Celebrity Death

Matthew Perry’s assistant allegedly went on a ride in the late actor’s car at 4 AM shortly after the Friends star died ... this according to Perry's former friend and publicist.

Lisa Calio, who says she worked for Matthew for close to 30 years, wrote a letter to the judge set in advance of the sentencing hearing for Matthew’s longtime assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa.

Kenneth is facing years in prison for being the middleman between drug dealers and Matthew. Prosecutors claim he also injected the actor with ketamine, including on the night he died in 2023.

Pierre Deny -- who played fashion boss Louis de Léon in "Emily in Paris" -- died Monday after complications from ALS.

His daughters confirmed the sad news in a statement obtained by DailyMail, which read ... "It is with deep emotion that we announce the passing of Pierre Deny, which occurred this Monday following a sudden and severe case of ALS."

Pierre appeared in seasons 3 and 4 of the hit Netflix series, portraying the CEO of the luxury goods company JVMA.

5/27/2026 7:26 AM PT -- John Branca, the Co-Executor of the Michael Jackson estate tells TMZ ... “I am profoundly grieved at the loss of my partner and ‘brother’ John McClain. One of the great innovators in the world of music and music marketing, John was a visionary, seeing past the mundane and into the future."

He added, "When we were named in Michael’s will, I knew that he would bring great insight into Michael’s music and that his friendship and dedication to Michael would underscore all the great projects that we could bring to the world. He brought a passion and sense of conviction to all that he did and was the most generous of friends. It is difficult to imagine a world without him."

John McClain, the co-executor of Michael Jackson's estate and a veteran music executive and producer, has died ... TMZ has learned.

A rep for McClain tells TMZ ... John died Tuesday. Sources with direct knowledge tell us he had been sick for several years, though it's not yet clear whether that illness contributed to his death. We're told he passed in Malibu.

In addition to his role as co-executor of the MJ estate -- along with John Branca -- McClain produced hits for Michael, Janet Jackson, Ice Cube, and Dr. Dre.

Martin Short was concerned after he hadn't heard from his daughter in over 24 hours, so much so that he called a friend to ask them to check on Katherine ... and then she was found dead.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner just released Katherine's autopsy and it reveals how Martin helped police track her down after she went MIA ... only to find her with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

In the autopsy, obtained by TMZ, investigators say Martin asked a friend to go to Katherine's Los Angeles home, where they found a note on the bedroom door, which was locked.

Bob Horner, a legendary baseball player with the Atlanta Braves and the first overall pick in the 1978 MLB draft, is dead.

The Braves announced Bob's death Tuesday in a social media post. The cause and manner of death are unclear.

Bob was the first Braves player to go straight from the amateur ranks to the Major Leagues without ever playing a Minor League game ... and he played for the Braves from 1978 to 1986 ... earning one All-Star Selection.

MC Lyte is paying tribute to Rob Base after his death last week ... saying the loss hits even harder because of the massive mark he left on hip hop culture.

We caught up with MC Lyte in NYC Tuesday ... and she made it clear Rob wasn’t just another rapper to her -- calling him one of the genre’s most prolific MCs, something she got to witness firsthand after sharing stages with him over the years.

Catch the full clip because Lyte was clearly emotional reflecting on the loss of Rob, who died at 59 following a private cancer battle.

Jonathan Andic is stepping away from the Mango empire ... but he says it's because he's fighting to clear his name, not because he killed his billionaire dad.

The eldest son of late Mango founder Isak Andic announced Tuesday he's resigning as vice president of Mango just days after Spanish authorities arrested him in connection with his father's fatal cliff fall.

Jonathan -- who inherited control of the fashion giant alongside his sisters after Isak's death -- blasted the allegations against him in an emotional letter to the company ... calling the case against him "the gravest, most unjust and unfounded accusation" imaginable.

Matthew Perry's former assistant Kenneth Iwamasa allegedly cleaned up more than just a house after the actor died ... prosecutors say he also tried wiping away the evidence trail tied to the ketamine conspiracy.

According to a new court filing, obtained by TMZ, federal prosecutors claim the former live-in assistant went into damage-control mode immediately after the "Friends" star's death -- allegedly directing another person to destroy ketamine evidence, shredding documents, and scrubbing digital records.

