Celebrity Death

Madonna is nixing a photo of Luther Vandross from the AIDS tribute she puts on during her "Celebration" tour .... because, as his estate has clarified, he shouldn't be there at all.

The Material Girl has made a point to pay tribute to her late friends and famous peers -- including Herb Ritts, Freddie Mercury, and Keith Haring, all of whom died from AIDS-related complications -- with a photo montage amid her performance of "Live to Tell."

During Saturday night's tribute at Madge's Sacramento concert, a photo of the late soul singer was included -- despite the R&B singer's 2005 death previously being attributed to complications from a prior stroke.

In fact ... Luther was actually defensive about this rumor about him while he was alive ... once even going after a British magazine back that tried to pin his weight loss in the mid-80s to the virus. So yeah, it's a sensitive topic.

While Luther's camp acknowledged Madonna's effort to honor those who've lost their lives to AIDS ... they emphasized to Page Six that the late soul singer was never diagnosed with AIDS or the HIV Virus, and it sounds like Luther's estate kindly asked her to exclude him.

Madonna has since scrapped the photo from the tribute ... after Luther's estate reached out to her management team, so all's well that ends well. Seems like an innocent mistake.

For those wondering ... Luther's sexuality has long been speculated on -- but he never came out as anything other than heterosexual ... although, close friends of his have commented on this in the years since and suggested he may have been part of the LGBTQ+ community.

Wrestling legend Ole Anderson -- who helped form The Four Horsemen in the 1980s -- has died at 81 years old.

The WWE confirmed the sad news Monday evening ... remembering him in a statement as "a prolific and decorated tag team wrestler" who had a "hard-nosed style and gruff demeanor."

"WWE extends its condolences to Anderson's family, friends, and fans," the org. added.

A cause of death was not revealed.

Anderson -- real name Alan Rogowski -- began his wrestling career in the '60s ... but really made his mark in the squared circle in the 1980s.

He, Ric Flair, Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard created the heel stable The Four Horsemen .... and the quartet eventually went on to have legendary matches across multiple promotions against some of the most iconic wrestlers of all-time.

After news of his death broke, Flair said in a post on X that Ole helped launch his career.

"I Will Be Grateful Forever For You Giving Me The Opportunity To Become Who I Am Today," Flair wrote. "We Didn’t Always Agree With Each Other, But The Honest To God Truth Is You & Gene Started Me. Rest In Peace My Friend!"

In addition to his time on the mat, Anderson also worked as a manager, promoter and even an exec in the wrestling world.

"AEW and the wrestling world mourn the passing of the legendary Ole Anderson," All Elite Wrestling officials said in a statement Monday night. "Our thoughts are with his family, his friends and his fans."

Madonna ha eliminado una foto de Luther Vandross del homenaje que tenía que ver con el sida durante su gira "Celebration", porque, según han aclarado sus representantes, él no debería estar allí.

La diva ha querido rendirle homenaje a sus difuntos amigos y compañeros famosos -incluyendo a Herb Ritts, Freddie Mercury y Keith Haring, todos ellos fallecidos por complicaciones relacionadas con el sida- con un montaje fotográfico en medio de su actuación de "Live to Tell".

Durante el homenaje del sábado por la noche en el concierto en Sacramento, se incluyó una foto del fallecido cantante de soul a pesar de que la muerte del cantante de R & B en 2005 se le atribuyó previamente a complicaciones de un derrame cerebral previo.

De hecho, Luther estaba a la defensiva sobre este rumor, sobre mientras estaba vivo. Una vez incluso se quejó con una revista británica que trató de relacionar su pérdida de peso a mediados de los años 80 al virus. Así que sí, es un tema delicado.

Mientras que el campamento de Luther reconoció el esfuerzo de Madonna para honrar a aquellos que han perdido sus vidas a causa del sida, hicieron hincapié en Page Six que el fallecido cantante de soul nunca fue diagnosticado con el virus y parece que los representantes de Luther amablemente pidieron que lo excluyeran.

