Celebrity Death

The tributes for the late Vin Scully will continue on all day Wednesday -- TMZ Sports has learned the MLB is asking all of its teams to participate in league-wide moments of silence throughout its afternoon and evening slate of games.

Our MLB sources say the moments of remembrance for Vin -- who sadly died on Tuesday at 94 years old -- will take place prior to every contest played on Wednesday.

The first is expected to happen in just a few minutes, before the Blue Jays take on the Rays in Florida. The last, fittingly, is scheduled to go down just prior to when the Dodgers play the Giants at around 6:45 PM PT in San Francisco.

Of course, the tributes almost certainly won't stop there -- because people have been paying homage to the legendary sports broadcaster since news of his death broke on Tuesday evening.

Dodgers fans made a makeshift memorial for Scully at Dodger Stadium -- and athletes and celebs all over have remembered the iconic storyteller on their social media pages.

Scully began calling games in 1950 -- and didn't stop until he retired in 2016. He's regarded as perhaps the greatest baseball broadcaster ever.

Droves of baseball fans eschewed early bedtimes Tuesday night to head out to Dodger Stadium to pay homage to Vin Scully hours after the legend died -- building a makeshift memorial for the former broadcaster while mourning his passing.

Several people lit candles and dropped off trinkets at L.A.'s ballpark -- which, fittingly, sits on Vin Scully Ave. -- well into the early morning hours of Wednesday.

Fans wrote notes, hugged each other ... and even cried -- as they remembered Scully, who passed away at 94 years old at his Hidden Hills home earlier Tuesday.

Others around the globe took to social media to pay tribute to the longtime voice of the Dodgers -- LeBron James wrote a sweet note on his Twitter page, while Magic Johnson also tweeted out an emotional message about Scully as well.

"Vin was the nicest & sweetest man outside of the booth & was beloved by all of our Dodgers family," Johnson said.

"He was just as popular as any Dodger player. His legacy will live on throughout Major League Baseball & he will be remembered as the greatest announcer ever in MLB history. Cookie and I are praying for the entire Scully family and Dodgers fans all around the world."

Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw also called Vin "the best there ever was" following L.A.'s win over the Giants in San Francisco.

Scully, who began broadcasting Dodgers games in 1950, called nearly every one of the franchise's greatest moments up until his retirement in 2016. He's widely considered to be one of the greatest broadcasters of all time.

Vin Scully -- the longtime voice of the Dodgers and legendary MLB broadcaster -- has sadly died at 94 years old.

The team just confirmed the awful news in a statement on Tuesday night, saying he passed away at his home in Hidden Hills. No cause of death was revealed.

"We have lost an icon," Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten said. "The Dodgers' Vin Scully was one of the greatest voices in all of sports. He was a giant of a man, not only as a broadcaster, but as a humanitarian."

Kasten continued, "He loved people. He loved life. He was loved baseball and the Dodgers. And he loved his family."

"His voice will always be heard and etched in all of our minds forever."

Scully initially began calling games for the Dodgers back in 1950, when the team was still located in Brooklyn. He continued to provide play-by-play for the Dodgers following their move to L.A. in 1957, calling nearly every one of the biggest moments in the franchise's history up until his retirement in 2016.

Some of Scully's most famous calls included Hank Aaron's 715th home run in 1974, and Kirk Gibson's epic World Series HR in 1988.

Scully also broadcasted national baseball, golf and football events -- including the 1982 Dallas vs. San Francisco NFC Championship Game. In that contest, Scully had one of his most memorable moments in the football both, calling Dwight Clark’s "The Catch" touchdown.

Scully -- who was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame's broadcaster wing in 1982 -- ultimately broadcasted games for nearly seven decades, before he called his final contest in San Francisco on Oct. 2, 2016.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family during this very difficult time," Kasten said. "Vin will be truly missed.”

