Celebrity Death

John Langley, the creator of the hit TV show "Cops" has died.

Langley's reps confirmed the news to Variety, saying he passed away Saturday in Baja, Mexico of an apparent heart attack -- this while the guy was involved in an off-road race ... and was actually on the track himself. Word is, he was with his son, Zak, at the time.

He's obviously best remembered as the brains behind the long-running, real-life, crime-fighting reality show on FOX ... which aired 32 seasons and over a thousand episodes between 1989 and 2020. The series was canceled last year amid social unrest after George Floyd's murder.

Prior to that though ... "Cops" was a cultural hit, and some say it served as a giant blueprint for reality TV shows to come. Crazy as that sounds -- it IS reality TV ... just not in the way we're used to seeing it now. All the same, Langley was a trailblazer in the subgenre.

There were other law enforcement-type shows and projects JL was involved in over the years as well -- including EP titles for series like "Jail," "Vegas Strip," "Undercover Stings," "Las Vegas Jailhouse," "The Tony Rock Project" and pretty much all of the "The Amazing Video Collection" spin-offs that surfaced in the late '90s.

He also had a hand in movies and made-for-TV documentaries -- such as "Brooklyn's Finest," "Leaves of Grass," "Tiptoes," "Hollywood Vice," "Wildside," "American Expose: Who Murdered JFK?" and his first on-camera project from '83, "Cocaine Blues."

Langley was well decorated as a TV vet -- having won the American Television Award and four Emmys for his work on "Cops." He's survived by his wife, Maggie, and their children.

He was 78.

Johnny Solinger, the former singer of Skid Row, has died.

Johnny passed on Saturday, a month after he disclosed he was battling liver failure.

Members of the rock band announced Solinger’s death, saying, “We are saddened to hear the news of our brother Johnny Solinger. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and fans. Godspeed Singo. Say hello to Scrappy for us.”

Solinger started a GoFundMe account last month to help pay for his treatments. He wrote: “It is with a heavy heart I must let everyone know what’s going on with me and my health. I have been hospitalised for over the last month. I have been diagnosed with liver failure. And prognosis is not so good. As with most musicians I do not have health insurance and it’s very difficult to get proper care without it.”

Skid Row hit pretty big in the late 80s and 90s with its first two albums – "Skid Row" and "Slave To The Grind." Its biggest hits ... "Youth Gone Wild," and "18 and Life" together sold 20 million albums.

Solinger became a member of Skid Row back in '99, replacing Sebastian Bach. He stayed until 2015 when he was replaced with former TNT singer Tony Harnell.

He's on several Skid Row albums, including the "Thickskin," "Revolutions Per Minute." "United World Rebellion" and "Rise Of The Damnation Army."

Solinger is survived by his wife, Paula Marcenaro Solinger.

He was 55.

RIP

Rapper Gift of Gab -- one half of the famed Bay Area duo Blackalicious -- has died.

The rapper -- whose real name was Timothy J. Parker -- died last Friday ... according to the hip-hop collective Quannum Projects, which first told Rolling Stone. "Tim peacefully departed this earth to be with our ancestors on Friday, June 18, 2021."

The statement from the collective added, "He is survived by two brothers, one sister, many nieces and nephews, countless friends, and fans across the globe. We ask that the family's privacy is respected as we mourn the tremendous loss of our dear brother."

Gab had battled kidney failure in 2014 caused by type 1 diabetes ... forcing him to undergo dialysis several times a week. He reportedly got a kidney transplant in January 2020.

Xavier "Chief Xcel" Mosley -- Gab's partner and co-founder of the Bay Area group -- said, "Our brother was an MC's MC who dedicated his life to his craft. One of the greatest to ever do it. He's the most prolific person I've ever known."

He added, "He was all about pushing the boundaries of his art form in the most authentic way possible. He truly believed in the healing power of music. He viewed himself as a vessel used by a higher power whose purpose was to give positive contributions to humanity through Rhyme."

Xcel and Gab teamed up while studying at the University of California Davis. They released several EPs in the mid-90s but it was their 1999 full-length album "Nia" that brought them critical acclaim.

That same album included their iconic hit "Alphabet Aerobics" ... with Gab taking the spotlight thanks to his linguistic mastery of the alphabet with deft speed.

Daniel Radcliffe was a fan of the group ... and proved it with one helluva performance of 'Alphabet' in 2015 as a guest on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon."

It was so well received ... Gab himself reportedly said Daniel "killed it." He went on to release 3 solo albums. He reportedly has almost 100 tracks for future releases.

Gift of Gab was 50.

Travis Scott's releasing another collab outside of the music biz ... but this one includes a tribute to his friend and fallen hip-hop star, Pop Smoke.

