Celebrity Death

Carla Jeffery's brother is grieving his sister's tragic death by sharing a touching text he had sent her.

Carlon Jeffery took to Instagram to reveal he had texted the Disney alum, asking her to call him back. Carlon wrote ... "I was just calling to see how your day went! I love you to the moon & back sis."

He went on to give her words of encouragement, writing ... "I just want you to know how proud I am of you. Your resilience, your grace, your infectious smile that lights up a room. You are truly a light that shines bright."

Carlon continued by telling Carla to keep her head up when things get tough, saying ... "Don't let anyone.. dim that light.. even yourself. The light you carry is special and must be protected at all times."

He concluded ... "You are the best sister a brother could ask for. I pray we continue to grow closer to one another along this journey. I got your back in this life and the next."

It's unclear when exactly Carlon sent this message -- the screenshot cut off any sort of date and time stamp -- but it seems to be from before Carla died.

Gloria Steinem, the famous feminist activist and writer, has died, according to her foundation's website.

The Gloria Steinem Foundation announced that Steinem died peacefully on Wednesday, surrounded by her loved ones at her home in New York. Her cause of death was not released.

Steinem was a powerhouse in the women's movement for decades, and she got things done where many others failed. She cofounded Ms. Magazine, which is considered the first major publication fully run, owned and written by women.

Tony! Toni! Toné! member D’Wayne Wiggins’ estate was ordered not to distribute any money as the late singer’s family continues to battle in court ... TMZ has learned.

According to court docs obtained by TMZ, a judge entered a temporary order prohibiting the estate from sending money from the late singer's estate and trust to any third parties, including in the form of donations to his foundation, scholarships, and other grants to third parties.

But Veleta Savannah -- who is D'Wayne's cousin and claims to be in charge of his trust and estate -- is pushing back in legal docs, claiming D’Wayne was examined by a doctor before his death … and found to be alert and capable of managing his affairs or directing others to do so on his behalf.

Alphonso Smith Jr. -- a former NFL player and standout cornerback at Wake Forest University -- has died ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ Sports ... the former cornerback died by suicide on Wednesday at a housing community in Florida.

Alphonso's final Facebook post highlighted his unstable emotional state before his death.

In the post, Alphonso wrote, "Do not cry for me! I tried everything in my power to fight the demons behind the ones that someone put into ME! I did not want to be that WAY! I know I have disappointed so many folks. This is a DEMON in me! But not only me! It’s EVERYONE! I have HURT so many! I needed help & did not get it!"

Disney star Carla Jeffery -- known for her role as Bree in "Z-O-M-B-I-E-S" -- has passed away.

Her talent agency, Alexanders Talent Management, announced the sad news on Instagram, writing ... "It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of our beloved Carla Jeffery."

According to the agency, the actress died Tuesday. No cause of death has been disclosed at this time.

ATM continued ... "For more than 20 years, we had the privilege of watching her grow into a beautiful, vibrant, and incredibly talented woman whose radiant smile could light up any room."

Christy Knowings' cause of death has been revealed ... the former "All That" star died after suffering cardiac arrest ... TMZ has learned.

According to a death certificate obtained by PEOPLE, the certificate identifies asthma as the underlying cause, with status asthmaticus and acute hypoxic respiratory failure listed as contributing conditions.

We broke the story ... Knowings was hospitalized in August after suffering an asthma attack that caused brain damage. A family member told us she was placed on life support, and her loved ones ultimately made the difficult decision to take her off it several days later.

Tim Curry died from coronary artery disease, TMZ has confirmed.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health made the determination -- first reported on by People -- that coronary artery disease was Tim's main cause of death. Kidney cancer and his history of strokes were listed as underlying causes.

We broke the story ... Tim died at his Los Angeles-area home on Tuesday. Law enforcement sources told us no foul play was suspected.

Transformers star Peter Cullen died from cardiac arrest ... TMZ has learned.

