Celebrity Death

Diane Delano -- famous for her roles in "Northern Exposure" and "The Wicker Man" -- has died, TMZ has learned.

Diane's rep tells us ... the actress passed away at her home in Los Angeles Friday after a brief illness. An official cause of death was not released.

Diane was best known for playing St. Barbara Semanski on the CBS TV series "Northern Exposure" in the 1990's, as well as Sister Beech in the 2006 film, "The Wicker Man," starring Nicholas Cage.

Liam Payne's fatal fall was witnessed by a hotel guest who was at the CasaSur Palermo in Buenos Aires for his wedding, and he is haunted by what he saw.

Bret Watson was in a room on the first floor of the hotel with his wedding planner, and as they looked out the window they saw Liam in free fall. Bret appears in our new documentary, "TMZ Presents: Liam Payne: Who's to Blame?" airing on FOX tonight at 8 PM ET and streaming on Hulu beginning Tuesday.

Bret and the wedding planner ran to the balcony and looked down ... and immediately identified Liam, who he believes died instantly.

Bret says the sound of Liam's body hitting the ground was even more haunting than the fall itself, and it's apparent from the interview he's still having pretty severe emotional difficulty.

A waiter prosecutors want to charge in connection with Liam Payne's death admits he used cocaine with the singer ... but insists he didn’t get paid and is NOT a drug dealer.

Braian Paiz told us in our upcoming documentary "TMZ Investigates: Liam Payne: Who's to Blame?" -- airing Monday night at 8 PM ET on FOX — he partied with Liam in the singer’s Buenos Aires Hotel room.

Paiz says they drank whiskey and used the cocaine he brought to the hotel. He says they did it on 2 occasions … the second just 2 days before Liam’s fatal fall from the hotel balcony.

Jill Jacobson -- a longtime actress in Hollywood with parts in "Falcon Crest" and 'Star Trek' -- has died ... according to reports.

Jacob's longtime friend Dan Harary tells The Hollywood Reporter ... Jill passed away earlier this month in Los Angeles after battling a long illness.

Jacobson kicked off her career in Hollywood in a series of small roles beginning in the late 1970s ... eventually appearing in well-known flicks like "Splash."

Liam Payne's close friend, now in the crosshairs of Argentinian authorities -- insists when he left the singer at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel an hour before his death, he seemed fine ... But authorities and eyewitnesses say that's anything but true.

Roger Nores appears in our new documentary, "TMZ Investigates: Liam Payne: Who's to Blame?" -- which airs Monday night at 8 PM ET on FOX -- says he was with Liam on and off the day he fell from the hotel balcony to his death.

Nores says, he checked on Liam three times during the day, and when he left an hour before the fatal fall Liam seemed happy and fine, although a little tipsy.

The murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson is inspiring more threatening messages about other CEOs ... and, they're cropping up all over the nation.

Check it out ... people are tagging public areas with "Free Luigi" -- like the graffiti in this New York City subway stop, a rallying cry around alleged killer Luigi Mangione, who was charged with Thompson's murder this week.

"Deny, Defend, Depose" has also been painted on the side of buildings and other public areas ... a reference to the words written on the bullets Mangione allegedly used to kill Thompson.

Conan O'Brien's parents passed away earlier this week ... with his mother dying Thursday, just three days after his father.

Dr. Thomas O’Brien's health had been failing for a long time prior to his death on Monday, according to the Boston Globe, while Ruth Reardon O’Brien passed peacefully on December 12.

Dr. O'Brien was an expert in antimicrobial drug resistance research -- serving as director of the Infectious Diseases Division at what is now Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He also taught at Harvard as an associate professor, finally retiring in 2019 at the age of 90.

O.J. Simpson’s debts are about to get knocked down a notch, that is if someone steps up to buy some of his most prized, and X-rated, possessions.

Malcolm LaVergne, Simpson's longtime attorney and executor of his estate, tells TMZ his stash of prison pornography from his days in Nevada state prison is up for grabs.