The rapper's Cactus Jack brand has entered a partnership with the popular French fashion house, Dior -- which is also the name of a popular Smoke track -- and Travis revealed the first item in the collection is all about Pop.

It's a t-shirt with the late rapper's face emblazoned a little off-center on the front ... with lyrics from his song on the back. Travis wrote, "U CANT SAY POP AND FORGET THE SMOKE. NOW U IN ALL THE STORES 4 EVER."

Rumors began circulating that Scott and Dior were teaming up on something after he was seen wearing a brown, heavy-duty work jacket with a large Dior logo fused with his Cactus Jack logo, and sure enough ... the rumors are true.

Dior announced a joint Spring-Summer 2022 collection will be revealed in full on Friday at one of Paris Fashion Week's few in-person runway shows.

As you know ... Pop Smoke was shot and killed by 4 masked gunmen back in February 2020 in what appeared to be a home invasion robbery at a rental pad in the Hollywood Hills.

Henry "Nacho" Laun -- the extreme eating star of "Wahlburgers" and one of Mark Wahlberg's OG entourage members -- died after a cocaine overdose ... according to his death certificate.

TMZ has obtained the doc from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and it lists "complications of acute cocaine intoxication" as the immediate cause of death. The manner of his death is listed as accidental.

Nacho died on June 1 at 2:33 PM at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Plymouth, MA. He's listed as never married and his occupation as "TV Personality/Entertainment." The death certificate also shows Nacho was cremated on June 19.

TMZ broke the story ... Nacho was found unconscious in his vehicle at a gas station while on a road trip from Boston to Cape Cod in mid-May. While at the hospital he had been placed on life support because he couldn't breathe on his own.

Family and friends were holding on to hope he'd pull through after showing some signs of recovery ... but unfortunately, Nacho passed away.

Nacho was a fan favorite on the hit A&E show, known for never shying away from an eating challenge. In fact, Mark once brought Nacho with him to an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" ... where he drank Tabasco sauce and ate wasabi, to everyone's horror and delight.

John McAfee -- the software mogul behind the famous antivirus software -- has died by suicide ... according to reports out of Spain.

McAfee was found dead in his jail cell in Barcelona ... just hours after the Spanish High Court ruled he could be extradited to the U.S. to face tax evasion charges.

McAfee's lawyer, Andrew Gordon, confirmed to TMZ he passed away. He had no information about the cause of death.

According to the Spanish outlet El País, McAfee was pulled from his cell and police are investigating the cause of death -- but McAfee's lawyer told Reuters the software tycoon hung himself.

McAfee had been busted in Spain back in October after years of allegedly failing to pay income taxes. A grand jury had slapped him with a 10-count federal indictment for ducking taxes from 2014 to 2018.

And, just a few months ago, McAfee was reportedly charged in Manhattan federal court for his role in a cryptocurrency scheme in which he's alleged to have bilked investors out of more than $10 million.

McAfee's death comes about a year and a half after he tweeted he was "getting subtle messages from U.S. officials saying, in effect: 'We're coming for you McAfee! We're going to kill yourself.'" He posted a photo of a "$WHACKD" tattoo he says he got on his arm, just in case. As McAfee said, "If I suicide myself, I didn't. I was whackd."

A little context here ... McAfee showed off that tat a little over 3 months after convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide also while behind bars.

McAfee was briefly back on U.S. soil in 2012 after he was booted from Guatemala. He had sought asylum there after fleeing Belize ... the place he had called home since 2008. Authorities in Belize had wanted to talk to him about his neighbor's murder.

McAfee founded his antivirus software company in 1987 and he left in 1994. Intel eventually bought it in 2011 for $7.7 billion.

Three years after Intel bought the software company ... McAfee created a parody video telling users how to uninstall the software.

He founded several other tech companies, but he was always known for his self-titled antivirus software.

Vanessa Bryant has settled her wrongful death lawsuit against the company that owned the doomed helicopter in the crash that killed Kobe, Gigi and 7 others.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Vanessa's legal team filed a notice of settlement with the court ... but the terms of the settlement are confidential. The court still needs to sign off.

TMZ broke the story ... Vanessa sued Island Express back in February 2020, blaming the helicopter company for the fatal crash that killed her husband and daughter.

In her suit, Vanessa claimed the weather conditions -- an extremely low, blinding fog -- were not conducive to flying ... and she claimed the pilot, Ara George Zobayan, failed to properly assess and monitor the weather before takeoff and during flight.

As you know ... the crash tragically killed Kobe, Gianna, Alyssa Altobelli, John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Payton Chester, Sarah Chester, Christina Mauser and the pilot.

