Celebrity Death

James Van Der Beek's pal Mehcad Brooks is telling people to STFU when it comes to criticizing about the family's GoFundMe -- cased closed!

Check out the actor's heated Threads note ... he tells anyone who wants to speak ill of the Van Der Beek family for taking financial assistance following James' death, they can kindly zip it ... because they're clueless about what the family has been through -- and Mehcad calls them total attention seekers.

He adds in the weekend post ... "It’s ok for you to stay quiet in the face of blind stupidity, meanness and lack of empathy. But maybe you’re not okay."

"Dawson’s Creek" actor James Van Der Beek was dealing with a massive six-figure tax debt years before his death ... TMZ has learned.

The actor and his wife Kimberly Van Der Beek were hit with a lien in November 2021 for unpaid taxes for the years 2018 and 2019 -- the IRS declared the duo owed $95,438.31 for 2017 ... and $173,890.31 in 2019 ... for a total of $269,328.62.

Cass Lacelle, who starred on Freeform's reality series "Grand Cayman: Secrets in Paradise," has died after a battle with ovarian cancer.

Her loved ones shared the devastating news Monday in a post on her Instagram page, saying she passed away February 11 following what they called a "short but incredibly courageous battle with cancer."

"Cass leaves behind a legacy that cannot be measured," the statement read. "She is the definition of memorable; in just 34 years, she made an extraordinary impact on everyone who crossed her path."

Hollywood icon Robert Duvall has died ... the actor passed away at his home Sunday at the age of 95, according to his wife.

In a Monday morning Facebook post, Robert's wife Luciana wrote ... "Yesterday we said goodbye to my beloved husband, cherished friend, and one of the greatest actors of our time. Bob passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by love and comfort."

She added ... "His passion for his craft was matched only by his deep love for characters, a great meal, and holding court. For each of his many roles, Bob gave everything to his characters and to the truth of the human spirit they represented."

Former NFL star Tre Johnson -- an All-Pro offensive lineman -- suddenly passed away on Sunday while on vacation with his family, his wife confirmed ... leaving everyone in shock.

He was only 54.

Irene Johnson announced the devastating news on her Facebook page Sunday, saying Tre died earlier in the day while on a brief family trip. The cause of death was not revealed.

"His four children, Chloe, EJ, EZ, and Eden, extended family, friends, and I are devastated and in shock," Irene said.

The Daytona 500 honored Greg Biffle in a tear-jerking 3-minute video Sunday after the late NASCAR driver tragically perished in a plane crash that also claimed the lives of his wife and children last year.

In the clip, which aired live and was later shared on X, friends and loved ones poured their hearts out, painting the picture of what a gifted and thoughtful person Greg was.

Doug Yates, CEO of Roush Yates Engines, said, “Greg Biffle was the most talented guy I’ve ever worked with... He had speed, he was fearless, he was smart ... He never found himself in a situation that he didn’t think he could win.”

James Van Der Beek's friends stepped up to help him secure a down payment on his family's Texas ranch before he passed away ... his rep revealed.

People spoke to the rep about the $4.7 million Texas Ranch, which, as we reported, he bought on January 9 ... and the rep told the outlet his family wanted to stop paying rent and start paying a mortgage, and some helpful friends made that dream a reality.

As we mentioned ... James and his family moved to the ranch in 2020 -- but, they were only renting the property for the first 5+ years.

Wiz Khalifa's father, Laurence W. Thomaz, has died.

The rapper shared the sad news on social media Friday, noting ... "I will always love him, miss him and be [grateful] for the things he taught me."

He did not reveal a cause of death, but said it "was sudden." He added ... "Seeing how many people love and respected him" made him happy ... noting, "I know he’s proud that he left a positive impact on this earth. Literally all he ever wanted."

"Varsity Blues" actor Eliel Swinton says he messaged his co-star James Van Der Beek before he died, telling TMZ Sports he had a gut feeling the actor's health was failing.

