Celebrity Death

Robert Blake getting left out of the Oscars "In Memoriam" tribute was a big mistake on The Academy's part -- at least, according to the late actor's son, who's also pissed his dad's death was a punchline.

Noah Blake tells TMZ ... people are allowed to have their own opinion about his father -- which obviously many have -- but he says when it comes to an annually anticipated segment like the Oscars Memoriam, opinions shouldn't be a factor.

He also points out his dad wasn't the only one left out ... as you know, stars like Tom Sizemore, Anne Heche, and Paul Sorvino were excluded from the broadcast. It's something that seems to happen every year, and Noah thinks it once again wasn't handled well.

Noah also gave us his thoughts on Jimmy Kimmel's joke about whether or not to include Robert in the segment -- obviously, he found it to be in poor taste. He also says it landed flat, because he was confused if the "interactive portion" was legit or just a gag.

For what it's worth, the audience laughed ... clearly getting it was a gag.

He adds he doesn't usually believe in jokes being "too soon," but points out the fine line Jimmy was walking on when he poked fun at the actor.

Noah tells us he's going to go live on Instagram at 5:30 PM PST Tuesday to talk about his dad and his life.

South African rapper Costa Titch is dead after collapsing twice onstage, in quick succession, during a weekend performance.

Check out this footage showing Costa, in a white shirt, running on the stage Saturday night with mic in hand at the Ultra South Africa concert near Johannesburg -- he went right into one of his songs and seemed totally fine.

Then the video cuts to Costa belting out another tune later in the concert -- he seems to reach for one of his backup singers before tumbling to the ground. He got back up and finished the song, but soon fell down again.

His team and emergency responders attempted to resuscitate him, but they were unable to save him. His cause of death was not disclosed.

Costa's family released a statement thanking first responders ... while a rep for the Ultra South Africa venue says they're “devastated” by Costa's death and will remember him as a "talented rapper, dancer, singer, songwriter, collaborator and friend to the festival."

Costa was best known for his hit "Big Flexa," which has 45 million views on YouTube and featured Akon on the remix.

Akon, who signed Costa to his Konvict Muzik imprint, paid an emotional to his artist on IG ... praising him for being "hardworking" and noting he died doing what he loved the most.

"Costa Titch had a vision that I knew for sure would take over the music industry globally and was on his way to doing just that when god’s plan intervened, Akon wrote. "It’s been a sad day but what makes me feel better is that I know he died doing what he loved doing the most in this world. God bless you COSTA!!!!!"

Costa was 28.

Lisa Marie Presley's ex-husband Michael Lockwood has filed legal docs to allow him to represent the interests of their twins in an upcoming critical hearing that involves millions of dollars.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Lockwood is asking a judge to appoint him guardian ad litem -- giving him authority to speak for his 14-year-old girls in a hearing over Lisa Marie's trust.

TMZ broke the story ... that trust became flush with cash when Elvis's only child died January 12. As we reported, Lisa Marie had 2 life insurance policies -- one for $25 million and another for $10 million.

Sources connected to the family tell TMZ ... there's a lot of behind-the-scenes drama over who will administer and control the trust. As we reported, Priscilla Presley was a trustee but Lisa Marie booted her from that position several years before her death, and made her oldest daughter Riley the trustee in Priscilla's place.

Our sources tell us Priscilla is going to challenge the validity of the trust, claiming the change in trustees was not properly made. Riley, we're told, does not want Priscilla to take the reins, and this set up a family battle.

As we reported, the beneficiaries of the trust are Riley and the twins, Harper and Finley.

Robert Blake, the actor whose life was just as talked about off the screen as it was on, has died.

According to a statement released to the Associated Press on behalf of Blake's niece, Noreen Austin, Blake died Thursday from heart disease at home surrounded by loved ones.

Blake was infamously charged with the murder of his second wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, after she was found dead outside Vitello's restaurant in Los Angeles in 2001. Bakley had been shot in the head while sitting in Blake's vehicle.