LeBron James just commented on Vin's death, saying, "Rest in Power. A City of Angels icon. Another great one who made sports so damn special."

Vin -- whose wife, Sandi, sadly died in 2021 -- leaves behind five children, 21 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Pat Carroll, famous for voicing Ursula in 'The Little Mermaid,' has died.

The longtime actress and comedian passed away at her Cape Cod home Saturday after a bout with pneumonia -- according to her daughter, Kerry Karsian, who confirmed her death to The Hollywood Reporter.

Carroll is perhaps best known for playing Ariel's half-octupus/half-human nemesis in the 1989 hit Disney movie -- and for all the show-stopping numbers she pulled off on her own, doing all of the singing for the film by herself ... and reprising the role throughout the years.

PC had done a lot more before that, though ... she was a veteran in sitcoms well before 'TLM' came along -- having starred in fan favorites such as "The Danny Thomas Show," "The Mickey Rooney Show," "The Red Skelton Hour," "Getting Together," "Busting Loose," "Galaxy High School," "Too Close for Comfort," "Foofur," "She's the Sheriff" and many more.

Carroll also had lots of guest appearances on iconic series, plus regular bookings on variety, game and talk shows throughout the 20th century -- her humor and wacky personality was a hit with audiences and hosts alike.

Her career speaks for herself ... the woman had won a Grammy, an Emmy and accolades from her theatre work as well. As many have rightly said, she was a pioneer in the biz.

Caroll is survived by her daughters and granddaughter. She was 95 years old.

Nichelle Nichols, who famously played Lt. Uhura on 'Star Trek,' has died ... this according to her family.

Nichols' son, Kyle Johnson, confirmed the news on Sunday with an update posted to a website dedicated to the life and career of his mother ... writing, "I regret to inform you that a great light in the firmament no longer shines for us as it has for so many years."

He adds, "Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes and passed away. Her light, however, like the ancient galaxies now being seen for the first time, will remain for us and future generations to enjoy, learn from, and draw inspiration. Hers was a life well lived and as such a model for us all."

Kyle ends by saying this ... "I, and the rest of our family, would appreciate your patience and forbearance as we grieve her loss until we can recover sufficiently to speak further. Her services will be for family members and the closest of her friends and we request that her and our privacy be respected." He also sent a "Live long and prosper" shout out.

Nichols made history as the first African-American woman to play a lead role on television. And with "Star Trek: The Original Series" costar William Shatner ... she also shared the first on-screen kiss between a Black woman and white man on American television.

She played the role for a handful of years and starred in dozens of 'Star Trek' episodes between '66 and '69. However, her acting career went far beyond just the Galactic Barrier.

With 69 acting credits to her name, NN has appeared on several hit shows and movies over the years, including notable voice-over roles, such as ... 'The Lieutenant,' 'Peyton Place,' 'Tarzan,' 'Truck Turner,' 'The Supernaturals,' 'Batman: The Animated Series,' 'Gargoyles,' 'Spider-Man: The Animated Series,' 'Futurama,' 'Buzz Lightyear of Star Command,' 'The Simpsons,' 'Snow Dogs,' 'Are We There Yet?' 'Heroes,' 'The Young and the Restless,' and so many others.

Toward the end of her life, Nichols was in an often bitter conservatorship battle with her son -- this after he was granted control of the apparatus once she'd been diagnosed with dementia ... a legal fight that went on for some years, and, at times, got pretty ugly.

Nichelle Nichols was 89.

Bill Russell -- one of the greatest and most accomplished NBA players of all time -- has died.

The announcement came courtesy of Bill's own official social media page, which posted Sunday with a sad update. The text says BR passed away peacefully with his wife, Jeannine, by his side. The exact circumstances of his death weren't discussed further.

Bill's post goes on to list his many accomplishments, dating back to his high school days. He'd won two state championships on that level, two NCAA titles, a gold medal in the Olympics ... and, of course, 11 NBA championship titles with the Boston Celtics -- plus two titles with that same organization with him as head coach and a player simultaneously, a historic feat at the time ... on several levels, obviously.

