Celebrity Death

Abigail Breslin's dad had died from COVID, and the actress has shared her grief.

The "Zombieland" star posted 78-year-old Michael Breslin passed away Friday, adding, "Hard to write this. Harder than I thought. I'm in shock and devastation ... my sweet, perfect, amazing, heroic, wonderful dada passed away after my family and I said goodbye. It was COVID-19 that cut my sweet daddy’s life too short."

Michael had been suffering from COVID this month and his condition deteriorated ... he was eventually placed on a ventilator and several days ago lost consciousness.

24-year-old Abigail's siblings, Ryan and Spencer, also shared thoughts about their dad.

Michael worked in telecommunications and worked as a computer programmer and a consultant.

He was 78.

More bombshell allegations in the world of international gymnastics -- with 17 British gymnasts alleging "systemic physical and psychological abuse" from British coaches.

The group of women -- which includes 3 Olympians -- issued a notice to the British Gymnastics association spelling out plans to take legal action.

The group -- whose ages range from 15 to 43 -- allege coaches grossly mistreated them while implementing an iron-fisted "winning at all costs" mentality ... which included the use of physical force against athletes as young as 6-years-old.

In the notice, the women claim the physical abuse included "inappropriate use of physical force by coaches against gymnasts constituting physical assault" -- as well as "abusive and harmful coaching techniques which have no justification in science or theory."

The women point to "consistent reports of coaches slapping, pushing, and using physical force to reprimand, punish, stretch, and/or 'correct' gymnasts during training."

All of the alleged victims claim the abuse took place at various training centers across the U.K., each affiliated with British Gymnastics.

As a result of the alleged abuse, the women say they are now physically and emotionally scarred -- dealing with issues from depression to anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.

One of the accusers has identified herself publicly as Claire Heafford -- and issued a statement saying the action the group is taking is a "landmark moment in our campaign for justice."

"This is not and has never been about a few bad apples, this is about decades of systemic abuse, encouraged and covered up by those at the top."

She continued, "The hopes and dreams of countless children and young adults of competing as professional gymnasts have been destroyed and their love for the sport is now shrouded in fear and suffering."

"My heart goes out to everyone who has felt this pain and have not yet spoken out -- we want you to know that we are here, fighting on your side."

British Gymnastics has issued a statement saying they've received the notice -- but explaining, "It would not be appropriate or fair to all parties for us to make any comment until we have had the opportunity for it to be fully considered."

The news comes one day after former Team USA Gymnastics coach John Geddert took his own life ... hours after he was charged with multiple counts of human trafficking and sexual assault.

One day after reigniting the movement to change the NBA's logo to Kobe Bryant ... Kyrie Irving doubled down on the take, explaining, "Kobe Bryant. Logo. Yes. Needs to happen."

"I don't care what anybody says," Irving said Thursday night after the Brooklyn Nets' win over the Orlando Magic. "Black kings built the league."

"It's exactly what I meant and it's exactly where I stand."

Back in February 2020, just a few weeks after Kobe, his daughter, Gianna, and seven others died in a helicopter crash -- there was a large movement to switch the NBA's Jerry West logo to one depicting Kobe.

A change.org petition earned over 3 MILLION signatures in support of the cause ... but the NBA never appeared to take the idea too seriously.

But, clearly, Irving has no intentions of stopping the push ... 'cause on Wednesday he brought the movement back on his social media page -- and on Thursday, he explained why he feels the move is necessary.

"As a native Black man and a native Black king, I think it's part of my responsibility to push our culture forward," Irving said, before adding, "I think he deserves it. I think his family deserves it."

"I think we deserve it as seeing greatness personified as Mamba. And anyone that's coming into the league should know that that's the example that was set."

Vanessa Bryant clearly agrees ... she's thrown her support behind the idea since it was first proposed -- even commenting on Irving's social media post this week, writing, "Love this."

Vincent Jackson's closest friends and family members said goodbye to the NFL star at a small private funeral service on Wednesday -- and now his body will be cremated, per his wishes.

The former NFL star was found dead by a housekeeper at the Homewood Suites hotel in Brandon, Florida on Feb. 15 ... but officials believe he could have been dead for days.

Law enforcement officials say the 38-year-old wide receiver struggled with chronic alcoholism and believe it played a significant role in his death.

Now, Jackson's body will be cremated and the ashes will remain with his family, per Allison Gorrell, the executive director of the Jackson In Action 83 Foundation.

Jackson's brain was donated to the CTE Center at Boston University -- because his family believes the NFL player suffered brain trauma during his long football career.

The CTE Center is considered a global leader in CTE research -- and the family hopes donating Vincent's brain will help doctors and scientists figure out a way to prevent and treat CTE in other athletes.

"Vincent being who he was would have wanted to help as many people as possible,” Gorrell told the New York Times last week.