Madonna ha eliminado desde entonces la foto del homenaje, después de que la gente de Luther se pusiera en contacto con su equipo de gestión, así que todo terminó bien. Parece que solo fue un error inocente.

Para aquellos que se lo están preguntando... La sexualidad de Luther ha sido durante mucho tiempo motivo de especulación, pero siempre se mostró heterosexual, aunque amigos cercanos han emitido comentarios que podrían vincularlo con la comunidad LGBTQ +.

Chris Gauthier -- known for shows like "Once Upon A Time" and "Smallville" -- has died ... his agency confirmed in a statement.

The actor reportedly passed away suddenly Friday after recently falling ill with TriStar Appearances/Event Horizon Talent lamenting his loss to TVLine.

Tristar's Chad Colvin wrote in a Facebook post that Gauthier was the very definition of a character actor ... not an actor with a name one might know, but one whose sheer presence in a show or movie could pique the interest of any audience.

Gauthier appeared in a number of popular projects over the years including "A Series of Unfortunate Events," "iZombie," "Psych," "Supernatural," "Smallville," "Watchmen," "Agent Cody Banks," "Little Man," "Freddy vs. Jason" -- and a whole lot more.

He was perhaps best known for his role in the TV show science-fiction show "Eureka" where he played gourmet chef Vincent in 67 episodes, and later as Mr. Smee -- Captain Hook's first mate in the ABC drama "Once Upon A Time."

In fact, his 'OUAT' costar Colin O'Donoghue, who played Captain Hook in the series, also posted a touching tribute to Chris ... saying he was the real captain all along.

Chris is survived by his wife Erin and their two children.

He was 48.

Kenneth Mitchell -- who starred in a 'Star Trek' television show and Marvel movie -- has died, according to a statement from his family.

The actor passed away Saturday his family announced via his Instagram account ... remembering him as not only a decorated actor but also a dedicated family man.

His family says he passed away after a battle with ALS that began more than five years ago saying he believed each day was a gift despite the difficulties he faced with his illness.

Mitchell appeared in a number of movies and television shows over the years including "Nancy Drew," "The Astronauts Wives Club," "NCIS," "Castle," "Criminal Minds," and "Grey's Anatomy."

His breakout role came back in 2006 when he received a starring part in the show "Jericho." Mitchell appeared in 27 of the show's 29 episodes during its two-season run.

More recently, Mitchell made the jump into the science-fiction realm ... appearing as Carol Danvers' father Joe in the 2019 Marvel hit "Captain Marvel" and appearing in a number of roles for the Paramount+ original "Star Trek: Discovery."

Mitchell is survived by his wife Susan, kids Lilah and Kallum, his parents, siblings and numerous nieces and nephews. The family's asking people to donate to ALS research in his memory.

Kenneth was 49.

Former Houston Rockets guard Robert Reid, an NBA star who spent 13 years in the league, died earlier this week following a battle with cancer.

Reid was 68 years old ... and had been battling an illness, according to the Houston Chronicle.

The Rockets announced the sad news on Tuesday, writing, "The Fertitta Family and the Houston Rockets are deeply saddened by the passing of former player, Robert Reid, whose contributions were instrumental in guiding the Houston Rockets to their first two NBA Finals appearances in 1980-81 and 1985-86."

Reid, a 6'8" guard/forward who was a second-round draft pick in 1977, averaged 11.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.1 blocks a game during his NBA career -- 10 seasons of which were spent in Houston, just a few hours from where he grew up in San Antonio, TX.

He also played for the Charlotte Hornets, Portland Trail Blazers, and Philadelphia 76ers.

Reid, who was teammates with the legendary Moses Malone, scored 10,448 points in 919 NBA games.

