you will forever be loved and sadly missed.
The person you were and your music will keep your memory alive.

Obviously, the passage ... "He could not go on any longer. He wanted to find peace" ... seems like a reference to Avicii taking his own life. Authorities have ruled out foul play in the 28-year-old's death.

Meanwhile, Avicii was commemorated in his native Sweden where a choir performed "Wake Me Up!"

Prince's ex-wife doesn't buy Sinead O'Connor's claims he was violent toward women and abused hard drugs ... because she never saw a shred of evidence to support that.

Mayte Garcia -- who was married to Prince from 1996 to 2000 -- tells TMZ he was never violent with her and she never witnessed him being violent with anyone ... man or woman. She also says he didn't do hard drugs while they were together, and she only saw him drunk once.

Garcia's very skeptical of Sinead's self-proclaimed close relationship with Prince ... telling us she seriously doubts she could have known more than she did.

Mayte has a problem with the timing of Sinead's allegations, too ... because Prince wasn't alive to defend himself.

Garcia admits she found the reports of Prince's deadly pill stash shocking and heartbreaking, because she knew him for years and didn't see anything like that.

"Night Court" star Harry Anderson died of a stroke he apparently suffered in the night, which might've been triggered by the flu and a specific type of heart disease.

TMZ has obtained Anderson's

, which lists the actor's primary cause of death as cardioembolic cerebrovascular accident, which is a stroke that's caused by the heart pumping unwanted materials into the brain's circulation.

The contributing causes are listed as influenza -- the flu -- and a heart disease that affects the tissue of the organ by either enlarging it or disrupting its natural motor function.

As we reported ... Anderson was found dead on arrival last week after his wife called 911. She told the operator that his body was cold, and that CPR wouldn't help. She also mentioned he'd suffered a series of strokes earlier this year.

He was 65.

Avicii's friends and family members feared the superstar's drinking problem would catch up to him in the months leading up to his death.

Sources close to the DJ tell TMZ his alcoholism he battled for so many years had recently gotten out of control and those around him were concerned it could kill him. Avicii suffered from pancreatitis -- the inflammation of the organ -- made worse by heavy alcohol consumption.

TMZ broke the story ... Avicii was photographed on a yacht in Muscat, Oman just a day before his death with what appeared to be an alcoholic beverage in his hand.

Prince's vast collection of unreleased music isn't the only way his estate will reap money for years to come -- turns out his words, as in poetry and lyrics, could also be gold.

Paisley Park Enterprises -- the merchandising arm of Prince's estate -- has filed paperwork to produce printed content. According to the docs, it will include collector's books of his handwritten lyrics as well as poetry. Prince's never-before-released photos and journals could also be flipped for a profit.

It's great news for fans eager to celebrate Prince's life as Saturday marks the 2nd anniversary of his death. The only bad news ... no word on when PPE will start publishing the material.

As we reported ... cops released video Thursday that was shot inside Prince's home the day they found him dead. Their 2-year investigation determined there was not enough evidence to bring criminal charges in his death.

Photos were also released inside his legendary vault containing shelves upon shelves of recordings ... many unreleased ... which we know the estate wants to release eventually.

Verne Troyer -- best known for playing Mini-Me in the 'Austin Powers' comedies, and for being one of the shortest men in the world -- has died.

Verne died Saturday, according to a statement from his family. We'd been told he was on some form of life support since being taken to the hospital earlier this month after cops got a report he was drunk and suicidal, and was treated for possible alcohol poisoning.

Verne's family says during the recent adversity, "he was baptized while surrounded by his family."

He also struggled with alcoholism for years and had been to rehab many times.

Troyer was born with the genetic disorder known as achondroplasia dwarfism, but said growing up on a farm in Michigan he was never treated differently by his parents than his average-sized siblings.

Verne began his Hollywood career in 1994 as a stunt double for Baby Bink in the film "Baby's Day Out." He then landed small roles in "Men in Black" and "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" ... before making it big as Mini-Me in 1999's "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me."

He continued to land bit roles in comedies and appeared on many popular reality shows over the years ... like "Celebrity Juice," "Celebrity Wife Swap," and "The Surreal Life."

Verne was 49.

RIP

Avicii's death was not the result of any criminal activity or foul play ... according to cops in Oman.

Autopsies were performed on the DJ both Friday and Saturday, and led to the conclusion that "there is no criminal suspicion in the death" ... according to a law enforcement source for the Agence France-Presse.

No further details were released on the official cause of death.

Avicii was found dead in Oman Friday morning. As we reported ... he was seen hanging out on a yacht with friends looking happy and healthy the day before.

Avicii was hanging on a yacht and sipping a drink the day before his death ... and appeared to be happy and healthy.

In the photo -- obtained by TMZ -- the world-famous DJ is chilling with a couple guys on a boat while flashing a peace sign. We're told it was taken Thursday in Muscat, Oman ... where he was staying nearby at the Muscat Hills Resort.

Avicii has a drink in his hand, but it's unclear if it's alcoholic or not. Avicii said in a 2013 interview he stopped drinking due to pancreatitis and was living a sober lifestyle.

As we reported ... Avicii was found dead Friday morning in Muscat. The resort confirmed he was a guest and said he was extremely kind during his stay and "definitely did seem to be in good spirits while enjoying his time." Photos taken with other guests at the resort seem to back that up.

Barbara Bush is being laid to rest, and hundreds have gathered to pay their respects and celebrate the life of a woman who was wife of a president and mother of another.

The former First Lady's funeral is being held in Houston at St Martin's Episcopal Church Saturday, and those in attendance include her husband George H. W. Bush, sons George W. and Jeb Bush and their wives and kids, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Barack and Michelle Obama, and First Lady Melania Trump.

President Trump chose not to attend to avoid added security complications and out of respect for the Bush family.

As we reported ... Barbara died Tuesday surrounded by her loved ones. She had suffered from congestive heart failure and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

She will be buried at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum in College Station, Texas, next to her daughter Robin, who died from leukemia as a child.

Bush served as First Lady of the U.S. from 1989 to 1993, and was known for working to make advancements in universal literacy and founding the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy.

Barbara was 92.

RIP

11:25 AM PT -- Oman police say Avicii's body will be flown home to Sweden this week. Still no word on the cause of his death.

One of Avicii's family members is on the ground in Oman leading the charge to find out what killed the world famous DJ ... TMZ has learned.

Sources in Oman tell us Avicii's older brother, David Bergling, checked into an upscale hotel in the capital city of Muscat on Friday evening ... hours after Avicii was found dead. We're told the hotel where he's staying is about 15 minutes away from Muscat Hills -- the resort where Avicii had been vacationing.

As we showed you, the EDM superstar posed for several photos with fans at the resort, and witnesses say he appeared to be in good spirits during his time there.

According to reports in Avicii's native Sweden, he had checked out of Muscat Hills sometime last week. One of the things David is likely looking into is exactly where his brother and a small group of friends went in the days leading up to his death.