Celebrity Death

NFL star Sam Darnold was crushed to learn his former USC teammate Chris Brown died over the weekend ... saying Monday the 24-year-old O-lineman was the "greatest dude EVER."

Brown passed away Sunday, according to Trojans football head coach Clay Helton ... who said he was "heartbroken" to relay the news to the SC community.

Darnold -- who was teammates with Brown for his entire USC career -- spoke out on the tragedy on his social media page Monday ... sharing three photos, and clearly reeling from the news.

"Still can't believe this," Darnold said. "Rest easy brotha."

Brown arrived on SC's campus in 2014, 1 year before Darnold enrolled at the school. The O-lineman went on to block for the star QB for two seasons in 2016 and 2017, before Sam eventually bolted for the NFL.

The two were clearly close, Darnold's pictures showed the guys shared more than a few laughs together.

A cause of death for Brown has not yet been revealed.

Scottie Pippen has revealed his oldest son Antron Pippen passed away on Sunday. He was only 33.

"I'm heartbroken to share that yesterday, I said goodbye to my firstborn son Antron. The two of us shared a love for basketball and we had countless conversations about the game."

Scottie continued, "Antron suffered from chronic asthma and if he hadn’t had it, I truly believe he would've made it to the NBA. He never let that get him down, though -- Antron stayed positive and worked hard, and I am so proud of the man that he became."

Antron was born in 1987 to Karen McCollum -- who married Scottie in 1988 (they split in 1990).

Antron was a pretty solid basketball player who reportedly spent time hoopin' at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU). Clearly, Scottie believed he had real potential, if not for his medical condition.

Scottie did not reveal Antron's cause of death. However, he's asking fans to pray for his family.

"Please keep his mom, Karen, and all of his family and friends in your thoughts and prayers. A kind heart and beautiful soul gone way too soon. I love you, son, rest easy until we meet again."

Antron also spent time playin ball at South Georgia Technical College -- and moments ago, the school paid tribute to their former player.

Mike Mitchell -- one of the founders of The Kingsmen, the '60s rock band known for their recording of the massive hit, "Louie Louie" -- has died.

Mike, the band's guitar player, died Friday on his birthday. Kingsmen drummer Dick Peterson says ... "We are deeply saddened by Mike’s passing. He was the kindest and most generous man on the planet."

He adds ...  "For the past 57 years, we have been playing colleges, fairs, and festivals, vintage car shows and rock n’ roll shows throughout the USA. Mike is irreplaceable, and he will be greatly missed not only by us but the fans as well. Mike was a favorite for his comedic nature as well as his musicianship."

The Kingsmen formed in Portland, Oregon in 1959, but became garage rock icons 4 years later in 1963 with their famous cover of Richard Berry’s 1957 song "Louie Louie."

The song held the #2 spot on the Billboard charts for 6 non-consecutive weeks, and inspired rock bands for generations ... being subsequently covered by other groups like The Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, The Troggs, The Sonics, The Beatles, Mothers of Invention, Motörhead, Black Flag and Iggy Pop.

Though the other founding members of The Kingsmen split off, Mitchell -- who delivers the iconic guitar solo on "Louie Louie" -- remained for 62 years.

Another famous guitarist, Joe Walsh, offered his condolences to Mitchell's family, saying ... "I learned to play the guitar because of Mike Mitchell. I know every one of his solos, mistakes and all. We’re losing the good guys."

Mike is survived by his children, Samantha and Max.

He was 77.

Sunday Burquest -- a former contestant on "Survivor" -- has died after battling cancer.

The youth pastor's daughter, Kennedy, confirmed her mother's passing on Instagram ... posting a touching tribute that thanked Sunday for teaching her to be a Christian, and for being the best role model possible.

She writes ... "It breaks my heart to know you will never get to see me on my wedding day, or be there when I have my first kid. But I know you’re watching over me." Kennedy went on to say that she's happy her mom will be with Jesus, and that she doesn't have to be in pain anymore, adding ... "I know one day we will meet again. Until then, I’ll spend every minute missing you, and trying to make you proud. Rest easy mom, I’ll see you soon 🤍."