Swinton -- who acted alongside Van Der Beek in the 1999 hit football film -- told us he reached out to James a few weeks ago after noticing they hadn't communicated in some time, which concerned him given his cancer battle.

"I sent him a little note about maybe three weeks ago, maybe a month ago, on Instagram to him personally to say, 'Hey, man, I know you're sick. If I don't hear from you, it's okay. I'm here to help your family anyway I can with sports and stuff, but if I don't see you, brother, I will see you again upstairs. Love you,' and I didn't hear from him, so I realized it really got bad," Swinton said.

James Van Der Beek helped his family lay down some serious roots in Texas before his death ... he bought the ranch they'd been renting for years and sealed the deal just one month before he died amid a cancer battle.

The late "Dawson's Creek" star bought the sprawling Spicewood ranch back on January 9 for $4.76 million ... according to a new report from Realtor.com.

James moved to the ranch in 2020 with his wife and six children ... they were renting it, fell in love with the place, and one of his last acts was buying it.

Allison Holker has officially sold off her Los Angeles home ... and it went for a hefty $4,750,000.

The deal closed back in September ... nearly two years after she bought the stunning 6-bedroom, 7-bathroom Studio City property for $5 million, after selling the home she shared with Stephen “tWitch” Boss.

It also looks like Allison is fully turning the page ... we're told she sold the home to live full-time in Utah, suggesting her future is firmly tied to her new life with her fiancé Adam Edmunds ... who is CEO of a software company based in Utah.

"90 Day Fiancé" star Elizabeth Castravet’s father, Chuck Potthast, died from blunt force injuries after falling in a bathtub, TMZ has learned.

TMZ has obtained docs from the Hillsborough County, Florida Medical Examiner ... and Chuck’s cause of death in November was listed as blunt impact injuries to the face and neck, including facial lacerations and a fractured C6 vertebra. The report also notes positional asphyxia as a factor.

The medical examiner listed chronic alcohol use, liver cirrhosis, and acute alcohol intoxication as contributing causes ... meaning he had consumed a significant amount of alcohol before the fall.

The GoFundMe set up for James Van Der Beek's widow and his family is surging towards the $2 million mark ... and Steven Spielberg just gave it a serious boost.

The legendary director and wife Kate Capshaw dropped a massive $25,000 donation ... quickly landing the coveted "top donation" spot on the page set up to help James' family cover crushing cancer treatment costs.

Spielberg’s connection to James runs deep ... he was famously the filmmaking idol of James’ character Dawson Leery on "Dawson's Creek," and even showed up to the show's reunion last September while James battled his illness.

Anthony Joshua is paying permanent tribute to his late friends who tragically lost their lives in the December car crash -- getting their names tattooed on his arm.

The heavyweight boxing champ got the ink done a few weeks ago ... two months after his friends and trainers, Sina Ghami and Kevin "Latif" Ayodele, were killed in a car crash while they were visiting Nigeria. Joshua was a passenger in the vehicle and suffered injuries.

Fullham Tattoo in London revealed on Instagram that AJ's visit was a complete surprise and his first time at the shop.

Katie Holmes honored her "Dawson's Creek" costar James Van Der Beek in a moving handwritten letter following his death Wednesday.

Check out the note she shared on Instagram -- she recalls feeling safe to express herself on set with him ... and adds they have so many memories filled with "laughter, conversations about life, James Taylor songs" and "adventures of a unique youth."

She also commends his "compassion, bravery, selflessness and strength" before turning the note toward his widow, Kimberly, and their 6 children. She writes ... "We are here for you always. And will always be there to shower you with love and compassion."

Kevin Williamson -- the creator of "Dawson's Creek" -- is thanking fans for their outpouring of support after James Van Der Beek's death ... while also promising to be there for his widow, Kimberly.

The writer and director shared a heartfelt tribute to his late friend Thursday morning ... telling fans he's truly felt the love since we broke the new of Van Der Beek's Wednesday.

Williamson says he's trying to put into words what James meant to to him, but he hasn't been able to capture the brilliance of the late star with words ... and, he's not sure when those words might come.