Celebrity Death

Peyton Manning is helping Demaryius Thomas' legacy live on at Georgia Tech -- the Hall of Famer just announced he's establishing a scholarship program at GT ... all to benefit the hometown of his late friend and teammate.

The Broncos legend shared the news on Wednesday ... saying his family's PeyBack Foundation is partnering up with DT's alma mater to launch the Demaryius A. Thomas Scholarship Endowment.

"An important part of Demaryius' legacy was the way he inspired the next generation to pursue their dreams with the same perseverance and determination that defined him," Manning said.

The scholarships (full and partial) will be for students in Laurens County, Georgia -- where DT was born and raised -- who plan on attending Georgia Tech.

To be eligible, students must have a 3.2 or higher GPA in high school ... and involvement with community service. The scholarship covers students until they graduate -- as long as they maintain good grades.

"Through this scholarship to Georgia Tech, Demaryius will have a lasting impact on deserving youth from his hometown area who can follow in his footsteps and accomplish great things in life."

Manning and Thomas were teammates on the Denver Broncos from 2012 to 2015 ... and won Super Bowl XLI.

"Demaryius Thomas was an incredibly talented and unselfish teammate but more important, he was a special person and friend."

As we previously reported, Thomas was tragically found dead after going into "cardiac arrest" at his Georgia home last December.

Betty White's L.A. home is on the market, and her estate could be millions richer for it.

Betty's 3,029 square foot home in Brentwood, CA is listed for $10.575M. It has some great views of the famed Getty Museum ... with a massive backyard outfitted with the obligatory SoCal swimming pool.

Betty spent many years here -- she moved there in 1968. She lived there with husband Allen Ludden because it was central to a bunch of studios on the Westside of L.A. Betty stayed put after Allen died in 1981 ... in fact, she lived there until she died in the home last New Year's Eve.

There's also a guest house, where Betty and Allen enjoyed playing charades with friends like Jimmy and Gloria Stewart, Dinah Shore and Burt Reynolds.

If you're a lookie-loo, don't bother ... the only people who can tour the home are prequalified buyers and will be given no interior access to the home.

As we reported, a buyer has already laid claim to Betty's home in Carmel, CA, where Betty also spent lots of time. That house is incredible, with views of the famed Monterey Peninsula. It was listed at $7.9 mil, and a bidding war hiked the final price to $10.7 mil.

Betty wanted to live out her final days in the Carmel home, but had to live in the L.A. house for medical reasons.

Andrew Woolfolk -- the longtime saxophonist for Earth, Wind & Fire, and one of the OG members through their historic run -- has sadly died.

The veteran musician, who joined EW&F in 1972, passed away Sunday after battling a long illness he'd been afflicted with for at least six years ... this according to the band's lead (falsetto) singer, Philip Bailey.

PB writes, "I met him in High School, and we quickly became friends and band mates. Andrew Paul Woolfolk was his name. We lost him today."

He goes on to say Woolfolk had transitioned to the 'forever' from the land of the living, reflecting on their great memories and his great talent. Phil adds, "Funny. Competitive. Quick witted. And always styling. Booski…  I’ll see you on the other side, my friend."

Woolfolk was with Earth, Wind & Fire through their most formative and influential years in music -- having contributed to some of their biggest hits, including "September," "Boogie Wonderland," "Reasons," "Let's Groove," "That's the Way of the World," "Sing a Song," "Fantasy," "Shining Star," "After the Love Has Gone," "Devotion" and many more.

He took a break from the band in the late '80s and early '90s -- going on to collab with other artists like Deniece Williams, Phil Collins, Stanley Turrentine and others -- but reunited with the boys thereafter to perform and tour into the 21st century.

He was part of the group that was received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and of course ... was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.

The guy's sax is, no doubt, a huge part of Earth, Wind & Fire's iconic sound ... and considering he was one of just a couple saxophonists in the group -- alongside the iconic work of The Phenix Horns -- he certainly made his presence known in their tunes.

