Celebrity Death

Meat Loaf would stick to the old adage of the show must go on, and Caleb Johnson -- who sings in the late rocker's band -- says that's exactly what the Neverland Express plans to do.

The season 13 'American Idol' champ is doing his best to fill Meat's shoes on the BAT tour, and he tells TMZ ... he's confident the boss wouldn't want them to quit just because he's no longer here.

Instead, Caleb says Meat Loaf's band will keep plugging along with their Music of Meat Loaf shows ... and they're planning some tributes to the man behind the music.

Caleb got Meat Loaf's blessing a few years back to become the lead singer for Neverland Express ... and they've been touring since 2018, with Meat Loaf even joining them on stage last year during a show in Nashville.

As you know ... Meat Loaf died Thursday night after falling critically ill with COVID.

It's a sad moment for the rock world, but Caleb says the band plans to take the stage for its next scheduled show Feb. 4 in Uncasville, CT ... because that's what Meat Loaf would have wanted.

Still, Caleb admits he will be feeling the pressure to keep Meat's legacy alive ... explaining why it's so hard to sing the man's famous rock tunes.

Meat Loaf deserves a heap of honors, so a very famous pizza joint is heaping a ton of meatloaf on its pies to celebrate the singer/actor's life.

Mulberry Pizza in Bev Hills -- owned by Richie Palmer (ex-hubby of Raquel Welch) -- is making a special pizza Monday to honor Meat Loaf.

Richie is a huge Meat Loaf fan -- his jam is "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" -- and he tells us it's the least he can do.

The pie looks delish -- it's got meatloaf, of course, basil, cheese and some spices.

Richie put a sign outside one of his Bev Hills locations that says, "Monday in honor of Meat Loaf, meatloaf pizza slice! RIP."

Steroids contributed to the shocking and sudden death of bodybuilder George Peterson ... autopsy results, obtained by TMZ Sports, revealed.

In the documents, officials say Peterson died due to "sudden cardiac dysrhythmia due to hypertensive cardiovascular disease." They note in the docs that "anabolic steroid use" was a contributing factor.

Officials ruled the manner of death as "natural."

He was just 37 years old.

As we previously reported, Peterson -- aka "Da Bull" -- was found dead in October in Orlando ... just before he was set to compete in a top bodybuilding competition.

His coach and close friend Justin Miller said at the time Peterson was in great spirits just before his death, saying the bodybuilder was pumped for the show.

But, tragically, Miller said he found Peterson face down on the floor of his hotel room before the bodybuilder was able to compete. Medical personnel was unable to save him, Miller said.

Peterson was a star on the bodybuilding circuit ... he won the Classic Physique competition at the 2019 Arnold Classic and competed in the Olympia four times.

Byron Allen says losing Louie Anderson so closely on the heels of Bob Saget's death is a tremendous gut punch to comedians ... who were more like family than co-workers.

The TV mogul, who bonded with Louie over several decades, joined us on "TMZ Live" to take us behind the scenes of their most recent gig together ... the Byron-produced game show, "Funny You Should Ask."

Byron says Louie lived to make everyone laugh -- even when cameras weren't rolling -- and always preached kindness above all else.

There was one thing that especially stood out for Byron, though... he says every time they wrapped up their show, Louie would give him a hug and say "I love you. He would say goodbye to us as if it was the last time we were going to see him."

As we reported, Anderson died Friday morning after battling lymphoma -- and Byron explained why we've heard so many celebs -- especially comedians -- gushing about Louie and Bob.

He told us they're a tight-knit group, really a family, because they all came up together -- more than 40 years ago -- when no one knew their names.

To celebrate her 100th birthday, Betty White's sent a final message, thanking fans for all their love and support over the years.

The video was supposed to go out on Jan 17, which would've been Betty's 100th bday. BW used the opportunity to thank fans for all the money and donations raised for animals through the #BettyWhiteChallenge. In the post, the beloved actress sits in a chair and shares her last words of love and gratitude.

The posthumous post says she would never have imagined such an outpouring of love, and she would be extremely grateful to everyone ... if she were here to see it. The post ended by saying "I think it’s appropriate to post today as a thanks from Betty and the animals."

TMZ broke the story ... the adored actress and comedian died at her home just weeks before her birthday ... she had the longest-running career of any woman in television.

Louie Anderson's death has one of his comedy peers remembering what's now an incredibly poignant moment ... when Louie and Bob Saget came together with their friend Gilbert Gottfried.

