Celebrity Death

1:42 PM PT -- Yo Gotti's company CMG has released a statement in the wake of Lil Poppa's passing ... calling him a "beloved family member" and promising to uphold his legacy with honor and respect.

Rapper Lil Poppa died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound ... TMZ has learned.

The Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office in Georgia tells TMZ the rapper -- real name Janarious Mykel Wheeler -- died after being shot in the head ... his death has been ruled a suicide.

Lil Poppa's cause of death comes out just a day after authorities pronounced him dead.

Former 'Real Housewives of Orange County' star Elizabeth Lyn Vargas is speaking out about the death of her business tycoon ex-husband Bernt Bodal ... saying he was "blessed" to have his new wife by his side as he battled cancer.

Vargas just released a statement to TMZ about Bodal's death from pancreatic cancer Wednesday following his hospitalization in Seattle, Washington.

In her statement, Vargas praised Bodal's current wife, Michelle Fox, for being there throughout his fight with the disease, saying she's deeply grateful to Fox.

2/19/2026 -- 11:21 AM PT -- TMZ has confirmed Lil Poppa died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Lil Poppa -- a popular rapper based out of Jacksonville, Florida -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

The Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office in Georgia tells TMZ ... the rapper -- real name Janarious Mykel Wheeler -- was pronounced dead today at 11:23 AM ET.

His cause of death was not immediately released.

Lil Poppa was signed to Yo Gotti’s Collective Music Group (CMG) and has released several hit tracks over the last few years, including "Love & War," "Mind Over Matter," and "HAPPY TEARS."

Peter Greene fatally shot himself ... TMZ has learned.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in New York City tells us Peter's official cause of death is a gunshot wound of the left axilla with injury of the brachial artery ... and the manner of death has been classified as an accident.

In other words, Peter accidentally shot himself in the left armpit, and the bullet damaged the artery that supplies blood to the arm, elbow, forearm, and hand.

Shirley Raines -- also known as activist and founder of Beauty 2 The Streetz, "Ms. Shirley" -- passed away from hypertensive heart disease.

Shirley's daughter Danielle confirmed the news to TMZ ... telling us Shirley had a history of high blood pressure, which she was being treated for at the time of her passing.

A private service is scheduled for next Monday ... while a public one will be held at a later date.

Catherine O'Hara's family and friends laid her to rest on Valentine's Day ... coming together to say their farewells two weeks after her sudden death.

Her funeral service was held at St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church in Los Angeles ... according to a booklet from the service posted on social media by actress Kelly Lynch.

Catherine's funeral service booklet featured an old photo of her, seemingly from her high school days ... and Kelly captioned the post, "Rest in peace darling Catherine 💔."

James Van Der Beek was working right up until the end ... and now fans are getting a chilling first look at his final film role, with the former teen heartthrob stepping into seriously sinister territory.

A week after James died from stage 3 colorectal cancer at 48, Lionsgate has dropped the first trailer for the thriller "The Gates" ... casting him as a creepy pastor named Jacob, who's witnessed committing a murder by three college students cutting through a remote gated community.

James fully leaned into the darkness, delivering a spine-tingling performance that fans can catch when "The Gates" hits theaters March 13.

Tom Noonan -- the longtime actor best known for his roles in "Last Action Hero" and "Robocop 2" -- has died, TMZ has learned.

Noonan died last Saturday, and his death was confirmed by director Fred Dekker, who wrote on Facebook, "It’s with great sadness that I share the passing of Tom Noonan … Tom’s indelible performance as Frankenstein in THE MONSTER SQUAD is a highlight of my modest filmography, doubtless aided by the masterful make-up designed by Stan Winston, sculpted by Tom Woodruff Jr., and applied by Zoltan Elek."

Dekker's lengthy statement also included some memories from their time working on "The Monster Squad" ... before ending with, "he was the proverbial gentleman and scholar, and the world has lost a great talent. R.I.P. Tom. Thanks for the great work."

Huge update in Food Network star Anne Burrell's tragic death ... cops in New York say they found a suicide note in her bedroom.

The NYPD says an investigator found a "suicidal note" in the primary bedroom of Anne's Brooklyn home after her June 2025 death, which was later officially ruled a suicide ... a law enforcement source confirms to TMZ.

In addition to the suicide note, the NYPD investigator reportedly found "suicidal" journal entries on a bed in the same room as the note.

The cause of death of Tommy Lee Jones' daughter, Victoria Jones, has been released --  officials confirm to TMZ she died from the toxic effects of cocaine.

The San Francisco Chief Medical Examiner also determined Victoria's death was accidental.

TMZ broke the story -- Victoria, the daughter of Tommy and his first wife, Kimberlea Cloughley -- was found dead in the upscale Fairmont San Francisco hotel on New Year's Day.

Hours after Reverend Jesse Jackson's death, President Donald Trump memorialized the civil rights pioneer in a way only Trump could ... by making it all about Trump -- and he threw in a jab at former President Barack Obama for good measure.

POTUS shared a tribute to Jackson on Truth Social, listing all the ways he helped the late minister. Trump says he gave Jackson office space in one of his buildings, responded to Jackson's requests for criminal justice reform, and passed long-term funding for HBCUs ... "despite the fact that I am falsely and consistently called a Racist."

Then he inexplicably throws shade at Obama, writing, "He had much to do with the election, without acknowledgment or credit, of Barack Hussein Obama, a man who Jesse could not stand."

Reverend Jesse Jackson, the civil rights pioneer and Baptist minister who twice ran for U.S. president, has died, according to his family.

Jesse's family issued a statement Tuesday morning, celebrating the icon ... "Our father was a servant leader — not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world.”

They went on ... “We shared him with the world, and in return, the world became part of our extended family. His unwavering belief in justice, equality, and love uplifted millions, and we ask you to honor his memory by continuing the fight for the values he lived by.”

Jackson died peacefully with his loved ones at his side ... his official cause of death has not yet been released.

In November, Jesse was hospitalized after living for over a decade with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), according to his Rainbow PUSH Coalition. The disease impacts patients’ ability to walk and swallow and has dangerous complications. Jesse was also diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2017.

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."