Urban Meyer and Ryan Shazier are among the many coaches, players and friends paying their respects to Dwayne Haskins on Friday ... with those close to the late quarterback attending his memorial service in Pittsburgh.

Haskins' wife, Kalabrya, previously announced the Allegheny Center Alliance Church will be holding a "celebration of Dwayne's life" on Friday for family, friends, coaches and teammates.

Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith, Meyer -- who coached Haskins on the Buckeyes from 2016 to 2018 -- and current head football coach, Ryan Day, all made their way to Pennsylvania for the service.

Shazier -- a former Steeler and Buckeye -- was also spotted at Haskins' memorial walking into the church ... as well as defensive tackle Cam Heyward.

Steelers owner, Art Rooney II, and offensive coordinator, Matt Canada, also arrived to pay respects.

Friday's ceremony is one of several that will be held for the Steelers QB -- on Saturday, Haskins' family will have a memorial at the Christ Church in his native New Jersey ... and on Sunday, there will be a service at his former high school in Potomac, Maryland.

As we previously reported, the Steelers QB was tragically killed after being struck by a dump truck on a highway in Fort Lauderdale Florida on April 9.

The crash report indicates the 24-year-old was hit by two cars and succumbed to his injuries on the scene.

RIP

NHL legend Guy Lafleur -- a Hockey Hall of Famer and five-time Stanley Cup winner -- has died at 70 years old, his sister announced.

The former Montreal Canadiens forward passed away on Friday after battling a myriad of health issues, including lung cancer.

"Guy I love you," Lafleur's sister wrote in a heartbreaking post on social media Friday morning. "You are done suffering we will miss you greatly."

Guy is considered one the greatest hockey players ever -- after being selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1971 draft, Lafleur went on to star for the Canadiens for 14 years.

He made six All-Star teams with Montreal, tallied 518 goals and 728 assists, and helped the Canadiens hoist the Cup five times in the 70s. Lafleur also became the first player ever to score 50 or more goals in six straight seasons in his Canadiens tenure.

"We are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Guy Lafleur," Canadiens president Geoff Molson said. "All members of the Canadiens organization are devastated by his passing. Guy Lafleur had an exceptional career and always remained simple, accessible, and close to the Habs and hockey fans in Quebec, Canada and around the world."

Molson continued, "Throughout his career, he allowed us to experience great moments of collective pride. He was one of the greatest players in our organization while becoming an extraordinary ambassador for our sport."

Lafleur retired following the 1985 season and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame three years later. He eventually came out of retirement to play for the New York Rangers and the Quebec Nordiques following his induction, before leaving the game for good in 1991.

Actor Robert Morse, best known for his work on "Mad Men," has died.

Morse's death was confirmed Wednesday, though his cause of death is currently unknown.

The actor's work on "Mad Men," playing Bertram Cooper for 74 episodes, got him 5 Emmy nominations over its 8 years on the air. Bertram, or Bert, was one of the founding partners of the Sterling Cooper Advertising Agency, where the show takes place.

Always dressed with a bow tie, Bert reluctantly agreed to a merger with British agency Puttnam, Powell, and Lowe ... he would then go on to be a founding partner of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce.

The character would die the night after watching the televised Apollo 11 moon landing ... Bert appeared after his passing in one of Don Draper's visions, played by Jon Hamm.

The Tony and Emmy-award-winning actor left behind a career on both stage and screen, steadily working for 6 decades. He got his start on Broadway in the '60s with a production of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" ... his performance snagged him a Tony for Best Actor in a Musical.

He went on to win another best actor Tony award as Truman Capote in the 1990 play "Tru" ... for which he got an Emmy for Leading Actor in a Limited Series.

After "Mad Men," Morse came back to Broadway, working with Nathan Lane in the 2016 revival of "The Front Page."

Tributes have been pouring, including one from Larry Karaszewski, the VP on the board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, who called Morse "a huge talent and a beautiful spirit."

Broadway composer David Krane also paid tribute, saying "He had those cool, clear eyes of a seeker of wisdom and truth. Wishing that eternal boy eternal peace in his new forever home. He succeeded without really trying."

