Celebrity Death

Fashion icon Andre Leon Talley has died at 73 ... TMZ has learned.

A source with direct knowledge tells us Vogue's former creative director and one-time editor-at-large passed away Tuesday at a hospital in White Plains, NY. It's currently unclear exactly what he was battling in the hospital.

Talley was instrumental to Vogue's vision and direction in the '80s and '90s, when he worked his way up the magazine ranks to eventually become the news director -- which he helmed from '83 to '87 -- and then ascended to Vogue's creative director in '88.

He held that post for a good 7 or so years, and before long ... he was heading up all of Vogue as the EAL -- with a slight break in between -- until 2013, when he left the company. Even after his official departure, however, he continued to contribute to Vogue in varying capacities ... including podcast appearances.

ALT will perhaps be best remembered as a trailblazer in the fashion world -- not just for his stylish flair, but for his push to include more POC on the runway ... specifically, Black models.

His work and career speak for themselves ... and so has his consulting work elsewhere, including being a stylist for Michelle Obama on a shoot and even serving as a judge on 'America's Next Top Model' ... among many other notable achievements, like his 'SATC' cameo and frequent Wendy Williams chats.

He has worked side by side with Anna Wintour -- Vogue's editor-in-chief -- for decades ... and is considered one of the first mainstream African-American tastemakers in the U.S.  Andre was also an LGBT icon ... although he never specifically said he was gay, but more fluid than anything in his sexuality.

The last time we got him out was in 2017, when he was dishing about Rihanna, fashion ... and Trump. It was a peak Andre moment, with his big personality on full display in front of the cameras.

He was 73.

The Betty White Challenge raised tens of thousands of dollars for animals in need -- and probably even more -- and one dog, in particular, is getting the ultimate benefit ... a new lease on life.

We surveyed some of the shelters and animal rescue orgs that participated in Monday’s nationwide fundraising effort -- and the haul from coast to coast was impressive. Even sweeter ... the real-world impact this money is going to have on their four-legged beneficiaries.

That’s perhaps most evident for Golden Retrievers In Need (aka G.R.I.N.) whose president, Lisa Kine, tells us a lot of the dough they raised is gonna help out one of their most beloved pooches, Zilly. Kine says they collected about $7,600 from about 200 people on the #BettyWhiteChallenge Day -- much of which, we’re told, is going toward life-saving surgery Zilly needs to walk properly.

You see ... he suffers from hip dysplasia, and while he already had one procedure for his right side -- he still needs the other one done as well. Luckily for him, this cash will help cover the cost of both surgeries ... and should help him get back to 100%.

There’s also places like K9s for Warriors, Puppy Jake and Days End Farm Horse Rescue ... which raised $4,390, $1,190 and $4,200 for their institutions Monday, respectively. The money will go toward everything from training service dogs for veterans (which we're told can cost thousands of dollars per dog) to rehabbing horses ... not to mention helping pay for equipment, tools and gear all these critters might need along the way.

One of the biggest winners of the #BettyWhiteChallenge, it seems, is the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association ... a rep for which tells us they pulled in over $70k on Monday ... accounting for 1,731 donations from 49 different states and 11 countries.

All told, GLAZA says it’s banked a little over $94,000 in Betty White-inspired funds ... which means the donations were coming early and often these past two weeks.

Beloved actor Sidney Poitier died from a combination of heart failure, Alzheimer's dementia and prostate cancer ... according to his death certificate.

According to the document, obtained by TMZ, the 94-year-old Hollywood icon died at home in Beverly Hills. The certificate lists his occupation as an actor with an astonishing 76 years of experience in the field.

As you know by now ... Poitier was the first Black man in Hollywood to take home an Oscar for best actor -- opening the door for progress as far as how Black people are portrayed on the big screen.

He had many groundbreaking roles in the '60s, including 3 legendary films all released in 1967 -- “To Sir, With Love,” “In the Heat of the Night” and “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner."

While his death prompted hundreds of tributes from Hollywood celebs, one of the most touching came from his daughter, Sydney Poitier, who wrote ... "My grief is because I lost my dad, but it is also because the world lost so much goodness."

