Celebrity Death

Late NFL star Aldon Smith’s estate will be inherited by his only son, according to the kid's guardian.

Court docs obtained by TMZ reveal Aldon left behind personal property … unclear the value of the assets. 

He was not married and did not have any children on the way … but he did have a 13-year-old son named Aulis Smith. 

8/24/2026 1:27 PM PT -- Brandon Clarke had an unknown white powder, Narcan, syringes and a lot of medications when he was found dead in his home.

Memphis Grizzlies player Brandon Clarke cause of death has been revealed ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner determined Clarke's cause of death was the combined effects of heroin and cocaine and ruled his death an accident.

According to the Medical Examiner, Clarke was found unresponsive in his bedroom around 5 PM on May 11. Paramedics responded and pronounced him dead at 5:15 PM. He was 29.

His cause and manner of death were officially certified Friday.

Influencer Joe Felz -- known for posting about his van life -- died by suicide ... TMZ has learned. 

The Paulding County, Georgia Coroner tells TMZ ... an autopsy determined Joe's cause of death was hanging and his manner of death was suicide.

Vincent Pastore's fellow 'Sopranos' stars honored him at a private funeral in New York ... and the place was so packed, people had to be turned away ... TMZ has learned.

The beloved actor's family, friends and colleagues filed into the Lloyd Maxcy & Sons Beauchamp Chapel in New Rochelle on Wednesday to pay their respects.

We're told the memorial was invite-only ... but word quickly spread, and folks started showing up in droves ... and they had to be turned away at the door.

Some famous faces made sure to honor Vinnie ... including 'Sopranos' actors Kathrine Narducci, Al Sapienza, and Michael Rispoli ... plus "A Bronx Tale" star Chazz Palminteri.

E Street Band member Steven Van Zandt, who starred on the show, and his actress wife, Maureen, also stopped by.

Vincent Pastore was complaining about health issues in the weeks leading up to his death, but his doctors couldn't find anything wrong with him ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... "The Sopranos" actor expressed he wasn't feeling his best about two weeks before his death, but his docs didn't find any issues.

We're told doctors thought smoky air from wildfires in Canada may have been affecting him and -- out of an abundance of caution -- recommended he see a cardiologist ... since it had been two decades since his triple bypass.

Our sources say Vinnie went in for an echocardiogram and wore a heart monitor, plus he had a stress test scheduled. But, doctors didn't find any abnormalities.

Content creator Sydney Towle has died following her battle with cholangiocarcinoma, a rare bile duct cancer.

Her family announced her passing Thursday morning alongside a photo of her posing joyfully on a hike with the sun beaming behind her. They wrote, "We will always love you so much Sydney. I am so proud of how hard you fought. I love you."

The heartbreaking news comes 2 days after her brother, Austin Towle, shared in a TikTok video that she had been moved to hospice care and was "surrounded by her friends and family."

Oliver Tree instructed his family not to sell off his eclectic art collection and gave instructions on what to do with the pieces.

According to court docs obtained by TMZ, Oliver’s dad, Jesse Nickell III, asked the court to appoint him as the administrator of his late son's trust.

As you know ... Oliver and 5 others -- including the YouTuber Gaspi -- were killed in Brazil in June after two helicopters collided.

WWE Hall of Famer Dory Funk Jr. -- one of the longest-reigning world champions in professional wrestling history -- is dead.

Triple H announced Dory's death Tuesday ... paying tribute to the wrestling legend and saying Dory's hard-nosed style inspired countless performers and helped lay the early foundation for pro wrestling to become a global phenomenon.

He said Dory's impact stretched far beyond his own matches ... pointing to the decades Dory spent training younger athletes for life inside the squared circle.

Aaron Carter’s dentist, who is facing a wrongful death lawsuit from his family, will be introducing evidence of a Department of Children and Family Services investigation in court, TMZ has learned. 