Blake told investigators he had gone back inside the restaurant to retrieve a pistol when Bakley was shot and killed. It was later determined his pistol was not the murder weapon.

Blake's trial lasted about three months, but he was eventually found not guilty of murder and not guilty of one of the two counts of solicitation of murder ... the second solicitation of murder charge was also eventually dropped.

Blake's career in Hollywood spanned more than 50 years, starring in movies like "In Cold Blood," "Lost Highway" and "Treasure of the Sierra Madre." He also played Tony Baretta in "Baretta" ... a role that won him an Emmy in 1975.

"Queer Eye" alum Tom Jackson, who appeared on the show's first season, has died of cancer ... and now fans are down a former hero.

According to his obituary, Tom died on March 3 at 11:49 PM ... after succumbing to stage 4 adenocarcinoma -- a glandular cancer, which doctors said had metastasized.

The show's official website shared the sad news Wednesday on Instagram, posting ... "It's with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to a member of our Queer Eye family. Rest in peace, Tom Jackson"

Fans will best remember Tom from season 1 of the Netflix reboot. He became a fan favorite after appearing in the premiere episode in 2018 alongside the Fab Five. He once dropped the iconic line, "You can't fix ugly."

Before his reality TV stardom he reportedly worked as a dump-truck driver in Georgia ... after he'd retired from FedEx.

Tom is survived by his 2 grandsons, 2 sisters and his daughter, who also appeared on the series.

His family said in a statement, "We will never forget our beloved Tom. He brought joy, humor, persistence, and love to our family. He is special to us, and we look forward to seeing him again one day."

They're also suggesting fans watch his episode of "Queer Eye" in his honor.

Tom was 63.

Gary Rossington, the last original member of legendary rock band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, has died.

The guitarist, behind such memorable songs as "Freebird" and "Sweet Home Alabama," passed away Sunday, according to a statement released by the band.

Although his cause of death was not disclosed, Rossington suffered from a series of heart-related issues over the years, including a heart attack in 2015. He also received an emergency heart procedure in 2019.

Members of Skynyrd paid homage to Rossington in their statement, "It is with our deepest sympathy and sadness that we have to advise, that we lost our brother, friend, family member, songwriter and guitarist, Gary Rossington, today."

They continued, "Gary is now with his Skynyrd brothers and family in heaven and playing it pretty, like he always does."

As you may recall, Rossington was aboard a plane that crashed after it ran out of fuel over Mississippi in October 1977, killing three of his bandmates: lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and his sister and backing vocalist Cassie Gaines.

Three other passengers also died, including the group's assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick.

Rossington miraculously survived, but his arms, legs, ankles, and pelvis were shattered.

It took 10 years ... but the band got back together in 1987 and Rossington rejoined it with a new line-up. Skynyrd was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.

Rossington was 71.

Tom Sizemore -- famous for roles in "Saving Private Ryan," "Black Hawk Down" and several cult classic movies -- has died.

The actor passed away Friday in an L.A.-area hospital after his family made the difficult decision to remove him from life support. The actor had been receiving treatment after suffering a brain aneurysm at his home on February 18, which caused him to collapse and lose consciousness.

Tom's rep, Charles Lago, tells TMZ, "It is with great sadness and sorrow I have to announce that actor Thomas Edward Sizemore (“Tom Sizemore”) aged 61 passed away peacefully in his sleep today at St Joseph’s Hospital Burbank. His Brother Paul and twin boys Jayden and Jagger (17) were at his side."

TMZ broke the story ... Tom was rushed to the ER around 2 AM, and was listed in critical condition while doctors worked on him in the ICU. He never regained consciousness.

Tom's manager, Charles Lago, told us his condition still wasn't good a week after the incident ... remaining in a coma in the ICU with no signs of improvement. We were told the medical staff at his location recommended an end-of-life plan, laying out options for the family.