Kyrie Irving is breathing new life into the movement to replace the NBA logo with an image of Kobe Bryant -- saying straight-up, "Gotta Happen."

"[I don't care] what anyone says," Irving posted on Wednesday alongside a mockup of a pretty awesome-looking Kobe logo designed by Tyson Beck.

"BLACK KINGS BUILT THE LEAGUE," Irvin added.

A bunch of Kyrie's famous friends immediately supported Irving's proposal in the comments section -- from Dez Bryant to Stephen Jackson ... even the official Bruce Lee IG account co-signed on the idea!

The "Kobe for NBA Logo" movement gained a bunch of momentum following Mamba's tragic death in January 2020 ... with huge and influential stars like Mark Cuban and Paul Pierce publicly throwing their support behind the move.

Even Justin Bieber pushed for the change. But, as time passed, the voices calling for change quieted down. Maybe Kyrie will get everyone talking again?!

As for Jerry West, the current NBA legend featured in the logo, he's previously said he's open for the league to switch it up.

In fact, Alan Siegel, who created the logo back in 1969 told Newsweek he'd be cool with a change as well.

"I'm really proud of the logo, it's been something that's been recognized around the world, but if the current players want to recognize someone that's made a difference, like Kobe, and if the commissioner wanted to do so, I would support it."

So, really ... everyone seems on board with a switch.

The league did implement some changes around the league to honor Kobe -- renaming the All-Star Game MVP trophy after him ... as well as changing the game's scoring format to include his #24.

But, will Kobe become the new logo?!

Florida's Agriculture Commissioner says she will not follow the Governor's order to lower flags to honor Rush Limbaugh ... because she doesn't think he deserves it.

Nikki Fried, a Democrat, is directing all of the state offices she runs to defy Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, who says he wants flags to be flown at half-staff to pay tribute to the late conservative radio show host ... who died last week of lung cancer.

Fried says, "Lowering to half-staff the flag of the United States of America is a sacred honor that pays respect to fallen heroes and patriots." She clearly doesn't put Limbaugh in that bucket, because she added ... "We will not celebrate hate speech, bigotry, and division."

She also called the Governor's call to honor Limbaugh a "partisan political tool."

Fried's agency -- the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services -- also shared the state's official flag protocol, which says ... "the flag is to be lowered primarily for federal officials including the President, Vice President, Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, Speaker of the U.S. House, members of Congress from Florida, prominent State of Florida officials, and Florida law enforcement officers, firefighters, and members of the Armed Forces from Florida who have died in the line of duty."

Malcolm X's surviving family members are demanding his murder case be reopened after claiming they now have a letter that ropes the NYPD and FBI directly into his death.

The late civil rights leader's three daughters spoke out at a news conference this weekend, asking the Manhattan D.A. to re-open the case and take a hard look at new evidence they claim to have ... which alleges a conspiracy at the highest levels.

It's a letter written by a former NYPD officer, Raymond Wood, who often worked undercover ... and who purportedly confessed on his death bed he had been instructed by his bosses to get some of Malcolm's security guards arrested in the days leading up to his assassination.

The letter reportedly claims Wood was told by his bosses to lure a couple guards into committing crimes just days before Malcolm was killed, which then got them taken into custody ... away from the action at the Audubon Ballroom on Feb. 21, 1965.

Wood says had they not been arrested, they would've been handling door security. It's no coincidence either, per the letter. Wood explicitly says the FBI and NYPD planned for all this, so the people who fatally shot Malcolm could more easily get inside, armed.

In light of this new alleged evidence, Malcolm's family wants the whole investigation reexamined ... echoed by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who's repping the fam and leading the charge in getting the D.A. to give what he calls "restorative justice."

One note we should mention -- many accounts of the days leading up to Malcolm's murder say he himself had reduced security at speaking engagements, including door checks. While he still had his own personal detail, he wasn't rolling nearly as deep as he had been earlier in the '60s when he was still on good terms with the Nation of Islam.

The letter, as described, doesn't seem to address that -- but in any case, it's alleging bad actors beyond the men who were convicted for the assassination.

Malcolm was gunned down by three men, fatally suffering 21 shots. He was 39.

RIP

Prince Markie Dee went to a hospital the day he died to deal with an apparent cardiovascular issue -- according to his manager -- but doctors weren't able to save him.

Markie's manager and best friend, Louis "Uncle Louie" Gregory, tells TMZ ... hours before he died, Markie went to a hospital where he was told he would need a stent to alleviate a blockage in his heart.

Louie says Markie had gone to the hospital because his hands and feet were swollen, and he figured something was seriously wrong. Turns out he was right. Unfortunately, Louie says Markie died in the hospital before doctors were able to put in the stent.

As we reported ... Markie, one-third of the famous '80s hip-hop group The Fat Boys, died suddenly Thursday at the age of 52.

