Celebrity Death

Paris Jackson was holding Joe Jackson's hand and reminiscing with him about Michael Jackson during her grandfather's final moments.

MJ's daughter posted an emotional tribute to Grandpa Joe, saying "I will cherish every moment with you til the day I die ... being able to hold your hand, lay with you and cuddle you, give you kisses all over your cheeks and forehead, meant more to me than you'll ever know."

She added, "Sharing stories my dad used to tell me about you, telling a joke and hearing you laugh for the last time. My heart is fulling knowing we left each other in that way."

Paris also said there was a steady stream of Joe's children, grandchildren and great grandchildren coming to pay their respects in his final days.

What's interesting about it -- especially the part about Michael's stories about Joe -- is MJ had cut his father out of his will. Michael's 2002 will left a life estate for Katherine Jackson, but nothing for Joe or any of his siblings.

As we reported, Joe made peace with the administrators of Michael's estate, and they'd provided for him in recent years.

Prince William toured Jerusalem on the final day of his solo pilgrimage to the Middle East and made sure to stop at the tomb of his great-grandmother, Princess Alice of Battenberg.

A little royal lineage knowledge ... Alice was the mother of Prince Philip, who is married to Queen Elizabeth, William's grandmother. Alice was deeply religious, and took in Jews during WWII, and her remains were transferred to the Convent of Saint Mary Magdalene in Jerusalem in the '80s, long after her death.

10:30 AM PT -- Family sources tell TMZ, Joe died at a hospice in Las Vegas. The hospice is connected to a hospital where Joe was admitted. We're told he was moved to the hospice a day and a half ago.

Joe Jackson -- the patriarch of the Jackson family -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Family sources tell TMZ, Joe passed away at 3:30 AM Wednesday.

We broke the story ... Joe was hospitalized in June with terminal cancer. His family had been flocking to his bedside since. His wife, Katherine, had been at his bedside as were some of Joe's children and grandchildren.

Joe had been battling health problems for some time now. He was hospitalized back in 2016 after coming down with a high fever. But, he bounced back not long after and was seen partying in Vegas. His health was also fragile after a stroke and 3 heart attacks back in 2015. Doctors implanted a pacemaker.

Joe may have been the most successful parent managing his children in the history of music. He, with a little help from Diana Ross, engineered the careers of The Jackson 5, and then Michael and Janet Jackson as solo artists.

The elder Jackson took a lot of heat from Michael and his siblings for abusing parenting and management practices, including physical brutality. Joe copped to it but, far from apologizing ... he said his methods made his kids successful and kept them out of jail.

Michael's dad stood by him during his molestation trial. After Michael's death, Joe was criticized for trying to make money off his son's memory.

A rep for Michael's estate tells us, "We are deeply saddened by Mr. Jackson’s passing and extend our heartfelt condolences to Mrs. Katherine Jackson and the family. Joe was a strong man who acknowledged his own imperfections and heroically delivered his sons and daughters from the steel mills of Gary, Indiana to worldwide pop superstardom."

Joe had 10 kids with Katherine, his wife of more than 60 years. The 2 did not live together and had a strained relationship for the last years of his life, but they frequently interacted.

Law enforcement officials tell TMZ Sports ... the older brother of NY Giants star Janoris Jenkins is a "person of interest" in the case of the dead body discovered at JJ's New Jersey home.

We spoke with Ontario County NY District Attorney James Ritts ... who tells us, "William Jenkins is a person of interest in relation to dead body case at his brother’s house."

"Bergen County wants to talk to him."

Here's the twist ... according to jail records obtained by TMZ Sports, 34-year-old William Jenkins was arrested in upstate NY on June 26 at 1:46 AM ET ... about 9 hours BEFORE the body was discovered at JJ's home.

It appears William was arrested for an unrelated parole warrant issue -- but now, investigators in the dead body case believe he might know something about the death of Roosevelt Rene.

Ritts tells TMZ Sports ... there will be an extradition process to bring William from Ontario to Bergen County, NJ -- which is about 300 miles away.

Important to note, William Jenkins is NOT a suspect -- officials just want to know what he knows.

XXXTentacion's murder investigation just intensified as cops have officially named a second person of interest.

The Broward County Sheriff's office is searching for 22-year-old Robert Allen who may be connected to the killing of the 20-year-old rapper over a week ago. Cops say Allen was on surveillance video at the motorcycle shop in Pompano Beach where XXX was shopping before he was gunned down in his car.