Morse is survived by his wife Elizabeth Roberts and his 4 children -- Charlie, Robin, Hilary, and Andrea.

He was 90.

"We Ready" rapper, Archie Eversole, was shot in the jaw while he was asleep, shortly before he died from his wounds ... this according to cops.

According to the police report ... Archie told cops someone had kicked open his bedroom door and he was awakened by a gunshot to his face on March 25, but he couldn't see who shot him.

The docs say police then asked if the shooter was still in the home and he nodded his head yes. Cops say they asked if he knew who it was but Eversole wouldn't answer and then he started to fade in and out of consciousness.

As we reported, Archie was rushed to the hospital and died April 3 ... police say his brother, Alexander Krause, was the shooter.

Cops found fresh blood covering the front door and a trail of blood from the stairs to Eversole's room where the blood-spattered door had been busted through ... there was also blood all over the bed, pillows and the wall.

According to the report, Krause initially told cops he was fine and just checking on his brother, although police did notice he had blood on his socks. He also told police he was limping from a blister on his foot.

As we reported, Krause has now been arrested for murder and is in custody in DeKalb County.

Dwayne Haskins' body was hit by two vehicles in the accident that took his life earlier this month ... a crash report, obtained by TMZ Sports, reveals.

In the Florida Highway Patrol documents, investigators say after Haskins was struck by a dump truck in the middle of a Broward County highway in the early morning hours of April 9 -- a Subaru Outback also "partially" hit Haskins' body.

Officials released a diagram of the crash -- showing what they believe were the two points in which the vehicles struck the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback (labeled as NM01 in the image).

In the docs, investigators say a witness told them a third vehicle may have been involved as well.

Officials say Haskins succumbed to his injuries on the scene and was pronounced dead just minutes after being struck.

Investigators say both drivers came to a stop shortly after hitting the football player. They also noted in the docs neither driver was tested for alcohol nor drugs.

Officials in the documents did not reveal why they believed Haskins was walking along the busy highway before being hit -- a final Traffic Homicide Investigation is still pending.

As we reported, Kalabrya Haskins said in a 911 call that Dwayne had said he was on foot in search of gas after his car had stranded him. She said in the frantic call, "I just want somebody to go in the area and see if his car is there and if he's OK and if anything happened to him."

Tom Parker's wife broke down in tears as she said her final public goodbye to her beloved husband ... telling people at his funeral The Wanted singer fought like a warrior during his 18-month cancer battle.

Tom's bandmates, Jay McGuiness, Max George, Siva Kaneswaran and Nathan Sykes were the pallbearers and carried his coffin into the London church.

Tom's widow, Kelsey, led a cortege with 3 black horses before the service ... as hundreds of mourners lined up in the streets for the procession. Fans paid their respects and watched the funeral on big screens outside the church.

Kelsey gave the eulogy, and told the crowd she would raise their 2 kids with the values that were important to Tom. She broke down in tears after saying although she and Tom were together for 13 years, she felt as if they lived 1,000 years together.

As we reported, Tom died last month after a battle with brain cancer. He was diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma back in October 2020.

Tom's friends and bandmates shared heartfelt memories ... including his bandmate Max George, who said he was like a brother.

Jacqueline Avant's murderer has just learned his fate after pleading guilty to the crime -- and he'll be doing some hard time for a good long while.

Aariel Maynor -- who was arrested and subsequently convicted of murdering Mrs. Avant after entering his plea in March -- was sentenced Tuesday in L.A. County ... and the judge threw the book at him, sending him to prison for the rest of his life.

As we reported ... Maynor copped to breaking into Jacqueline and her husband Clarence's Beverly Hills home in December -- and then opened fire with an "assault long barrel pistol" when he came upon Jacqueline, who wasn't with Clarence at the time. Maynor then fled the scene.

Jacqueline was taken to a hospital, but succumbed to her injuries and died.

Photos of the crime surfaced shortly thereafter, and it looks like Maynor broke through a sliding glass door on a side of the property ... leaving behind a ton of shattered glass.