Although the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner has not released a cause of death -- autopsy results are pending -- Louie says close family friends suspect it was a heart attack.

Louie tells us the final time he spoke to Markie was last Saturday by FaceTime, and he thought something was off -- telling us Markie wasn't up for smoking cigars like they usually did.

Kenny Smith says Meek Mill should NOT be canceled for referencing Kobe Bryant's tragic death in his new song ... telling TMZ Sports the rapper deserves a pass for the controversial lyric.

The Philly rapper drew SERIOUS backlash this week when his new collab with Lil Baby surfaced on the internet ... with fans outraged over the following bar -- "And if I ever lack I’m going out with my chopper, it be another Kobe."

While some fans are ready to pull the plug on Meek's career, Smith says he's going to give the guy a pass.

"I'm a Meek Mill fan," Smith says. "I know that he's a huge basketball fan, huge Kobe fan. Whatever he says, I'm always going to give Meek a pass."

The "Inside The NBA" analyst added he knows the sports world is sensitive about Kobe and the January 2020 helicopter accident ... but given all the positive things like criminal justice reform and charitable contributions Meek has done years, he'll let it slide.

"I always give Meek the benefit of the doubt," Smith adds. "He has a track record that speaks pretty long and pretty positive in the past year."

Phil Spector, the producer responsible for some of the biggest hits in music, amassed a treasure trove of gifts before he died ... sent by John Lennon, Yoko Ono and Elvis Presley.

Spector's estate filed legal docs listing some of his personal assets, and there are some interesting pieces of memorabilia that jump right off the page ... like one of John Lennon's electric guitars.

Spector had a deep association with Lennon ... he produced The Beatles album, "Let It Be," as well as Lennon's solo work like "Imagine" and 'Instant Karma.'

The docs, obtained by TMZ, say Lennon's guitar is accompanied by a handwritten note from his widow, Yoko.

Phil's estate also details his bling ... including jewelry, watches, rings and diamond cufflinks gifted to him by Elvis.

Vincent Jackson's family is now taking steps to determine if the former NFL star suffered from CTE before his tragic death ... by donating his brain to researchers.

A spokesperson for the wide receiver's family told multiple media outlets this week the 38-year-old's brain was given to experts at Boston University for studying shortly after he was found dead on Monday.

"Vincent being who he was would have wanted to help as many people as possible,” family rep Allison Gorrell told the New York Times.

"It's something his family wanted to do to get answers to some of their questions."

As we previously reported, Jackson was found dead alone in a hotel room in Brandon, FL ... a place he had been living in since January.

When asked why Jackson -- a man who made more than $70 million in his NFL career -- was there, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said the family believed it was all due to potential brain injuries suffered while playing football.

"What the family is telling me is that he suffered from CTE," Chronister said. "They believe he had a lot of concussion problems and when you suffer from that, you're not yourself."

The sheriff added, "[The family believes] wholeheartedly all of these actions are the result of what he suffered while he was playing in the NFL."

An official cause of death for Jackson has not yet been revealed ... the county's medical examiner says it could be months before an autopsy report is completed.

Prince Markie Dee, one-third of the famous '80s hip hop group The Fat Boys, has died.

Prince passed away suddenly Thursday, according to SiriusXM’s Rock The Bells channel, where he used to host a radio show. The report did not mention a cause of death.

The rapper helped start The Fat Boys, a pioneering rap group, back in the 1980s in Brooklyn. The group helped bring beatboxing to the mainstream, as they featured the sound on most of their songs -- and paved the way for artists like Biz Markie and Doug E. Fresh.

Even after The Fat Boys broke up ... Prince continued writing and producing for other artists. You'll find his credit on songs by Mariah Carey, Ariana Grande, Drake, Jennifer Lopez, Mary J. Blige, Destiny's Child and Frank Ocean.

The Fat Boys had a brief Hollywood career too, as they co-starred in 2 movies ... "Krush Groove" and "Disorderlies."

Prince moved on to a solo career after The Fat Boys, signing with Columbia Records and releasing his debut album "Free" in 1992, featuring his chart-topping single, "Typical Reasons (Swing My Way)."

A career in radio followed, with Prince working as a host for Miami's 103.5 The Beat WMIB before his most recent gig as a host and DJ at Rock The Bells.

His groupmate, Darren "Buff Love" Robinson died in 1995 of a heart attack. Damon "Kool Rock-Ski" Wimbley is now the only surviving member.

Prince was 52.

Vincent Jackson likely died on or before Feb. 13 -- two days before he was discovered by law enforcement -- this according to a new death report, obtained by TMZ Sports.

The former NFL star was pronounced dead on Feb. 15 after hotel staff contacted police about an unresponsive male in a room at the Homewood Suites in Brandon, FL.

Cops had been investigating and now say hotel staff saw Jackson in the same room -- in the same slouched position -- as early as Feb. 13 ... but assumed he was sleeping.