After DMX gave it to us for the better part of 3 decades, the late rapper's label returned the favor and covered his funeral expenses.

According to X's probate docs, obtained by TMZ, Def Jam Recordings paid the bill Brooks Memorial Home Inc. in Yonkers, NY sent to the family. The receipt, dated May 5, 2021, covered the services of Earl Simmons ... X's full government name.

According to the document, those costs included the transfer of remains to the funeral home, embalming ... plus the hearse and flowers.

There's no specific mention of the awesome monster truck that carried DMX's casket to Barclays Center celebration of life in Brooklyn.

Speaking of which, that customized red casket went for $7,450, according to the docs. The total tab Def Jam paid came to $35,228.13.

As we reported ... DMX died at the age of 50, following an overdose back in April.

His kids and famous friends like Nas, Eve and the original Ruff Ryders delivered powerful words at his service.

Daredevil Alex Harvill -- a famous motorcycle stuntman -- died Thursday after crashing during a world-record jump attempt.

He was just 28 years old.

The scene was absolutely horrifying ... Harvill was trying to launch his bike off a ramp 351 feet at the Moses Lake Airshow in Washington -- when he came up short and crash-landed into a dirt mound.

Harvill was thrown over his handlebars, and tumbled dozens of feet before he finally came to a stop.

According to the Grant County Sheriff's Office, Harvill later died from the injuries he suffered during the accident.

The Sheriff's office added Harvill's family has been notified ... and said an autopsy will be conducted on Friday to determine the cause and manner of his death.

"Our deepest sympathies go out to Alex’s family, friends and loved ones," the Sheriff's office said.

The Airshow, meanwhile, had vowed to donate all of the proceeds from Harvill's jump Thursday to help pay his medical bills.

Harvill -- who just welcomed his second baby into the world last month -- was a very experienced stuntman ... he had previously set a world record in 2013 when he jumped from one dirt ramp to another 297 feet away.

RIP

Sang Ho Baek -- a freshman on George Mason's 2021 baseball team -- died Saturday after his Tommy John surgery turned tragic ... his teammate, Scott Morgan, has confirmed.

The pitcher recently underwent the elbow procedure ... and in a statement on a GoFundMe page, Morgan announced Baek ultimately passed away due to complications from it.

He was just 20 years old.

"After battling through injuries throughout the season, Sang required Tommy John surgery," Morgan, a GMU outfielder, wrote in the GoFundMe statement.

"He suddenly passed away due to complications with his surgery. As a team, we are all mourning his passing."

It's been reported Baek suffered a blood clot while trying to recover from the procedure.

Baek played in seven games for the Patriots in '21 ... and his GMU head coach, Bill Brown, said he was "an incredible teammate."

"He will be missed and forever cherished in our hearts," Brown added.

John Paragon, famous for playing Jambi the Genie on "Pee-wee's Playhouse," has died.

The Riverside County Coroner tells TMZ John died back in April ... but at this point, his cause of death is unclear.

As Jambi the Genie, John's face would appear in a jeweled box whenever Pee-wee Herman wished for something. JP was dressed in blue makeup with a red and gold turban. John also voiced Pterri the Pterodactyl on the show.

In addition to playing 2 characters, John wrote several episodes for 'Playhouse' and worked with Paul Reubens in writing "Pee-wee's Playhouse: Christmas Special" way back in 1988, earning an Emmy Award nomination for Best Writing in a Children's Special.

John also made appearances on "Seinfeld" and acted in movies including "The Frog Prince," "Eating Raoul" and "Echo Park."

'Playhouse' was on CBS Saturday mornings from 1986 to 1991 and John reprised his role as Jambi the Genie in 2010 for the Broadway adaption of 'The Pee-wee Herman Show.'

Most recently, he was working with Walt Disney Imagineering, where he was an idea man for improv performances at the Disney theme parks.

John was 66.

RIP

Frank Bonner, famous for playing Herb Tarlek on the TV sitcom "WKRP in Cincinnati," has died ... TMZ has learned.

Frank died Wednesday as a result of complications from Lewy body dementia ... according to his family. We're told his loved ones are heartbroken, and they were with him when he passed away peacefully.

An actor and director, Frank was best known for his work on 'WKRP' in the late 1970s and early '80s ... playing Herb, the radio station sales manager who could never land the big account.

Frank's character was also known for wearing loud, plaid suits on the show plus white shoes and a matching belt.

He directed a handful of episodes on the OG 'WKRP' and reprised his role as Herb in the 1990s spinoff, "The New WKRP in Cincinnati" ... and also acted and directed in "Saved By The Bell: The New Class."

