Celebrity Death

Tom Parker's wife broke down in tears as she said her final public goodbye to her beloved husband ... telling people at his funeral The Wanted singer fought like a warrior during his 18-month cancer battle.

Tom's bandmates, Jay McGuiness, Max George, Siva Kaneswaran and Nathan Sykes were the pallbearers and carried his coffin into the London church.

Tom's widow, Kelsey, led a cortege with 3 black horses before the service ... as hundreds of mourners lined up in the streets for the procession. Fans paid their respects and watched the funeral on big screens outside the church.

Kelsey gave the eulogy, and told the crowd she would raise their 2 kids with the values that were important to Tom. She broke down in tears after saying although she and Tom were together for 13 years, she felt as if they lived 1,000 years together.

As we reported, Tom died last month after a battle with brain cancer. He was diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma back in October 2020.

Tom's friends and bandmates shared heartfelt memories ... including his bandmate Max George, who said he was like a brother.

Jacqueline Avant's murderer has just learned his fate after pleading guilty to the crime -- and he'll be doing some hard time for a good long while.

Aariel Maynor -- who was arrested and subsequently convicted of murdering Mrs. Avant after entering his plea in March -- was sentenced Tuesday in L.A. County ... and the judge threw the book at him, sending him to prison for the rest of his life.

As we reported ... Maynor copped to breaking into Jacqueline and her husband Clarence's Beverly Hills home in December -- and then opened fire with an "assault long barrel pistol" when he came upon Jacqueline, who wasn't with Clarence at the time. Maynor then fled the scene.

Jacqueline was taken to a hospital, but succumbed to her injuries and died.

Photos of the crime surfaced shortly thereafter, and it looks like Maynor broke through a sliding glass door on a side of the property ... leaving behind a ton of shattered glass.

Prosecutors pushed for a lengthy sentence, telling the judge Maynor bragged and joked with his friends about the situation from a jail phone. According to court docs, he also said he expected to serve a max of 25 years because the prosecutors did not file a so-called "special circumstances" murder charge.

Jacqueline was deeply involved in her community, serving as the President of the Neighborhood of Watts, as well as serving on the Board of Directors of UCLA's International Student Center. She was 81.

Clarence, of course, is known as the Godfather of Black music -- having had a hand in a number of classic records and albums throughout the years ... with the likes of Jay-Z, Diddy, L.A. Reid and others singing his praises for his influence in the culture.

Aariel Maynor, the man that shot and killed Jacqueline Avant, bragged to his friends over the phone from jail after murdering the 81-year-old philanthropist ... this according to the prosecutor seeking to lock him up for the rest of his life.

According to court documents, obtained by the Los Angeles Times, Maynor laughed about all the publicity he's been getting to a friend during a jail call ... she didn't think it was funny, telling him he shouldn't be joking about someone's life. He told her it was all over the news, wondering "You think my mama's seen that, though?"

He told her he expected to get $50K from the Avant's house before the robbery went south.

He reportedly called another friend from jail and told them he expected to only serve a max of 25 years because the prosecutors did not file a so-called "special circumstances" murder charge -- which could've resulted in life without parole, or even the death penalty.

As we reported, Maynor broke into the Avants' Beverly Hills home in December, opening fire on Jacqueline with his assault long barrel pistol. She was taken to a hospital but died of her injuries.

Police caught Maynor an hour later ... after he was found attempting to burglarize another home in the Hollywood Hills but accidentally shot himself in the foot.

Roderick "Pooh" Clark, an original member of Hi-Five, has died.

Marcus Sanders, fellow Hi-Five member, tells TMZ ... Roderick died on Sunday from complications from an infection and pneumonia at a hospital in Waco, TX.

He tells us Roderick got into a car crash 30 years ago in Florida that left him paralyzed from the neck down, making him unable to walk. He developed an infection that spread through his body -- one that persisted for some time.

He also developed pneumonia over the last 2 weeks, being in and out of the hospital up until his death.

