RIP

Michael Clarke Duncan, star of such movies as "The Green Mile" and "The Whole Nine Yards," passed away this morning. He was 54.

According to our sources, his passing came very suddenly. We're told his fiancee, Omarosa Manigault, had been with him in his hospital room in Los Angeles and left for an engagement. Shortly after she left, he died.

Our sources say Omarosa's mother was with him when he passed.

Duncan's rep tells TMZ the actor never fully recovered from the myocardial infarction he suffered on July 13. As TMZ first reported, Omarosa found Duncan in cardiac arrest and performed CPR and was able to resuscitate him before calling 911.

The rep tells us, "[Omarosa] Manigault is grateful for all of your prayers and asks for privacy at this time. Celebrations of his life, both private and public, will be announced at a later date."

Duncan was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of John Coffey in "The Green Mile." He worked as a bodyguard for celebrities like Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Jamie Foxx, LL Cool J, and Notorious B.I.G. before he got his break.

Mark Abrahamian, a guitarist for the band Starship, passed away following a concert last night in Nebraska ... TMZ has learned.

The band tweeted, "We are shocked and saddened at the sudden loss of our guitar player Mark Abrahamian. We will miss you, brother. Rest in peace, Mark."

They added via Facebook, "Mark was a kind, thoughtful and innovative soul. He was also a friend and family member. Mark also happened to be one hell of a guitar player. We are devastated by the loss of our brother and just dealing with it the best we can."

Abrahamian has been on tour with Starship starring Mickey Thomas since 2000. He has also played with the likes of Survivor, Toto, Loverboy and ACDC.

Although it seems pretty obvious... authorities are hesitant to call Tony Scott's death a "suicide" ... at least while they wait for toxicology and other test results -- this according to the "Top Gun" director's death certificate.

The document -- obtained by TMZ -- lists the director's immediate cause of death as "deferred." The manner of death is listed as "pending investigation." The doc also states that an autopsy has been performed.

As for the location of death, the certificate states, "Under Vincent Thomas Bridge."

The cert describes Scott as a film director who has worked in the movie industry for 43 years.

It's almost too much for anyone to bear ... Now we know why "Good Morning America" anchor Robin Roberts left a day before her scheduled medical leave -- her mother died Thursday.

Roberts -- who will be taking several months off to undergo treatment -- including a bone marrow transplant -- for a rare blood disorder -- flew to Mississippi Thursday to see her 88-year-old mother, Lucimarian Tolliver Roberts, before she passed away.

Sylvester Stallone's son, Sage Stallone, died from a heart attack ... and no drugs were found in his system ... TMZ has learned.

The L.A. County Coroner has determined Sage died from natural causes. As for why he had a heart attack, we're told there was evidence of heart disease.

A source connected with the Coroner tells TMZ ... it was "unusual" for a person Sage's age -- 36 -- to have such advanced coronary problems, but that's what killed him.

Hip hop mogul Chris Lighty -- the longtime manager of 50 Cent, Diddy, Ja Rule, and Mariah Carey -- was found dead this morning in NYC from what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head ... law enforcement sources tell TMZ.

According to law enforcement, 44-year-old Lighty's body was found by police around 11:30 AM in the backyard of his Bronx apartment. Lighty was pronounced dead on the scene, where a semi-automatic firearm was recovered.

The death is being investigated as a possible suicide.

According to sources close to Lighty, the hip hop mogul had been in an argument with his ex-wife and shot himself in the head.

Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, has died today. He was 82.

Armstrong died following complications resulting from cardiovascular procedures, his family said in a statement. It is not known where he died.

The statement from Armstrong's family said in part, "While we mourn the loss of a very good man, we also celebrate his remarkable life and hope that it serves as an example to young people around the world to work hard to make their dreams come true, to be willing to explore and push the limits, and to selflessly serve a cause greater than themselves."

Armstrong commanded the Apollo 11 spacecraft, which landed on the moon on July 20, 1969. During his three-hour walk on the moon's surface, he radioed back the famous line, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

Armstrong married his current wife Carol in 1999 and lived in the Cincinnati suburb of Indian Hill. He stayed largely out of the public spotlight in recent years.

TMZ cameras

, back in 2009, where we asked him what celebrity he'd like to see in space and why his autographs is worth so much.

"Top Gun" director Tony Scott is currently being laid to rest at an L.A. cemetery ... 5 days after he killed himself in San Pedro, CA.

We're told several friends and family attended the service ... including Tony's older brother Ridley Scott, who flew in from London the day after Tony's death.

Ridley Scott is back in Los Angeles ... after flying from London yesterday in the wake of his brother's suicide.

After arriving in town, Ridley spent time today at his office in West Hollywood ... where he and Tony Scott worked on several projects together ... including "The Good Wife" and the upcoming A&E series "Coma."