All 3 comedians posed together in a photo Gilbert posted Friday morning ... reacting to the loss of both men in such a short period. Gilbert said, "This photo is very sad now. RIP Bob Saget and RIP Louie Anderson. Both good friends that will be missed."

It's unclear where and when they snapped the shot -- which shows Bob holding up a phone to take a selfie with his pals. Very meta.

As we reported, Louie passed away Friday morning in Las Vegas, where he'd been battling lymphoma. Bob died on Jan. 9 in his Orlando hotel room ... a few hours after doing standup in Jacksonville.

Louie actually appeared on Bob's podcast last May, and they shared some old stories from their gigs at L.A.'s legendary venue, The Comedy Store.

Iconic comedian Louie Anderson has died, after a battle with blood cancer ... TMZ has learned.

As we previously reported, Anderson had been battling this aggressive cancer. And, while it's not clear when he was diagnosed, the "Coming to America" star was recently being treated for Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in a Vegas hospital.

Unfortunately, he lost that battle Friday morning ... according to his publicist.

Throughout his career of over 30 years, the 3-time Emmy Award winner became known as one of America's most beloved comics ... He was named “One of 100 Greatest Stand-Up Comedians of All Time” by Comedy Central.

Louie made his network debut as a stand-up comedian on "The Tonight Show" back in 1984. And since then, he has become a household name, acting in lots of TV shows and movies ... like "Baskets" and "Coming to America" to name a few.

Louie also made a name for himself, by touring and doing his own specials and sitcoms. He was shown to turn the ups and downs of his childhood into laughter.

Just last year, Anderson made headlines when he opened up about his weight loss journey and losing 30 to 40 pounds during the pandemic ... which, he says was a result of intermittent fasting.

Louie continued to tour worldwide before being hospitalized ... doing what he does best, making others laugh. His legacy will surely live on.

He was 68.

Meat Loaf -- the singer with some monstrous hits -- has died at the age of 74.

The singer's manager, Michael Greene, confirmed Meat Loaf died Thursday night. Sources with knowledge tell TMZ ... he was supposed to attend a business dinner earlier this week for a show he's working on -- "I'd Do Anything for Love" -- but the dinner was canceled because he became seriously ill with COVID. Sources tell us that his condition quickly became critical.

Our sources say Meat Loaf has been outspoken about COVID, railing with folks in Australia recently about vaccine mandates. We do not know if he was vaccinated.

Greene added that Meat Loaf's wife and 2 daughters were by his side when he passed away.

Meat Loaf was one of the greatest rock singers of all time. His 1977 "Bat Out of Hell" album sold an astounding 65 million copies. That album produced several hits, including "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad," which charted at #11 on Billboard.

Meat Loaf followed up with a sequel years later -- "Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell" - which produced a number 1 hit, "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)." He won a Grammy for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance.

Meat Loaf also appeared in a ton of movies and TV shows, including "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," "Spice World: The Movie" and "Fight Club" He also performed in the musical "Hair," both on and off-Broadway.

His real name was Marvin Lee Aday. As for how he acquired the name of a delicious meal ... his football coach named him Meat Loaf because of his weight. His first band was called Meat Loaf Soul.

Now get this ... his first album was a duet with a singer named Stoney and it was released on Motown.

Meat Loaf appeared on "TMZ Live" back in 2014, promoting his new show in Vegas.

We last got Meat Loaf in NYC back in 2019, where he told us why his stage name should appeal to vegetarians and vegans alike.

Kelly Rizzo has no regrets about what she and Bob Saget discussed very shortly before he passed away in an Orlando hotel room, and says their final chat was totally representative of Bob's entire life.

Bob's widow told Hoda Kotb on "Today" she felt she'd finally reached a point where she was all cried out about her husband's sudden death -- and yet, moments later she broke down talking about how deeply Bob loved her and everyone in his life.

Kelly sobbed as she recalled his routine during road trips -- "Every time he would be out of town he would always try to ... he would work so hard, and he loved to sleep in, but when he was away, he would still go to bed at 2 and wake up at 4" to ensure he could get home on the first flight.

As we've reported, that's exactly what Bob intended to do after checking into the Ritz-Carlton around 2 AM on January 9. He was scheduled to fly home to Kelly early that Sunday, but when Kelly didn't hear from him, she notified the hotel ... and a staffer found him unresponsive around 4 PM.

We know Bob had spoken to Kelly after his final show, Saturday night in Jacksonville. She says, "It was all 'I love you so much.' I think I said, 'I love you dearly,' and then he said, 'I love you endlessly,' and then I said, 'I can't wait to see you tomorrow.' It was just all love."