Those close to Roderick have been posting tributes to the late singer online, including the band's musical director Martinez Little, saying, "We had some amazing phone conversations in the past and some great visits when I came thru Waco! I'll cherish them forever."

Roderick and his quintet group of R&B singers formed in 1989 ... other than him and Marcus, they also had bandmates Tony Thompson, Russell Neal, and Toriano Easley. They reached the top of the charts in 1991 with their hit, "I Like The Way (The Kissing Game)."

Roderick was 49.

One of the drug dealers who supplied fentanyl-laced pills to Mac Miller just received his sentence after copping a plea last year -- and he's going to prison for a long time.

Ryan Reavis will be behind bars for 10 years and 11 months after pleading guilty in November to one count of distributing fentanyl. The sentence is longer than what Reavis himself had asked for -- 5 years -- but shorter than the 12.5 years prosecutors were gunning for.

Remember ... the feds say Reavis supplied the deadly oxycodone pills to Mac's alleged drug dealer, Cameron Pettit ... on orders from Stephen Walter, who also recently pled guilty to distributing fentanyl. Reavis said in court Monday that he was just a middle man.

More importantly ... he claimed he had no idea that the pills he was supplying were counterfeit. Despite this, the judge seemed to have dished out an even-handed sentence -- but not before hearing a statement from MM's mother, Karen Meyers.

It read, in part ... "He would never knowingly take a pill with fentanyl, ever. He wanted to live and was excited about the future. The hole in my heart will always be there." In other words, she insisted the alleged dealers/suppliers in this case were solely responsible for his perish.

As we reported ... Reavis was first arrested back in 2019 out in Arizona -- where authorities say they found a bogus doctor's notepad, from which he presumably filled prescriptions. They also claimed they found firearms and drugs ... including prescription-only pills and marijuana.

DJ Kay Slay has died after a 4-month battle with COVID ... this according to his family and peers.

The NY-based legendary hip-hop ambassador passed away Sunday, first confirmed by Wack 100, and then others, as tributes started to pour in from across the industry. His family writes, "Our hearts are broken by the passing of Keith Grayson, professionally known as DJ Kay Slay."

They add, "A dominant figure in Hip Hop culture with millions of fans worldwide, DJ Kay Slay will be remembered for his passion and excellence with a legacy that will transcend generations."

Kay Slay, AKA Dez, started out as a graffiti artist in the '70s and '80s -- and later branched out into music ... making his big splash in the early 2000s through the local radio and music scene with his big personality and unique beat selection ... not to mention his wicked flow.

He's most famous for his mixtapes -- cranking out more than a dozen dating back to 2003 -- plus other solo and compilation artists, which often featured huge names in the game ... including Nas, Swizz Beatz, N.O.R.E., Raekwon, Lloyd Banks and Foxy Brown.

His "Streetsweeper" series is one of his major claims to fame, as was his recurring radio spot on Hot 97 -- which was dubbed the Drama Hour ... another nickname he bore. DJ Kay Slay was also known for his disses in his tracks, and was once called "Hip-Hop's One-Man Ministry of Insults" by the New York Times.

Dez contracted coronavirus in December and was hospitalized for a while. While he showed signs of recovering thereafter, it became clear over time he was struggling to get back to 100%.

DJ Kay Slay was 55.

Brian Wallace, a former lineman at the University of Arkansas, has died at the age of 26, the school announced on Friday.

The Razorbacks organization confirmed the sad news in a statement, saying, "Our hearts are broken."

The team added, "Brian will always be a Razorback."

"Our thoughts and love are with Brian's family and friends."

Wallace was reportedly struggling to breathe while at work, so he went outside to sit in his car to gather himself. When Wallace returned, the 26-year-old collapsed after he suffered a heart attack, according to FOX 16.

Medical personnel tried to restore Wallace's breathing on scene -- and they were successful -- but when Brian arrived at the hospital, he suffered another heart attack.

His father, Brian Sr., said Wallace was in the Intensive Care Unit of a St. Louis hospital because the heart attacks left him in a coma and with apparent brain damage, according to the outlet.

