Celebrity Death

Taylor Hawkins fans and childhood friends are remembering him in his SoCal hometown with a pretty fitting tribute on the same beach where he loved to surf.

Several dozen people formed a drum circle in the sand Thursday night in Laguna Beach, the scenic town where he grew up, and later bought a beachfront home.

The drummers, with some acoustic guitarists sprinkled in too, all gathered on Aliso Beach Park ... which locals noted was one of Taylor's fave spots to catch waves.

The Foo Fighters drummer had reconnected with some of his high school pals when he moved back into the area. Although he'd gained worldwide fame, and even been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last year ... his friends say Taylor never gave off rock star energy when he was there.

As we reported, Taylor was found dead last Friday in his hotel room in Bogota, Colombia ... where Foo was scheduled to play. They'd been headlining festival shows across South America.

Paul Walker's sunglasses from his fatal car crash are changing hands ... and Zak Bagans wants to get them back to the late actor's family.

The "Ghost Adventures" star tells TMZ ... earlier this year he bought the infamous pair of Maui Jim sunglasses recovered from Paul's crash site, but he doesn't feel comfortable displaying them at his Haunted Museum in Las Vegas.

Instead, Zak tells us he'd like to return the shades, worn by Paul at the time of the crash, to the Walker family for free ... and he's planning to reach out to the family directly.

You'll recall ... Paul died in a fiery car crash back in November 2013 and there was a ton of outrage when the sunglasses went up for auction in 2014 for $15,000. A man who was at the crash site allegedly found them in the bushes once the wreckage was cleared.

The man who found the glasses says shortly after the crash he tried getting in touch with Paul's family but never heard back. He then put the sunglasses up for auction, but after lots of backlash ... they never sold. The owner of the auction reached out to Zak earlier this year and Zak bought them from him.

If for some reason the Walkers don't want the sunglasses, Zak says he would seek the family's permission to display them in a new memorial exhibit at his museum.

Zak's already displaying different artifacts connected to dead celebs ... including a piece of the James Dean death car, Sharon Tate's wedding dress and a Patrick Swayze tooth ... but he says he would create a special display just for Paul, if it gets to that point.

Tom Parker from The Wanted is dead after a battle with brain cancer.

Tom, who was diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma back in October 2020, died Wednesday with his family by his side ... according to his wife, Kelsey.

Kelsey says Tom fought to the end, sharing, "Our hearts are broken, Tom was the centre of our world and we can't imagine life without his infectious smile and energetic presence. We are truly thankful for the outpouring of love and support and ask that we all unite to ensure Tom's light continues to shine for his beautiful children."

As we reported ... Tom was recently confined to a wheelchair while undergoing cancer treatments at a clinic in Spain, which specializes in his particular type of brain cancer.

Tom got treatments for 3 weeks and was able to rejoin the band in February for an emotional reunion, also appearing on stage at a U.K. concert and performing from a gold throne.

Born and raised in Bolton, England, Tom learned to play the guitar when he was 16 years old ... eventually dropping out of school to pursue his singing career before joining The Wanted way back in 2009.

Tom is survived by Kelsey and their two children, 2-year-old Aurelia and 1-year-old Bodhi.

He was only 33.

Kareem Jackson is honoring his friend Demaryius Thomas in a awesome way -- by getting a portrait tattoo of the former Broncos star.

The Broncos safety and Thomas go way back ... the two NFL players grew up in the same area in Georgia and played for the same team at different times.

So, when Thomas unexpectedly passed away last December, Jackson was devastated ... saying at the time, "I'm still having a hard time accepting this one."

Now, Jackson is keeping Thomas' memory permanently alive with some new ink earlier this week.

The 33-year-old shared the tat on his leg (we think) via Instagram ... a detailed image of Thomas smiling with the words "One Love" above it.

"Your legacy will forever live on through all the lives of those you touched over the years on and off the field," Jackson said after Thomas' death.

"We love you and will miss you brother! Till we meet again Rest easy King!!"

As we previously reported, Thomas was found dead in a shower at his Roswell, GA residence after police responded to 911 calls for a cardiac arrest. Demaryius was only 33-years-old.

The remains of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins have arrived in L.A. on the bands private plane, and the emotions from the group are palpable.