Sunday had previously disclosed that she'd been diagnosed with esophageal and ovarian cancer -- with a new iteration of the disease re-infecting her last summer ... when, at the time, doctors had told her she only had months to live.

Prior to the latest diagnosis, she'd fought breast cancer in 2012 ... and came out the other side after several surgeries and treatments.

Sunday competed on the 33rd season of "Survivor" ... dubbed 'Millennials vs. Gen X,' which aired in 2016. She made it pretty far, as she was the 14th person voted out, coming in at 7th place. She ended up going from being on a tribe with people mostly her age to the other tribe, full of 20 and 30-somethings, with whom she didn't appear to gel that well.

Before coming on to compete, she'd been cleared medically after beating her breast cancer -- and was one of the feel-good stories of the season. She's survived by her husband and four children.

Sunday was 50.

Black Rob -- a rapper who was once part of Diddy's Bad Boy roster -- has died ... this according to his former labelmates.

Rob reportedly passed away Saturday while hospitalized in Atlanta -- this after he was apparently battling kidney failure for quite some time ... so says NYC radio personality DJ Self, who posted a video of Rob from his hospital bed speaking on DMX's death.

Of BR's passing, Self says ... "Lord knows i tried to get help ...... I’m sad to say RIP to Black Rob." Self had been with Rob in his final days, posting different clips of the former MC as his health was clearly deteriorating. In one such video, Rob himself explained that he'd been battling health issues for five years ... including several strokes and other ailments. It also sounds like Rob might have been homeless too ... going on to say he needed "rest."

It's pretty heartbreaking to watch ... especially since Rob didn't appear to have reps of his own toward the end. DJ Self made clear he wasn't representing Rob either, but simply getting his message out.

Another former Bad Boy MC, Mark Curry, also confirmed the sad news of Rob's passing ... posting a teary-eyed video Saturday saying he'd just gotten word, thanking everyone who donated to a GFM campaign in Rob's name -- while publicly asking Rob's children to get in touch with him ... presumably to make funeral arrangements.

Both Mark and Rob were featured on Diddy's famous track "Bad Boy 4 Life" ... with each contributing verses in the memorable music video, which showed Diddy and co. moving into a suburban neighborhood and drawing the ire of Ben Stiller. Rob had performed with several other Bad Boy affiliated acts ... like 112, Faith Evans, Mase and even Biggie himself.

Of course, Rob broke through with his own hit in 2000 ... the critically-acclaimed "Whoa!" which ended up making it on several music charts, including the Billboard Hot 100 and others ... and ended up getting remixed several times over.

"Whoa!" stands as Rob's biggest hit to date -- but the man went on to churn out several albums ... even after leaving Bad Boy in the mid-2000s. He was reunited with his Bad Boy counterparts in 2016 when Diddy put together the Bad Boy Family Reunion Tour.

Diddy doesn't appear to have commented on Rob's passing just yet. He was 51.

RIP

Alma Wahlberg -- the matriarch of the family and mother to Mark, Donnie and 7 other children -- has died.

Mark shared the news ... posting a photo of his mother, writing, "My angel. Rest in peace."

Back in July, 2020 ... Donnie had posted a message addressing his mother's health issues. He wrote, "I know that so many of you have asked how my mom Alma is doing. During my visit, she didn’t remember much, and was often confused, but somehow she was still Alma."

Donnie added, "She still lights up a room. She still made me smile. She’s still stubborn. And she still loves her baby Donnie. I thank you all, for your well wishes. Sending my heartfelt love, and sincerest wishes, to all those away from their loved ones."

Mama Wahlberg was heavily featured in the A&E series "Wahlburgers" ... which aired for 10 seasons as it followed Mark and Donnie's older brother's ambitions to create a burger joint that eventually became famous and expanded throughout the New England area.

