Celebrity Death

The death of L.B. Bonner -- who was featured on the show "My 600-lb Life" -- has officially been ruled a suicide ... according to the coroner's report.

As we reported ... Bonner was found dead last week in park in Lexington, South Carolina with a gunshot wound. According to the County Coroner's Office ... he died from a self-inflicted single gunshot would to the head.

Before his death, L.B. posted a cryptic message on Facebook saying, "I just want to say thank you to everyone who has shown me love and support throughout my journey...I've realized a few things over the last few days and its time that, I face my demons head on."

Bonner appeared in last season's '600-lb Life' ... which documented his journey as he went from 642 pounds all the way down to 316.

The 49ers are paying tribute to the guys behind the most famous play in the team's history -- erecting a 2-piece "The Catch" statue at Levi's Stadium featuring Joe Montana and Dwight Clark.

Clark died in June at the age of 61 after his battle with ALS -- and it seems the 49ers are pushing the plans forward to honor him as quickly as possible. The team is also wearing #87 stickers on their helmets this year.

As for the statues -- Dwight's sculpture (full arms outstretched) will stand exactly 23 yards from his QB ... to replicate the moment from the 1981 NFC Championship vs. the Dallas Cowboys.

Dwight's statue will stand 11 feet tall. Both pieces will weigh 350 lbs.

Clark had a huge career for the Niners after being picked in the 10th round of the 1979 NFL Draft ... winning two Super Bowls and having his No. 87 jersey retired in 1988.

Joel Robuchon, who has a seismic influence on French food turning it from stuffy to fun and accessible, is dead.

Robuchon's impact on food was so enormous, he was called "cook of the century" back in 1990. One of the things he did that has been enduring ... letting diners have a peek into how his food is cooked and plated. He was the first major chef to make it cool for diners to sit at a counter next to the kitchen.

Robuchon appeared on "Top Chef" and a variety of French cooking shows.

He was the holder of more Michelin stars than any chef in the world for years. As of 2016, he held 32 stars -- his peak. This year he had 31.

Perhaps his signature dish ... puree de pomme -- which you probably know as mashed potatoes. He prepared it simply, but it was amazing.

Robuchon died in Geneva from pancreatic cancer.

Joel was 73.

Charlotte Rae -- the actress who played the beloved Mrs. Garrett in "Diff'rent Strokes" and "The Facts of Life" -- has reportedly died.

According to EW, reps for the Emmy-nominated star confirmed she'd passed away Sunday in her L.A.-area home. While a cause of death wasn't made immediately clear, Rae announced last year she had been diagnosed with bone cancer that spring.

Rae starred as the Drummond family's kooky housekeeper, Edna Garrett, on 'DS' ... who proved to be so popular with viewers that she eventually got her own spinoff with 'Facts,' where she played the same character heading up at an all-girls boarding school.

Both shows were wildly successful between the late '70s and mid-'80s -- but they were just a small slice of her long career. Rae also had starring and supporting roles in "The Love Boat," "101 Dalmatians: The Series," "Sesame Street," "Car 54, Where Are You?" "The Phil Silvers Show," "ER," and "Girl Meets World," among others. She has 93 acting credits to her name.

Charlotte was 92. RIP

Zombie Boy's death by apparent suicide came as a complete shock to those close to him, because he was very excited about things to come ... so says his manager.

Karim Leduc tells TMZ ... Zombie Boy -- real name Rick Genest, but known as Rico to friends and family -- was very focused on a couple of upcoming projects and had a "very positive mindset." Karim says these projects included shooting a music vid for his single called "Monster Inside" ... and working on a book of his poems.

Leduc says Rico was especially stoked about the music vid, so it makes no sense he would end his life before it got made.

Zombie Boy's manager also says he wasn't a drug user and was sober at the time of his death. There is this though -- Karim tells us Rico did mention to him recently he was going through a rough patch, but was "uplifted" by all the future projects.

Leduc insists he didn't think twice about Rico's comments, and doesn't believe it was a suicide warning sign.

L.B. Bonner -- who appeared on "My 600-lb Life" and ultimately dropped over 300 pounds -- was found dead in a ditch with a gunshot wound ... TMZ has learned.

Police were making a welfare check Thursday night when they found him in a park in Lexington, South Carolina ... this according to a police report obtained by TMZ. The circumstances surrounding his death are now under investigation.

L.B. appeared in last season's "My 600-lb Life" that documented his incredible weight-loss journey. He started at 642 pounds and trimmed off a whopping 316 pounds, but kept shedding the weight even after filming the show.