Tony died Sunday after jumping off the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro, CA. Contrary to reports, Tony was NOT suffering from brain cancer, but it's unclear as to why he took his own life.

Joey Kovar dabbled in the world of professional wrestling before his unexpected death ... and this weekend, TMZ has learned his former colleagues honored his memory with an emotional tribute.

We broke the story ... Kovar joined up with Poww Entertainment in 2010, following his stint on "The Real World: Hollywood" ... and dreamed of someday wrestling for TNA.

Poww's head-honcho Jim Blaze tells TMZ ... Kovar was beloved during his stint with the league, and while he never made it to TNA, everyone respected the guy.

In fact, Blaze (pictured below) took a moment during a show in Illinois this weekend to address the crowd ... saying, "Everyone has demons and addictions ... we need to support each other to help people overcome them."

Tony Scott was no stranger to the area where he committed suicide ... in fact, the "Top Gun" director conducted a photo shoot near the Vincent Thomas Bridge exactly TWO YEARS before his death.

TMZ obtained a photo of Tony -- along with four other men -- checking out some railroad tracks in San Pedro, CA on August 19, 2010 ... with the Vincent Thomas Bridge in the background.

During the shoot, Tony was sporting the same pair of red shorts he was wearing when authorities discovered his body on August 19, 2012.

Sources tell TMZ ... Tony and his crew were conducting a post-production photo shoot for Tony's movie "Unstoppable" ... which starred Denzel Washington.

The photos were taken by Scott Trimble ... who, according to IMDB, worked as an assistant production supervisor on "Unstoppable."

Phyllis Diller was way ahead of her time -- so says Joan Rivers, who tells TMZ, Diller didn't get the appreciation she deserved in her prime ... because the 60s sucked for comedy.

Rivers -- whom Diller called her "protegee" -- tells us, "The only tragedy in [Diller's] entire life is that she was funny in an era when you had to look funny to be funny."

Rivers adds, "Her lines were so brilliant that all she had to do was stand on the stage and say 'em and you would have cracked up" ... but in the 60s, Diller's comedy was undermined by stupid outfits.

Rivers says she and Diller were BFFs 'til the end -- in fact, the two grabbed brunch just last month.

Fun fact: Rivers says Diller was dating into her 90s, and even had a boyfriend at the time of her death.

Comedian Phyllis Diller -- who paved the way for today's female comics -- died this morning, TMZ has learned.

Sources close to Diller tell us the comedian died in her sleep at her L.A. home, surrounded by family. She was 95.

We're told Diller had recently fallen, hurting her wrist and hip -- but her rep says the injury had nothing to do with her death.

Diller suffered a heart attack in 1999 and was later fitted with a pacemaker.

Phyllis began her career all the way back in 1952 -- and rose to fame with her TV specials alongside Bob Hope in the 1960s.

Ridley Scott was at Heathrow Airport in London this morning ... reportedly boarding a plane bound for L.A. ... where his younger brother Tony committed suicide yesterday.

Ridley and Tony were close -- co-producing several projects together including the CBS show "The Good Wife" and an upcoming A&E miniseries "Coma."

Tony died yesterday after jumping off a bridge in San Pedro, CA. Officials say Tony left multiple notes to loved ones. The notes were found in his car and another location.

9:07 AM PT -- ABC News is reporting that Tony had been suffering from inoperable brain cancer before his death.

Tony Scott's suicidal jump off an L.A. bridge was witnessed by numerous boaters, including a group of passengers on a harbor cruise ... some of whom took photos and shot video.

One of the passengers tells TMZ ... "He landed right next to our tour boat, and many of us saw the whole thing."

The white bar in the bottom right corner of the picture on the right is the rail from the harbor cruise boat.

As we previously reported, Scott jumped off the Vincent Thomas Bridge around 12:30 PM ... his body was fished out of the water by the L.A. Port Police a short time later. We're told the bridge is roughly 200 feet above the water.

Officials say Scott left a suicide note, but the details of the letter have not been released.

Famed director Tony Scott -- who directed "Top Gun" among many other major films -- jumped to his death today off an L.A. bridge ... this according to the L.A. County Coroner.

According to the Coroner, 68-year-old Scott -- Ridley Scott's brother -- jumped from the Vincent Thomas Bridge spanning San Pedro and Terminal Island around 12:30pm.

U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Jennifer Osburn said a suicide note was found in Scott's Toyota Prius, which was parked on one of the eastbound lanes of the bridge.

Scott directed such films as "Top Gun," "Beverly Hills Cop II," "Enemy of the State," and "The Taking of Pelham 123."

Authorities used sonar equipment to find Scott's body in the port's murky waters. His body was recovered at approximately 4:30pm ... four hours after he jumped.

His body has since been turned over to coroner officials.