It's unclear why cops believe Allen might be connected to the murder. As we previously reported ... cops have already arrested Dedrick Williams for murder and said there were at least 2 other suspects.

XXXTentacion's murder case has expanded beyond the scope of the Broward County Sheriff's Dept. in Florida ... TMZ has learned federal investigators are also involved in tracking down his killers.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... the U.S. Marshals and Broward County Sheriff's Dept. are on an intense hunt to track down at least 2 other suspects who disappeared after Dedrick D. Williams was arrested last week for murder.

We're told the Marshall has been at the forefront from the beginning ... the Office played a major role with the Broward County Sheriff's Dept. in nabbing Dedrick. But as we first reported ... cops believe 3 people were involved in the murder of the 20-year-old rapper, and arrest warrants have been issued for the remaining 2.

Chumlee's relationship with Richard Harrison spanned about 20 years, and he has a lot of fond memories of the man they called "Old Man" ... and some funny ones too.

The "Pawn Stars" star tells "TMZ Live" ... even though "Old Man" wasn't truly his family, he was always treated like a grandson and he learned many life lessons from him.

Chumlee says he's happy he got to spend some time with Harrison in recent weeks as he battled Parkinson's Disease and, while he was prepared for the inevitable, it was still a surprise when he died ... because "Old Man" always fought like hell.

Chumlee tells us the outpouring of love for the "Pawn Stars" patriarch has been incredible, and he shared his favorite memory -- taking "Old Man" for a ride in his lowrider, and giving him a surprise hydraulics lesson.

The famed "Pawn Stars" shop is already honoring its TV patriarch, Richard Harrison, a day after his death ... and fans can pay their respects in a number of ways.

Sources close to the family of Richard, best known as "Old Man," tell TMZ ... a makeshift memorial was set up in the corner of the Gold & Silver shop in Las Vegas in remembrance of their late founder. As we reported, "Old Man" died Monday ... and his memorial is already getting tons of love.

The shrine includes his signature chair, hat and coffee cup -- plus a life-sized cutout of him and photos from his office too. We're told fans and customers alike have been dropping off flowers and other items in droves.

We broke the story ... Harrison lost his battle with Parkinson's Disease. He was surrounded by loved ones when he passed at the age of 77.

Family sources also tell us ... a number of celebs have reached out with condolences, ranging from Russell Crowe to Dana White and the NHL's Golden Knights hockey to The Oak Ridge Boys quartet. We're told the outpouring of support has been incredible.

As for donations ... the Harrison family wants any monies sent to the Epilepsy Foundation ... an affliction his son Rick dealt with as a child.

Neal E. Boyd, the "America's Got Talent" champ, who died earlier this month, was discovered by his own mother after she walked into his bedroom to check on him.

Neal's mother, Esther Rogers Boyd, told cops she couldn't wake him up, so she called 911. When officers arrived, we're told they saw Neal in bed with a sleep apnea mask on his face. They couldn't feel a pulse, so CPR was performed ... but to no avail.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, no illegal narcotics were found in his room. Cops also say there were no signs of foul play. There was no autopsy performed -- Neal had a known heart condition. We're told he was cremated the next day, and a private funeral was held a few days later.

We broke the story ... Neal died from heart failure in his Missouri hometown at his mother's home.

He was 42.

9:09 AM PT -- Sources close to Harrison tell us he passed after losing his battle with Parkinson's Disease.

Richard Harrison -- famously known as "Old Man" on "Pawn Stars" -- has died, according to his son, Rick Harrison.

'''The Old Man' Harrison passed away this morning surrounded by those he loved," Rick said Monday morning ... "He will be tremendously missed by our family, the team at Gold & Silver Pawn and his many fans the world over."

"He was my hero and I was fortunate to get a very cool ‘Old Man’ as my dad."

The circumstances surrounding his death are unclear. However, Harrison's appearances on the show over the last couple years were slim to none.

'Old Man' moved to Vegas back in the early '80s and opened the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop with his son, Rick.

When the producers found the family and turned their daily lives into a show, it became an instant success. It's been on the air since July 2009 with 'Old Man' as one of the fan favorites.

A rep for History Channel tells TMZ, "We are deeply saddened by the loss of our friend Richard ‘The Old Man’ Harrison, a beloved member of the HISTORY and ‘Pawn Stars’ family. He will be greatly missed for his wisdom and candor."

Harrison is a Navy veteran and often talked about his military career on the show.

