Celebrity Death

Actor-comedian Alex Duong's death is putting a lot of emotional and financial stress on his family ... TMZ has learned. But loved ones are rallying around them.

Duong's very close friend and GoFundMe operator Hilarie Steele tells TMZ ... the mounting medical bills from Alex's cancer treatment could add up to $500K or even $1 million ... putting a lot of pressure on his wife, Christina.

Today marks 31 years since Selena Quintanilla was tragically murdered. She was shot and killed by Yolanda Saldívar -- who had been president of her fan club and managing her clothing boutiques -- on March 31, 1995.

Last year, Yolanda was denied parole when a board decided she was still a "continuing threat."

The world suffered a tremendous loss when Selena was killed -- but fans are choosing to spend the morbid anniversary celebrating the "Como la flor" singer's life and legacy.

Christopher North -- a founding member and keyboardist for '70s and '80s rock band Ambrosia -- died after a bout with pneumonia, TMZ has learned.

His brother, Richard North, tells TMZ ... Christopher was hospitalized for about 3 weeks before he succumbed to complications related to pneumonia.

As we reported, Christopher previously battled throat cancer and was struck by an out-of-control vehicle in Santa Monica last October, which left him hospitalized for about 2 months. His brother tells us he had been admitted to the hospital twice since then.

Christopher North -- the founding keyboardist for '70s and '80s rock band Ambrosia -- has died.

The band confirmed North's passing on their Facebook page Monday, writing, "We will always remember 'Northwind' for his fiery, 'intense' stage presence -- a legacy that began when he was first discovered playing in a dimly lit room, his organ topped with a bottle of wine."

The cause of death is unclear at this time, but according to the band, North faced health challenges in recent years, including a "brave and successful battle with throat cancer." He was also hospitalized last year after being struck by a vehicle while walking, according to an October post by Ambrosia lead vocalist David Pack.

HBO Max dropped a new trailer for season 3 of "Euphoria," giving fans a glimpse at Eric Dane's final TV role before he passed.

The actor died last month after battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis -- more commonly known as ALS.

He had filmed his scenes for the upcoming installment of the HBO hit series prior to his passing ... and the new promo includes the first look at his final TV acting appearance.

In the clip, we see his character -- Cal Jacobs -- reunite with Hunter Schafer's character Jules.

West Coast house music legend Daniel Wherrett -- known as DJ Dan -- has died. No information has been provided about the cause of death.

The sad news was posted to his social media profiles on Sunday, remembering the artist as "one of the most beloved, genre-defying, and genuinely influential pioneers in the history of American electronic music."

The statement celebrated Dan for blending house, breakbeat and techno genres into "a psychedelic fusion" known as "West Coast House Sound."

The EDM producer was slated to perform at Dead Ringer in Reno, NV on Saturday ... but he never showed, according to Billboard.

A source close to Dan told the mag he hadn't been responding to texts for two days before he passed.

Over the course of his career, DJ Dan had three songs that made Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart -- including "That Phone Track," which topped the list in 2004.

He was 57.

Beloved comedian and actor Alex Duong -- who appeared on "Jeff Ross Presents Roast Battle" and "Blue Bloods" -- has died after a year-long bout with cancer, TMZ has learned.

Hilarie Steele, a very close friend of the family who was there when he died, tells TMZ ... Alex went into septic shock Friday night and passed away at 11 AM Saturday at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California, surrounded by family and friends.

Last year, Alex was diagnosed with alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma -- a rare and aggressive cancer -- after experiencing headaches behind his eye. After a biopsy was performed, the tumor was labeled as extremely aggressive, and Alex ended up with an eye patch and rounds of treatment.

Mary Beth Hurt -- known for her appearances in films like "Interiors" and "The World According to Garp" -- has died, TMZ has learned.

Mary's daughter Molly Schrader -- who Mary shared with her Oscar-nominated writer-director husband Paul Schrader -- tells TMZ ... Mary passed away yesterday morning from Alzheimer's in Jersey City.

The late actress was surrounded by family, including Paul.

On Facebook, Paul and Molly reportedly released a joint statement, writing, “She was an actress, a wife, a sister, a mother, an aunt, a friend, and she took on all those roles with grace and kind ferocity."

Kate Cassidy -- the former girlfriend of late One Direction singer Liam Payne -- is still putting the pieces of her life back together following Liam's tragic passing over a year ago ... and the influencer looked great celebrating her birthday in Florida.

We got shots of the 27-year-old having a good time with friends on a boat in Miami Bay on Saturday.

She absolutely sizzled in a white one-piece and a bucket hat as she basked in the glow of the Florida sun with her closest pals.

James Tolkan, the actor best known for his work in the "Back to the Future" trilogy, has died, TMZ can confirm.

Bob Gale, who, along with director Robert Zemeckis, created the franchise, tells TMZ ... Tolkan died Friday, peacefully at his Lake Placid home. His cause of death was not revealed.

The beloved hard-nosed character actor appeared in several classic '80s films, such as "Top Gun" and "War Games" ... but he was best known as Vice Principal Strickland in the 'BTTF' films, always giving Marty McFly a hard time about being a slacker.

His agent, John Alcantar, tells TMZ ... James loved the 'BTTF' fandom and got a kick out of being at conventions. Despite playing hard-asses on screen ... Tolkan was a total sweetheart of a man.

He is survived by his wife, Parmelee.

Tolkan was 94.

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.