Current Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta also reacted to news of Reid's death, saying ... "It is with great sorrow that my family and I received the news of the passing of Rockets legend, Robert Reid. I have had the privilege of knowing Robert for over 40 years, and his presence always brought joy and positivity to any room he entered."

Reid was 68.

Tony Ganios -- famous from "Porky's" and a ton of other cult classic films -- has died.

The actor's fiancée, Amanda, tells us Tony passed away Sunday at a NY hospital -- this after he was taken in on Saturday and was found to have been suffering a severe spinal cord infection. We're told he went into surgery, but suffered a fatal heart attack the following day as he was recovering.

Amanda says Tony was on his way to a dialysis treatment Sunday morning when he went into cardiac arrest ... and we're told he was experiencing organ failure too. Amanda says his death came so suddenly, and she's absolutely shattered right now ... explaining they were just planning their wedding last week. They'd been together for a couple for at least 9 years.

She posted a sweet tribute to Tony online, writing ... "The last words we said to each other were "I love you." Love is an understatement. You are everything to me.  My heart, my soul and my best friend. #I love you #tonyganios."

Tony will best be remembered for his lead role in the 1981 film, which went down as a fan-fave sex comedy flick and developed a cult following. "Porky's" also went on to churn out several sequels ... including "Porky's II: The Next Day" and "Porky's Revenge!" -- both of which he starred in.

Of course, fans know him as Meat Tuperello ... one of the guys trying to lose their V-cards at a brothel, and who ended up playing peeping Toms. The shower scene from the movie is probably one of the most iconic in the raunchy comedy category of movies.

While "Porky's" was arguably his biggest flick/franchise ... Tony was in a handful of other memorable films as well -- including 1979's "The Wanderers," in which he played Perry.

Other movies of his include "Back Roads," "Continental Divide," "Body Rock," "Die Hard 2," "Rising Sun," "The Taking of Beverly Hills" and more. TG had been in shows as well -- such as "The Ring of the Musketeers," "Wiseguy," "The Equalizer" and "Scarecrow and Mrs. King."

He appears to have left showbiz behind in the '90s ... but he certainly left his mark on pop culture. In fact, film producer Sean Clark had some kind words for Tony upon hearing about his passing.

SC wrote, "Sad to hear of the passing of Tony Gainos aka Meat from Porky's This photo is from 20 years ago with Tony and Porky's co-star Scott Colomby Although I had many business conversations with him over the years I would not say he was a friend."

He adds, "I did not know him well at all. However he was a nice guy and it's a shame he passed just 2 weeks away from the big Porky's reunion at Cult Classics Weekend in Bastrop TX in which he was supposed to attend. So with that said I'm sorry for OUR loss."

Amanda tells TMZ Tony had been working and active in the final years of his life. He was 64.

DC Young Fly is graciously asking the person responsible for swiping his bookbag to return it pronto ... because its sentimental value outweighs the financial gain in this caper.

Apparently, DC had a gig at the Hollywood Improv last night but discovered his bag had gone missing following the let-out of the show -- and he suspects it got taken by a thief.

The comedian/actor hoped on IG this morning with a passionate plea for the bag to be returned to him ... and it's incredibly sad, because he says there was something inside that was of the utmost importance to him.

According to DC, no cash or jewels were taken but, as it turns out, the backpack actually contained the death certificate of his girlfriend, Jacky Oh!, with whom he had 3 children.

As we reported ...Jacky died last May due to complications from cosmetic surgery and like we told you, no foul play was suspected in her death. It was just a tragic accident.

DC's not asking for anything crazy here ... he literally just wants his bag back, and is hoping his message reaches the right people and that they'll do the right thing and return it.

DC Young Fly le está pidiendo amablemente a la persona responsable del robo de su bolso que se lo devuelva pronto, porque su valor sentimental es mayor que la ganancia financiera.

Al parecer, DC tenía un show en el Hollywood Improv anoche, y descubrió que su bolso había desaparecido a la salida del espectáculo y sospecha que se lo llevó un ladrón.

