Celebrity Death

Kurt Cobain smashed this white Fender Stratocaster back in 1992 ... and, now it's smashing records -- bringing in a whopping sum at auction!

Dylan Kosinski -- president of popular music auction site Gottahaverockandroll -- tells TMZ … Kurt’s smashed guitar sold for $101,500 to a Texas collector when the auction closed yesterday.

The piece of music memorabilia sparked a bidding war on the site ... with five people making a total of 11 bids before a winner was ultimately crowned.

Virginia Giuffre was found dead by suicide on Friday -- years after she claimed she would never kill herself.

Giuffre -- who was an outspoken whistleblower who accused the late Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew of sexual abuse -- made the chilling claim in a resurfaced tweet from 2019.

She wrote ... "I am making it publicly known that in no way, shape or form am I suicidal. ... If something happens to me – in the sake of my family do not let this go away and help me to protect them. Too many evil people want to see me quieted [sic]."

Virginia Giuffre, who publicly accused convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew of sexual abuse, has died by suicide.

The Western Australia Police Force tells TMZ officers responded to a call on Friday at 9:50 PM local time after a 41-year-old woman was located unresponsive at a residence in Neergabby.

Emergency first-aid was provided, but she could not be revived. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Sophie Nyweide always strove to help other people dealing with drug addiction, even though she ultimately wasn't able to conquer her own disease ... so says her longtime friend and former partner.

Eden Herlihy sat down with us for an interview all about Sophie -- who she met at a clinic in Utah called Elevations, which helps kids with anxiety, depression, bullying and other issues ... and, she says she was immediately struck by how kind and welcoming Sophie was.

Nyweide wasn't judgmental like other girls in the program, Eden explains ... and, she carried that through the rest of her life -- always trying to help those around her who were struggling with drugs, bullying, and other challenges.

Chicago Bears legend Steve 'Mongo' McMichael is dead after a long battle with ALS.

The death comes just hours after McMichael's wife, Misty, said her husband would be moved to hospice, as his health declined while battling ALS.

He was diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disease in 2021 and became paralyzed from the shoulders down.

McMichael's friend, Jarrett Payton, made the sad announcement, saying ... "With deep sorrow, I share that Steve McMichael passed at 5:28 PM after a brave fight with #ALS, surrounded by loved ones. I’m grateful to have been with him in his final moments. Please keep Steve and his family your prayers."

Police in Vermont investigating the sudden death of 24-year-old actress Sophie Nyweide say she was found lifeless on a riverbank ... and they're looking into a range of possible causes, including foul play.

Bennington Police tell TMZ ... Sophie's body was found not far from a high school in Bennington around 4 AM on April 14, and she was declared dead at the scene.

We're told her body was near a lean-to -- a makeshift structure made from downed trees -- and nothing is being ruled out at this point in terms of a cause of death.

9:57 AM PT -- Shelly, Sophie Nyweide’s mom, tells TMZ … “We are very distraught and mourning. All I can say is her time acting was brief but very happy. She wasn't a child star in the least and wasn't subjected to anything hurtful on those films. She was always safe on those sets. Please let her rest in peace now.

"My knowledge is she was using drugs and was a tiny young woman. She was with other people when she died. I didn't know them. There is an investigation ongoing. The autopsy results are not in. They said it would take 6-8 weeks. So I can't say definitively.”

Actress Sophie Nyweide -- famous for her roles in "Mammoth" and "An Invisible Sign" -- is dead.

Sophie died April 14 in Bennington, VT ... according to her family. The cause of death is unclear.

In an obituary, Sophie's family hints at what led to her early death, saying ... "Sophie was a kind and trusting girl. Often this left her open to being taken advantage of by others. She wrote and drew voraciously, and much of this art depicts the depth she had, and it also represents the pain she suffered. Many of her writings and artwork are roadmaps of her struggles and traumas."

The Vatican has released stunning images of Pope Francis lying in an open casket and wearing a red robe with the papal mitre -- a ceremonial headdress for bishops.

Check out the series of photos ... His Holiness seems super serene as he lies motionless inside the red casket to match his pontiff garb with a rosary laced between his crossed hands.