Frank made headlines in October 1979 when he was hospitalized following a parachute accident. He was injured after falling about 20 feet when his ascendency chute collapsed in a freak wind while he was being towed by a four-wheel drive vehicle over a dry lake bed near Los Angeles.

He was 79.

"Gone Girl" actor Lisa Banes has died after suffering injuries from a hit-and-run accident caused by an electric scooter ... TMZ has confirmed.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Banes died Monday after more than a week in the hospital in critical condition.

As we reported ... Banes was struck while using a crosswalk on the Upper West Side in NYC on June 4, witnesses said Banes had the right of way -- but the scooter driver barreled through a red light, striking her, and kept going. The scooter was described as red and black in color.

Cops have not yet made any arrests and have not released a more detailed description of the driver.

A rep for Banes -- who was best known for her roles in "Gone Girl" and "Cocktail" -- told ET, "We are heartsick over Lisa's tragic and senseless passing. She was a woman of great spirit, kindness and generosity and dedicated to her work, whether on stage or in front of a camera and even more so to her wife, family and friends. We were blessed to have had her in our lives."

Banes was 65.

Ned Beatty -- a veteran character actor, famous for his work in "Superman," "Network" and several other iconic films -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

A family member tells TMZ ... Ned passed away in his sleep Sunday while surrounded by family at his home. No other details surrounding the exact circumstances of his death were immediately available -- however, we've been told his passing is NOT COVID-related.

The guy has appeared in a variety of different movies and an even bigger variety of roles over his five-decade-plus career ... giving us memorable characters and even better performances. He'll perhaps best be remembered for his standout monologue in 1976's "Network," in which he played a TV/communications chief, who tries convincing the protagonist to stop resisting a major merger deal that will adversely affect the masses.

It's an epic 5 to 6-minute speech he gives to the fictional truthteller, Howard Beale -- one of the only times Beatty appeared on screen in this flick, BTW -- ... and it earned him a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the Oscars that year. That's how great it is.

Beatty had scores of other unforgettable movie moments -- notably, as the bumbling sidekick to Gene Hackman's Lex Luthor, Otis, in the 1978 version of "Superman" in which he completely flipped the script from serious to comedic ... which he carried on for the sequel too. In other words, Beatty had incredible range -- and flexed it often in his acting.

Other remarkable film credits include ... "Deliverance," -- infamous for its "Squeal like a pig" rape scene, of which Beatty was the onscreen victim -- "Friendly Fire," "All the President's Men," "Silver Streak," "Back to School," "Nashville," "The Big Easy," "The Toy," "1941," "Captain America," "Rudy," "White Lightning," "Prelude to a Kiss," "Hear My Song," "Restless Natives," "Life," "Shooter," "Charlie Wilson's War" and even a couple voice acting roles in "Rango" as well as "Toy Story 3," in which he played Lotso ... the evil pink bear.

Ned had appeared in several big hit TV shows as well through the years, such as "Law & Order," "Roseanne," "The Boys," "Highway to Heaven," "American Playhouse," "Szysznyk," "The Rockford Files," "M*A*S*H*," "Homicide: Life on the Street," 'CSI,' "Murder, She Wrote" and countless others.

He's survived by his wife, Sandra Johnson, and his eight children and grandchildren. Ned was 83.

RIP

Some comedy giants are pitching in to help memorialize Paul Mooney ... including David Letterman, Tiffany Haddish and Chris Tucker.

The late comedian's memorial service is slated to go down June 23 at the Roosevelt Hotel's ballroom. We're told Tiffany and actress Marla Gibbs have confirmed they'll attend.

As for the former 'Late Night' host, we're told Letterman -- along with the Angela & John Witherspoon Foundation -- are just some of the peeps who have contributed toward the cost of the memorial service.

Actor Tim Reid ... along with comedian J. Anthony Brown and Richard and Tina Lawson have also contributed to cover costs.

Chris Tucker and George Wallace are some of the comedians who can't attend the service, but instead will send a video tribute. We're also told invitations have been extended to Eddie Murphy and Dave Chappelle.

Shock G died in a Tampa hotel room from a deadly mix of drugs and alcohol ... according to the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner.

A rep for the medical examiner's office tells TMZ ... the Digital Underground rapper died from an accidental overdose of fentanyl, ethanol (alcohol) and methamphetamine.

We broke the story ... Shock G was found unresponsive in his hotel room in April, and there were no outward signs of trauma. Shock was last seen the day before he died, by a hotel manager ... who then found him in the room on April 22.

The manager had grown concerned after Shock -- famed performer of the 'Humpty Dance' -- missed check-out time, and immediately called 911.

The Hillsborough County ME says Shock G was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:20 PM ET.