Wallace was a standout with the Razorbacks after redshirting his first season with the program ... and was a fan favorite after choosing Arkansas over Iowa.

In his senior year, Wallace started all 12 games for the Razorbacks at right tackle allowing only three sacks in 411 pass-blocking snaps, per the team's official website.

Wallace finished his career as a Razorback playing 1,998 total snaps on the O-line ... allowing 10 total sacks during his four-year career.

Tekashi 6ix9ine is full steam ahead resuming his rap career, following a hiatus spurned by his 2020 Tattletales album ... which the culture stamped a sophomore slump.

For his new video 'GINÉ', all the Tekashi tricks appear to be intact: voluptuous models twerkin' in murky paint water, multi-colored backdrops and beef. Plenty of it.

Midway in the video at the 1:25 mark, 6ix9ine snuck in the message "Slide 4 Von" -- a reference to Lil Durk wanting to avenge the death of his slain OTF artist King Von.

The video also serves as a marketing vehicle for an energy drink of the same name, and if you blink, you just might miss it.

Von was killed in November 2020 during an altercation with Georgia rapper -- and NBA YoungBoy affiliate -- Quando Rondo's crew. Hence the ongoing feud between Durk and Youngboy.

His posthumous album "What It Means to Be King" still managed to impress fans enough to reach No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart upon its release.

6ix9ine, on the other hand, has ZERO dogs in the fight but still timed the disrespectful King Von message to coincide with his Durk-aimed lyrics, "You a bitch, I know you wouldn’t rob for your homie. I knew you wouldn’t ride by your doley."

Lil Durk famously dismissed 6ix9ine on Drake's "Laugh Now, Cry Later" single back in 2020 -- so this beef's been cooking for a while now.

Liz Sheridan, who played Jerry Seinfeld's mom on "Seinfeld" ... has died, TMZ has learned.

Liz passed peacefully in her sleep from natural causes Friday at 2:30 AM ... just 5 days after her 93rd birthday.

Liz brilliantly played Helen on the show for the entire run -- from 1990-1998. She's the only non-central character who played during the full run. If you recall, Helen and her hubby, Morty, lived in Florida. Her iconic catchphrase -- "How could anyone not like him?" She played a VERY over-protective mom.

In addition to "Seinfeld," Liz played the eccentric neighbor, Mrs. Ochmonek, on "ALF."

Liz was an accomplished Broadway actress, appearing in 12 productions on the Great White Way, including "Happy End" with Meryl Streep.

She famously dated James Dean and even wrote a book about it called "Dizzy and Jimmy."  They had a super passionate affair. The book is being turned into a feature film.

Liz, who was a go-go dancer in the 50s, loved to sing and performed a one-woman show, "Mrs. Seinfeld Sings," all over the country.

Liz is survived by her daughter and son-in-law.

She was 93.

RIP

The man convicted of murdering Angela Simmons' ex-fiance has been sentenced to life in prison ... and she gave an emotional speech to the court just before the sentencing.

Angela spoke about the 5-year-old son she and the late Sutton Tennyson had together, saying he constantly asks her when his dad will come back.

She told the judge she cried all the time, knowing how excited Sutton was about raising their kid ... adding her son will forever wonder what it would be like to grow up with a dad.

Angela says Sutton's gone but never forgotten, and his son -- who shares his first name -- will carry his legacy.

Michael Williams was sentenced to life for murder, as well as an additional 15 years for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He'll be eligible for parole after serving a minimum 30 years behind bars.

As we reported, cops found Angela's fiancé dead in his garage with multiple gunshot wounds back in 2018. Police say he was talking in the driveway with another man when the conversation got heated and he was shot.

Cowboys cornerback Kelvin Joseph is a person of interest in a homicide investigation, according to various reports ... and now detectives in Dallas want to talk to the 2nd-round draft pick about a shooting that left a man dead.