Carlos Lopez Jr. -- one of the repo guys on "Operation Repo" -- is dead of an apparent suicide ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Carlos' roommate found him Sunday around 8 PM on the balcony of their downtown L.A. apartment. The roommate called 911, police and paramedics responded, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

He had a gunshot wound to the head, which police believe was self-inflicted. Our sources say he left a suicide note.

Carlos -- who was on "Operation Repo" from 2012 to 2014 -- was also a successful character actor. He had several small roles on scripted TV shows ... including "iCarly" and "CSI: Cyber." Most recently, he played a CIA station chief in Tom Cruise's "American Made."

He's also an Army vet. Carlos reportedly did 37 months in combat with the 82nd Airborne.

Suge Knight's presence will be felt at his mother's funeral even though he's not allowed to attend ... 'cause he's paying for the whole thing.

Sources close to the ex-rap mogul tell TMZ ... Suge will fork over around $20k to cover the costs associated with burying his mother, Maxine Chatman. TMZ broke the story ... Maxine died last weekend after suffering a stroke.

Maxine's plot -- at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, CA -- has already been covered. The funeral service will be held there early next month. As we first reported ... Suge's not allowed to attend the funeral because he's an inmate who falls under a category that makes him ineligible to attend funerals ... that category is murder defendant.

In the months before his death, ex-WWE star Vader received routine visits and phone calls from one of his old wrestling pals ... Sting -- and Vader's family says the relationship is nothing short of a blessing.

TMZ Sports spoke with Jesse White -- who says several of his dad's old pals reached out to offer their condolences after Vader passed away last week following a bout with Pneumonia.

"Dallas Diamond Page, [Stone Cold Steve] Austin, Mick Foley," White says ... but one of Vader's old friends made an extra special impression.

"I do have to send a big thank-you out to Sting, Steve Borden."

"Sting has been a huge blessing," White says ... noting the two became close over the past 10 months -- after Vader had been battling heart problems.

"My father was a God-fearing man and so was Sting, and they would sit down and read the bible together. Go over the bible, just talk about life and good time stories and, yeah, Stings been a huge blessing throughout this process."

White says he appreciate ALL of the support -- from friends, family and fans -- and invites people who liked his father to reach out with stories, photos and video to honor his memory.

He also told one of his favorites about his father ... so, enjoy!

XXXTentacion did his best to make sure everyone in his family was well taken care of ... buying many of them homes in the months leading up to his murder.

Sources close to the rapper tell us his most important objective in life was to take care of those around him. We've obtained real estate records that show XXX purchased 4 homes in South Florida between the months of April and June ... totaling $1.7 million. The homes break down as follows ...

-- $420,000 for a 3 bed, 2 bath 2,000 square foot home

-- $467,500 for a 4 bed, 2 bath 2,300 square foot home

-- $385,000 for a 4 bed, 2 bath 2,100 square foot home

-- $500,000 for a 4 bed, 3 bath 2,700 square foot home

It's unclear exactly who the homes were purchased for, but our source says the rapper took care of his parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, grandmothers and great-grandmothers.

As we reported ... the 20-year-old also had a baby on the way with his girlfriend at the time of his death.

TMZ broke the story, his killers were inside the same motorcycle shop as XXX -- scoping him out -- and then waited outside for him to leave. Cops say the shooters ambushed XXX in his car where a brief struggled ensued before he was shot multiple times.

10:00 AM PT -- Vinnie's family tells TMZ ... he died in his sleep at his home in Las Vegas. His body's been turned over to the medical examiner to determine a cause of death, and after that he'll be flown back to his home state of Texas to be buried between his mom and brother.

Vinnie Paul, a drummer and one of the original members of Pantera, is dead.

Paul was a founding member of the metal band, which formed in the '80s. His brother, "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, was also a founding member. The band was huge in its day ... nominated for Grammys in 1995 and 2001. Their album, "Far Beyond Driven," hit #1 in 1994.

The group fell apart in 2003 ... by all accounts band members were feuding.

Vinnie's brother, Dimebag, was shot and killed a year later during a concert, after a man ran up on stage and began shooting ... killing a total of 4 people.

Megadeth's Dave Mustaine said, "I just woke up in Belgium to the news that my friend Vinnie Paul has passed away. Another metal hero taken too soon. Say hello to Daryl for me. Rest in Peace, my dear friend."

The cause of death is unknown.

Vinnie was 54.

Anthony Bourdain had no narcotics in his system when he died ... this according to French investigators.

As we reported ... the beloved chef died by suicide earlier this month after he was found hanging in a hotel bathroom in France. It was initially unclear if he had ingested any narcotics before his suicide, but The New York Times says a French official has ruled that out.