His obit here touches on the fact that he was a civil rights activist during his playing time, with boycotts of certain events and public remarks that spoke out against racism and discrimination that was prevalent throughout the U.S. at the time.

Bill is by far one of the GOATs in league history -- evidenced in the fact that the current NBA Finals MVP award is named after him ... something that was instated in 2009.

He's been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame twice ... once as a player in 1975, and again as a coach just last year. His career is memorable, especially since he broke into the NBA when it was just being expanded as an organization and getting integrated with Black and white players alike, during a time of segregation in the country.

His accolades go well beyond what was mentioned above -- Bill has an enormous amount of NBA honors, including several All-Star appearances, NBA First-Team mentions, lifetime achievement awards and on and on. He retired from the sport in 1988, playing for 3 decades.

As you can imagine ... the tributes are absolutely pouring in right now. Bill Russell was beloved by just about everyone in and around the league ... players, coaches, owners and media members alike. He would come to games quite often, and was very visible in the basketball community.

Arrangements for his memorial and funeral are being made now by the family. Bill is survived by his wife, three children and other extended family. He was 88.

Ivana Trump was laid to rest at her ex-husband's golf course this month -- and now, photos of her gravesite have emerged ... which are getting a major side-eye from the Internet.

Here's the deal ... Donald and his kids had their late mother buried at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, NJ about a week and change ago -- which might sound like a strange place to entomb a loved one ... but, hey, to each their own. It's a family decision.

The problem now is that pictures of her actual gravesite have surfaced for the world to see -- this after being snapped and published by the New York Post -- and people are shaking their collective heads at the images ... which many are calling sad, bare and disrespectful.

Indeed, her burial plot does appear a bit ... bland. And not just that, but it's completely isolated -- without any adornment or much of anything else to honor her, save for a small bouquet of white flowers and a marble plaque that seems slapped down at her feet.

As some pointed out, her gravestone inscription has barely any writing on it at all -- just her name and her DOB and DOD ... that's about it. No other words of remembrance for Ivana.

While it might seem like a bizarre sight -- and just a weird and inappropriate place to bury DT's ex-wife -- this is actually something The Donald has reportedly been gunning for for a while ... namely, getting authorization for a decent amount of burial plots on his property.

Jimmy Sohns, lead singer for the 60's band The Shadows of Knight, is dead after suffering a stroke.

Jimmy and his band are most remembered for their iconic, singalong hit "Gloria" ... which was a top 10 hit in 1966. Not to be confused with Laura Branigan's 80s hit of the same name, Jimmy and co.'s famous chorus spelled out the name ... G-L-O-R-I-A.

The Illinois band had announced earlier this week that Jimmy was hospitalized after suffering a stroke -- but on Friday his daughter announced he had passed.

Jimmy and a friend still ran the band's social media pages ... posting old pics from The Shadows of Knight's heyday.

Sohns was still a teenager when his band struck gold with "Gloria." He and his bandmates were all high school pals in suburban Chicago, and got together to play their version of British blues ... a la The Rolling Stones and The Yardbirds.

The surviving members were still doing live shows together as recently as 2016.

Jimmy was 75.

Tony Dow, known for his role as Wally Cleaver on "Leave It To Beaver," has died ... a day after a premature death announcement was made from the actor's management team.

A new statement made on Tony's Facebook page Wednesday from his management reads, "We have received confirmation from Christopher, Tony’s son, that Tony passed away earlier this morning, with his loving family at his side to see him through this journey."

As we reported, a statement was posted on Tony's official Facebook account Tuesday announcing the death of the actor -- the statement taken down hours later after his management team learned the actor was, in fact, still alive.

As for the cause of confusion, Tony's manager tells us Tony's wife, Lauren, who was very distraught at the time, believed her husband -- who had been in hospice -- was dead.