The tragic shooting occurred on March 18 in Dallas. 20-year-old Cameron Ray -- a Lower Greenville, Texas native -- was in Dallas with his buddies for a fun weekend. However, the night took a terrible turn when another group of men picked a fight with Cameron's group. Ray was NOT the aggressor, according to police.

After the altercation ended, Ray and his friends began to walk to their car, when an SUV, driven by the men who'd just jumped the group, opened fire, striking and killing Cameron, according to cops.

The group police believe was behind the shooting was caught on surveillance video ... and Dallas PD believes Joseph to be one of the men who are seen around the time of the homicide, according to Yahoo.

According to ESPN, one of the men involved in the fight was wearing a necklace with a pendant reading "YKDV." Kelvin's rap name is reportedly "YKDV Bossman Fat."

Dallas police detectives say Ray was a man who did absolutely nothing wrong, and needlessly had his life taken.

"He was enjoying himself, doing nothing wrong, but that night, as it ended, he was walking with some friends. They encountered a disturbance that they did not start," DPD Detective Tonya McDaniel said.

We reached out to the Cowboys ... who declined comment.

But, Yahoo says they've spoken with sources inside the organization who reportedly told the outlet they were aware of the investigation, and had urged Joseph to speak with authorities.

Joseph -- who played college ball at LSU before transferring to Kentucky -- was the 44th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Kelvin played in 10 games for the Cowboys last season, racking up 16 tackles and 2 pass deflections.

Story developing ...

Sad news in the hockey world ... New York Islander legend and Hall of Famer Mike Bossy has passed away after battling lung cancer.

He was only 65.

The right winger -- who's the all-time leader in average goals scored per regular season -- announced his diagnosis last October on TVA Sports, a Canadian network he worked for at the time.

"Today, it is with great sorrow that I have to withdraw from your screens, for an obligatory break," Bossy said.

"A necessary stop during which I will have to receive treatment for lung cancer."

"I can assure you that I intend to fight with all the determination and all the passion that you have seen me display on the ice and in my game."

Tragically, Bossy passed away on Friday.

Bossy's hockey career started in 1977 and he instantly became a scoring machine on skates. He was a key factor to Islanders' four consecutive championships in the early '80s ... and he was named MVP of the 1982 Stanley Cup.

He broke several franchise records during his 10 seasons with New York -- including all-time regular-season goal leader (573).

Bossy also won NHL rookie of the year in 1978, was inducted into the HOF in 1991. He was was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL players of all-time in 2017.

"The New York Islanders organization mourns the loss of Mike Bossy, an icon not only on Long Island but across the entire hockey world," Lou Lamoriello, the Islanders President of Hockey Operations, said hearing of Bossy's death.

"Along with his teammates, he helped win four straight Stanley Cup championships, shaping the history of this franchise forever."

Bossy is survived by his wife -- who he met at a snack bar rink and married in 1977 -- two daughters and two grandchildren.

Rapper Archie Eversole, best known for his hit song "We Ready," has died.

Archie's family tells TMZ he passed away Sunday, April 3. His cause of death has not been revealed.

Archie was only 17 when he recorded his first album, "Ride Wit Me Dirty South Style." The album went gold, with the help of the track "We Ready" with Bubba Sparxxx.

"We Ready" became one of the most popular anthems at football games and other sporting events.

Archie was handpicked by the soccer team Atlanta United in 2018 to write its theme song, "United We Conquer."

Fans have been paying respect to Archie after his passing, including NFL pro Robert Griffin III, who calls his hit song "the greatest Game Day anthem ever." There's locker room video of high school football players singing "We Ready" as inspiration.

The song was so popular, the NFL even used it in an ad.

Archie clearly touched a nerve, because social media is filling up with tributes.

Archie was 37.

RIP

Former Auburn quarterback Jeff Klein -- who was the Tigers' starting signal-caller in the 1999 season -- died this week after battling cancer. He was only 42 years old.

Klein's wife, Adrienne, made the sad announcement on Wednesday ... saying he passed away while "surrounded by his loved ones."