TMZ obtained the death certificate for Peter, who died on August 26, 2026, at his Los Angeles home in the Toluca Lake neighborhood. The immediate cause was cardiac arrest due to respiratory arrest.

 The underlying cause was listed as malignant neoplasm of the lower lobe of the lungs.

Michael Bay says the first time he heard Peter Cullen speak as Optimus Prime, chills shot down his spine ... and decades later, losing him left Bay in tears.

The "Transformers" producer/director sat down with TMZ's Charlie Neff and recalled learning about Cullen's death last week ... saying he let the news sink in for about an hour before he cried.

Michael has since put together a tribute video honoring Cullen ... looking back at the man and the voice that defined Optimus Prime.

Bobby Brown knows better than most what it's like to watch the world mourn an iconic artist.

TMZ caught up with the New Edition alum at LAX on Monday, where he told us how the world lost "another great one" when Dolly died last week.

As you know, Whitney Houston's cover of Dolly's "I Will Always Love You" was an instant classic.

Aaliyah's uncle claims his son is partly to blame for the late singer's death ... lobbing the bombshell allegation as the two fight over money in court.

TMZ obtained a lawsuit filed by Jomo Hankerson against Barry Hankerson and his record label Blackground Records. Barry is Aaliyah's uncle and longtime manager. Jomo is Barry's son and Aaliyah's cousin.

In the docs, Barry claims Aaliyah's cousin was paid to coordinate travel for her music video shoot in the Bahamas ... referring to the fateful August 2001 trip where she died in a plane crash.

Aaliyah's uncle says his son "failed in his responsibility" to handle travel plans ... and she instead took a private jet that crashed and killed everyone onboard.

Kate Cassidy is marking what would've been Liam Payne's birthday with a heartbreaking tribute ... sharing a carousel of photos from their time together.

Kate posted the memories Friday, writing ... “your birthday will always be your day. loving you, remembering you, missing you always. happy birthday Liam ❤️”

She also shared a video of herself with a birthday cake ... lighting candles as she marked Liam’s birthday without him.

Michael Douglas' dad, Kirk Douglas, made sure the actor's wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones, was taken care of in his will before he died ... TMZ has learned.

TMZ obtained the trust documents executed by Kirk, who died in 2020 at 103, and his widow, Anne Douglas, who died in 2021 at 102 ... and they lay out which family members inherited the various parts of their massive estate.

Kirk had four kids: Michael, Eric, Joel, and Peter Douglas ... and his grandkids are also beneficiaries of the estate.

Judge Jackie Glass, who succeeded Nancy Grace as host of the courtroom TV show "Swift Justice," has died ... TMZ has learned.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... Glass died Friday afternoon in Las Vegas.

Nancy hosted the first season of "Swift Justice" in 2010 before Glass, a former Clark County, Nevada judge, took over for the show's second and final season in 2011. The series handled small claims disputes before Glass, who delivered binding rulings from the TV courtroom. It ran through April 2012.

Dolly Parton's loved ones are gathering to say their final goodbyes ... coming together at the country legend's Nashville burial site just days after her death.

Family members gathered Friday morning at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum, where Dolly will be laid to rest beside her late husband, Carl Dean, according to Page Six.

As we told you ... the burial site is already prepared for Dolly ... with her name appearing alongside Carl's on a bronze headstone depicting a scenic Tennessee landscape.

Anna "Chickadee" Cardwell's widowed family just got a little bigger ... almost 3 years after losing his wife, TMZ has learned.

Eldridge Toney and Jessie English have welcomed their first baby, Walker, on Friday.

A source close to the couple tells TMZ ... "everything went great." We're told Jessie had a C-section, but the baby is "doing amazing" and Eldridge was in the room during delivery.

Eldridge had shared on his Instagram stories earlier in the day that they were ready for their baby to come ... posting a pic of Jessie in a hospital bed.