Scottish singer Lulu -- who co-starred with Sidney and sang the theme song for "To Sir, With Love" -- also reflected on working with the icon.

"Jeopardy!" ignored the recommendations of Alex Trebek when it came to picking a new host, and one of the people he picked is now talking about it.

CNN's Laura Coates was someone Alex thought was up to the task. TMZ interviewed Alex for an episode of "OBJECTified" back in 2018, and he said, referring to Coates, "There is an attorney, Laura Coates, she's African American and she appears on some of the cable news shows from time to time. Very bright, very personable."

Well, Coates appeared on 'Tamron Hall' and said she was thrilled beyond words, and decided to make her own luck by calling the show and putting her name in the hat. She says, "I asked for the opportunity. I was told 'no.'"

And, Alex had a second pick ... Alex Faust, the L.A. Kings play-by-play announcer. He too, was not invited to try out.

As for Laura, she was thrilled to hear Alex picked her, saying, "I thought, 'My God. This person that I have watched my whole life really, even knows my name let alone thinks that I would be worthy enough to fill his shoes which frankly can't be filled.'"

She also said she reached out to Alex when he was bravely fighting pancreatic cancer.

Betty White was all smiles just days before she died, as seen in a newly revealed photo ... one of the last ones to document her life, in fact.

The late actress' assistant took to Facebook Monday with a post in honor of what would've been Betty's 100th birthday, and she threw up the pic of Betty she says was snapped 11 days before BW passed away on NYE.

The caption reads, "Hello Everyone! It’s Kiersten. Betty’s Assistant. On this special day, I wanted to share this photo of Betty. It was taken on 12/20/21."

Kiersten adds, "I believe it’s one of the last photos of her. She was radiant and beautiful and as happy as ever. Thanks to all of you who are doing kind things today and every day to make the world a better place ❤️"

If her date is correct, that would mean this was captured just a few days before Betty suffered a stroke, which is what ultimately led to her death nearly a week later, per the L.A. County Medical Examiner.

It's a pretty insightful snapshot if you think about it, as it seems to be one of the final times Betty appeared on camera. Funny enough, the very next day ... Betty is said to have filmed a little thank-you for fans as part of the new movie 'Betty White: A Celebration.'

The flick, which hits theaters on Monday, is a highlight reel of her life -- and the director, Steven Boettcher, said Betty recorded her message 10 days before passing on the 31st.

Betty White's 100th birthday is here, and even though she's gone ... people are still honoring her by supporting animal charities -- but Trisha Yearwood's effort went over the top, as she raised a boatload of cash in record time.

The country star hopped on TalkShopLive Monday to contribute to the #BettyWhiteChallenge -- the movement calling on folks to donate to animal shelters and other pet charities ... causes that were near and dear to Betty.

During the 15-minute-plus webcast, TY made a massive impact ... raising more than $24k for an animal charity called Dottie's Yard. Unclear what her final figure will be, because donations were still pouring in toward the end of Trisha's time.

She was joined by her 2 rescue dogs ... who were very well-behaved. Trisha also talked a lot about Betty's life and love for pooches, explaining why she felt compelled to hop on the bandwagon.

"Heavenly Happy Birthday Josie! 🕊 There’s not a day I don’t think about you"

That's Floyd Mayweather reflecting on the birthday of his late, longtime-girlfriend and mother of his 3 children, Josie Harris, who would've turned 42 years old today.

Harris was tragically found dead at her Valencia, CA home back in March 2020.

Emergency responders received a call around 9:30 PM for a woman, Josie, who was found unresponsive in her car. Unfortunately, medics weren't able to save Harris ... and she was pronounced dead at the scene. Foul play was not involved.

Tragic news for the Mayweather family.

Floyd and Josie dated for around 15 years ... reportedly from about 1990 to 2005. They have 3 kids together ... Kouran, Zion, and Jirah Mayweather.

And, even though almost 2 years have passed, it's obvious Floyd -- not typically one to show emotion -- is still having a tough time dealing with the loss.

Mayweather went to Instagram and posted a photo of the mausoleum where Harris was laid to rest.