Kelly told Hoda that final convo is pretty much how they always spoke to each other -- she says Bob was all about loving the people in his life, and letting them know about it.

In fact, she says she marveled at how he found the time to talk to everyone and tell everybody that he loved them ... all the time. When you see Kelly talking about Bob and how deeply he cared about his friends, it's easy to understand the outpouring of love we've seen for him since his death.

The creator of "Full House" is selling his house for a fortune ... and it's got a lot of history to it.

Real estate sources tell TMZ ... sitcom creator Jeff Franklin is moving on and is inviting buyers who are interested to make an offer ... buyers, that is, who have $85 mil to spend.

The house sits on the land where the Manson Family slaughtered Sharon Tate, Abigail Folger, Steven Parent, Wojciech Frykowski and Jay Sebring back in 1969. The house was razed in 1994 and a new mansion was built in its place.

There's more recent history ... Jeff hosted the reception at his home for Bob Saget's family after his funeral last week.

The home is 21,000-square feet with 9 bedrooms and 19 bathrooms and sits on 3-acres, with a jetliner view of the city.

The modern estate is decked out with a movie theater, spa, gym, hair salon, billiards room and a bar ... and the backyard features a 75-yard pool with 3 waterfalls, 2 Jacuzzis, a 35-foot water slide, swim-up bar, private grotto, koi pond, lazy river, cabana, BBQ area and fire pits.

Oh and we didn't mention the detached guest house and an underground garage with room for 16 cars.

The highly-anticipated Nike X Louis Vuitton "Air Force 1" shoes -- which were created by the late fashion designer Virgil Abloh -- are hitting the auction block ... and for a good cause.

Sotheby's is auctioning 200 pairs of the limited-edition sneaker -- created by Virgil for the Louis Vuitton Spring-Summer 2022 collection -- in an exclusive colorway.

The auction marks the first-ever release of the Louis Vuitton and Nike Air Force 1 ... which Abloh worked on before he passed away.

Each pair -- ranging in sizes 5-18 -- will be sold with an orange Taurillon Monogram leather Louis Vuitton pilot case ... which is exclusive to this specific auction.

Of course, the Nike Air Force 1 sneaker -- which was designed in 1982 -- is one of the most iconic sneakers ever ... with cultural relevance especially in major cities like New York.

The collab between the fashion icon and sneaker conglomerate Nike makes this particular sneaker one of the most coveted items on the market ... and a unique moment in fashion history.

The online sale will run through Feb. 9 ... and proceeds from the auction will benefit Abloh's "Post-Modern" Scholarship Fund.

Tanya Roberts home has officially hit the market ... almost a year to the day of the actress' untimely death.

The 4 bedroom 3.5 bath home is listed at $2.999 million and tucked away in Hollywood Hills. The pad has plenty to offer in the views department, with a good look at both the canyon and DTLA.

Tanya used to totally zen-out on the property's 1.15 acres -- complete with a bridge and koi pond -- and there are hiking trails nearby, where she used to take her dogs daily.

Mark Cianciulli from The CREM Group has the listing.

Tanya died unexpectedly on January 4, 2021, after first collapsing at the home. We were told doctors believed a UTI that spread into her bloodstream is what caused the medical complications that eventually killed her.

Gaspard Ulliel -- a well-known French actor and face of Chanel -- has died ... this according to his agent.

The sad news comes after word of Ulliel's involvement in a serious skiing accident in the Alps Tuesday, which left him hospitalized in Grenoble. He's said to have collided with another skier on the slopes, and suffered a devastating blow to his skull ... needing a helicopter transport.

While Ulliel was a bona fide star in his homeland, he was pretty prominent here in the States as well ... especially among horror fans, who might recognize him as a young Hannibal Lecter in the 2007 flick 'Hannibal Rising.'

He's also notable for portraying fashion mogul Yves Saint Laurent in the biopic 'Saint Laurent,' as well as for roles over the years in projects like 'A Very Long Engagement,' 'It's Only the End of the World,' 'The Art of Love,' 'The Dancer' 'Twice Upon a Time,' 'One Nation One King' ... and many other films and TV shows, a majority of which were French.

Ulliel was also on the come-up in the Marvel world ... he's reportedly set to play the big bad guy in the upcoming 'Moon Knight' series opposite Oscar Isaac, which is currently in post-production. In addition to his on-camera work, Ulliel dabbled in the fashion and fragrance world too -- he's been the face of a men's Chanel commercial, plugging Bleu de Chanel.

He's survived by his partner, Gaëlle Piétri, and one child. Ulliel was 37.

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.