One pic shows a bishop standing over the body, staring down at Francis seemingly in disbelief that he's passed away.

Pope Francis -- the 266th pope in the Catholic Church's history -- has died ... the Vatican confirms.

"At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His Church," Cardinal Kevin Ferrell said in a statement on Monday.

Reports began to surface at the end of February that the pontiff was preparing for death after he was hospitalized with double pneumonia earlier in the month. He was also being treated for bronchitis at the time.

Numerous dignitaries visited him in the hospital while he was recovering ... including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who said the pope was as "alert and reactive" as always

"American Idol" alum Doug Kiker -- who was known by the moniker "The Singing Garbage Man" -- died from an opioid overdose, TMZ has learned.

According to the City and County of Denver Medical Examiner's report obtained by TMZ, Doug died from the combined toxic effects of fentanyl, methadone, and amphetamines, with recent cocaine use -- and his death has been ruled an accident.

Kiker died last month, as confirmed to TMZ by his brother William and mother Joyce -- with his ex-fiancée, Valerie Cook, telling us she hates that her kids lost their father.

Michelle Trachtenberg's cause of death is official ... with NYC authorities saying she died from complications of diabetes.

The actress -- who passed away in February -- died from "complications of diabetes mellitus" according to the medical examiner, who cited lab results. Diabetes mellitus is the more technical name for diabetes. It doesn't denote whether Michelle had type 1 or type 2.

The ME is classifying Michelle's death as "natural" ... meaning the investigation into Michelle's death is pretty much closed at this point.

Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa were still madly in love right up until their tragic deaths -- a stack of love notes found on their property makes that heartbreakingly clear.

Santa Fe authorities released the touching notes -- in one, Hackman sweetly thanked Betsy, who had been caring for him through his advanced Alzheimer’s, for helping him make her own birthday dinner, and signing it off with, "Love you and the guys, G."

It was clear the pair -- who married in 1991 -- loved the old-school way of showing affection ... with Gene calling Betsy a "lovely girl," and in another note saying he was thinking of her.

Gene Hackman's New Mexico property won't have a tough time selling despite some tough circumstances ... at least according to real estate agents in the area.

Gene, his wife Betsy Arakawa and one of their dogs were found dead in their secluded Santa Fe estate earlier this year, and the place was infested with dead rodents and rats' nests ... but realtors say neither instance should be a dealbreaker when it comes time for the property to hit the open market.

Ken Martinez of Keller Williams Realty, Jer Collins of Exp Realty and Shak Bani from Santa Fe Properties all agreed ... the rodent problems will be cleaned up, and the home's secluded location is going to be the big selling point.

Police just released body cam video from the Gene Hackman death case ... and you see officers searching his New Mexico home before ultimately finding his and his wife's bodies ... with one of their live dogs lying next to Betsy Arakawa.

TMZ obtained the footage Tuesday and you see cops scouring the Santa Fe home in search of Gene and Betsy.

Police find Betsy's body first -- she's on the floor near a locked exterior door, with one of their dogs by her side ... and Gene's body is later found near the kitchen.

Gene Hackman's handyman and caretaker talked to cops after claiming he spied the late actor's wife's dead body inside their secluded New Mexico home ... telling them to keep things on the down low.

New police body cam footage released Tuesday shows the interaction between cops and Gene's handyman ... and he tells them he went to check on the couple because he hadn't heard from them in nearly 3 weeks.

The guy claims he was trying to get a wellness check and stumbled upon Betsy Arakawa's body. He says it's Gene's house and the couple valued privacy and to keep the incident on the hush.

Gene Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa, was searching online for answers about symptoms Gene was experiencing just days before dying from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a new investigation shows.

The new report released by New Mexico officials, obtained by TMZ, revealed Betsy had bookmarks open on her computer from Feb. 8 and the morning of Feb. 12 -- the day she died -- showing she was searching whether COVID could cause symptoms like dizziness or nosebleeds.

An email to her masseuse revealed Gene woke up on Feb. 11 with flu or cold-like symptoms. His COVID test came back negative, but Betsy said she’d reschedule her appointment "out of an abundance of caution."