Celebrity Death

Afrika Bambaataa -- a rapper and DJ who helped pioneer hip hop -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... he died from complications of cancer at about 3 AM today in Pennsylvania.

Bambaataa was born in The Bronx .... and he joined the local gang the Black Spades, quickly rising up the ranks in the gang to the position of "warlord."

Ivanka Trump got emotional opening up about her late mother, Ivana ... needing a moment to compose herself during a candid new interview.

Speaking on "The Diary of a CEO" podcast, Ivanka shared her grief, admitting she still tears up talking about her mom -- especially knowing her kids never got to really know their grandmother.

Ivanka said at the time of Ivana's death, she coped by avoiding the pain ... but later turned to therapy -- especially as her mother’s 2022 death came around the same time her husband Jared Kushner was undergoing a second cancer surgery.

Michael J. Fox says CNN's premature death post about him really sent him into a tailspin ... not because it hurt his feelings, but because he needed to figure out if they were right!

The actor posted to Threads about CNN sharing a remembrance tribute in his honor on Wednesday ... and, he asked his followers how they would react to turning on the TV and finding out CNN is reporting their death.

Fox wondered if he should turn the channel to MSNBC -- or "whatever they are calling themselves these days," a fun crack about the name change to MSNOW -- or call his wife ... or even pour scalding water on his lap to see if it hurts.

YouTuber-turned-NASCAR driver Cleetus McFarland is opening up on his late friend and mentor, Greg Biffle ... days after the social media star made his debut with the biggest org in stock car racing.

"I think a lot about [what Biffle would have thought]. I think Biff would know I'm totally in over my head right now with the O'Reilly stuff. But I think if I called him and said, 'Hey, I just got this call,' he would say, 'We gotta do it.' Because of the aspect that I can be a better driver because of the resources they have."

McFarland, who has nearly 5 million subscribers on YouTube, added ... "I'm trying to 'Be Like Biff' in these decisions, ya know? And I think I'm on track with what he would've wanted as my mentor."

Cleetus is referring to his new gig as a part-time driver for Richard Childress Racing -- he signed a two-year deal -- putting him behind the wheel of RCR's number 33 Chevy.

Actor Michael Patrick -- who appeared in an episode of "Game of Thrones" -- has died after a yearslong battle with motor neurone disease, according to his wife.

Naomi Sheehan broke the sad news on Instagram Wednesday, sharing she and his loved ones are "broken-hearted" over the loss.

Michael -- who his wife affectionately calls "Mick" -- was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in February 2023.

The disease gradually destroys the neurons that help with things like breathing, swallowing, chewing, talking and walking, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

The "Ketamine Queen" will have to abdicate her throne for a long time ... because a federal judge just sentenced her to 15 years in prison over Matthew Perry's death.

Jasveen Sangha -- who rose to prominence by wheeling and dealing in the drug on the streets of North Hollywood -- was sentenced in a Los Angeles courthouse Wednesday morning, KABC-TV reports.

Remember ... last year, Sangha pled guilty to 5 criminal charges -- 3 counts of ketamine distribution, one count of distributing ketamine resulting in death, and one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises.

"Euphoria" creator Sam Levinson paid tribute to the show's late actors Angus Cloud and Eric Dane at the Season 3 premiere last night ... revealing how tough the year Angus died was for him.

In a video posted by Deadline, the HBO show creator is heard getting emotional as he dedicates the upcoming season to "those we lost," and shares how tough it was when Angus died ... admitting he loved him deeply and fought hard to keep him clean.

Levinson opens up to the audience, somberly saying ... "Death is what gives life meaning." In the heartfelt message, he goes on to say life is a gift, and this next season of the show will be about the "meaning beyond the absurdity."

Matthew Perry's stepmother is speaking out ahead of today's sentencing of the "Ketamine Queen" ... urging the court to give her the maximum prison term.

Debbie Perry submitted a victim impact statement Tuesday to the U.S. district court overseeing the prosecution of Jasveen Sangha -- AKA the "Ketamine Queen" -- describing the pain caused by the "heartless" Sangha as "irreversible."