L.B. had posted a cryptic message Thursday night on Facebook saying, "I just want to say thank you to everyone who has shown me love and support throughout my journey...I've realized a few things over the last few days and its time that, I face my demons head on."

He went on to say, "No matter what you change or the efforts you put forth in life, sometimes you just have to take it on the chin and deal with things your own way...Again, thank y'all so much... Please don't ever let people you care about not know how you feel."

Cops have not yet officially ruled Bonner's death a suicide, but tell us they're not looking for any other persons of interest in the case.

XXXTentacion's posthumously off the hook for an alleged beating of his ex-girlfriend ... TMZ has learned.

The rapper was awaiting trial for his domestic violence case involving Geneva Ayala -- who claimed he abused her when she was pregnant with his child. The charges were dropped at a court hearing this week in Florida ... due to his death.

X was also facing multiple counts of witness tampering because prosecutors believed he coerced Geneva into not testifying against him. Those charges are obviously expected to be dropped as well.

As we reported ... Ayala was devastated by XXXTentacion's murder -- despite the abuse allegations -- saying, "everyone expecting me to be relieved or happy?! no, i'm broken."

Cops say Rick Genest -- best known as Zombie Boy -- jumped to his death ... but his family believes it was an accident.

Montreal law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the Canadian artist and fashion model jumped from a 4th floor balcony of an apartment building Wednesday around 5 PM in Le Plateau-Mont-Royal. We're told paramedics rushed to the scene and performed CPR, but could not revive him.

We spoke with Genest's manager, Karim Leduc, who tells us Rick's family believes his death was an accident. Leduc says Rick would smoke on his balcony, and lean back on a railing while doing so ... and his family believes this caused him to fall.

Leduc also says the fact Rick didn't leave any type of suicide note also plays to the family's suspicions, as he loved to write and would articulate his feelings through his work. Rick's family believes he would have left a suicide note for them.

As we reported ... Zombie Boy rose to mainstream fame in 2011 after appearing in Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" music video. That gig led to more high-profile fashion work on the runway with Rocawear's relaunch in Europe and modeling for magazines like GQ and Vanity Fair.

Lady Gaga responded to the sad news by calling the suicide of her friend, "beyond devastating." She also urged anyone suffering from mental health issues to reach out to friends and family, adding ... "We must save each other."

Zombie Boy was 32.

#RIP

5:15 PM PT -- Lady Gaga just responded to the sad news, calling the suicide of her friend "beyond devastating." She also urged anyone suffering from mental health issues to reach out to friends and family, adding ... "We must save each other."

Rick Genest -- better known as Zombie Boy due to the corpse tattoos covering his body -- has died from an apparent suicide ... according to reports.

The Canadian artist and fashion model was well known in the body art world for obvious reasons, but gained mainstream fame in 2011 when he appeared in Lady Gaga's music vid for "Born This Way."

This led to more high-profile fashion work on the runway, including helping relaunch Jay-Z's label Rocawear in Europe in 2012. He also modeled for magazines like GQ and Vanity Fair.

Zombie Boy held the Guinness World Record for most insect tattoos with 176, and another for most bone tattoos with 139. He had also reportedly been working on an album of original songs with ex-Rob Zombie guitarist Mike Riggs before he died.

According to Canada's iHeartRadio ... Montreal cops say Genest was found dead in his apartment from an apparent suicide.

Former WWE champ Brian Christopher Lawler -- aka Grandmaster Sexay -- has died after hanging himself in jail this weekend.

Lawler's mother, Kay, tells TMZ Sports Brian passed away Sunday surrounded by family and friends after being placed on life support Saturday night following a suicide attempt in jail. He was surrounded by his father, Jerry Lawler, his brother, Kevin, and other family.

We're told he died around 3:40 PM CDT.

As we reported ... guards found Lawler had tried hanging himself in his jail cell outside Memphis. He was taken to a hospital where he remained in critical condition until late Sunday morning.

Lawler was arrested earlier this month for DUI after leading cops on a chase. As we first told you ... cops say he reeked of booze and had an open 12 ounce can in his center console, and they arrested him on the spot. Bail had been set at $40k.

Brian had a successful run in the WWE himself, mostly known as the other half of popular tag team Too Cool and as Scotty 2 Hotty's longtime wrestling partner. They won a tag team championship together.

WWE released a statement on Brian's death, saying "WWE is saddened to learn that Brian Christopher Lawler, who is best known in WWE as Too Cool's Grandmaster Sexay, has passed away. Lawler, who is the son of WWE Hall of Famer Jerry "The King" Lawler, competed during the height of the Attitude Era. WWE extends its condolences to Lawler's family, friends and fans."

