Celebrity Death

NBA champion and former coach Chris Ford -- credited with making the first three-point basket in league history -- has died, his family announced Wednesday. He was 74 years old.

"Chris was beloved by his family, friends, and teammates," his family said in a statement. "He had a great love for his family, the city of Boston, the fans, and the entire Celtics family. He always showed humility and respect for all those that were fortunate enough to be a part of his life."

The C's also addressed Ford's passing ... saying, "The Boston Celtics sends their deepest sympathies to the Ford family and their many friends."

The Pistons selected Chris in the second round of the 1972 NBA draft ... and he spent his first seven seasons with Detroit before joining the Celtics.

Chris played the final four years of his career with Boston ... and was a vital member of the 1981 team that won a championship over the Houston Rockets.

Ford won two more NBA titles with the Celtics in 1984 and 1986 as an assistant coach ... and became the eleventh head coach in franchise history in 1990.

As head coach, Ford led his former teammates Larry Bird, Robert Parrish and Kevin McHale to the playoffs several times.

Ford also coached Bird, Isiah Thomas, Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing in the 1991 All-Star Game.

Lisa Marie Presley will be laid to rest this weekend -- her exact burial spot is being excavated right now, and as expected ... it's in close proximity to her father, Elvis Presley.

Sources at Graceland tell TMZ ... preparations are currently underway at the Presley family compound in Memphis to accommodate the Celebration of Life ceremony scheduled to take place Sunday.

As you can see in the photos and videos we've obtained ... Lisa's gravesite will be positioned around the famous backyard fountain area where Elvis and his parents are buried.

Lisa's son, Benjamin Keough -- who died by suicide in 2020 -- is also buried there, and our sources say his mother's grave will be right next to his.

Work started Tuesday on the memorial site, but there are other things in the works for Sunday's gathering -- including what our sources say appears to be a stage with a backdrop on Graceland's front lawn.

No word on who might be addressing the gathered crowd, or performing music -- but considering this is going to be open to the public, and the fact 54-year-old Lisa was so beloved in showbiz ... we could see a big name rolling through to pay tribute.

Here's another interesting tidbit ... as of 3 days ago, Graceland's 24/7 camera feed which normally shows the grounds, has been shut down. We imagine that was done so the planning for this weekend's event could be completed.

It's unclear if they're going to turn on the live stream again for Sunday, or thereafter.

Of course, Graceland's front entrance is adorned with flowers that have been left by fans since Lisa's sudden passing last week. As we reported, she died after suffering a cardiac arrest at home, and later the same day, a second one while at the hospital.

Jay Briscoe, a professional wrestling star with Ring of Honor, has died. He was only 38 years old.

AEW founder Tony Khan, who purchased the Ring of Honor promotion last March, shared the sad news on social media ... writing, "Sadly, Jamin Pugh has passed away. Known to fans as Jay Briscoe, he was a star in ROH for over 20 years, from the first show until today."

"Jay and his brother Mark dominated ROH, reigning as champions to this day. We'll do whatever we can to support his family. Rest In Peace Jamin."

Jay -- real name is Jamin "Jay" Pugh -- joined ROH in 2002 and formed one of the greatest tag teams in the history of pro wrestling with his brother, Mark.

Jay and Mark were tag team partners wrestling under the name "The Briscoe Brothers," but Jay enjoyed success as a singles competitor, too -- becoming the Ring of Honor world champion on two separate occasions.

Pro wrestling insider Dave Meltzer reported the wrestling vet was involved in a car accident in Delaware.

Jay and Mark were inducted into the Ring of Honor's inaugural Hall of Fame class last year.

Jay's contemporaries throughout the wrestling biz have already begun sharing condolences over the tragic loss.

Lisa Marie Presley will be laid to rest alongside her father, son and grandparents during a public memorial service at Graceland -- a very special place for the Presleys.

A rep for Graceland announced the service will take place Sunday at 9 AM at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee ... and the general public is invited to attend.

Graceland is obviously significant to the Presley family history -- it was home to Elvis Presley before he died on the property in 1977. Family members including Lisa Marie's son Benjamin Keough, her grandparents, Vernon and Gladys Presley, as well as Elvis’ grandmother, Minnie Mae, have also been buried there.

