Celebrity Death

Johnny Wactor received a high honor nearly two years after his tragic death ... with the Medal of Honor Society awarding him an award for his heroism before he was killed.

The MHS named Wactor a 2026 Single Act of Heroism Honoree on Wednesday for protecting his coworker on the night he was shot to death.

Remember ... Wactor was walking a coworker to her car in the early morning hours of May 25, 2024 when he saw several individuals trying to steal his catalytic converter.

Noelia Castillo Ramos' parents were not with her when she died following a voluntary euthanasia procedure, TMZ has learned.

A spokesperson for Abogados Cristianos -- Christian Lawyers, the organization representing Noelia's dad in his legal attempt to stop the procedure -- tells TMZ neither her mother nor her father were present for her death Thursday.

News outlets reported a judge denied her father's last-minute request to stop the medically-assisted suicide ... but the spokesperson tells us Christian Lawyers wasn't aware of him taking any specific action leading up to the procedure.

A photographer who took pictures of JonBenét Ramsey just months before she was found dead in her Colorado home won a big legal victory ... as the Oregon State Supreme Court overturned his child sex conviction.

Here's the deal ... Randall D. Simons was arrested in November 2019 after cops accused him of "regularly accessing images of child pornography" on a public Wi-Fi network at a local A&W restaurant, according to local reports. He was convicted in 2021 on 15 counts of first-degree encouraging child sex abuse.

Simons took his case to the state supreme court ... which found the police's year-long investigation of him violated his right to privacy under the Oregon State Constitution.

The Los Angeles Dodgers' Opening Day game was an emotional one for the Vesia family ... with Alex's wife sharing a heartbreaking post about their late daughter.

Kayla Vesia was present at Dodger Stadium as the back-to-back World Series champions took on the Arizona Diamondbacks ... and she admitted it was "a very bittersweet" start to the season.

"What I would give to have my Sterling girl here, carrying her in my heart always," she said.

Adult-film actor Seth Peterson's family is devastated following his sudden and mysterious death this week, forcing his mother to get on a plane to find answers about what happened in the days before he died.

Tiffany Aguirre tells TMZ ... her 28-year-old son, real name Adam Aguirre, had been staying alone at a short-term rental home in Portland, OR, and last Saturday, she says Adam's partner called to tell her Adam had not been responding to phone calls in the past few days.

That prompted Tiffany to call Portland PD to request a welfare check.

Cops tell us they responded to Adam's place and discovered the body of a deceased male. Police wouldn't confirm the individual's identity, but Adam’s mother tells us it was him.

Daniel Moody -- the son of the late WWE Hall of Famer Paul Bearer -- has died at the age of 39.

According to a GoFundMe, Moody went to a hospital in November "for a procedure and suffered a major health crisis and is now in long-term care." 

At the time, the page was set up to help deal with "take care of his insurance premiums but the bills are piling up." It was later updated to say the funds will now go toward funeral costs.

Matthew Perry’s drug dealer, the "Ketamine Queen," is being supported in court by rock star Slash’s ex-wife, Perla Hudson ... TMZ has learned.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, "The Ketamine Queen" -- AKA Jasveen Sangha -- asked a judge not to throw the book at her in her upcoming sentencing.

Jasveen is pushing for leniency based on her lack of criminal history, and says she has remained sober since her arrest. She's been behind bars since August 2024 and pleaded guilty last year to five federal charges related to Perry's 2023 death.

As part of her argument, Jasveen submitted a series of letters from family and friends to push back on prosecutors' effort to persuade the judge to sentence her to 15 years in prison.

Dash Crofts, best known for creating the hit song, "Summer Breeze," as a member of Seals & Croft, has died ... TMZ has learned.

A family member tells TMZ ... Crofts died Wednesday from complications of a heart surgery. No plans for a memorial have been set at this time.

His death was first announced by producer Louie Shelton early Thursday morning. Shelton produced Seals & Crofts’ biggest projects, including 1971’s “Year of Sunday,” 1972’s “Summer Breeze,” 1973’s “Diamond Girl,” and 1976’s “Get Closer," per All Music.