Lago also said Tom's aneurysm was the result of a stroke he suffered, causing him to collapse.

Sizemore's legacy is certainly mired in controversy -- especially in his later years -- but for a time, he was a sure thing in Hollywood, especially as he started to blow up following a string of career-changing roles throughout the '90s, like the one he landed in Spielberg's World War II epic.

In 'SPR,' TS played Sergeant Horvath opposite Tom Hanks and other big actors as they sought out Matt Damon's character to relieve him of duty. Sizemore's performance was a standout one, and it actually earned him a couple award nominations.

Even before 'Ryan' ... Sizemore had already racked up several notable roles in flicks like "Where Sleeping Dogs Lie," "Passenger 57," "True Romance," "Natural Born Killers," "Devil in a Blue Dress," "Heat," "Enemy of the State" and lots of others. By this point, he'd carved out a nice little archetype for himself, often playing a tough guy and/or a hardened criminal.

The 2000s and the decades thereafter weren't nearly as memorable for Sizemore, but he continued to act in a lot of films -- the most noteworthy of which include ... "Pearl Harbor," 'Black Hawk,' "Dreamcatcher," "Red Planet" and "Paparazzi."

The late 2000s and 2010s saw Tom padding his resume with a lot of B-movie-level flicks/shows. All in all, he had 230 acting credits to his name -- but the appeal he held some 30 years ago had largely faded. Of course, Sizemore also battled addiction throughout his career.

He had been arrested on a handful of occasions ... a couple of times for domestic violence, and frequently for substance abuse-related offenses. Sizemore had been in and out of rehab for his addictions.

He's survived by 2 sons. Sizemore was 61.

Ex-NBA star Matt Barnes says LeBron James has done enough in a Laker uniform to be forever enshrined outside Crypto.com Arena ... but tells TMZ Sports they gotta focus on getting Kobe Bryant's statue up before they even think about it.

We spoke with Barnes weeks after James became the NBA's all-time scoring leader ... and we asked if the record, plus his one NBA title in L.A., is enough to get a monument at 1111 S. Figueroa Street.

The former Lakers forward says he's with it ... but not before Kobe, who has yet to get the treatment since his retirement in 2016.

"S***, they gotta worry about getting that Kobe statue up first," Barnes said at LAX on Wednesday.

The Lakers retired both Bryant's #8 and #24 in 2017 ... but as of right now, no details have been announced regarding his statue outside "The House That Kobe Built" -- aside from the fact it will happen eventually.

Of course, Bryant has been honored in many ways since his death in January 2020, including murals and themed basketball courts across the world. Sculptor Dan Medina, also placed a temporary statue of Kobe and his daughter, Gigi, at the crash site on the anniversary of their death.

The NBA also renamed their All-Star Game MVP trophy in his honor.

As for James, Barnes believes a King James statue in L.A. will still happen -- 'cause let's face it, he's "an all-time great."

"I'm sure they'll find a way to honor him with a statue," Barnes said.

If it happens, LeBron and Kobe will join fellow Lakers greats like Jerry West, Shaquille O'Neal, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and broadcaster Chick Hearn.

Aaron Carter's mom is not buying the notion he died of an overdose -- she's incensed the police aren't investigating his death as a homicide, and believes photos from the death scene contain some leads.

Jane Carter joined "TMZ Live" Thursday and shared her thoughts and suspicions about what really went down the day her son died back in January. As we reported, she just made the decision to release pics of his bathroom ... where he was found dead in the tub.

Jane tells us, while she knows Aaron was a drug addict, she doesn't believe he wanted to die ... nor does she think he would huff enough aerosols to kill him.

Instead, she's absolutely convinced someone was out to get him, and points out there were plenty of people -- including alleged drug dealers -- harassing Aaron online. Jane also claims cops did not do a thorough welfare check when they went to Aaron's home the night before his body was found.