Graceland has also served as a backdrop for other family celebrations over the years -- including what would have been Elvis' 80th birthday in 2015 -- and a vigil to honor Elvis on the 40th anniversary of his death in 2017.

TMZ broke the story ... Lisa was rushed to the hospital last week after going into full cardiac arrest. She later died at the hospital surrounded by her loved ones.

As for Lisa Marie's service, the announcement also notes, "In lieu of flowers, the family encourages all who wish to send something to do so in the form of a donation to The Elvis Presley Charitable Foundation."

Lisa Marie Presley's twins are deeply traumatized by the sudden death of their mom and will not return to the house where she went into full cardiac arrest ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the family tell TMZ ... 14-year-old Finley and Harper have spent a lot of time at Priscilla Presley's home in L.A. since Lisa's death. We're told their older sister, Riley Keough, has been there as well ... and everyone is relying on each other for support.

Our sources say Michael Lockwood, the girls' father, has also been central in making sure their needs are being taken care of during an impossibly difficult time.

Lisa Marie's son, Benjamin, took his own life back in 2020 ... and less than a year later, Lisa Marie sold the home where the incident occurred. It was just too traumatic for her and the family.

TMZ broke the story, Lisa Marie's housekeeper discovered her in full cardiac arrest Thursday morning just as Danny Keough -- Lisa Marie's ex who was living with her -- got home from dropping the twins off at school.

Keough immediately started CPR, and paramedics were able to get a pulse before transport, but Lisa Marie later died at the hospital.

The L.A. County Medical Examiner's Office is waiting on the results of a toxicology report before determining an official cause of death.

Aaron Carter was found dead in his bathtub, but his family now says he didn't die from drowning ... instead, they believe drugs killed him.

Aaron's fiancée, Melanie Martin, and mother, Jane Carter, tell TMZ ... the L.A. County Coroner's Office told them there was no water found in Aaron's lungs, which rules out drowning as a potential cause of death.

Melanie and Jane say the coroner is still waiting on toxicology results to determine what was in Aaron's system when he died, and the family wants law enforcement to investigate an alleged drug deal the night of Aaron's death.

TMZ broke the story, cops were called to Aaron's L.A. area home back in November for a report of a drowning.

Law enforcement believes Aaron's body was in the tub for a long time as there was a smell of decomposition and the water had turned an unnatural color.

Plus we're told the tub's jets were still running when Aaron's body was found.

Melanie has Aaron's phone and she says she found text messages with an unidentified person telling Aaron he owed $800 for an unknown substance. She says the conversation includes Aaron telling the person he didn't need the substance anymore, to which the person responded that it didn't matter and he still owed money.

Melanie says Aaron asked the person if he was being threatened, and that's where the conversation ends. She tells us she met with investigators last week, and submitted the exchange for evidence.

The family believes Aaron might have met with the person he was texting before his death ... and they fear Aaron took a substance that could have ultimately killed him.

As we first told you, cops found multiple cans of compressed air in Aaron's bathroom and bedroom, as well as prescription pills.

However, Aaron's family believes his death was NOT caused by huffing compressed air ... and they want police to investigate the possibility someone sold Aaron a substance that caused a fatal overdose.

Three 6 Mafia’s DJ Paul is clarifying some things following his now-viral response to missing Gangsta Boo's funeral, but tells TMZ Hip Hop he was still on the frontlines when it mattered the most.

In a statement, the Oscar-award-winning rapper confirmed his absence, but did admit to helping foot the bill.

He says, "The fact that I had to even address negative things being said behind the scenes is really bothersome, I spearheaded the planning and paid for the majority of Boo’s funeral. Others reached out to assist as their way of showing Boo love. It was only right to include them, as we all loved Boo."

We're told others such as Juicy J, 8Ball & MJG, and other kin all chipped in for the services and Paul wants the entire ordeal to be water under the bridge.

He concludes, "I have previously stated why I did not attend the funeral and this is exactly why, as I think bringing the attention is not appropriate. Boo and my relationship was ours alone, she knew (and knows) where my heart was in it. I don't have to explain that to anybody."