The plain-black casket was loaded onto the chartered 757 jet Tuesday at the El Dorado Airport in Bogota, Colombia ... he arrived at LAX later the same day.

Officials in Colombia released the body Sunday after an autopsy was completed. As we reported, authorities said just a day after Hawkins' death he had 10 substances in his system ... including opioids, tricyclic antidepressants, and benzodiazepines.

Hawkins was found dead in his hotel room in Bogota Friday, the same day the Foo Fighters were supposed to headline Stereo Picnic Festival in Colombia.

The band broke the news to fans, saying, "The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins. His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever."

"The Sopranos" actor Paul Herman has died ... and on his 76th birthday, no less.

Paul's former "Sopranos" castmate, Michael Imperioli, confirmed his death in an Instagram post calling Paul a great dude and "one hell of an actor".

He continued ... “Paulie lived around the corner from me the last few years and I am glad we got to spend some time together before he left us. I’ll miss him. Lots of love to his family, friends and community of actors and filmmakers.”

No cause of death has been disclosed yet.

Paul was well-known for his role as Peter "Beansie" Gaeta, who was a drug dealer turned Pizza shop owner on the HBO hit drama.

Herman will also be remembered for his notable roles in many other films, including "The Irishman" and "Goodfellas" ... clearly he was in with Martin Scorsese.

He also starred in "Silver Linings Playbook" and "American Hustle" ... both directed by David O. Russell.

Aside from all his big acting gigs, Paul and his brother Charlie ran a popular cafe in Manhattan that was frequented by actors, gangsters, dancers and even FBI agents in the '90s.

Paul was 76.

The show will not go on for the Foo Fighters after Taylor Hawkins' death ... not for now, at least.

The band just announced it's pulling the plug on its current tour, saying ... "It is with great sadness that Foo Fighters confirm the cancellation of all upcoming tour dates in light of the staggering loss of our brother Taylor Hawkins. We're sorry for and share in the disappointment that we won't be seeing one another as planned."

The band had more than 50 shows scheduled for the rest of 2022 -- with dates through The United States, Canada, France, The UK, Australia and others.

The announcement comes 5 days after Taylor was found dead in his Bogota, Colombia hotel room. Dave Grohl and co. had been touring South America, headlining several Lollapalooza festivals around the continent.

As we reported, they returned to L.A. over the weekend ... when they'd been scheduled to play Lollapalooza Brazil. We didn't know when, or if, they'd feel ready to return to the road, but they're putting an end to any speculation.

The band says this isn't the time to worry about their next concert ... "Instead, let's take this time to grieve, to heal, to pull our loved ones close, and to appreciate all the music and memories we've made together."

Dave Grohl and his band returned to L.A. from Bogota ... after the sudden death of their drummer and beloved friend, Taylor Hawkins.

Dave, along with Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett, Rami Jaffee, Samantha Sidley and crew were visibly emotional after touching down. Dave hugged a man who looks like their manager, John Silva.

As we reported, Taylor was found dead in a hotel room Friday ... the group was in San Paulo to play Lollapalooza Sunday. Based on preliminary findings, it appears Taylor may have OD'd on 10 different drugs, including opioids.

Among the drugs in his system .... Tricyclic, antidepressants and benzodiazepines. An official cause of death has not been determined.

Less than a week before he died, Grohl told a massive crowd at Lollapalooza Argentina in Buenos Aires how incredible Taylor was ... best drummer in the biz, Dave bragged. He then had Taylor come center stage to both sing and show off his fly outfit.

The death of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins is a huge loss in the music industry, but it's personal for Dave Grohl and the other band members, and that was more than evident by this video shot less than a week before Taylor died.

The vid was shot March 20, at Lollapalooza Argentina in Buenos Aires. The scene is incredible ... thousands of fans -- as far as the eye can see -- packed into the Hipodromo de San Isidro to watch the Foo Fighters' 2-hour performance.

Dave spends some time telling the crowd how awesome Taylor is ... right down to his fancy pants.  He then invites his drummer -- whom Dave calls the best in the music biz -- front and center to sing. But, before he does, Taylor clearly shows his affection for Grohl.

As we reported, the Foo Fighters were supposed to wrap up the South American leg of their tour Sunday in Sao Paulo, but on Friday Taylor was found dead in a hotel room.

