Celebrity Death

Caitlyn Jenner's late friend Sophia Hutchins is at the center of a new court battle from beyond the grave ... with a judge ordering Apple to turn over access to her private email accounts.

According to court documents, obtained by TMZ, a Los Angeles County judge granted a request from Hutchins' mother, the administrator of her estate, to recover information tied to her Apple accounts and directed Apple to assist in the process.

The judge authorized Hutchins' mom, Amy L. Andrus, to seek access to data tied to Hutchins' accounts.

Duane Ollinger, the star of Discovery Channel's "Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch," has died at 68, TMZ has learned.

A family source tells TMZ Duane died yesterday at a Texas hospital following a battle with ALS.

The Texas oilman became a fan favorite on the reality series, which follows Duane and his son Chad as they hunt for a legendary cache of lost Aztec gold believed to be hidden beneath their sprawling Utah property.

Peabo Bryson has died after suffering a stroke, TMZ has learned. 

Peabo's family tells TMZ, "With broken hearts and profound sadness, the family of two-time Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, and balladeer, Peabo Bryson, announces his passing."

Peabo was the legendary voice behind the Oscar-winning Disney classics "Beauty and the Beast" and "A Whole New World" ... and both of his theme songs won Grammy Awards. 

Matt Brown's death has left his family wrestling with a painful and complicated reality ... some relatives are devastated, while others are feeling a sense of relief.

Family sources tell TMZ ... the reaction within the Brown family has been a mixed bag ... with grief, shock and relief all colliding after the late "Alaskan Bush People" star was found dead in a river.

We're told Matt's long battle with addiction created ongoing anxiety for those closest to him. Relatives often worried about when he might reappear, what condition he would be in, and what kind of situation might follow.

A director who worked with Val Kilmer says it's no conspiracy ... Val was the absolute worst person he's ever known.

"Conspiracy" director Adam Marcus unloaded on Val in a series of since-deleted social media posts, according to Entertainment Weekly, calling him a "putz" and saying he had no problem speaking ill of the dead.

Adam said of Val ... "Worst human being I’ve ever known… and that is really saying something."

The director clearly expected some backlash over his comments, saying ... "And to any of you rolling your eyes because of the whole ‘don’t speak ill of the dead bulls***,’ f*** that. [If] this guy did one-tenth of what he did on my set today, he would have been cancelled in a blink."

Actor Owain Rhys Davies -- best known for his role as Agent Wilson in "Twin Peaks," has died under mysterious circumstances, according to his family.

Davies passed away "suddenly, naturally, and peacefully," but there are "questions that remain unanswered regarding the circumstances of his death," his brother, Rhodri, wrote Sunday on Instagram.

Davies played Agent Wilson in the 2017 reboot of David Lynch's famous "Twin Peaks" TV series from the 1990s. He also landed a role in the Netflix science fiction drama, "The OA," as well as parts in several movies, including "Alice Through The Looking Glass," and "A Serial Killer's Guide To Life."

Caroline Kennedy fought back tears talking about her late daughter Tatiana Schlossberg in her first public comments since John F. Kennedy's grandchild died following a terminal cancer diagnosis.

During her speech at the JFK Profile in Courage Award Ceremony Sunday, Caroline addressed family members in the audience before taking a moment to honor her daughter.

Caroline grew emotional as she remembered Tatiana as a woman who "represented everything my parents stood for in her beautiful, amazing, and too-short life."

Emilie Kiser is reconnecting with followers after spending several weeks away from social media to focus on family and remember her late son, Trigg.

The influencer took a hiatus last month before the one-year anniversary of Trigg's tragic death ... and she resurfaced Monday with a heartfelt message ... telling followers she's thankful she stepped away during what she described as the hardest month of her family's life.

Emilie says the break helped her family reconnect with relatives who live far away and gave them space to make new memories with her other son, Teddy, while continuing to honor Trigg's memory.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Raymond Berry -- a favorite target of Johnny Unitas -- has died at the age of 93.