Paul let out his fiery Instagram response to fans around 4 AM Sunday morning, Paul explained how his presence at funerals unjustly attracts groupies and freeloaders.

Paul also dug further into the trolls with a history lesson … revealing he discovered Gangsta Boo as a teenager and oversaw all her top records.

The funeral still had a huge turnout — hundreds of mourners including fellow artists Drumma Boy, La Chat and GloRilla, Hittkidd, Memphitz and Glitter Gloss were among the filled the Brown Missionary Baptist Church in Southaven, MS to pay their respects.

Gangsta Boo's close friends Juicy J, Yelawolf and DJ EFN also sent in videos to make up for their absences, clearly wearing their emotions on their sleeves in the clips.

Gangsta Boo’s funeral this past Saturday was just as hectic as one can imagine for a prominent rap star ... and technical difficulties with the video files in order to play them on the church's projector prevented some star-studded video tributes from being presented to mourners.

TMZ Hip Hop obtained videos from Three 6 Mafia’s Juicy J, Drink Champs cohost DJ EFN and Yelawolf … all of who somberly shared fond memories of the late "Where Dem Dollas At" rapper.

Juicy, like DJ Paul, missed GB’s funeral but sent in a video from his studio, crowning her the “Queen of Memphis” and sending out prayers to the fam, friends and fans.

Juicy says making the video was hard enough, and he and GB had a great conversation just a couple of months ago after a show … and was devastated to see their journey cut short.

GB’s longtime friend and collaborator Yelawolf also referred to the late rapper as family… revealing their bond was so deep even his mother had forged a friendship with Boo over the years.

Yela’s video was interrupted midway by a semi-truck horn and the Alabama rapper hilariously attributed the moment to GB pranking him.

Yelawolf recruited GB for his debut album on Eminem’s label back in 2012, and says they had a relationship only the 2 of them would understand.

EFN says his real-life appreciation for GB came well before they got wasted on "Drink Champs" … citing their 2019 meeting at SXSW as their formal introduction before taping the show just a few months ago.

GB had been trying to get on "Drink Champs" for some time but EFN says she didn’t have an ego about it ... and they were able to shoot an iconic episode and even remain friends down the line.

Three 6 Mafia leader DJ Paul took a lot of flak for missing the service — and let off a volcano's worth of steam Sunday night … ripping into trolls with claims he paid for the funeral and was tied up on the road for his tour.

Sources involved in GB’s funeral tell TMZ Hip Hop ... Paul did indeed contribute to the funeral, but didn't pay for the full ceremony. We’ve reached out to him for further clarity.

Gina Lollobrigida -- one the last mega celebs of old Hollywood and one of the most beautiful -- has died.

Her attorney says she passed away Monday in a Rome hospital. It's been reported she'd been receiving treatment for some time, but it's unclear for what.

Lollobrigida was a beloved and coveted movie star in the 1950s and '60s -- having costarred in films alongside Hollywood heavyweights like Humphrey Bogart, Rock Hudson, Anthony Quinn, Errol Flynn, Frank Sinatra, Yul Brynner and other leading men of the time.

While her acting career somewhat petered out post-'60s, she had a run for about a decade or so where she was one of the most in-demand A-listers, both here and abroad ... rivaling other starlets such as Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor and more.

Some of her most famous flicks include "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," "Solomon and Sheba," "Come September," "Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell," "Beat the Devil," "Beautiful But Dangerous," "Crossed Swords" ... and countless others.

Another element she'll be remembered for ... just how much business mogul Howard Hughes was infatuated with her. He'd signed her to a movie deal early on, but while she was under his employ ... he's said to have proposed to her several times, only to be rebuffed.

Post-acting, Lollobrigida had a successful career in photojournalism, and even tried her hand at Italian politics -- which didn't turn out to be as fruitful. Still, quite the life indeed.

She was 95.

Al Brown -- famous from "The Wire" -- has died ... this according to his loved ones.

The actor's daughter, Jenny, tells TMZ ... Al passed away Friday in Las Vegas as a result of his Alzheimer's battle. She tells us that before he got into acting in the '90s, he was a 29-year-old Air Force vet who served two tours in Vietnam ... so he served honorably.