Tony's son Christopher posted Tuesday, "Dad is at home, under hospice care, and in his last hours. My wife and I are by his side along with many friends that have visited. He has a fighting heart."

TMZ broke the story, Tony was diagnosed with liver cancer in May. An update on his cancer battle last week said it was, "... a rollercoaster of ups and downs as Tony continues his fight with cancer. Tony has been in and out of the hospital with various complications and treatments."

Born in Hollywood, California -- Tony found massive fame as Wally Cleaver on "Leave It To Beaver" which ran from 1957 to 1963. He was also on "Never Too Young" and "My Three Sons" before taking a break to serve in The National Guard from 1965 to 1968. He later reprised his role as Wally from 1983 to 1989 on "The New Leave It To Beaver."

Tony continued acting into the 2000's when he appeared in "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star."

Tony was 77.

Young Dolph would have turned 37 today, a day still worth celebrating for the Memphis rapper's family, friends and fans.

Mia Jaye, Dolph's girlfriend and the mother of his two children posted a never-before-seen tribute video of Dolph to celebrate his "heavenly birthday."

There was also some music dropped to celebrate Dolph ... his team at Paper Route Empire released a new track called "Hall Of Fame" Wednesday to honor the rapper. On the track -- produced by his longtime collaborator Bandplay -- Dolph flexes his hood status.

Dolph became an incredibly prolific rapper -- especially in Memphis -- over the last few years, having racked up dozens of full-length releases and collaborations with the likes of Gucci Mane, Megan Thee Stallion, Juicy J, and his PRE stable of artists.

Howard Kleinberg of 'Top Chef' fame has died from a heart attack.

The kitchen wiz -- who appeared on the third season of the reality show -- passed away last week, which was made public in a local obituary. Howard's mother told the Miami Herald, "I am just finding out how many lives he touched. He was married to his passion in life, which was his cooking."

She also confirmed he'd suffered a heart attack.

Bravo addressed Kleinbeg's death as well, writing ... "The Top Chef family is saddened to learn about the unexpected passing of Howard Kleinberg from season three. Howie’s passion for cooking filled so many and our deepest sympathy goes out to his family and friends."

HK is best remembered for competing in "Top Chef: Miami" in 2007, where he placed seventh. Afterward, he opened his own restaurant in town called Bulldog Barbecue -- among other eateries as well -- and found success in the local scene.

It was actually a memorable run for Kleinberg -- with one of his highlights from that season being a tense conversation he had with the late Anthony Bourdain, who was chastising him over speed in the kitchen ... only to have the tables turned on him by Howard dropping a Bourdain quote from one of his books, which left AB thoroughly impressed.

Kleinberg is survived by his mom, his stepdad, his sister and her children. He was 46.

Tony Dow, the producer, director and actor most famous for his role as Wally Cleaver on "Leave It To Beaver" has died after a battle with liver cancer.

A statement from Tony's team reveals he died Tuesday morning, "Tony was a beautiful soul - kind, compassionate, funny and humble. It was truly a joy to just be around him. His gentle voice and unpretentious manner was immediately comforting and you could not help but love him. The world has lost an amazing human being, but we are all richer for the memories that he has left us."

TMZ broke the story, Tony was diagnosed with cancer in May 2022. An update on his cancer battle last week said it was, "... a rollercoaster of ups and downs as Tony continues his fight with cancer. Tony has been in and out of the hospital with various complications and treatments."

The statement continues, "From the warm reminiscences of Wally Cleaver to those of us fortunate enough to know him personally - thank you Tony. And thank you for the reflections of a simpler time, the laughter, the friendship and for the feeling that you were a big brother to us all. We will miss you."

Born in Hollywood, California -- Tony found massive fame as Wally Cleaver on "Leave It To Beaver" which ran from 1957 to 1963.