The family of the Baltimore Colts great released a statement saying he passed away peacefully at his Tennessee home on May 25, surrounded by his loved ones.

Berry, out of SMU, was drafted in the 20th round of the 1954 NFL Draft ... and went on to play 13 seasons in the league, catching 631 passes (a record back then) for 9,275 yards and 68 touchdowns. He led the NFL in receptions on three occasions.

"Alaskan Bush People" star Matt Brown's death is taking a toll on his brother, Bear Brown ... and he's letting his emotions out for all to see.

Bear shared a touching tribute to his late brother on social media after Matt's body was recovered from a river ... posting a picture of him and Matt standing side-by-side holding rifles and opening up about what Matt meant to him.

Matt's brother remembers him as "intelligent, curious, creative, and endlessly fascinated by the world around him."

Joe Negri, famous for playing the musical handyman on "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," is dead.

Joe's death was announced Sunday, just days before he was set to celebrate his 100th birthday ... according to multiple reports.

The official cause of death is unclear ... though his daughter reportedly said he died Saturday from natural causes.

Joe was known as Handyman Negri on the long-running children's classic ... for 30 years he played music and fixed things alongside the puppets of the Neighborhood of Make-Believe.

Searching for "Alaskan Bush People" star Matt Brown's body in a raging river was like finding a needle in a haystack ... at least according to a first-hand account from the private search party that found him.

Chay Wilkerson Moore lead the private search party who recovered Brown's body from the Okanogan River in Washington state, and he tells TMZ kayakers were able to spot his brown jacket in the fast-moving brown water Saturday, just a few miles South from where he was last seen alive.

Moore -- who has spearheaded 12 successful recoveries over the last 5 years -- says kayakers had to scour the riverbank inch by inch because Matt's clothing blended in with the murky water and scenery ... and he was in a remote area not easily accessible by law enforcement.

Foster Sylvers, the standout child star of the 1970s family R&B group The Sylvers, has died ... TMZ has learned.

Foster's brother, Leon Sylvers III, tells TMZ he died in hospice following a battle with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. More updates will come from their sister, Pat Sylvers.

The Sylvers skyrocketed to fame in the '70s with hits like "Fool's Paradise, "Boogie Fever," and "Hot Line." The group had many iterations during their decade in the spotlight ... the above photo shows James, Foster, Edmund, Ricky, and Angie.

A private search party discovered the body of "Alaskan Bush People" star Matt Brown in a Washington river following a days-long search after he was reported to have ended his life.

The group of private citizens conducted their search in the Okanogan River and came across his body on Saturday, the Okanogan County Sheriff's Office announced. His body is now in the care of the Okanogan County Coroner, where cause and manner of death will be determined.

We told you on Saturday Matt's clearly shaken brother, Bear Brown, confirmed he was deceased ... adding he never imagined his brother would hurt himself.

6:30 PM PT -- Ronald LaPread died following a brief illness, his representative tells TMZ.

Ronald LaPread -- one of the founding members and bassist for soul band the Commodores -- has died.

His daughter, music producer Soraya LaPread, shared the sad news on social media Saturday. She did not divulge any details of his passing, but NZ Herald reported he died following a "sudden medical event" in Auckland. Ronald had been living in New Zealand since the 1980s.

TMZ has reached out so Soraya and the Commodores for comment ... so far, no word back.

Matt Brown -- the reality star who appeared on almost 80 episodes of "Alaskan Bush People" -- has died, according to his brother.

Bear Brown just posted a TikTok with the sad news ... and he's clearly still very shaken up, saying he never imagined his brother would hurt himself, confirming Matt took his own life.

Bear asked people to be respectful and kind ... and not leave nasty comments since the family is still reeling from the tragedy.

TMZ obtained dispatch audio from the initial search for Brown's body -- you can hear responding personnel note his backpack was uncovered while his gun was thought to be in the water ... and that his body was not with it. They also ordered a search boat and dive team.