Jenny also says Al loved fans of his and was happy to stop and chat with anyone who might've recognized him from the show over the years -- noting, he loved his job.

Al will best be remembered for playing Col. Stan Valchek in the hit HBO show from the 2000s. In the series, he was a high-ranking Baltimore PD official, often portrayed as somewhat corrupt ... who'd give the main character cops a hard time in their investigations.

Valchek was a recurring character in all five seasons of "The Wire," but played a major part in Season 2 ... when he was dealing with dock workers who'd gotten mixed up with the Greek mob. His character was portrayed as a proud Polish-American -- a running gag throughout.

Great role, and Brown played it well for years. In addition to his work on HBO ... he also guest starred in other shows like "Rescue Me," "Forensic Files," "Law & Order: SVU," "Commander in Chief," "Maron," "The Hustler" and others.

Al even had a few notable movies in his repertoire ... playing small roles in "The Replacements," "12 Monkeys," "Lay the Favorite," "Red Dragon," "Liberty Heights," and more. He had a knack for playing hardboiled cops and law enforcement types ... and he did 'em justice every time.

He's survived by his children and extended family. Al was 83.

Lisa Marie Presley's cause of death won't be known for some time -- because health officials are waiting on one key thing that'll hopefully explain what took her life.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us Presley's autopsy was done Saturday, but we're told the L.A. County Coroner's Office doesn't have an official COD yet -- because toxicology tests are being done, and the results aren't in yet. No word on when those might come back.

In other words ... the underlying cause of what sparked her medical emergency remains a mystery. The toxicology will expose what may have been in her system at the time of death.

TMZ broke the story ... Lisa Marie went into full cardiac arrest Thursday morning at home after complaining of severe stomach pain only hours before. Family sources tell us Lisa Marie's ex, Danny Keough, performed CPR until paramedics arrived.

First responders were able to get a pulse after administering at least one dose of epinephrine ... but she died at the hospital surrounded by her family. We're told she was pronounced brain dead at one point while on life support, spurring her family to sign a "DNR" ... which eventually led to her having a second cardiac arrest and eventually passing.

Of course, Lisa Marie and Priscilla Presley were both in attendance at The Golden Globes Tuesday where Austin Butler took home the award for Actor in a Drama Motion Picture for his role in "Elvis."

Butler praised both Lisa Marie and Priscilla during his acceptance speech, which nearly brought both women to tears.

Lisa Marie was only 54.

RIP

Lisa Marie Presley's death has not only devastated her family, but it's left a big question as to who will get full custody of her twin daughters ... with the makings of a potential legal war.

Sources connected to the Presley family tell us Michael Lockwood -- the father of 14-year-old twins Finley and Harper -- will absolutely go to court to get full custody of his daughters. As one source connected to Lockwood tells us, "It'll be a cold day in hell before he gives up custody of those children."

At the time of Lisa Marie's death, she had 60% custody of their twins ... he had 40%. Under California law, Lockwood would ordinarily get full custody, unless a judge determines he's not a fit parent.

Now here's the rub. Our sources say Danny Keough, Lisa Marie's ex who was living with her and the twins at the time of her death, sees himself as the stepfather of the kids. There's a ton of bad blood between Keough and Lockwood, and there are rumblings within the family he might fight to get custody of the kids.

Some members of the family have not discounted the possibility Riley Keough, the daughter of Lisa Marie and Danny, would also make a case for custody. And, there's talk Priscilla Presley might do the same. We do not know if either will actually make a move in court.

Now here's the wild card. The twins are old enough that the judge will give weight to their preference. We do not know their feelings about custody.

As you may know, Lisa Marie's divorce from Lockwood was incredibly nasty, with allegations of drug use and child abuse hurled around. It went on for 5 years.

TMZ broke the story -- Lisa Marie went into full cardiac arrest at home Thursday morning. Danny performed CPR until paramedics arrived, and while they were able to get a pulse, she died a few hours later at West Hills Hospital and Medical Center.

We're told Danny, Michael, the twins and other family members all gathered at Priscilla Presley's home Thursday night -- devastated by the loss.