Alma had 9 children ... Mark, Donnie, Paul, Robert, Jim, Arthur, Tracey, Michelle and Debbie. According to her A&E bio ... Alma was a hostess and greeter at her sons' burger joints but she had previously worked as a bank clerk and nurse's aid to help her family make ends meet. The entire family lived in a tight space while growing up in Dorchester.

Paul honored his mother when he opened an upscale Italian joint in Hingham, MA and dubbed it Alma Nove ... an homage to Alma and her 9 children.

Alma was 78.

DMX's fiancee just told the world ... the late rapper was her everything, and she's grateful for the time they had.

Desiree Lindstrom just posted, "The first night we met and you held me close. I knew I would never let go. I was lost in you and nothing else mattered. My best friend, my baby, my love...truly my everything. Thank you for us. Thank you for Exodus. Thank you God for Earl Simmons...forever X."

Desiree also got a tattoo as an homage to her late fiance, which says, "Dog Love" which sits over a large "X."

DMX and Desiree had a 4-year-old son, Exodus. As we reported, she was devastated by the passing of X.

One of the sweetest videos we've seen was when DMX proposed to Desiree back in 2019. What made it especially interesting ... he proposed the same day they had broken up, but she said "yes!"  The proposal went down at Exodus' 3rd birthday party at Sky Zone.

TMZ broke the story ... DMX died earlier this month at age 50 after OD'ing at home and suffering a heart attack. He was hospitalized for a week and ultimately his body functions failed.

DMX fans who were looking forward to him performing at a Texas bar next month will still get to enjoy his music ... because the venue's turning the rapper's scheduled concert into a tribute show.

Justin -- the owner of the Wildcatter Saloon in Katy -- tells TMZ ... he and his team took DMX's death really hard because they grew up loving his music, and booking him was a long time in the making.

X was set to play at the venue on May 29, but Justin says the Wildcatter's now going to make the event a memorial concert to honor him.

We're told the tribute show will feature the same opening acts who were booked for DMX -- Tone Royal, a hip-hop artist who's a huge DMX fan ... and hip-hop/rock band Coozablack & Sin City.

Justin says both openers have a few DMX cover songs ready to go on their setlists to kick off the show ... but he's still in need of a headliner.

The bar owner tells us he wants it to be someone who was close with DMX to make the night more personal and special for fans, and some potential names are Busta Rhymes, Trae the Truth, and a long shot ... Snoop Dogg.

As we reported ... DMX died on April 9 at age 50 after suffering an overdose the week prior, which resulted in him losing oxygen to his brain for nearly 30 minutes.

Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and late husband of Queen Elizabeth II, is being laid to rest in an emotional farewell, with clear signs of Royal Family tension.

The ceremony was held against the backdrop of a bright and early Saturday morning across the pond at Windsor Castle ... where Philip's life, service and loyalty to the Queen is being celebrated. As expected, Harry and William were separated as they walked into the church.

QE2's husband of 73 years has been lying in repose at the castle's private chapel -- and today his coffin will be transported to St. George’s Chapel, where he'll be laid to rest in the Royal Vault.

The coffin was flanked by 9 members of the Royal family, including his grandsons Prince William and Prince Harry.

Of course, all eyes were on Harry to see how he interacted with his brother, his father, Prince Charles, and others because this is their first public interaction since Harry and Meghan Markle's Oprah interview ... where they accused members of the Royal family of racism.

After the ceremony, the brothers were spotted chatting and walking around the grounds of Windsor Castle.

While Harry flew in from California for the ceremony, Meghan did not get medical clearance to travel as she's pregnant with their second child.

As for Prince Philip, his coffin will be loaded into the back of a Land Rover he himself customized into a hearse, and the procession will pass by roads lined with military personnel saluting his naval service.

Felix Silla, who famously played the mysterious and hairy Cousin Itt on "The Addams Family," is dead after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

Felix died Friday afternoon in Las Vegas ... according to Gil Gerard, Felix's co-star on the old NBC series "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century."

Gil says he's sad to see his friend lose his cancer battle, but says he's glad Felix is no longer suffering.

