Celebrity Death

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences knows people are pissed about perceived snubs during last night's Oscars in memoriam ... but there's nothing cold-hearted about it, TMZ is told.

A source with direct knowledge tells TMZ ... the Academy receives hundreds of requests to include loved ones and industry colleagues for the show's in memoriam segment. Through those, an executive committee representing every branch considers the list ... and makes recommendations for the telecast based on the limited run of show time. All the submissions are included on Oscars.org -- and remain there for the year.

As we reported ... there was some serious backlash online after Eric Dane and James Van Der Beek, among a few others, were omitted from the segment ... with people asking how these snubs seem to happen year after year.

Matt Clark -- whose acting career spanned decades in film and TV working alongside some of Hollywood's biggest stars -- has died.

His family tells TMZ ... Clark -- arguably best known for his bartender role in "Back to the Future: Part III" and the TV sitcom "Grace Under Fire" -- died in his Austin, Texas home Sunday morning from complications after back surgery.

Clark appeared in several Westerns on the big and small screens alongside the likes of Clint Eastwood and John Wayne ... and he appeared in the '80s cult classic "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension."

The 2026 Oscars had several unforgettable moments ... including Michael B. Jordan winning Best Actor, and the emotional tribute to Rob Reiner ... but the show also had two massive whiffs during the In Memoriam segment.

Fans were shocked -- and from the comments on social media, pretty appalled -- that both James Van Der Beek and Eric Dane were left out of the remembrance portion of the show.

It could be argued that the late actors are better known for their TV roles ... but they were both featured in films, so the criteria certainly seemed to be there.

Billy Crystal commemorated his good friend and "When Harry Met Sally" director Rob Reiner at the Oscars in a tearjerking tribute to the late Oscar nominee and his wife Michele.

After going through all of Rob's beloved films, Billy said, "To the millions who have enjoyed his films for all these years, I want you to know how many times Rob told me that it meant everything to him that his work meant something to you."

Billy was later joined on stage by some of Rob's most notable collaborators ... Christopher Guest, Jerry O'Connell, Michael McKean, Fred Savage and more linked hands as they honored their great friend.

Eric Dane's ex-girlfriend, actress Priya Jain, still can't put her feelings about his passing into words ... telling us she's working through it.

We caught up with Jain outside The Abbey -- a popular West Hollywood bar -- late Friday night ... and, we asked her how she's feeling about a month since Dane died after a battle with ALS.

Jain says she's processing her emotions ... and, she's still not sure what to say. She's got her memories of Dane -- all of them good -- she adds.

John Alford -- a British actor who was convicted on sex offenses connected to two teenage girls last year -- has died in prison.

The Mirror and the BBC confirmed the news with a spokesperson for the prison system ... who told them, "John Shannon died in prison on 13 March 2026. As with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will investigate."

Shannon was Alford's legal last name ... however, he went by Alford professionally.

The longtime guitarist of English rock band Motörhead, Phil Campbell, has died.

The musician died "peacefully" Friday night after "a long and courageous battle in intensive care after a complex major operation," according to the official Instagram account of his rock group, Phil Campbell and The Bastard Sons.

Phil leaves behind a wife, children and grandchildren ... and the post says he "was deeply loved by all who knew him and will be missed immensely."

Jordan Jones' heroic attempt to protect a woman who was being attacked was captured in a harrowing, newly released 911 audio -- with a witness telling dispatchers the late pro football player tried to intervene before he was shot.

TMZ Sports obtained the 911 calls just days after Jones was shot and killed outside of Saddle Bar in Acworth, Georgia, on March 7.

A caller at the scene broke down what happened to the dispatcher ... saying Jones, who worked as bar security, was shot in the parking lot after he told another man, alleged gunman Daniel Di Vonne Parsons, to stop assaulting a woman.

Lord Sear -- a legendary DJ in the world of hip hop who also worked closely with Eminem on his radio channel, Shade 45 -- has died.

Eminem honored Sear's death in a Wednesday post on social media, saying ... “SEAR WAS MORE THAN A VOICE ON THE RADIO – HE WAS A FORCE, A FRIEND, AND FAMILY TO SO MANY OF US!”

Sear worked for the station as a DJ since its inception in 2004. He also joined the rapper on the "Anger Management Tour" in the early 2000s. A cause of death was not released.

Russell Brand wants you to know he’s still alive … even though people on social media seemed to think he kicked it.

The source of the confusion? Conservative podcaster and former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino shared a pic of himself on a podcast with Russell.

And he captioned it … “There won’t be another. One of the saddest days of my life. He was just different. And everyone who knew him, knew it. May God rest your soul.”

Here’s the thing … He wasn’t talking about Russell. He was talking about Charlie Kirk -- who's also in the photo.

But since Russell was front and center, death rumors started flying.

The actor decided to clear things up, replying on X … “I actually feel quite well. Not suicidal, FYI.”

Russell’s health may be fine, but he’s recently been charged with two new counts of rape and sexual assault charges ... on top of the other five he was already facing.

Robert Carradine tragically died before he could shoot a single scene for his last movie ... but he will still be honored by the project, TMZ has learned.

Connie Lamothe, director of "The Driver" -- AKA "Driving into Darkness" -- tells TMZ ... the table read will be on Saturday. Robert’s part -- a lead role -- has not yet been recast, so there’ll be a fill-in. After the reading, there will be a champagne toast to the late actor.

We're also told ... the flick will be dedicated to Robert, along with some sort of tribute at the beginning of the movie.

Former New York Jets running back and Super Bowl III winner Matt Snell has died at the age of 84.

ESPN was first to share the news, reporting that Snell's son -- Beau -- said he passed away Tuesday morning on Long Island. No cause of death was given.

Snell spent his entire playing career with Green Gang -- joining the team in 1964 and remaining until his retirement in 1972. In his first season, he took home the AFL Rookie of the Year honors, as well as being named an AFL All-Star.

Robert Carradine was cremated with his ashes to be scattered at sea ... according to his death certificate.

TMZ obtained the late actor's death certificate Tuesday, after he died February 23 by suicide. He was 71.

As we reported ... the actor best known for his roles in "Lizzie McGuire," "Revenge of the Nerds," and "The Long Riders" -- died in an L.A. hospital last month after hanging himself.

It's worth noting, Robert's date of injury is stated to be on January 17, 2026 at the hospital ... over a month before his death, according to the report.

Joshua Jackson has broken his silence on James Van Der Beek's death nearly 1 month after he died from cancer at age 48.

The actor appeared on "TODAY" Tuesday morning and said his "Dawson's Creek" costar's death hits harder because he's also a father. He explains ..."I think the enormity of that tragedy for his family hits me in a very different way than just as a colleague. So I think the processing is is ongoing."

He also said that both he and James looked at their formative time on the hit TV series together with "fondness" but noted James accomplished so much more during his decades-long career as an actor, as well as being a dedicated husband and father ... it's all in the clip.

Jennifer Runyon Corman -- an actress known for her roles in "Ghostbusters" and "Charles in Charge" -- had been battling cancer for months prior to her passing on March 6.

A representative told Us Weekly, the 65-year-old actress "passed away after a 6-month battle with cancer."

They added, "She felt loved and blessed by her family and friends. She was beloved by countless people and will be missed."

Tommy DeCarlo -- lead vocalist for the rock band Boston -- has died.

The singer's family confirmed the news in a Facebook post, writing that he died Monday after a battle with brain cancer.

"He fought with incredible strength and courage right up until the very end," they wrote.