Celebrity Death

Professional boxer Paul Bamba -- who recently became the first fighter to sign with Ne-Yo's management company -- has died, the singer announced Friday. He was just 35 years old.

"It is with profound sorrow that we announce the passing of beloved son, brother, friend and boxing champion Paul Bamba, whose light and love touched countless lives," Ne-Yo and the Bamba family said in a joint statement.

Bamba held a 19-3 record over the course of his career ... and most recently defeated Rogelio Medina Luna in New Jersey this past Saturday to be named the WBA Gold Cruiserweight world champion.

Dick Capri -- a longtime actor and comedian -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Capri's son, Jeff, tells TMZ ... Dick was diagnosed with a bleeding enlarged aorta that was rendered inoperable because of his age.

Dick just kept living while knowing his time was coming to an end. He spent a nice Christmas with his son, his daughter-in-law and his life partner Wednesday ... and, the crew FaceTimed family that couldn't make it down to Florida for the holiday.

2024 will be remembered for many shocking events ... and here, we remember celebrities who tragically died over the last calendar year.

Liam Payne shocked the world when he fell to his death from a hotel balcony in Argentina ... and the former One Direction member's death is still under police investigation, with lots of moving parts involved.

12 years after Whitney Houston's death and 9 years after Bobbi Kristina Brown's passing, the Houston family suffered another sad loss ... the passing of singer Cissy Houston, Whitney's mom and Houston matriarch, occurred in October. She passed away at the age of 91 after battling Alzheimer's disease in hospice care.

Teen actor Hudson Meek -- best known for his role in the action film, "Baby Driver" -- has died after he tumbled out of a moving vehicle, TMZ has confirmed.

Law enforcement sources tell us... Hudson suffered blunt force trauma injuries after a fall on December 19 in Vestavia Hills, AL. He was rushed to a hospital and treated but passed away two days later.

Hudson's mom, Lane Wells Meeks, posted a message on Facebook, saying their family is shattered by her son's death ... adding he accomplished a lot in his short life and had a major impact on everyone he touched.

Actor Hudson Meek's death is being treated as an accident, and it doesn't appear substances played any role in the fall that took his life ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... no foul play is suspected in Hudson's death -- and, cops are looking into this as an accident.

We're told there were no signs of drugs or alcohol ... and, cops do not believe they played any part in the accident.

Richard Perry -- a music producer who collaborated with some of the biggest stars of the 1970s and '80s -- has passed away ... TMZ has confirmed.

Ben McCarthy -- Perry's personal assistant of nearly three decades -- tells TMZ ... Richard passed away at around 1:30 AM this morning.

We're told Richard fought Parkison's disease ... with Ben saying he saw him for a few hours about a month ago -- and, Richard wasn't able to verbally communicate. That said, Richard was in good spirits during their visit, Ben adds.

6:41 p.m. PT -- Adam DeVine, who co-led and co-created "Workaholics," has broken his silence following Waymond Lee's passing ... noting in a new Instagram post that he was "gutted" by the news.

He added ... "He was such a kind man. My deepest condolences go out to his wife Diane and the rest of his family. He was always down to do whatever insane thing we wrote for him on Workaholics. He was always game. A true professional."

Waymond Lee, an actor best known for appearing in Comedy Central's "Workaholics," has died ... TMZ has learned.

Norine Lee, Waymond's sister, and Waymond’s wife, Diane, tell TMZ ... the actor passed away last week on Wednesday, Dec. 18 following complications from ALS -- a neurological disorder that impacts nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. For those unfamiliar, the disorder is often also referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Art Evans, an actor best known for his roles in "Die Hard 2" and "Fright Night," has died ... according to his reps.

The film and TV actor died while surrounded by his loved ones on Saturday, his publicist, Erica Huntzinger, confirmed to Variety. While the outlet did not share a cause of death, Deadline reports the actor's rep shared Art passed away due to a battle with diabetes.

Fans will likely best know Art for his work as Barnes in the 1990 follow-up film to "Die Hard," aptly titled "Die Hard 2." Remember, Art's character assists Bruce Willis' John McClane when all hell breaks loose at Dulles International Airport.

Kate Cassidy is keeping Liam Payne at the top of her mind in the months after his death ... debuting an apparent tattoo tribute to the late One Direction star.

The influencer posted on her Instagram Story Sunday, where she cuddled up to her dog while laying in bed ahead of the holidays. However, it was the new ink on her hand that captured fans' attention ... as she appeared to have a pair of angel wings etched onto her pointer and middle fingers.

Kate made no mention of the tattoo, but did place a single red emoji heart on the image ... indicating she was feeling the love this Christmas season.

Baseball's "Man of Steal," Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson is dead after a bout with pneumonia ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us ... Henderson passed away Friday in the Oakland area, and had been getting treatment at a hospital for a brief period.

The MLB legend holds the record for stolen bases, and played left field for 9 teams from 1979 to 2003. Most of those years were spent with the Oakland A’s, where he debuted in the majors, but he also starred with the Yankees, Blue Jays, Mets, Padres and others ... before retiring with the Dodgers.

Alfa Anderson -- a major part of the disco band Chic -- has passed away ... this according to one of her former bandmates.

The disco legend passed away earlier this week, according to founder of Chic Nile Rodgers ... who shared several throwback pics of the group together with "RIP Alfa Anderson. CHIC Organization" written on it.

He adds she is "forever loved" ... and did not include a cause of death in his post.

Liam Payne's drug use had him "close to death" on multiple occasions ... long before his fatal fall from a hotel balcony in Argentina ... at least according to his friend, Roger Nores.

In new legal documents from Argentina, obtained by TMZ, Nores recalls Liam's drug issues ... claiming the late One Direction singer had to be revived two times in as many years.

Nores is charged with abandoning Liam before his fatal fall back in October, and he's defending himself against criminal charges here ... by talking about Liam's drug habit.

Rey Misterio Sr. -- legendary wrestler and uncle to WWE Superstar Rey Mysterio -- has passed away at the age of 66, his family announced Friday.

The news was shared by the son of Misterio Sr. -- real name Miguel Ángel López Díaz -- on social media. Details surrounding his death were not immediately made available.

Misterio Sr. was one of the top stars in the Mexican wrestling scene, making his debut in January 1976. He famously came stateside for a matchup at WCW Starrcade back in 1990 -- teaming up with Konnan.

California-bred rap veteran Saafir died in November ... and we've learned it was a complication of health issues.

TMZ Hip Hop obtained the death certificate, which states Saafir died from septic shock and enterocolitis -- an infection of the small intestine.

The doc also lists infected sacral decubitus as a COD, a medical term for an enlarged bedsore caused by too much pressure on the bottom of the spine.

'90 Day Fiancé' star David Murphey -- who was best known for appearing on "90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days" -- has died ... this according to his family.

The reality star's family issued a statement on his Instagram account Wednesday ... where they confirmed the TV personality died last week in Las Vegas, Nevada after "experiencing health issues over the last several years."

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... David had been sick with liver cancer, which he was diagnosed with over a year ago. We're told David also had been facing a number of other health issues, too. His cause of death is currently unclear.

Crumbs, the world's fattest cat, sadly passed away in October ... and now we're learning more details about how the furball died.

The orange tabby suffered from heart disease caused by his obesity -- an autopsy showed he had acute cardiogenic pulmonary edema. That's a life-threatening condition resulting from the build-up of fluid in the lungs due to increased heart pressure, according to multiple news outlets in Russia, where Crumbs lived.

At the time of his death, it was speculated he passed from some complication of excess weight, though tumors were also reportedly found on his spleen and other organs.