The stone is marked with a "Happy Birthday" decoration ... and a bouquet of flowers.

Fans from all over the nation are gearing up for what would've been Betty White's 100th birthday ... joining in on a challenge encouraging fans to spread the love to animals in need and donate to local orgs.

Brittany Vizcarra from Paw Works joined us on TMZ live to pitch the "Betty White Challenge." As you know, Betty was a fierce animal rights advocate who spent her adult life tirelessly working for animal rights orgs. Brittany says this challenge is about everybody doing more -- just like Betty -- by caring for abandoned and abused animals.

Paw Works is an animal rescue org that places unwanted animals in L.A. shelters into loving homes.

Since the Betty White challenge has taken off on social media, some orgs have seen an uptick in donations ... and with the help of people like Brittany, those donations are bound to pour in all over the U.S., as the 17th approaches.

Brittany says it's super simple to "be more like Betty" ... folks can volunteer, adopt, foster or find any other way to get involved.

Prince and everything in his orbit at the time of his death is worth a pretty penny -- at least according to Uncle Sam, who's finally settled on a price tag ... and it's in the 9 digits.

The IRS has come to terms with the administrator of Prince's estate, Comerica Bank & Trust, after years of fighting about what exactly the late artist's pot of assets should be valued at ... and the figure they all landed at stands at $156.4 million -- per the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

This number is one that Prince's heirs -- surviving siblings and/or their families -- have also agreed to, BTW ... and not just that, but the Minnesota Dept. of Revenue also signed off.

Of course, $156M is helluva lot more than what Comerica had initially estimated the estate to be worth ... just $82.3 million, which the IRS pushed back on with ferocity in court -- as they argued it oughta be priced north of $160 mil, a figure that would've made taxes due back to them upon distribution balloon into the tens of millions.

In the end ... it appears the IRS was more right than wrong on their numbers, at least on the face of things. And, indeed, the taxes the estate has to pay out will be significant.

With that said, Comerica reportedly filed docs last week acknowledging the settlement was "fair and reasonable," but also insisted they would've prevailed at a would-be trial if the family wanted to press the issue ... but it seems they wanted this to be over and done with.

Bob Saget wouldn't be the first one in his immediate family to die from a heart attack ... it's what killed 3 of his uncles.

In Bob's book, "Dirty Daddy: The Chronicles of a Family Man Turned Filthy Comedian," he references that 3 of his uncles died from a heart attack between the ages of 37 and 41.

When Bob was 8, his Uncle Ozzie died at 40 from a heart attack while chasing some kids down the block after they stole a tire.

Tragedy struck again the following year ... Bob lost his Uncle Manny to a double heart attack.

Then, when Bob was 15, he says his Uncle Sammy died at 37 of a heart attack suffered while playing tennis.

Bob also notes his own dad suffered a massive heart attack when he was a kid ... then had another heart attack just 6 months later.

Bob Saget's widow, Kelly Rizzo, is speaking out for the first time since her husband's death -- and her tribute to him is both heartbreaking and touching.

Kelly took to IG Saturday with a lengthy statement, which was attached to a photo of her and Bob. She writes, "My sweet husband. After much reflection this week, I'm trying, really trying, to not think I was robbed of time. But instead to think: How lucky was I that I got to be the one to be married to THE MOST INCREDIBLE MAN ON EARTH."

She goes on to explain how in love with him she was, and how he deserves every ounce of credit and adulation he's getting in the wake of his death, 'cause he was that great of a guy.

KR adds, "Most importantly. I have no regrets. We loved each other so damn much and told each other 500 times every day. Constantly. I know how much he loved me until the very last moment and he knew the same. I'm so grateful for that. Not everyone gets that."

She continues to explain how much she appreciates everyone reaching out with love and support, explaining ... "Bob had so much more he wanted to do and so much more love to give. And to the best of my ability it will be my mission to share how amazing he was with the world, and try in some small way to keep spreading his message of love and laughter."

Kelly also made sure to shout out his passion for Scleroderma research, a disease he was fighting to eradicate ... this after his sister succumbed to it and died.

We thought you'd like to see this homage to Bob Saget -- because it's awesome!!!