Musician Seth Binzer’s family is battling over the late rock star’s estate two years after his death ... TMZ has learned.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ ... the musician’s ex, Tracy Shelor, asked to be appointed administrator of Seth’s estate, which she estimated to be worth $140K, back in May 2025. Tracy had a 17-year-old son, Gage, with Seth.

Tracy said Seth -- AKA Shifty Shellshock -- died without a will and was survived by his adult son, Halo Binzer, and two younger sons ... Gage, who lived with Tracy ... and another son, Phoenix Lennard, whom Seth had with ex Jasmine Lennard.

In July 2025, Halo filed his own docs to take control of the estate, which he claimed was only worth $90,500. He later disputed claims brought by Tracy about him “somehow squandering” Seth’s royalties and hiding “personal effects under undue influence of his grandmother.”

A Barcelona woman has decided to undergo euthanasia to end her life at just 25 years old. Noelia Castillo Ramos gave her final interview to Antena 3's "Y Ahora Sonsoles" before her procedure -- which is scheduled for Thursday -- explaining why she's opting for medically assisted suicide.

According to Marca, Noelia had tried to die by suicide in the past ... jumping from a fifth-floor building after an alleged sexual assault. The attempt left her paraplegic and in chronic pain, the outlet reports.

Marca writes that, while Noelia's mother doesn't agree, she will remain by her side ... a sentiment her father reportedly doesn't share.

Nicholas Brendon's friend found him dead ... and authorities' initial assessment is that his death appears to be from natural causes.

According to Putnam County Coroner Todd Zeiner in Indiana ... he was notified of the deceased individual on Friday March 20 -- and, when he arrived, he found "an adult male positioned as if asleep" who had already been pronounced dead.

While Zeiner says Brendon lived alone, a longtime friend -- who had been staying at the house overnight to provide care -- found that he had died. The time of death was shortly before the body was found, the coroner says ... unclear what time of day that was.

Zhang Xuefeng -- the popular social media influencer from China known for his college exam content -- has died ... his company announced on social media.

Suzhou Fengxue Weilai Education Technology Co. posted the news Wednesday ... writing Xuefeng died after going into sudden cardiac arrest.

The company said ... "The passing of Mr. Zhang Xuefeng represents an immense loss to the educational community. We pledge to carry forward his legacy and continue our commitment to helping even more students realize their dreams.”

Skier Kai Smart -- son of Olympian John Smart -- has passed away from injuries he suffered after being buried in an avalanche in Japan earlier this month.

He was only 23.

Kai's father -- a Canadian Ski Hall of Famer -- shared the heartbreaking news on his Instagram page days after Kai was hospitalized and placed in a coma.

"We are beyond heartbroken, and there are no words to describe the pain we are feeling losing him so young," John said on Tuesday.

Chip Taylor, beloved uncle to Angelina Jolie and the man who wrote the classic song "Wild Thing," is dead.

Chip died Monday night in hospice care, according to a social media post from Grammy-winning singer Billy Vera. The official cause of death is unclear.

Chip's songwriting catalog is impressive ... he wrote "Wild Thing" for The Troggs in the 1960s, plus "Angel of the Morning" for Merrilee Rush.

Kevin DiCicco -- the creator of "Air Bud," who had fallen on hard times in recent years -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Kevin's brother Mark tells TMZ ... Kevin passed away Saturday after spending some time in hospice.

We're told Kevin smoked a lot, and he developed advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He died in San Diego, California.

Adult-film actor Seth Peterson has died, his fiancé confirmed Saturday on social media.

Cyrus Stark -- who also makes adult content under the name Kobe Marsh -- announced Seth's death on X, writing ... "It is with a heavy heart that I share the passing of my Fiance and best friend Seth. I’m truly at a loss for words, and my heart is broken."

He signed it Kobe and shared a link to the GoFundMe he created in Seth's memory ... where he shared that Seth was "found in our home earlier today."