Prosecutors pushed for a lengthy sentence, telling the judge Maynor bragged and joked with his friends about the situation from a jail phone. According to court docs, he also said he expected to serve a max of 25 years because the prosecutors did not file a so-called "special circumstances" murder charge.

Jacqueline was deeply involved in her community, serving as the President of the Neighborhood of Watts, as well as serving on the Board of Directors of UCLA's International Student Center. She was 81.

Clarence, of course, is known as the Godfather of Black music -- having had a hand in a number of classic records and albums throughout the years ... with the likes of Jay-Z, Diddy, L.A. Reid and others singing his praises for his influence in the culture.

Aariel Maynor, the man that shot and killed Jacqueline Avant, bragged to his friends over the phone from jail after murdering the 81-year-old philanthropist ... this according to the prosecutor seeking to lock him up for the rest of his life.

According to court documents, obtained by the Los Angeles Times, Maynor laughed about all the publicity he's been getting to a friend during a jail call ... she didn't think it was funny, telling him he shouldn't be joking about someone's life. He told her it was all over the news, wondering "You think my mama's seen that, though?"

He told her he expected to get $50K from the Avant's house before the robbery went south.

He reportedly called another friend from jail and told them he expected to only serve a max of 25 years because the prosecutors did not file a so-called "special circumstances" murder charge -- which could've resulted in life without parole, or even the death penalty.

As we reported, Maynor broke into the Avants' Beverly Hills home in December, opening fire on Jacqueline with his assault long barrel pistol. She was taken to a hospital but died of her injuries.

Police caught Maynor an hour later ... after he was found attempting to burglarize another home in the Hollywood Hills but accidentally shot himself in the foot.

Roderick "Pooh" Clark, an original member of Hi-Five, has died.

Marcus Sanders, fellow Hi-Five member, tells TMZ ... Roderick died on Sunday from complications from an infection and pneumonia at a hospital in Waco, TX.

He tells us Roderick got into a car crash 30 years ago in Florida that left him paralyzed from the neck down, making him unable to walk. He developed an infection that spread through his body -- one that persisted for some time.

He also developed pneumonia over the last 2 weeks, being in and out of the hospital up until his death.

Those close to Roderick have been posting tributes to the late singer online, including the band's musical director Martinez Little, saying, "We had some amazing phone conversations in the past and some great visits when I came thru Waco! I'll cherish them forever."

Roderick and his quintet group of R&B singers formed in 1989 ... other than him and Marcus, they also had bandmates Tony Thompson, Russell Neal, and Toriano Easley. They reached the top of the charts in 1991 with their hit, "I Like The Way (The Kissing Game)."

Roderick was 49.

One of the drug dealers who supplied fentanyl-laced pills to Mac Miller just received his sentence after copping a plea last year -- and he's going to prison for a long time.

Ryan Reavis will be behind bars for 10 years and 11 months after pleading guilty in November to one count of distributing fentanyl. The sentence is longer than what Reavis himself had asked for -- 5 years -- but shorter than the 12.5 years prosecutors were gunning for.

Remember ... the feds say Reavis supplied the deadly oxycodone pills to Mac's alleged drug dealer, Cameron Pettit ... on orders from Stephen Walter, who also recently pled guilty to distributing fentanyl. Reavis said in court Monday that he was just a middle man.

More importantly ... he claimed he had no idea that the pills he was supplying were counterfeit. Despite this, the judge seemed to have dished out an even-handed sentence -- but not before hearing a statement from MM's mother, Karen Meyers.

It read, in part ... "He would never knowingly take a pill with fentanyl, ever. He wanted to live and was excited about the future. The hole in my heart will always be there." In other words, she insisted the alleged dealers/suppliers in this case were solely responsible for his perish.

As we reported ... Reavis was first arrested back in 2019 out in Arizona -- where authorities say they found a bogus doctor's notepad, from which he presumably filled prescriptions. They also claimed they found firearms and drugs ... including prescription-only pills and marijuana.