El comediante y actor apareció en Insta esta mañana pidiendo de manera muy sentida que le devuelvan el bolso, y es increíblemente triste, porque dice que había algo dentro que era de suma importancia para él.

Según DC, no se llevaron dinero ni joyas, pero resulta que la mochila en realidad contenía el certificado de defunción de su novia, Jacky Oh!, con la que tuvo tres hijos.

Como ya informamos, Jacky falleció el pasado mes de mayo debido a complicaciones derivadas de una cirugía estética y como ya dijimos, no hubo rastros de actividad sospechosa, fue solo un trágico accidente.

DC no está pidiendo nada raro, literalmente solo quiere que su bolso de vuelta y está esperando que su mensaje llegue a las personas adecuadas y que van a hacer lo correcto y lo devolverán.

Los fans de Matthew Perry arremetieron contra los premios BAFTA por su desaire al fallecido actor, lo que llevó a los ejecutivos del programa a responder a todas las reacciones.

La furia comenzó el domingo por la noche después de que los Premios de Cine de la Academia Británica 2024 emitieran un segmento In Memoriam de cuatro minutos en el que se mostraban imágenes de actores fallecidos en el último año, entre ellos Carl Weathers, Tina Turner, Chaim Topol, Michael Gambon y Richard Roundtree.

Mientras las fotos parpadeaban en la pantalla, la actriz Hannah Waddingham actuó en el escenario, cantando una versión de "Time After Time" de Cyndi Lauper.

Fue una celebración maravillosa de estas personas famosas y con talento... el único problema fue que Perry no estaba entre los homenajeados.

Sus fans estaban molestos, expresando sus frustraciones en X.

Una persona echó humo: "¡¿Ninguna mención a Matthew Perry en el memorial de los #BAFTA?! Mala gestión".

Otro escribió: "La voz de Hannah Waddingham es tan hermosa. Es una pena que los BAFTA hayan dejado a Matthew Perry fuera de la lista".

Un tercero dijo: "¿Nada de Matthew Perry en el memorial de los #BAFTA? Me parece una falta de respeto. ¿Se les ha olvidado?".

Otros seguidores de Perry señalaron que el actor no solo era conocido por su papel en la comedia de televisión "Friends", sino que también tenía una larga y exitosa carrera cinematográfica.

Los directivos de los BAFTA respondieron a un usuario X enfadado, escribiendo: "Matthew Perry será recordado en la ceremonia de los premios de televisión de este año". También adjuntaron un enlace al homenaje de Perry en el sitio web de los BAFTA, destacando su trabajo en televisión y cine.

TMZ publicó la historia, el asistente de Perry encontró su cuerpo el pasado mes de octubre flotando en una bañera de hidromasaje en su casa del área de Los Ángeles. El forense realizó una autopsia, concluyendo Perry murió de los "efectos agudos de la ketamina", un anestésico utilizado para tratar la depresión. El ahogamiento figuraba en el informe de la autopsia como causa secundaria de la muerte.

Fans of Matthew Perry slammed the BAFTA Awards over their perceived snub of the late actor, prompting the show's executives to respond to all the backlash.

The fury began Sunday night after the 2024 British Academy Film Awards aired a four-minute In Memoriam segment showing images of actors who passed away over the last year, including Carl Weathers, Tina Turner, Chaim Topol, Michael Gambon and Richard Roundtree.

As the photos flashed on screen, actress Hannah Waddingham performed onstage, singing a rendition of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time."

It was a wonderful celebration of these famous and talented people ... the only problem was Perry was not among those honored.

His fans were upset, expressing their frustrations on the social media app, X.

One person fumed, “No mention of Matthew Perry in the #BAFTAs memorial?! Bad form."

Another wrote, "Hannah Waddingham's voice is so beautiful. It's a shame BAFTA left Matthew Perry off the list though."