"At 2:36 PM this afternoon the love of my life was called home," Adrienne said. "His passing was peaceful and immediately followed the ceasing of life support."

Klein -- who played for Auburn from 1999 to 2001 -- was initially hospitalized last week after suffering serious back pain.

Unfortunately, according to Adrienne and Klein's GoFundMe page, an MRI later revealed spots on his lower back that turned out to be cancerous.

Adrienne said Klein's condition worsened rapidly ... explaining he suffered a stroke and brain bleeding earlier this week, before he ultimately passed on Wednesday.

"The outpouring of love and support from loved ones, friends, acquaintances, health care professionals and even perfect strangers has been an overwhelming blessing," Adrienne said.

"I'm grateful for every single one of you, and every prayer said. Please continue to pray for me, our boys and our families as we attempt to navigate through the heartbreak."

Klein threw for 1,139 yards and seven touchdowns during his three seasons with the Tigers -- and recently worked as a teacher, baseball coach and assistant football coach at Loachapoka H.S. in Auburn.

His former Auburn team, meanwhile, tweeted condolences to Klein's family following the tragic news Wednesday.

Gilbert Gottfried was hard at work just a few weeks before his death -- and we've got video of one of his final on-screen appearances ... where he looks as spirited as ever.

The President of HollywoodOffices, Brad Folb, tells TMZ ... his company hired GG March 16 for a Cameo-styled ad through a company called Memmo -- which allows you to book celebs for any type of shout-out you might want.

In this case, HO was in the market for a personalized message from a "know-it-all" star who would be instantly recognizable -- and they quickly landed on Gilbert. Seeing how his voice is one of the most famous in La La Land ... they thought he'd be great.

Folb says they sent Gilbert instructions on what they were trying to communicate in the video -- namely, that you'd have to be a dummy not to rent office space from them -- but there was a no-rules rule in place for the guy ... so he could express that any way he saw fit.

Welp, Gil produced exactly that ... and did so with hilarious results. We're told the folks at HollywoodOffices were more than happy with what they got from him -- a gig that cost 'em about $1,300.

Seeing how a lot of their clients work in entertainment, Folb tells us he feels like Gilbert's ad was as good as it gets -- and, of course, it was so freakin' funny ... in true Gottfried fashion.

As you can see ... the dude looks and sounds like his old self, and surely seemed to be in high spirits -- which is why his passing was as shocking as it was. His family announced he'd died Tuesday after a long battle with a heart abnormality called Ventricular Tachycardia due to Myotonic Dystrophy type II.

Gilbert was just 67.

Bodybuilding star Cedric McMillan -- winner of the 2017 Arnold Classic -- has sadly died at the age of 44 years old, according to reports.

McMillan, who turned pro in 2009, has experienced numerous health issues over the last few years, including heart and breathing issues -- possibly caused by COVID-19 -- that forced him out of competition.

However, despite often being laid up and unable to keep on mass, the bodybuilder was optimistic he'd soon return to the stage.

But, tragically, Cedric passed away on Tuesday, according to Generation Iron. The outlet reports McMillan suffered a heart attack while working out on a treadmill.

Cedric -- who was born in 1977 in north New Jersey -- was awesome on the stage. In addition to the hugely popular Arnold Classic that he won in 2017, he also earned W's at the 2011 Orlando Show of Champions and the New York Pro in 2012.

He also finished in the top 10 of Mr. Olympia multiple times.

Once Cedric got sick with coronavirus and was forced out of competition, he started to provide commentary at bodybuilding events. He even got to work alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger at the Classic.

CM recently updated fans on his ailing health ... and pondered whether he'd ever be able to return to the stage.

McMillan wasn't only an elite bodybuilder ... he also served his country as a Staff Sergeant in the United States Army, out of Fort Jackson in South Carolina.

Since the news about Cedric broke, the bodybuilding and fitness world has shown love and support ... with stars like Kai Greene offering condolences to McMillan's friends and family.

Cedric is the third major bodybuilder to pass away in the last few months. Shawn Rhoden died in November. George Peterson died in October.