It's a video from way back -- 2006 -- in which Jamie Kennedy and Stuart Stone are rapping that Bob is the king of Hollywood, and it's hysterical. It's called "Rollin' With Saget."

Bob is front and center in the music vid, as he muscles his way into a club with his pals, even showing security at the door who's boss.

A Paris Hilton lookalike joins in, and, get this, George Lucas is there! We're told George just happened to be shooting something in an adjacent sound stage, came over to see what's up and ended up appearing in the video.

Bob draws a gaggle of beautiful women in the club, before he and his buds jump in their SUV for a trip back to Malibu.

It's just another example of how beloved Bob was in life and in death. As we reported, hundreds of people showed up for his funeral, including Dave Chappelle, John Stamos, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen and many others from "Full House."

The pallbearers were John Mayer, John Stamos, Norman Lear, Dave Coulier, Jeff Ross, Judd Apatow, Ted Sarandos and Steve Hale.

Others who turned out ... Jodie Sweetin, Candace Cameron Bure, Kathy Griffin, Chris Rock, Seth Green, among many more.

Bob Saget was a reservoir of goodwill, and it showed Friday at his funeral, where so many people wanted to attend that the cemetery staff had to bring out folding chairs to handle the overflow.

As we reported, Bob's funeral is being held at Mt. Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery in the Hollywood Hills. We were told earlier today the service would be small -- around 50 people -- but turns out it's way bigger. At least 300 people were there to pay their respects.

The pallbearers were John Mayer, John Stamos, Norman Lear, Dave Coulier, Jeff Ross, Ted Sarandos and Steve Hale.

Others who turned out ... Jodie Sweetin, Candace Cameron Bure, Dave Chappelle, Kathy Griffin, Chris Rock, Seth Green, Judd Apatow, among many more.

Of course, Bob's family was there, along with so many friends whose lives Bob touched.

There was a gaggle of expensive cars outside the chapel, and the photos paint a picture of grief in the wake of Bob's death.

Former Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Junior Siavii was found dead in a Kansas prison on Thursday as he was awaiting trial ... officials said Friday.

He was 43 years old.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Bureau of Prisons told the Kansas City Star that Siavii was discovered unresponsive at a federal prison in Leavenworth on Thursday afternoon.

The spokesperson said Siavii was taken to a nearby medical facility where he was pronounced dead.

Further details surrounding the death are unclear ... though The Star did report that the spokesperson said no other staffers or inmates were injured.

Siavii -- real name Saousoalii Siavii -- was being held at the prison after he was hit with multiple criminal charges in 2019.

Federal prosecutors say the former football player was a part of a large conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. They also allege, among other things, that he illegally had firearms on his person during a wild arrest back in August 2019.

Siavii was picked in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft out of Oregon by the Kansas City Chiefs ... and he later went on to play in 16 games for the Dallas Cowboys in 2009.

He spent one season with the Seahawks in 2010, before his career NFL ended in 2011.

Bob Saget will be laid to rest Friday ... and his family and some of his closest friends will be on hand ... TMZ has learned.

The service and burial will be held at Mt. Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery in L.A. We're told it will be a small service, with only family and close friends.

We're told there will be a reception at Jeff Franklin's house ... Jeff is the creator of "Full House."

Bob was Jewish and in the Jewish religion a service and burial quickly follows death.

We're told there will be a larger memorial to follow, though a date has not been picked.

Clint Arlis, one of the contestants on Season 11 of "The Bachelorette," has died.

Clint's sister, Taylor, broke the news ... "It is with great sadness, to tell you that my family has lost my best friend and older brother Clint on the morning of January 11th. Please respect our family's privacy as we try to cope with this great loss."

Taylor did not provide information on the cause of death. She said they'll be sharing details on the service.

The 34-year-old had his own slogan on the show -- "Villians gotta vill."

Nick Viall competed against Clint on the show and reminisced, calling Clint "very kind," adding, "Just heard about the passing of Clint Arlis. I got a chance to get to know Clint a little after our time on Kaitlyn's season and I always enjoy [our] time and conversations."

Clint was an architectural engineer. He lived in Chicago.

Clint was 34.