A third grumbled, "No Matthew Perry in the #BAFTAs memorium?? Feels a tad disrespectful. Did they just forget?"

Other Perry supporters noted the actor was not just known for his role on the TV sitcom, "Friends," but he also had a long and successful movie career.

BAFTA senior execs responded to one angry X user, writing, “Matthew Perry will be remembered in this year’s TV Awards ceremony.” They also attached a link to Perry's tribute on the BAFTA website, highlighting his TV and film work.

TMZ broke the story ... Perry's assistant found his body last October floating in a hot tub at his L.A. area home. The coroner performed an autopsy, concluding Perry died from the "acute effects of ketamine," an anesthetic used to treat depression. Drowning was listed on the autopsy report as a secondary cause of death.

Some amazing Kobe Bryant items are looking for a new owner -- including a Draft Day ticket and gold-painted handprints -- and they're all going to go to the highest bidder at auction!!

The two rare pieces are a part of Goldin's "Iconic Collection Honoring Life & Career of Kobe Bryant" ... and the stub stands out, as it sparked the very beginning of Mamba's Hall of Fame career.

The Continental Airlines Arena ticket has the event date (6/26/96) etched on it ... as well as the customized NBA Draft in New Jersey logo.

Of course, the 1996 draft is considered one of the most talented in NBA history ... featuring Bryant (the 13th overall pick), Allen Iverson, Stephon Marbury, Ray Allen, Steve Nash, Jermaine O'Neal, Derek Fisher and more -- so the original owner certainly saw a fair share of future greats.

Another cool item is the 33x25-inch framed clay handprints Kobe made during a tour of Paris in 2017 ... which were covered in gold paint as part of a project for French artist Sacha Schwarz.

There's also a photo to match the moment Bean put his paws in the molding to provide authentication.

We're told both items are estimated to sell in the thousands ... in fact, the gold-plated hands are expected to go for $20k!!

There are other great pieces as well -- things like game-used jerseys and unique trading cards.

Some people in L.A. probably did a double take Friday thinking they saw Michael Jackson walking around.

But it was actually the spitting image of the late "King of Pop" -- namely his nephew, Jaafar Jackson, who was on his way to shoot scenes for MJ's upcoming biopic, "Michael."

It's truly amazing how much Jaafar looks almost exactly like the world-famous singer, especially when he's in costume.

Check out these photos, obtained by TMZ, which show Jaafar on the movie set, sporting MJ's famous red varsity jacket next to a Tower Records pop-up shop and a huge ad promoting the entertainer's 1979 album, "Off The Walls."

As we reported ... Jaafar -- the son of Jermaine Jackson -- was spotted Thursday shooting scenes for the flick in LA's Encino neighborhood.

Jaafar was in total MJ mode from his hair to his makeup and clothes.

Actress Nia Long, who is playing Michael's mom, Katherine Jackson, also appeared on set Thursday. Colman Domingo wasn't there, but he snagged the role of MJ's dad, Joe Jackson, and has been spotted with the cast.

Zak Bagans has a new cursed item going on display at his museum, one with a connection to recently deceased Playboy model Masuimi Max ... TMZ has learned.

The paranormal investigator tells us ... Charles Max, Masuimi's brother, met him at his museum in Las Vegas and was totally rattled by an innocuous-looking jewelry box he said once belonged to MM's mom.

After their mother died, Charles told Zak their father kept the jewelry box ... an odd move, because Charles says Korean people generally burn a loved one's possessions after they die.

Charles ended up taking the box, and quickly wished he hadn't -- he told Zak the box gives people amnesia, and detailed several other terrifying experiences with the creepy artifact.

For example ... Zak says Charles told him several mirrors in his house cracked when he put the box next to them, cold spots cropped up in different places in the home where Charles said he could see his own breath.

He even claims he would feel paralyzed at times, describing it as being grabbed by an unseen force.