Dow continued his acting career on shows like "Never Too Late" and "My Three Sons" before taking a break to serve in The National Guard from 1965 to 1968. He later reprised his role as Wally from 1983-1989 on "The New Leave It To Beaver."

Tony continued acting into the 2000's when he appeared in "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star."

Tony was 77.

RIP

Paul Sorvino, famous for his work in "Goodfellas," has died at the age of 83 ... TMZ has learned.

Sorvino's rep, Roger Neal, tells us he died this morning with his wife Dee Dee by his side. Dee Dee says, "Our hearts are broken, there will never be another Paul Sorvino, he was the love of my life, and one of the greatest performers to ever grace the screen and stage.”

Paul appeared in nearly 50 movies during a long career in Hollywood, and he's best known for playing mobster Paul Cicero in the 1990 Martin Scorsese masterpiece, "Goodfellas."

He also played Henry Kissinger in the 1995 movie "Nixon" and Fulgencio Capulet in 1996's "Romeo + Juliet." Paul made his film debut in 1970 with "Where's Poppa?" and also acted in TV shows like "Law & Order" and on Broadway.

One of Paul's last roles was the TV show "Godfather of Harlem," where he played Frank Costello.

Sorvino was born and raised in Brooklyn ... his father was an immigrant from Italy. Paul wanted to be an Opera singer before getting into acting while studying at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York.

Paul lived with severe asthma, mastering different breathing techniques to manage his condition, writing a best-selling book, "How to Become a Former Asthmatic," and starting the Sorvino Asthma Foundation.

He has 3 children, including Oscar winning actress Mira Sorvino and actor/producer Michael Sorvino.

Mira is one of Harvey Weinstein's accusers and the last time we saw Paul, he was pretty pissed with HW.

He was 83.

"Naked and Afraid" contestant Melanie Rauscher has died under mysterious circumstances in Arizona -- her body was recently found near cans of dust cleaner, TMZ has learned.

Melanie, who appeared on 2 seasons of the popular Discovery Channel show, was dog sitting at a residence in Prescott, AZ while the homeowners were away on vacation, according to Corey Kasun, a rep for the Prescott Police Department.

The homeowners returned on the afternoon of July 17 and found Melanie deceased on the bed in the guest room, Kasun said.

We're told several cans of compressed air -- which can be used to clean dust off computers -- were found near her body. It's unclear if Melanie consumed the contents of the cans.

Cops say there were no obvious signs of foul play, and they did not find a suicide note or drug paraphernalia. The dog was okay.

The Yavapai County Medical Examiner will determine Melanie's cause of death.

Melanie was mainly a contestant on "Naked and Afraid" in 2013 and the spinoff show 'XL' in 2015. Close castmate Jeremy McCaa posted a touching tribute to Melanie on his FB page, saying he was "feeling broken."

Melanie was 35.

Legendary actor James Caan died from a combination of serious heart problems ... according to his death certificate.

The document, obtained by TMZ, says James died from a heart attack and coronary artery disease -- the most common heart disease in the U.S.

The certificate says James also suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, also known as COPD, and congestive heart failure.

As we reported ... James died July 6 at 82 years old, but details were scarce aside from a family statement.

The death certificate says James died at 9:02 PM at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. He's since been buried at Eden Memorial Park, the final resting place for many celebs.

Actress Shonka Dukureh, who recently gained attention for her role in the "Elvis" movie has died ... TMZ has learned.

Cops say Shonka -- who plays Big Mama Thornton in the film -- was found dead Thursday in a bedroom inside her Nashville apartment. It was one of Shonka's young children who found her ... the child then ran to alert a neighbor, who called 911 around 9:30 AM.

At this time, police say there's no foul play suspected in the actress' death.

Investigators are awaiting autopsy results before they can determine a cause of death.

Not only did Shonka appear in "Elvis" ... she was also in Doja Cat's "Vegas" music video, where she played the Big Mama Thornton role as well.

Shonka was only 44.