Lisa Marie Presley's heart stopped a second time after she was hospitalized, but due to her hopeless condition ... her family had already ordered doctors not to resuscitate her.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Lisa Marie had been pronounced brain dead after she was admitted to the hospital Thursday. As we first reported, doctors put her in an induced coma and she was on life support.

Due to the fact she was brain dead, we're told family members signed a DNR ... do not resuscitate order, in case she flatlined again.

Sadly, that's exactly what happened ... Lisa Marie suffered a second cardiac arrest, and was pronounced dead shortly thereafter.

Of course, it's unclear how long she'd been without oxygen before her housekeeper found her unresponsive in her bedroom Thursday morning. CPR was administered ... first by her ex-husband, Danny Keough, and then by EMTs.

They were able to get a pulse again before Lisa Marie was transported to the hospital, but as we all learned in the wake of the Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin's incident ... speedy response to a cardiac arrest can, quite literally, be the difference between life and death.

"I was on my knees crying. I loved Stephan."

UFC legend Diego Sanchez says he was crushed by the sudden death of his longtime friend and The Ultimate Fighter 1 star Stephan Bonnar ... who passed away unexpectedly on December 22.

"It was devastating. It was truly devastating. I was halfway through Christmas Eve just spending time with my family and I had someone text me, tried calling me, and then they texted me, 'You really wanna take this call.' I called them back and they gave me the news," Sanchez told us.

Diego and Stephan were both castmates on TUF1 -- which aired in early 2005 -- and are credited with helping the promotion grow into the biggest in all MMA. The season produced fighters like Josh Koscheck, Kenny Florian and Forrest Griffin among others.

Bonnar's finale fight with Griffin is one of the most famous fights in the promotion's history.

"[Stephan] worked my corner for one of my UFC fights. We were brothers. We stayed in contact and he was doing good, man. He was finally turning the curve," Sanchez said of his friend who at times struggled to find his way after his fighting career ended.

But, Diego -- who was cornered by Stephan at UFC 253 -- says his friend was on the right path.

"As a big brother who's been through the rough, the rain, the pours of life and he got his umbrella and he was coming out and he was going into the light. He was going into the sunshine."

Diego continued ... "He had his podcast, he had a new job with an insurance company and he was just working on rebuilding his life. I was happy for him and excited for him."

Robbie Knievel, daredevil and son of stuntman Evel Knievel, has died.

A family source tells Robbie was in hospice care for his final days after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He died early Friday morning with his daughters at his side.

Robbie, also known as "Kaptain Robbie Knievel," followed in his dad's footsteps from a young age -- jumping his bike at only 4 years old, and first performing at Evel's show at Madison Square Garden when he was 8.

He went on to perform over 350 jumps in his career, setting world records for 20 of them. One of the most memorable was successfully jumping the fountains at Caesars Palace in 1989 -- a feat his father tried and failed at in the past.

Other death-defying stunts by Robbie included the 30 limousines jump, the Grand Canyon jump and the U.S.S. Intrepid jump, to name a few. His final stunt was in 2011, when he jumped 150 feet above tractor-trailer trucks at the Spotlight 29 Casino in Coachella, CA.

Robbie also starred in the short-lived 2005 show, "Knievel's Wild Ride" ... giving viewers a glimpse behind the scenes at how he and his crew gear up for his wild stunts.

He was 60 years old.

Austin Butler's Golden Globes speech is suddenly carrying even more weight after Lisa Marie Presley's death ... because tears were shed as he told her he'd love her "forever."

As you know, Austin took home the gold Tuesday night for his portrayal of Lisa Marie's father, Elvis Presley ... and now that she's passed, his speech is going viral as social media users are even more touched by his words.

The actor went through his list of thank yous, before stopping to offer special gratitude to the Presley family -- specifically Lisa Marie and her mother Priscilla Presley, who were both in the audience. He thanked them dearly for opening themselves up to the project, adding "I love you forever."

Lisa Marie got really emotional during Austin's big win, and folks online took the moment to heart ... with one saying the exchange is "extra powerful now," and another calling it "shockingly sad."

TMZ broke the story ... Lisa was rushed to the hospital after suffering cardiac arrest Thursday morning.

Sources told us EMTs were able to regain a pulse before she was transported, but tragically was pronounced dead at the hospital.