Aaron's mom desperately wants investigators to take a much closer look at all possibilities of foul play, because, to her eyes, some things just don't add up ... especially when she sees how much water was left in the tub -- as seen in the photos -- after his body was removed.

Aaron Carter's mother believes he was the victim of a crime, not an overdose -- so, she's made the tough decision to let the world see where he died ... in order to make her point.

Jane Carter posted a series of pics Wednesday taken in Aaron's bathroom on the day he died. The shots include the bathtub where Aaron's body was found, you can see the water has a greenish tint -- that's because Aaron's body was there for several hours before his housekeeper discovered it.

There are also photos of towels on the floor and what appears to be contaminated water spilled on the bathroom tile.

Jane says she had the full support of Aaron's family and friends to post the images because she says she wants to bring attention back to his case. Jane says the photos weren't taken by law enforcement, and it's wrong cops allowed anyone in the house after Aaron's body was discovered before first doing a full investigation into what happened.

Jane says, "Because of my son's mental illness and prescription drug issues they (cops) just wanted it to be something easy that they didn't have the time or inclination to address."

Jane believes someone was out to harm Aaron, saying, "There are people who must be held accountable."

She also finds it suspicious Aaron was allegedly pulled out of the tub while someone performed CPR on the singer, yet the towels appear to be "perfectly placed."

TMZ broke the story ... the L.A. County Coroner's Office told Aaron's family his autopsy did not find any water in his lungs -- meaning he didn't drown -- and leading investigators to believe he died from an OD.

Vanessa Bryant just received a heck of a lot more money from L.A. County after her initial $15 million win last year ... another $13 mil or so, in fact, which now accounts for her kids.

Kobe Bryant's widow has settled with L.A. County, amounting to a total of $28.8 million -- this according to her lawyer, who says this resolves both Vanessa's original complaint and subsequent award ... as well as any potential future claims from her surviving daughters.

Unclear when, but it seems Vanessa amended her initial lawsuit to add 20-year-old Natalia, 6-year-old Bianka and 3-year-old Capri. The settlement resolves all claims.

Vanessa's lawyer, Luis Li, says, "Today marks the successful culmination of Mrs. Bryant’s courageous battle to hold accountable those who engaged in this grotesque conduct." He adds, "She fought for her husband, her daughter, and all those in the community whose deceased family were treated with similar disrespect. We hope her victory at trial and this settlement will put an end to this practice."

You'll recall ... Vanessa actually went to trial over this, taking the stand with emotional testimony about how the thought of those photos of Kobe and Gigi's remains possibly being leaked out publicly tortured her -- something a jury agreed with in the end.

They awarded her $16M ... but a mil got knocked down afterward due to a clerical error. Vanessa and her team had previously said she'd be donating the money from this to her Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation -- and in light of this, there's more to go around.

Bob Saget's former L.A. home has finally found a buyer ... just one year after the comedian's unexpected death.

The late comedian's 6-bed, 7-bath house sold off-market last week for $5.4 mil -- as we reported, the place was originally listed for $7.7M last June but dropped down to $6.9M 3 months later.

He bought the beautiful home back in 2003 for $2.8 mil, and it comes with a ton of space -- and has sweet amenities like a spa, BBQ area, walk-in closet, and a big motor court out front. It's even got its own guest house, too.

Of course, the house hit the market months after Bob's death, which just reached the one-year anniversary last month on January 9 ... when he died in Orlando, after accidentally hitting his head and suffering a brain bleed.

Bob's wife Kelly saw the property as "too much of a burden," deciding to unload it despite all the fond memories they shared there.

She posted a photo last month at a get-together to honor Bob with other "Full House" cast members.

Madonna was taking care of her late brother, Anthony Ciccone, before his death -- and despite their complicated history, they were far from estranged ... TMZ has learned.

