Celebrity Death

Ex-NFL star Dwight Clark -- the guy who made "The Catch" in the 1981 NFC Championship -- has died from complications stemming from ALS, his wife has confirmed.

"I’m heartbroken to tell you that today I lost my best friend and husband," she tweeted.

"He passed peacefully surrounded by many of the people he loved most."

"I am thankful for all of Dwight’s friends, teammates and 49ers fans who have sent their love during his battle with ALS."

Clark put together one helluva career after being selected in the 10th round of the 1979 NFL Draft -- earning his way into 2 Pro Bowls and leading the NFL in receptions in 1982.

He also won 2 Super Bowls as one of Joe Montana's favorite receivers.

His #87 jersey was retired in 1988.

Stephen Hawking was the world's most famous theoretical physicist, but according to his death certificate ... he was simply a scientist.

According to the doc -- obtained by TMZ -- Stephen's occupation is listed as such. The cause of death is Motor Neurone Disease ... an early-onset form of ALS that Stephen suffered for most of his life. The certificate also shows his body was cremated.

As we reported ... Stephen died back in March after a long battle with the disease left him wheelchair-bound and almost entirely paralyzed. The world-renowned British scientist wrote several landmark books and guest-starred on several TV shows as himself ... including "The Simpsons" and "The Big Bang Theory."

Ex-NBA player Rasual Butler had multiple substances in his system at the time of his fatal crash back in January ... including alcohol, marijuana and painkillers ... according to the autopsy obtained by TMZ Sports.

As we previously reported, Butler was behind the wheel of a Range Rover -- with a female passenger, Leah LaBelle -- when he lost control around 2:30 AM and crashed into parking meters and a concrete wall. Both died immediately from injuries suffered in the crash.

Toxicology results show Butler's blood alcohol level was tested from blood collected from his heart and leg. The heart sample showed a BAC of .118, above the legal limit.

The leg sample showed a .062, which is under the legal limit. One law enforcement source told us the results are consistent with a person who was legally drunk.

Tests also show Butler tested positive for cannabinoids (marijuana), methamphetamine and oxycodone.

The report shows an empty box of Don Julio tequila was recovered at the crash scene.

As for Butler's passenger, Leah LaBelle -- a former "American Idol" contestant, who Butler referred to as his wife -- she had a .144 blood alcohol level.

The information could be relevant to Leah's family if they decided to go after Butler's estate for wrongful death.

An employee on Steve Harvey's radio morning show died this weekend after being found unresponsive in his hotel room by one of Steve's famous co-hosts ... TMZ has learned.

According to an incident report, obtained by TMZ, cops were called to the W Hotel in Atlanta early Sunday afternoon, where the body of Kier "Junior" Spates' assistant, Bryan Cooke, had been discovered in his room ... with blood and vomit coming from his nose and mouth.

Spates asked hotel staff to check on Cooke after he didn't respond to him -- the two 'Steve Harvey' employees were supposed to catch a flight to L.A. later that day. When no one answered, staff went in to find Cooke lying face down on his bed, and cold to the touch.

Cops say Spates told them he and Cooke had hit the town the night before, but that Cooke appeared fine upon returning to the hotel. They even smoked cigars together before going to their separate rooms, and Spates said they did not partake in any drugs.

Police note prescription pills were found in Cooke's room -- but do not disclose the medication. It's unclear if any pills had been taken or played any role in his death. They also say housekeeping came by to clean Cooke's room, but thought he was sleeping. He was 39.

Spates is a well-known radio personality on Harvey's show. He referred to Cooke as his "best friend" to authorities.

Blake Painter -- best known for being a captain on seasons 2 and 3 of "Deadliest Catch" -- has died, and police are testing substances found at the scene of his death.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Painter's body was discovered Friday in his Oregon home. We're told a friend of Painter's became concerned after not hearing from him for a few days ... so he called the police. Officers gained entry, and determined Painter had been dead for several days.

We're told cops discovered substances inside the home that they'll test for possible narcotics. They also found prescription pills, but it's unclear if they were a factor.

No foul play is suspected in his death, and an autopsy and toxicology test will be done to determine the official cause.

Painter was the captain of the F/V Maverick on the hit Discovery Channel show, and appeared in season 3 for several episodes before deciding to quit.

Blake was heralded as an expert crab fisherman. He was 38.

Kanye West apparently threw down $85k for a photo of Whitney Houston's drug-ridden bathroom that'll now be the cover of Pusha T's new album, "Daytona."

Pusha T told Angie Martinez in an interview Wednesday that his original album art was canned at the last minute in favor of a photo West licensed for the obscene amount of money. Pusha said that Ye put his own cash down on it too since they'd already agreed on something else previously -- telling Push, “This is what people need to see to go along with this music.”

"Daytona" drops Friday, but the artwork was released Thursday.

11:15 AM PT -- Clint's daughter, Valerie, tells us Walker died from congestive heart failure.

Clint Walker -- best known for playing a TV cowboy on the hit western series "Cheyenne" -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Clint died suddenly Monday in the company of his wife and daughter ... according to a source close to the family. It's still unclear what caused his death, but a family member says they believed it was a heart issue.

Walker broke into the Hollywood scene after landing a role in the classic film "The Ten Commandments." With his good looks and imposing physique -- Clint stood 6'6" -- he was cast as the roaming cowboy hero, Cheyenne Bodie, in 1955. The show aired for 7 seasons.

After "Cheyenne" ended, Clint starred in the only movie ever directed by Frank Sinatra, "None But the Brave," and "The Dirty Dozen." He also returned to the Western genre with films like "More Dead Than Alive" and "The Great Bank Robbery."

Walker continued working in showbiz until the late '90s, when he voiced a character in "Small Soldiers."

He was 90.

Notorious B.I.G. and Diddy got a surprise visit in L.A. from Rap-A-Lot Records CEO James Prince -- just a few weeks before Biggie's murder -- and the conversation could have saved his life ... TMZ has learned.

The meeting went down in February 1997, when sources connected to James tell us he'd heard B.I.G. and Puff Daddy (as he was then known) were shooting the "Hypnotize" music video. We're told James had immediate concerns about their safety ... and rushed to the set. Here's why.

James had just been in L.A. with Scarface, one of his artists, and heard a lot of talk on the streets about a possible revenge hit. Remember, Tupac had been murdered about 6 months earlier, and there were widespread, but unsubstantiated, rumors that Puff and Biggie were involved -- fueled by the west coast-east-coast feud.

We're told James urged them to take the threats seriously and consider leaving town -- especially when he saw how relaxed security was on the set -- but they seemed unfazed, and more focused on completing the video.

A few weeks later, Biggie was shot and killed outside L.A.'s Petersen Automotive Museum.

Our sources say James did not have specific knowledge of a hit, but had heard enough buzz he wanted to put it on Puff and B.I.G.'s radar.

We're told the meeting is one of several stories from behind the scenes of hip-hop that J. Prince will reveal in his book, "The Art and Science of Respect" ... which will be released next month.

"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.