But, on Feb. 15, a housekeeper began to realize the sad reality -- Jackson wasn't resting, he was dead -- and someone at the hotel dialed 911.

When cops arrived at the scene, they confirmed Jackson had died.

As for visible injuries, cops say he had a small laceration on his left big toe -- but that's it.

The death report also notes Jackson had a history of alcohol use, but was not a known drug user.

As we previously reported, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister announced earlier this week that Jackson likely died from issues connected to "chronic alcoholism."

Jackson had been living at the Homewood Suites hotel since January ... and his family had become concerned about him -- even filing a missing person report on Feb. 11.

Cops made contact with him at the hotel on Feb. 12, but determined he was okay. Sadly, he was not okay, and seemingly died hours later.

Ryan Leaf didn't know Vincent Jackson personally but almost died the same way -- alone in a hotel room -- and he's begging Roger Goodell to do more to help former players cope.

The former NFL quarterback posted an emotional video Monday in the hours after Jackson passed away at the Homewood Suites hotel in Brandon, FL. Officials say Jackson had suffered from chronic alcoholism.

Now that he's had time to process the situation, Leaf spoke with TMZ Sports about why Jackson's death had such a tremendous impact on him, despite the fact they didn't know each other.

"I just was really emotional. I can relate," Leaf says ... "There was some empathy behind it because he was alone in a hotel room dying and I felt that way. I've been in a hotel room and was dying alone."

Leaf's struggles with substance abuse are no secret -- in fact, he even spent time in prison stemming from his addiction. But, he's not only sought help over the years, he's now committed to helping other former players deal with similar issues.

However, Leaf says he still struggles with "survivor's guilt" -- he can't understand why he lived and others in the very same situation have died.

"That's something I'm working on with my therapist because [Jackson] was a hell of a player and he's done so much for his community and everything like that. Why couldn't more have been done?"

So, what should the NFL do to help players who are struggling after their playing days are over?

"I particularly think a transition program immediately exiting the NFL or consistent therapy [could help]" Leaf says.

He also suggests the NFL build treatment centers for players -- similar to the military's VA hospitals and centers.

"I think there should be a facility for players who built [the NFL's brand] and whose minds are fragile and need help."

Leaf says several high-profile former NFL players have reached out to him to offer support -- including Michael Strahan.

The 44-year-old also has a message to players battling depression, addiction or any other issue that could affect their health -- please reach out.

"If family members or my brothers are in need or in a place where I once was, call me! I'll be on the first fight, I'll be in your living room, I'll go with you through it!"

LeBron James is making sure Nipsey Hussle and Kobe Bryant live on forever in his household ... he just hung a tribute piece to the 2 fallen legends in his hallway.

The King revealed the artwork late Wednesday night ... saying he has plans to walk by the photo daily to remember the former rapper and ex-NBA superstar.

"Wit me every single day when walking my hallways," James said after posing for pics with the piece in his home. "Continues to live on! #LegendsNeverDie."

The artwork is pretty incredible ... it's a framed piece showing Nipsey and Kobe staring at each other with gold leaf crowns perched atop their heads.

James has spoken at length about what the two guys have meant to him ... and he even got a tattoo tribute for Kobe after the basketball legend passed away.

As for Nipsey, just days after the rapper was murdered in Los Angeles in March 2019, James said, "it's one of the most unfortunate events that's happened in American history."

Perhaps not coincidentally, James also revealed Wednesday that he's now mulling a music career.

In a late-night tweet, James said he does NOT want to rap ... but rather, he's looking to help produce an album in some way.

"My love for music is INSANE!!!" James said. "I think I’m going to do a album. Oh no I won’t be rapping or anything like that. I’m not crazy, I know what I’m great at, but I tell you one thing I do have. So many friends that can. Thinking out loud."

An organization Rush Limbaugh supported and donated millions to will now pay tribute to him ... with a scholarship bearing his name.

Ed Boran and Sue Boulhosa -- President and Executive Director respectively of the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation -- tell TMZ ... it regularly gives $35,000 scholarships to children who lost a parent serving in the Marines or a federal law enforcement agency.

We're told MC-LEF will launch a Rush Limbaugh Memorial "Giant of Philanthropy" Scholarship that will go to 12 to 20 families who've lost loved ones ... with the same $35k award.

Ed and Sue say the initiative will start right away and last for years, and the families receiving the scholarship will be notified in a condolence letter saying Limbaugh was the donor. Typically, the letter says the scholarship was contributed by "our loyal donors."

We're told Rush donated around $3.5 million over the years to the org, along with regularly encouraging his radio listeners to donate as well.

MC-LEF was founded in 1995 and Rush was critical in its first 32 scholarships following the Oklahoma City bombing. Last year the org doled out 169 scholarships to more than 100 families.