Although we never saw his face on the show ... Felix was extremely well known for playing the mumbling Cousin Itt on the 1960s sitcom. For the young 'uns... he dressed in sunglasses, a bowler hat and a hairpiece covering his entire body. The audience never understood what he was saying, but members of the Addams Family did.

Silla also didn't get any face time as Buck Rogers' robot sidekick Twiki, or as a hang-gliding Ewok in "Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi" ... but folks knew him because he stood barely 4 feet tall and weighed about 70 pounds.

Felix did have at least one famous role where he actually showed his mug ... in 1975 he shaved his head to play the villainous Litvak in "The Maltese Falcon" sequel "The Black Bird."

Born and raised in Italy, Felix moved to the United States way back in 1955 and toured around with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, working for several years as a tumbler and trapeze artist before landing in Hollywood in 1962 as a stuntman.

Felix did stunt work on "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," "Batman Returns," and "Poltergeist," among other films ... and also appeared in the OG "Planet of the Apes" and "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom."

Silla was 84, and is survived by his wife of more than 55 years, Sue, and their children, Bonnie and Michael.

DMX will be honored by his family, friends, loved ones and fans in one of the premier entertainment venues in the country -- the Barclays Center, TMZ has learned.

X's public memorial will be held on Saturday, April 24 at the arena in Brooklyn ... X's former manager, Steve Rifkind, tells TMZ. We're told the event's final logistics are still being figured out -- including how many people will be allowed inside and how ticketing will work -- limited capacity will obviously be in effect because of COVID.

DMX's family and more direct contacts will then attend a more private funeral service at a church in the NYC area on Sunday, April 25.

TMZ broke the story, Yonkers' Mayor, Mike Spano, welcomed the idea of the family using Yonkers Raceway for the service ... X grew up in the city. Nonetheless, there are still plans for DMX to be remembered there, Spano told us they've considered possible plans for a statue or street name.

DMX hit the Barclays Center stage in June 2019 in what would be one of his final big shows during the Masters of Ceremony event.

Helen McCrory -- best known for playing Aunt Polly on "Peaky Blinders" -- has died of cancer ... according to her husband, "Billions" star Damian Lewis.

Lewis announced his wife's death on Twitter, saying ... "I'm heartbroken to announce that after an heroic battle with cancer, the beautiful and mighty woman that is Helen McCrory has died peacefully at home, surrounded by a wave of love from family and friends."

He adds ... "She died as she lived. Fearlessly. God we love her and we know how lucky we are to have had her in our lives. She blazed so brightly. Go now, Little One, into the air, and thank you."

Along with starring as the matriarch of the gangster Shelby family on 'Blinders,' McCrory played Narcissa Malfoy in 3 "Harry Potter" films.

She also had roles in the HBO series "His Dark Materials" and the Showtime horror show, "Penny Dreadful."

Helen also appeared in several popular movies since her acting career began in the early '90s, such as "Skyfall," "The Queen" and "The Count of Monte Cristo."

McCrory and Lewis wed in 2007 and have a daughter and son together, both teenagers.

She was 52.

"KOBE!!!!!"

That's how LPGA Tour star Jessica Korda celebrated an amazing chip shot on the golf course Wednesday ... and it was AWESOME!!

The 28-year-old was up near the green for her 3rd shot on the 17th hole during her 1st round at the Lotte Championship in Hawaii ... when she straight-up dunked her ball into the cup on the fly!!

Check out the clip ... the stroke was incredible -- her ball landed in the center of the hole from about 30 yards away -- giving her an eagle!!!

The best part? Korda celebrated immediately after the shot hit the plastic, flicking her wrist and yelling out, "Kobe!"

Of course, the celebration has been around for YEARS ... who hasn't thrown a ball of socks into a laundry basket and yelled out the NBA legend's name???

But, it's taken on a whole new meaning since Kobe Bryant tragically passed away last year ... and it's pretty incredible to see the honor still going on to this day.