Debbie wrote her statement like a poem ... "There is no joy… No light in the window. They won’t be back.”

Paris Jackson slammed the two executors in charge of her late father Michael Jackson’s estate ... claiming they are bullying her for asking questions about money spent, TMZ has learned.

Paris' claims come after the executors said Paris was “more interested in playing to the media than” working out any issues. According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, Paris and her legal team say the executors, John Branca and John McClain, are filing court documents that “mock and belittle” Michael’s only daughter. For their part, Branca and McClain claim Paris and her legal team are spreading incorrect information about the case to the press.

The executors claim that while Paris may claim she doesn't want the case in the press, her media team tried to spin the court's "rather routine actions" at a recent hearing "as some sort of blockbuster ruling by the court in favor of Paris."

As TMZ previously reported, Paris and the executors have been going back and forth about payments made to third-party law firms who worked for the estate ... with Paris questioning the process for handing out huge bonuses and fees.

Branca and McClain have been arguing that their work turned the estate from insolvent to worth billions. They also argue Paris has benefited greatly from their hard work.

Sharon Osbourne’s had a brutal year after losing Ozzy Osbourne ... but she’s clearly picking herself back up -- at least judging by our latest run-in.

We caught Sharon out in Melrose Place Monday evening, and she was in surprisingly good spirits ... telling us she’s feeling good and just back in L.A. for a visit. Timing checks out too, considering she recently listed the home she shared with Ozzy for a cool $17 million.

Sharon was all smiles and polite vibes, assuring us the family’s doing well and everything’s on track -- before hopping into her car and heading off.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve McMichael has been diagnosed with CTE a year after his death, the Concussion and CTE Foundation announced.

McMichael's wife, Misty, said she donated Steve's brain to be studied when his lengthy battle with ALS led to his passing in April 2025.

Misty added there are "too many" former NFL players developing Lou Gehrig's disease after football ... and she hopes more research on the link between ALS and CTE will come following her husband's diagnosis.

"Deadliest Catch" deckhand Todd Meadows' official cause of death has been revealed ... and it sounds horrific and painful.

Todd died from "drowning with probable hypothermia" and "submersion of body in cold water" ... according to his death certificate.

The public document, obtained by TMZ, says Todd was pronounced dead at 5:15 PM on Feb. 25 in an "accident" aboard the Aluetian [sic] Lady crab vessel in the Bering Sea.

Late "Deadliest Catch" deckhand Todd Meadows' family is lawyering up ... and they're going to file a wrongful death lawsuit.

Todd fell overboard and died at sea while working on a fishing boat back in February ... and according to new legal docs obtained by TMZ, the family is indicating the wheels are in motion to try to open his probate estate and hold some folks legally responsible for Todd's death.

It's unclear who will be named as a defendant in the forthcoming lawsuit ... Todd was working on the Aleutian Lady and "Deadliest Catch" cameras were rolling when he fell into the Bering Sea off the coast of Alaska and drowned.

"The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" star Mary Cosby is leaning on faith and her fans this Easter -- her first since the devastating loss of her son, Robert.

Mary shared a heartfelt message on socials Sunday, thanking supporters for their prayers, writing, "I see all of you!"

She reflected on the meaning of the holiday while acknowledging the deep grief she's still dealing with.

Dee Freeman, best known for her roles in "The Young and the Restless," "Dexter," and "Sistas," has died following a stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis.

Freeman's publicist Desirae L. Benson announced her death in a statement shared Friday ... saying she passed the day before. Benson said she faced cancer with dignity and resilience, and refused to complain because "on the other side [complaining] doesn’t do you any good" -- something Freeman said in her final moments, according to Benson.

Freeman’s family also confirmed her death in a post on her Instagram page, saying she passed away "peacefully."

TikTok star Marquay The Goat's died from an enlarged heart ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tells us the autopsy for Marquay Collins -- the social media personality's real name -- was completed recently ... with the manner of death ruled natural, and the cause due to an enlarged heart.

As we previously reported ... a rep for the the Muscogee County Coroner initially told us Marquay's tragic death was believed to be linked to a serious car accident he was involved in just a few weeks earlier.