The early evidence, according to authorities in Colombia, is that Taylor may have OD'd ... they say 10 different substances were found in his system, including opioids, tricyclic, antidepressants and benzodiazepines.

The investigation is ongoing, but it appears drugs were a factor.

Some early clues have surfaced in the death investigation into what killed Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins ... investigators say tests show drugs were in his system.

In a release from the Attorney General's Office in Bogotá, Colombia, officials say a toxicology test taken from Hawkin's urine revealed 10 different substances -- including opioids, tricyclic antidepressants and benzodiazepines.

Investigators say they will continue to work on Hawkins' case ... but obviously, the drug test is telling.

As we reported, Hawkins -- who first found fame as the drummer for Alanis Morissette -- before joining Foo and even starting his own band, was found dead Friday in a hotel room.

A post from the Foo Fighters read, "The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins. His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever."

Hawkins, Dave Grohl and other members of the band were in Colombia for several shows at the time of his death.

Taylor was open about his previous struggles with substance abuse, surviving a heroin OD back in 2001.

Taylor Hawkins, the drummer for the Foo Fighters, Alanis Morissette and his own band, is dead.

The Foo Fighters announced his death with a post that reads, in part, "The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins. His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever."

The band is in Bogota, Colombia where they were scheduled to play Friday ... and that is reportedly where Taylor died. So far, there are no further details about where or how he passed away.

Taylor's last performance was at Lalapalooza in Argentina this month. He did not appear to have any health issues while rocking the set.

Taylor had substance abuse issues in the past, and actually survived a 2001 heroin overdose.

Along with Dave Grohl, Taylor was the most recognizable face of the Foo Fighters, which he joined in 1997. Just last year, he and the group were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Prior to joining FF, he'd been the touring drummer for Alanis and also for Sass Jordan.

As the band noted, Taylor was such a cool outgoing guy -- with fans, and even the media. The last time we got him out was last September in NYC, where he was having some fun with autograph seekers and his bandmates.

While he's remained with FF, Taylor also started his own side project ... a band called Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders.

Taylor and his wife Alison have 3 children -- son Oliver Shane and daughters Annabelle and Everleigh. The band's statement adds, "Our hearts go out to his wife, children and family."

Taylor and his Foo Fighter bandmates were supposed to headline Lollapalooza Brazil on Sunday night. Obviously, that gig is now up in the air.

Taylor was 50.

RIP

Bob Saget's fans will finally be able to see the touching, and sometimes hilarious, tribute his close friends put together for him -- and the list of celebs who memorialized him is seriously impressive.

Mike Binder, one of Bob's best friends, was the brains behind January's event at The Comedy Store in West Hollywood, and he says it's coming to Netflix in June.

Mike made the announcement on the Dystopia Tonight! with John Poveromo podcast, and says he hooked Netflix when he showed a video of the star-studded event to the platform's head of comedy.

It's pretty easy to see why they decided to buy it as a stand-alone special. Mike shared one clip featuring Jim Carrey, Chris Rock, John Stamos, Jeff Ross and John Mayer.

The guys were jamming a bluesy tribute, and you gotta see the punchline Rock dropped!

There were only a limited number of Comedy Store tickets made available to the public, so very few fans have seen this ... another reason Netflix locked it up.

Mike says Carrey's appearance, in particular, is pretty special because these days he frequents The Store ... but usually just hangs backstage.

Cheslie Kryst's suicide is changing the way the Miss USA pageant supports contestants ... and there's a new emphasis on mental health.

Contestants who are currently competing are now getting access to mental health workshops ... Crystle Stewart, Prez of the Miss USA org tells TMZ.

There's lots of mental stress that goes into the Miss USA pageants, which Crystle says can lead to anxiety and depression ... and the new workshops pair the contestants with psychiatrists and mental health experts.

Crystle says it's all being done through her organization, the Crystle Stewart Foundation, and she says the workshops will help the ladies prepare to be on stage and in the public eye, teach them coping mechanisms for when they feel anxious or overwhelmed, and show them how to avoid a state of depression if they don't win.

It's interesting ... Crystle says the mental health services will be just as important for winners as for those who don't take home the crown. She says the Miss USA winners almost have more stress, because they're immediately uprooted to Los Angeles, thrown into the Miss Universe competition and become overnight celebrities ... all of which require tons of mental prep.