The feds say Iwamasa repeatedly lied to investigators, too ... first by allegedly hiding the fact he injected Perry with multiple ketamine shots on the day of his death, then later claiming Perry had hidden ketamine bottles himself.

Prosecutors say that wasn't true.

Manny Fernandez, a star player with the Miami Dolphins when they won two Super Bowls, has died.

The NFL team announced his passing Tuesday morning ... saying in part, "His consistent and selfless contributions on the field were instrumental to the Dolphins' success."

In addition to his two Super Bowl rings ... the defensive lineman was part of the legendary 1972 perfect team -- as well as a member of the Ring of Honor.

Sonny Rollins -- the legendary jazz saxophonist honored twice by former President Barack Obama -- has died in New York.

Sonny's rep, Terri Hinte, announced that he passed away Monday afternoon at his home in Woodstock, NY. A cause of death was not released.

Rollins was known as one of the most iconic musical figures of the last 2 centuries, choosing his tenor saxophone as a way to reach the world. He was also considered the greatest saxophonist of the bebop era, alongside John Coltrane and Charlie Parker. 

Kyle Busch's family leaned on each other Sunday as thousands of NASCAR fans honored the racing legend during an emotional tribute at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Before the Coca-Cola 600 Sunday, Kyle's wife, Samantha Busch, appeared heartbroken while holding tightly onto son Brexton as daughter Lennix stood closely during the moving ceremony honoring the late NASCAR star, who died Thursday after a bout with severe pneumonia that progressed into sepsis.

Kyle's parents, Tom and Gaye Busch, along with his brother, NASCAR Hall of Famer Kurt Busch, also gathered on the speedway as NASCAR CEO Steve O'Donnell delivered an emotional speech about the two time Cup Series champion.

"Kyle Busch is NASCAR," O'Donnell told the crowd. "He was one of a kind, and there will never be another."

The tribute drew cheers and tears from fans packed inside the stadium as O'Donnell assured Samantha and the children that the NASCAR community would always stand beside them.

Before being taken to the hospital, Kyle was in a North Carolina racing simulator last Wednesday when he became unresponsive. TMZ Sports obtained audio from the 911 call ... where someone told dispatch the patient was "coughing up some blood" while looking like they were going to pass out.

Kyle Busch received a tribute in the middle of the Indy 500 Sunday ... with the crowd falling silent out of respect for him during lap 18 -- a nod to his former number.

Check out the clip ... racers turn out of corner 4 on Lap 17 -- and, as they pass the scoring pylon, a picture of Kyle Busch "1985-2026" flashes on a screen at the venue.

The Indy 500 crowd -- usually a raucous bunch -- falls into a subdued silence ... while pit crew members can be seen standing at attention.

NASCAR legend Kyle Busch died from severe pneumonia, which progressed into sepsis ... TMZ has confirmed.

According to a statement from Kyle's family, he passed away "after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming associated complications."

As we reported ... Kyle died Thursday after being hospitalized with a severe illness.

Doug McCain, the eldest son of late Senator John McCain, has died suddenly.

Meghan McCain confirmed the news Sunday, though the cause of death has not been made public.

Meghan paid tribute to her brother in an emotional message shared online ... writing ... "I am deeply saddened to share the news of my brother Doug McCain’s sudden passing."

Kyle Busch's team has to push on without him ... but, there's certainly an air of grief around the team -- just watch them unload his car two days after his tragic death.

The Richard Childress Racing team took Busch's car out of the truck Saturday in North Carolina while numerous reporters and other onlookers watched ... and the silence was deafening -- with the only sounds coming from the car's wheels as the team eased it out.

The car -- repainted with number 33 after RCR announced they won't be using Busch's #8 for the foreseeable future -- has what looks like a tribute to Busch on the door ... but does not have a name on it.

Kyle Busch's tragic death has inspired statewide mourning in North Carolina ... with the governor ordering all flags to be flown half-staff.

Governor Josh Stein announced the order Friday ... directing officials to lower all U.S. and state flags to half-staff as a way of honoring Busch's legacy.

The flags were set to half-staff at sunrise Saturday and will remain that way until the sun sets on Sunday.