Ultimately, Charles told Zak he gave the box to one of his sisters -- NOT Masuimi -- who swears she never gave it to Masuimi.

While the paranormal experiences stopped haunting Charles, the whole family has no explanation for how the box ended up in Masuimi's possession.

We broke the story ... Masuimi died last month at her Las Vegas-area home. Cops said no foul play was suspected at the time though her cause of death is still unclear. She was only 45.

On the same day she passed, Charles and his other sister went to her house, and found the jewelry box on the floor near the door -- again, shocking 'cause this other sister says she didn't give it to Masuimi.

Charles swears Masuimi would never have wanted the box -- she didn't have a good relationship with their mother, so there's no reason she'd covet it.

One more creepy fact/coincidence ... Masuimi died on the same date as her mother.

Etterlene DeBarge -- gospel singer and matriarch of the legendary DeBarge family -- has died ... TMZ has confirmed.

The mother-of-ten passed away peacefully in her sleep at Berkley Post-Acute in Woodland Hills Friday morning -- this according to her daughter Etterlene "Bunny" DeBarge. A cause of death has not yet been announced, but sources tell us EDB was ill and battling dementia.

Bunny broke the news online -- posting a short message to social media, simply announcing her mother's death to fans of the group ... noting she was in a better place now.

Etterlene met Robert DeBarge -- her future husband -- back in 1952 and married him the following year. They built a huge family, complete with 10 different children  ... seven of whom went on to play in the Motown super group DeBarge.

The Grammy-nominated group was active from 1979 to 1989 before the lure of solo contracts for Bunny and El DeBarge helped lead to the group splitting up. There were other factors that ultimately ended the family band.

Etterlene and Robert divorced in 1974, and Etterlene chronicled their marriage and her children's rise to fame in the book "Other Side of the Pain." She married George Rodriguez in 1980 -- a pairing that lasted the rest of her life.

Etterlene is survived by George, eight of her children, and numerous grandchildren. One of her sons, Robert DeBarge Jr., passed away in 1995 while Tommy DeBarge passed away in 2021. Obviously, her legacy and impact in music lives on through her children.

Etterlene was 88.

Muudea Sedik -un popular YouTuber- ha muerto... TMZ ha indagado.

Fuentes policiales nos dicen que la personalidad de Internet -que tiene millones de seguidores a través de sus diversos canales- fue encontrado inconsciente la noche del martes en su casa de Los Ángeles, esto después de que alguien llamara a los médicos.

Nos informan que el chico estaba desaparecido e incluso faltó a algunas citas. Como resultado, la policía fue a verificar a su casa y fue entonces cuando encontraron su cuerpo, aunque no está claro cuánto tiempo había estado en ese estado.

Nuestras fuentes dicen que había parafernalia de drogas en la escena y el caso está siendo investigado como una posible sobredosis.

Twomad había causado preocupación entre su base de fans las últimas semanas, incluyendo algunos tuits extraños que publicó la semana pasada, por no hablar de un montón de fotos de armas de fuego.

El tipo era un personaje interesante... además de sketches, comentarios sobre videojuegos y retransmisiones en directo, estaba muy metido en la cultura de Internet y tenía una base masiva de fans. Como hemos dicho, millones de seguidores y sus videos también recibían un número significativo de visitas.

Un meme, en particular, que se le atribuye es el llamado "Goodnight Girl, I'll See You Tomorrow". En él aparece un Twomad sin camiseta caminando hacia la cámara y diciéndole a una chica imaginaria que la verá mañana... solo para resbalar y caer de forma caricaturesca.

También hizo una colaboración con la modelo Belle Delphine OnlyFans.

Twomad se había visto envuelto en una polémica los últimos meses y parece haber estado fuera del radar el úlltimo tiempo, sin publicar contenido. Su último video en sus 3 canales fue hace 5 meses y ciertamente parecía estar de buen humor en él.

Solo tenía 23 años.