It could be a life-saving addition to the Miss USA operation ... as we reported, Cheslie died by suicide earlier this year, and her mom said the 2019 Miss USA champion suffered from depression.

Crystle says Cheslie's death struck the pageant world really hard, and made her speed up the process to provide contestants with mental health resources.

Bob Saget's friends and family say he was his normal, happy and joking self in the days leading up to his death ... and allegations he was complaining about being sick with long-term COVID before his last show just don't add up.

We spoke with one of Bob's best friends, who was in touch with the comedian almost daily, and tells us Saget never mentioned feeling off or that he was still battling the after-effects of COVID. Not only that, we're told the friend, who saw Bob regularly, said he never exhibited symptoms of being sick either.

Not only that -- the Saget family attorney tells us Bob's wife, Kelly Rizzo, spoke to Bob the day he died -- and he never mentioned being sick or having hearing issues.

Of course, this goes against what the showrunner at the venue where Bob last performed told investigators in an interview after his death. The woman claimed Bob had mentioned he hadn't been feeling well -- battling the after-effects of COVID-19, including hearing issues and a sore throat.

There was also the valet driver at The Ritz where Bob died, who told investigators he was in good spirits, didn't appear to have suffered any head trauma, and kept his balance without issue. A photo the valet took with Bob showed him to be perfectly fine as well.

Bob Saget was not feeling well the night he went into his hotel room and ended up dying -- at least that's what one of the last people to speak with him is claiming.

A showrunner who works at the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall -- where Bob's last show took place before he booked it to Orlando that fateful night -- told investigators Bob had disclosed to her and other stage crew that he wasn't well health-wise preshow.

The woman, whose name is Rosalie Cocci, said Bob had told them he was battling long-term COVID, and it had taken a toll on his body.

As far as what he was dealing with specifically ... the woman told cops Bob mentioned his hearing was off and he was constantly asking them to turn everything up.

In addition to hearing trouble, Cocci went on to explain Bob had said he was sick the day before, and his throat was sore ... she added he seemed to be "talking himself up" to get ready for his stand-up performance ... which he ultimately did.

In the end, Cocci says she and the crew were surprised he knocked it out of the park when push came to shove -- despite his earlier complaints, they say he didn't miss a beat and put on a great show, as if nothing was wrong.

If it's true that his hearing was off, that could cause balance issues ... it's unclear what exactly caused Bob's fatal brain bleed ... but a problem with balance could result in a fall or misjudging distance.

Now Bob's family tells TMZ, they don't believe he had long-term COVID, because he had only come down with the virus 2 weeks earlier and he never complained of hearing problems.

As you know, the authorities have said Bob bumped his head somehow while he was in his hotel room later that night -- and ended up dying as a result of a major brain bleed.

Madeleine Albright, the first woman to serve as U.S. Secretary of State, is dead after battling cancer.

Sec. Albright's daughter, Anne, says her mother passed away surrounded by family and friends. The statement announcing her passing says, "We have lost a loving mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend,” as well as a “tireless champion of democracy and human rights.”

President Bill Clinton selected Madeleine to be his Sec. of State in 1997. He'd previously named her U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations in 1993.

Albright famously helped guide American foreign policy in the wake of the Soviet Union's fall and the Cold War.

During that key moment in history, Albright championed the expansion of NATO, pushed for U.S. intervention in the Balkans to stop ethnic cleansing and the  championed the reduction of nuclear weapons around the world.

Interestingly, her passing comes just as the U.S. weighs the matter of intervention in Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Albright coined the term "assertive multilateralism" to describe the Clinton administration's foreign policy.

She boldly declared the U.S. was an "indispensable nation" when it comes to defending democracies across the globe. She told NBC News in 1998, "I know that the American men and women in uniform are always prepared to sacrifice for freedom, democracy and the American way of life."

Albright had a very personal connection to the horrors of fascism, having been born to a father who was forced to flee his homeland of Czechoslovakia when the Nazis invaded in 1939. Her family emigrated to the U.S. in 1948.

President Barack Obama awarded her the Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian honor.

Albright is survived by her brother and sister, 3 daughters and 6 grandchildren.

She was 84.