DJ Kay Slay has died after a 4-month battle with COVID ... this according to his family and peers.

The NY-based legendary hip-hop ambassador passed away Sunday, first confirmed by Wack 100, and then others, as tributes started to pour in from across the industry. His family writes, "Our hearts are broken by the passing of Keith Grayson, professionally known as DJ Kay Slay."

They add, "A dominant figure in Hip Hop culture with millions of fans worldwide, DJ Kay Slay will be remembered for his passion and excellence with a legacy that will transcend generations."

Kay Slay, AKA Dez, started out as a graffiti artist in the '70s and '80s -- and later branched out into music ... making his big splash in the early 2000s through the local radio and music scene with his big personality and unique beat selection ... not to mention his wicked flow.

He's most famous for his mixtapes -- cranking out more than a dozen dating back to 2003 -- plus other solo and compilation artists, which often featured huge names in the game ... including Nas, Swizz Beatz, N.O.R.E., Raekwon, Lloyd Banks and Foxy Brown.

His "Streetsweeper" series is one of his major claims to fame, as was his recurring radio spot on Hot 97 -- which was dubbed the Drama Hour ... another nickname he bore. DJ Kay Slay was also known for his disses in his tracks, and was once called "Hip-Hop's One-Man Ministry of Insults" by the New York Times.

Dez contracted coronavirus in December and was hospitalized for a while. While he showed signs of recovering thereafter, it became clear over time he was struggling to get back to 100%.

DJ Kay Slay was 55.

Brian Wallace, a former lineman at the University of Arkansas, has died at the age of 26, the school announced on Friday.

The Razorbacks organization confirmed the sad news in a statement, saying, "Our hearts are broken."

The team added, "Brian will always be a Razorback."

"Our thoughts and love are with Brian's family and friends."

Wallace was reportedly struggling to breathe while at work, so he went outside to sit in his car to gather himself. When Wallace returned, the 26-year-old collapsed after he suffered a heart attack, according to FOX 16.

Medical personnel tried to restore Wallace's breathing on scene -- and they were successful -- but when Brian arrived at the hospital, he suffered another heart attack.

His father, Brian Sr., said Wallace was in the Intensive Care Unit of a St. Louis hospital because the heart attacks left him in a coma and with apparent brain damage, according to the outlet.

Wallace was a standout with the Razorbacks after redshirting his first season with the program ... and was a fan favorite after choosing Arkansas over Iowa.

In his senior year, Wallace started all 12 games for the Razorbacks at right tackle allowing only three sacks in 411 pass-blocking snaps, per the team's official website.

Wallace finished his career as a Razorback playing 1,998 total snaps on the O-line ... allowing 10 total sacks during his four-year career.

Tekashi 6ix9ine is full steam ahead resuming his rap career, following a hiatus spurned by his 2020 Tattletales album ... which the culture stamped a sophomore slump.

For his new video 'GINÉ', all the Tekashi tricks appear to be intact: voluptuous models twerkin' in murky paint water, multi-colored backdrops and beef. Plenty of it.

Midway in the video at the 1:25 mark, 6ix9ine snuck in the message "Slide 4 Von" -- a reference to Lil Durk wanting to avenge the death of his slain OTF artist King Von.

The video also serves as a marketing vehicle for an energy drink of the same name, and if you blink, you just might miss it.

Von was killed in November 2020 during an altercation with Georgia rapper -- and NBA YoungBoy affiliate -- Quando Rondo's crew. Hence the ongoing feud between Durk and Youngboy.

His posthumous album "What It Means to Be King" still managed to impress fans enough to reach No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart upon its release.

6ix9ine, on the other hand, has ZERO dogs in the fight but still timed the disrespectful King Von message to coincide with his Durk-aimed lyrics, "You a bitch, I know you wouldn’t rob for your homie. I knew you wouldn’t ride by your doley."

Lil Durk famously dismissed 6ix9ine on Drake's "Laugh Now, Cry Later" single back in 2020 -- so this beef's been cooking for a while now.