Family sources tell us Madonna was actually footing the bill for Anthony's stay at a Michigan rehab center before he died this weekend. We're told he'd been there for a while, and that 2 days before he passed ... Anthony himself removed the feeding/breathing tubes doctors had him using.

Our sources say he was in failing health toward the end -- having lost a lot of weight -- and he knew the consequences of removing the equipment, which ultimately resulted in his death. We're told some family members -- including his sister, Paula, and his father -- had been visiting in his final days, with Paula being at his bedside throughout most of it.

Anthony's rehab care wasn't just a last-ditch Hail Mary ... our sources tell us Madonna and other relatives have been actively trying to help Anthony for years, but, by and large, he rejected assistance, as living on the streets and drinking had become a way of life.

But, in the last stretch ... we're told the 66-year-old couldn't fend for himself, and the fam stepped in.

We're told he suffered from alcoholism, which led to homelessness -- and, as a result, his relationship with his famous younger sister had always been challenging. With that said, our sources tell us Madonna never considered herself on the outs with him, per se.

As we reported ... Anthony's passing was announced this weekend by the husband of one of Madonna's sisters, Melanie -- who remembered him in a sweet eulogy on social media.

Former U.S. swimming star Jamie Cail died suddenly at 42 years old in the Virgin Islands last week ... and now, authorities say they've launched an investigation into the mysterious circumstances surrounding her death.

According to the United States Virgin Islands Police Department -- Cail, who won a gold medal at the 1997 Pan Pacific Championships, was found unresponsive in St. John by her boyfriend on Feb. 21 just after midnight.

Police say the swimmer's significant other had been out at a local bar but left to check in on her at their home -- and discovered her on the floor.

Cops say the man and one of his friends were able to transport Cail to a local hospital -- where she was administered CPR.

Police, though, say the lifesaving efforts were unsuccessful, and she was pronounced dead at 2:39 AM.

The Criminal Investigation Bureau is now investigating the death -- and officials are urging anyone with information on the case to call authorities.

Cail competed on the national stage throughout the late 1990s ... eventually joining the USC swimming team.

Jansen Panettiere had a few projects in the pipeline at the time of his death ... and he shared an intimate smooch in one of his final films, as a newly-obtained clip shows.

The footage, obtained by TMZ, showcases the late actor's on-screen kiss in the upcoming campy-horror 3-D flick, "Aaah! Roach!" Jansen, who plays Martin Jones, shared the screen with Grace Van Dien -- known for playing Chrissy Cunningham in "Stranger Things."

The movie features Jansen and Grace as their college is attacked by chemically altered man-eating roaches ... having to work together and save the day before it's too late.

Jenni Gold, director and producer of the film, tells TMZ ... the team is in shock at the loss of Jansen, adding he was loved by everyone and will be missed deeply.

She says the movie will be dedicated in his honor when released, which should be at the end of this year or early 2024. Jenni tells us the kissing scene was shot pre-pandemic and then filming got delayed, but the movie is now in post-production.

Legendary BBC football (soccer) commentator John Motson, one of the most well-known voices in the sport, has sadly passed away, his family announced Thursday. He was 77.

Motson's family released a statement about his passing, writing ... "It is with great sadness we announce that John Motson OBE died peacefully in his sleep today."

Motson -- also referred to as "Motty" -- started calling games for Britain's national broadcaster in 1968 ... and his stellar career spanned 50 years.

The BBC said John covered 10 World Cups, 10 European Championships, and 29 FA Cup finals ... before calling his final match in 2018.

John -- best known for his signature sheepskin coats -- also covered more than 200 England matches and commentated on over 2,500 televised games.

Tributes came pouring in after John's death had been announced ... with the Prince of Wales sending his regards to Motson's family for their tragic loss.

"Very sad to hear about the passing of John Motson - a legend whose voice was football. My thoughts are with his family and friends," Prince William and Kate Middleton tweeted from their official Prince and Princess of Wales Twitter account.