Bernie Madoff -- the one-time Wall Street financial adviser turned massive convicted fraudster -- died in prison ... TMZ has confirmed.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons -- the agency that oversaw Madoff while behind bars -- says he passed Wednesday while in custody at a federal facility in North Carolina. Federal law enforcement sources confirm Madoff died of natural causes and said it was not covid-19 related.

The man had been serving a 150-year sentence following his 2009 criminal case and subsequent conviction. Last year, he'd complained of health issues that he claimed were costing him his life ... specifically, Madoff said he was experiencing terminal kidney failure.

A judge shot down Madoff's request to be sprung from prison early, even under compassionate release grounds that Madoff was trying to invoke in his filing.

Of course, his lifetime sentence was imposed after a long-running Ponzi scheme he'd been operating for years finally came to light in late 2008 ... this after he'd lost billions of dollars from investors he'd swindled over several years, and the feds caught wind of the operation.

The scheme itself is quite complex -- but it essentially boiled down to Madoff taking cash (A LOT of it, BTW) from thousands of investors, via his securities firm, and depositing that money into a bank account ... which he ultimately used to pay off other investors.

He passed his investment strategy off as legit, and on the surface ... appeared to be making steady gains. But, upon a deeper dive, it was clear Madoff's numbers just weren't adding up -- something he was able to cloak for quite a long time ... that is, until the 2008 market downturn, which bulldozed his house of cards -- as he simply didn't have the funds a lot of his partners were asking for (and assuming he had at the ready).  Many people who trusted Madoff lost their life savings.

Madoff ended up pleading guilty to 11 federal felony counts -- including securities fraud, wire fraud and a whole lot more ... but the fact he played ball from the outset didn't help him much in the way of leniency. He got the book thrown at him with a massive sentence, plus a requirement to forfeit billions of dollars in assets he and his family held.

The Madoff Victim Fund was established not too long after his conviction -- and has racked up just a fraction of the money owed to investors, less than $3 billion among tens of thousands of investors.

Madoff's downfall has been depicted and covered in countless TV shows, movies and documentaries -- but most recently, a full-blown TV biopic of sorts was made with Robert De Niro playing Madoff, which was dubbed "Wizard of Lies." It premiered on HBO in 2017.

Madoff was 82.

Bobby Brown is steadfast in his belief that his ex-wife, Whitney Houston, and their daughter, Bobbi Kristina, died in similar ways because the same person was responsible for both of their deaths.

Bobby put the blame squarely on the late Nick Gordon -- Bobbi Kristina's boyfriend at the time of her death -- during the new episode of "Red Table Talk." He tells Jada Pinkett Smith and co. that he believes Nick supplied Whitney and Bobbi with the drugs that ultimately killed them.

It's been known for many years that Bobbi Kristina's family suspected Gordon killed her -- and Nick was found legally liable for her death in civil court -- but when Bobby was asked if he thinks Gordon killed Whitney too, he replied ... "I believe so."

Bobby points out that Nick was the only person present for both Whitney and Bobbi's situations -- they both overdosed in bathtubs ... Whitney in 2012 and Bobbi in 2015.

He claims Nick was the kind of guy who provided party favors, and it's clear Bobby thinks that's why his ex-wife and daughter are gone.

It should be noted ... cops investigated Gordon in connection with Bobbi's death for years, but he was never charged. He was never a known suspect in Whitney's death.

It's a beautiful day to move into the neighborhood Mr. Rogers called home ... or at least that should be the pitch to sell Fred Rogers' old crib in Pittsburgh.

The home where the late TV host once lived is for sale at a cool $855k ... and, boy is it rich with history. Fred and his wife, Joanne, lived there from the late 1950s until the early 1960s. In fact, the listing includes a birth announcement for the couple's youngest son, John -- the published article serving as proof they really did live there.

And, get this ... according to Pittsburgh Next, which first reported the listing, previous neighbors recalled how Mister Rogers would do puppet shows for the kiddos who lived in the neighborhood.

The house is 3,693 square feet ... featuring 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms, and was built in 1921. It also has 2 fireplaces and a pretty awesome library.