According to court docs obtained by TMZ, dentist Jason Mirabile revealed his plan to use evidence to dispute the claim that Aaron’s 4-year-old son, Princeton, lost out on companionship from his dad … arguing Aaron wasn’t that good of a dad in the first place. 

The dentist said he plans to use testimony from the Department of Children and Family Services staff as witnesses in the upcoming trial.

Mary Rivera, who played Ned Leeds' Filipino grandmother in "Spider-Man: No Way Home," has died ... TMZ has learned.

A family member tells TMZ ... Mary suffered a stroke and doctors warned the family her condition was extremely serious. The relative says doctors told them even if Mary emerged from the coma, her prognosis would not be good, so the family made the difficult decision to remove her from life support.

Mary passed away April 15 in Honolulu. We're told the actress was later cremated.

Logan Paul claims Oliver Tree's music publisher came calling within 48 hours of his death ... with a copyright claim on a years-old podcast featuring some of his music.

Logan made the claim during a recent sit-down with influencer Nick Nayersina ... explaining Oliver personally gave him permission to play one of his songs during an appearance on "Impaulsive" about four years ago.

According to Logan, Oliver even arranged for the episode to be whitelisted by his publisher so the music wouldn't trigger a copyright claim. On the show, Logan said it was Oliver's record label, but we've learned he misspoke.

"Sopranos" actor Vincent Pastore was treated by first responders before he was pronounced dead at his New York City home ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... on Saturday at 2:20 PM ET, Vincent's female neighbor found the 80-year-old actor face up in bed at his residence in The Bronx.

Our sources say the neighbor called 911, prompting police and Emergency Service Unit workers to quickly respond. We're told one paramedic went to work on Vincent to try to save him, but no amount of treatment could bring him back.

Vincent Pastore's loved ones are preparing to say their final goodbyes ... with a funeral service planned for later this week in New Rochelle, New York -- exactly where the late actor wanted it, TMZ has learned.

Stephen Villano, Pastore's longtime friend and self-described "right-hand man," tells TMZ the family is planning a service in the coming days to celebrate the beloved "Sopranos" star's life.

While fans will always remember Pastore for his unforgettable portrayal of Salvatore "Big P****" Bonpensiero, Villano says one of the actor's greatest passions came later in life ... teaching aspiring performers at HB Studios.

According to Villano, Pastore loved mentoring the next generation of actors and often reminded his students that making it in Hollywood wasn't impossible.

James Van Der Beek's widow is remembering the late actor with a heartfelt tribute on what would have been their wedding anniversary.

Sharing an emotional message online, Kimberly Van Der Beek reflected on the couple's 16 years of marriage and the life they built together ... saying she felt like "the luckiest woman in the world" when she married James.

She paired the message with a collection of selfies of the two, along with a photo of James and his 6 children ... adding the beauty of their marriage continues to unfold every day through their children and that James remains present in their family and continues to guide them.

3:54 PM PT -- Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Vincent passed away from natural causes.

We're also told a neighbor last saw Vincent on Wednesday and last texted with him on Thursday before he was found in bed on Saturday.

Vincent Pastore -- a veteran actor best known for playing Salvatore “Big P****” Bonpensiero in "The Sopranos" has died ... TMZ has confirmed.

The actor was found dead in his Bronx residence by his longtime friend, Stephen Villano, on Saturday afternoon after he hadn't been heard from in several days. His cause of death is currently unknown by his family.

The Fire Department of New York received a call about an unresponsive male around 2:30 PM local time Saturday. Pastore was dead when they arrived.

Jakob Butturff, an 8-time professional bowling champion with the PBA, has died suddenly, the association announced.

PBA Commissioner Tom Clark revealed he died "unexpectedly" Friday and remembered him as "one of the most unique players in PBA history." A cause of death was not given.

Tom's statement went on, "Fans marveled at his delivery, as he rode a wave of strikes into becoming a top player in the sport, capable of winning at any time, in any event. Jakob was kind, he was respectful, and he was a champion. He will never be forgotten."