Yep, O.J. and his fellow inmates were allowed to read mags like Penthouse, and turns out he had quite the collection.

Law enforcement may be praising the McDonald's employee who helped capture Luigi Mangione, but his supporters are pissed -- and they're taking it out on the restaurant's Yelp page.

Here's the deal ... Mangione was apprehended Monday at a Pennsylvania Mickey D's ... and hours later, the Manhattan D.A. charged him with murder in the brazen December 4 fatal shooting of Brian Thompson.

Since then ... the Yelp page for the Altoona location has been overrun by Mangione admirers, who have smeared the site with poor reviews and (pretty creative) A.I. images ... all revolving around rats.

Joe Rogan is coming out swinging against the healthcare industry, calling it a "dirty business" following the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

During Tuesday's podcast, Rogan sat down with movie director Quentin Tarantino and producer Roger Avary ... with the trio at one point turning their conversation to Luigi Mangione -- the suspected killer of Thompson.

Rogan said he doesn't think Mangione is a professional assassin, but rather is someone who may have had a beef with the healthcare business. Rogan also said UnitedHealthcare apparently "is really bad at denying claims.”

The Amazing Kreskin -- the world-renowned mentalist with connections to some of the biggest stars in show business -- has died ... according to a statement posted to his social media.

Kreskin's social media accounts posted a statement late Tuesday ... explaining the star passed away in the middle of the holiday season he loved so much.

According to the post, Kreskin decorated his house with numerous decorations and multiple Christmas trees each year -- and hosted lavish Christmas parties where he regaled guests with "Ave Maria."

Michael Cole, who was notably the last surviving star of the '60s/'70s hit crime drama "The Mod Squad," has died ... his reps confirmed Tuesday.

Per the actor's team ... Michael passed away peacefully this morning while surrounded by his loved ones. They applauded the late star for "living a full and vibrant life."

A cause of death was not shared.

Luigi Mangione's new defense attorney spoke to reporters Tuesday afternoon from his offices in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

Attorney Tom Dickey said he's been retained to represent Mangione, but did not offer further details about his representation. He stated he believes Mangione should have been granted bail Monday ... and emphasized Mangione did not waive his extradition in an earlier court appearance today.

"I haven't seen any evidence" that Mangione is the shooter, Dickey said. "He's pleaded not guilty, that's all I care about."

Dickey said he came onto the case "sometime prior to the hearing today" -- it's unclear if he was court-appointed or hired. Asked if he could say who hired him, he said "No ... I can, but I won't."

As we know, Luigi Mangione is accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson early Wednesday morning last week in Midtown Manhattan.

Luigi Mangione, the suspected shooter in the murder case of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, was frustrated with the "corporation and greed" of the healthcare industry ... this according to his handwritten manifesto.

Journalist Ken Klippenstein recently released the manifesto reportedly found on Mangione when he was detained Monday in Altoona, PA. Law enforcement sources have confirmed the text to TMZ.

The document, a 262-word letter addressed to "the Feds," comments on a number of topics ... including his issues with the healthcare business, especially UnitedHealthcare.

The suspected killer of the UnitedHealthcare CEO began shouting toward media cameras as he was quickly rushed into a Pennsylvania courthouse on Tuesday ... where he will face his extradition hearing.

Luigi Mangione began shouting as soon as he was led out of a police van in an orange jumpsuit ... saying in part "... Completely out of touch and an insult to the intelligence of the American people!"

It was difficult to make out exactly what the suspect was saying ... 'cause as soon as he started his stunt, officers roughly manhandled him inside.

Authorities are reportedly weighing charges against two more people in connection with Liam Payne’s death investigation, according to new legal documents.

Law enforcement sources confirm to TMZ a judge is considering charges in a new filing Monday against two employees at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel, where Liam fell to his death from his third-floor balcony.

The judge referred to both the receptionist who called 911 twice the morning Liam died and the hotel manager as "imputados" or "people charged."