WWE Hall of Famer Nikolai Volkoff died this weekend.

His onetime ring partner, The Iron Sheik -- with whom he won WrestleMania I's World Tag Team Championship in '85 -- confirmed in a tweet Sunday that Volkoff had passed away.

Volkoff, who's real name was Josip Nikolai Peruzović, wrestled in the WWWF from 1968 to 1971 where he won a tag team title in 1970. After that, he went on to wrestle singles ... and later returned to the WWWF between '74 and '80 and then again for a second time in '84.

Volkoff had a successful run teaming up with Sheik in multiple wrestling events between '84 and '87 as well as other wrestlers in the years after. He went back and forth between foreign heel and hero through the '90s and eventually scaled back wrestling through the 2000s ... although he did make appearances in WWE.

Although he was Croatian, Volkoff was portrayed as a Russian ... and would often rile up the crowd by singing the Russian National Anthem.

WWE released a statement on Volkoff's passing, saying in part ... "As one of the greatest villains sports-entertainment had ever seen, Volkoff’s infamous rendition of the Soviet National Anthem before his matches made him an instant icon in the eyes of the WWE Universe as a Superstar they truly loved to hate ... WWE extends its condolences to Peruzović’s family, friends and fans."

Volkoff was inducted into the WWE's Hall of Fame in 2005. He was 70 years old.

XXXTentacion's memory was alive and well this weekend in Florida after 2 of his contemporaries brought his mother onstage to pay tribute to the slain MC.

Lil Pump and Smokepurpp were performing Saturday night in Miami for the Lit Up Music Festival, when at one point they brought out a surprise guest ... X's mom, Cleopatra Bernard. She came out flashing an 'X' sign with her arms and received a huge round of applause.

The rappers played X's hit song, "SAD!," over the loudspeakers and let the track run mostly uninterrupted. It was an emotional moment for sure as Cleo maintained her 'X' stance.

As we've reported ... a third suspect, Robert Allen, was arrested last week in connection to X's killing in June. A grand jury indicted him for first degree murder and armed robbery.

Alan O'Neill died from drinking too much and from the injuries he suffered in a nasty fall.

The L.A. County Coroner's Office confirms the "Sons of Anarchy" actor died of chronic alcohol overconsumption. According to the Coroner's report ... other significant factors in his death include blunt force head trauma and heart disease.

The Coroner's Office tells TMZ ... O'Neill had fallen at home while drunk. The death has been ruled an accident.

We broke the story ... O'Neill's girlfriend found his body when she went to his home on June 6.

The Irish-born actor had been working steadily in Hollywood since the '90s. Most notably, he played Hugh on seasons 6 and 7 of "Sons of Anarchy," ... as well as Keith McGrath in "Fair City."

His cause of death was first reported by People.

Tina Turner did what no parent should ever have to do ... bid a final goodbye to their child when she spread her son's ashes off the California coast.

The legendary singer posted this tweet early Friday morning and said, "My saddest moment as a mother. On Thursday, July 19, 2018, I said my final goodbye to my son, Craig Raymond Turner, when I gathered with family and friends to scatter his ashes off the coast of California."

She went on to say, "He was fifty-nine when he died so tragically, but he will always be my baby."

As we first reported, Tina's firstborn son, who was in the real estate business, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his home in Studio City, CA on July 3, 2018.

#RIP

The Charles Manson painting partially composed of his ashes is alive with paranormal energy ... according to Zak Bagans, who bucked up to snatch the creepy portrait for his haunted museum.

The “Ghost Adventures” star tells TMZ he dropped $2k for the painting that was made with the artist Ryan Almighty's blood. Ryan then used Manson's ashes to fill in Mason's eyes.

The dough, btw, goes to the guy who managed to get some of Manson's ashes when they were spread in a Cali forest.

Zak already owns Manson's chompers. He bought those back in November.

Nicholas "Duffy" Fudge, a recurring cast member on the hit reality show "Wicked Tuna," is dead at a very young age ... according to Nat Geo.

Nicholas had been on the show since 2013. His death was announced on the the show's Facebook page ... which only said he had passed away last week. The post did not mention a cause of death.

He was a New Hampshire-based fisherman who served as first mate to Captain Tyler McLaughlin on their fishing vessel, Pinwheel.

If you haven't seen it ... Nat Geo's very successful show follows the fishermen as they head out to sea attempting to catch bluefin tuna, which can weigh hundreds of pounds and be worth thousands of dollars each.

'Wicked Tuna's' Facebook post notes that "Duffy" also appeared on the spinoff series "Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks."