RIP

File under the category: The Show Must Go On. As a fashion icon collapsed and died at a show during New York fashion week, the runway models didn't miss a step as they pranced past her.

TMZ obtained footage from the Joanna Mastroianni Autumn/Winter 2012 show on Feb. 15 ... which shows three men rushing to Zelda Kaplan's aid after she lapsed into unconsciousness in her front row seat.

Some of the lights were turned on ... and people can be seen crossing over the runway to help out ... but the ultra-focused models continue their walks without ever breaking stride.

Eventually, Zelda was carried out by 4 people and taken to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead a short time later.

FYI -- models are usually given strict orders to ignore EVERYTHING that happens in the crowd when they're on the runway. Clearly, these models took their instructions to heart.

Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter has died after a battle with brain cancer ... this according to his family.

The 57-year-old NY Mets legend had been diagnosed with an aggressive, fast-moving brain cancer last year.

Carter's daughter released a statement saying, "I am deeply saddened to tell you all that my precious dad went to be with Jesus today at 4:10 p.m."

She added, "This is the most difficult thing I have ever had to write in my entire life but I wanted you all to know."

Doctors had discovered 4 small tumors in Carter's brain ... after the MLB legend suddenly began to forget things, repeat questions and lacked energy.

Carter -- who was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003 -- is survived by his wife, 3 children and 3 grandchildren.

Carter was one of the superstars on the world champion '86 Mets squad. He was also an 11-time All Star.

David Kelly -- the Irish actor who played Grandpa Joe Bucket in the 2005 Tim Burton remake of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" -- has died.

Kelly -- also famous for his naked motorcycle ride in the 1998 film "Waking Ned Devine" -- died after a short illness.

Kelly's list of film credits also includes "The Italian Job" in 1969, "Into The West," "Laws of Attraction," "Stardust," and "Agent Cody Banks 2" (classic).

Whitney Houston died this afternoon ... a rep for the singer announced. She was 48.

Our sources tell us a member of Whitney's entourage found her in her 4th-floor room at the Beverly Hilton hotel ... and called hotel security -- who then dialed 911. When paramedics arrived Houston was found unresponsive.

We're told police arrived to the scene within minutes and fire was already there on an unrelated call. According to our sources, paramedics performed CPR but it did not work and she was pronounced dead at 3:55 PM.

Our sources say there were no obvious signs of foul play, but BH PD detectives have begun a full investigation. We're told she was ID'ed by family and friends.

L.A. County Coroner Ed Winter told our photog at 7:09 PM that it is too early in the investigation to tell what happened (see below).

The singer famously battled drug addiction for years (see related links below).

Houston was seen out in Hollywood Thursday night for a Grammy party ... and she did not look well (below). She even briefly took the mic and performed a song while she was there -- what would become her last performance. See the video here.

Houston won two Emmy Awards, six Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards during her record-breaking career. Her album "Whitney" was the first female album to ever debut at #1 on the Billboard Charts. She has sold 200 million albums worldwide.

Houston had one child, Bobbi Kristina, with husband Bobby Brown. Houston and Brown were married from 1992-2007.

Sources tell TMZ, Whitney Houston "partied heavily" last night at the Beverly HIlton hotel where she was staying, drinking and chatting loudly with friends in the bar -- but Cissy Houston and Dionne Warwick claim the singer sounded fine just hours before her death.

We're told Bobby Brown is distraught over Whitney's death -- going "in and out of crying fits." His band New Edition tells us, they are "shocked and saddened."

Clive Davis' pre-Grammy party -- which Whitney was supposed to open -- is going on as scheduled this evening, though Clive will not be in attendance.

Jesse Farrelly -- son of "Something About Mary" director Bobby Farrelly -- died this week of an apparent drug overdose in Orange County, CA ... TMZ has learned.

According to law enforcement ... emergency personnel responded to an apartment in Costa Mesa, CA late Wednesday night after getting a call about an "unresponsive young male ... possible overdose."

We're told 20-year-old Jesse was transported to a nearby hospital ... where he was pronounced dead a short time later. The coroner has completed the autopsy and has ruled out foul play.

Jesse's father and uncle make up the Farrelly Brothers comedy team ... and he had appeared in a couple of their movies ... including "Something About Mary" and "Hall Pass."

The Farrelly family has released a statement saying, "It is with profound sorrow that we accept the passing of our beloved Jesse following his struggle with addiction. We fully trust that he is now in the hands of our Lord."

Hazell Stoudemire, the older brother of NBA star Amar'e Stoudemire, died early this morning in a car accident in Florida ... TMZ has learned.

The accident happened on Route 27 in Lake Wales. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Stoudemire was driving at a "high rate of speed" when he collided with the rear of a tractor trailer.

He died on the scene.

The Florida Highway Patrol says 35-year-old Stoudemire was not wearing a seat belt when he smashed into the big rig ... and they are unsure if alcohol was a factor.

Hollywood legend James Farentino didn't die from heart failure -- according to the actor's death certificate, obtained by TMZ, he died from every old person's worst nightmare ... a broken hip.

There were reports the actor croaked thanks to a bum ticker -- but while his heart may have been a contributing factor in his demise ... the official cause of death is listed as "sequelae of right hip fracture."

For those who don't know ... sequela is doctor-speak for a pathological condition that stems from a previous injury -- in this case, a broken hip.

According to the death cert, Farentino broke his hip in December after falling out of his bed. The nature of the complication that eventually killed him last month is unclear.

Leslie Carter was battling an addiction to prescription medication in the days before her death ... and family members believe she died as a result of an overdose.

Sources close to the "House of Carters" reality star tell TMZ ... the 25-year-old sister of Nick Carter had recently moved from Canada to Upstate New York to live with family members while she attempted to kick her addiction.

We're told family members had attempted to rid the home of any prescription medication -- including Xanax -- and were hopeful Leslie was on the road to recovery.

Sources say family members believed Leslie would be OK to stay alone in the home for roughly an hour yesterday while they ran errands ... but when they returned, Leslie was unconscious.

Officials were called to the scene ... but Leslie could not be saved.

Don Cornelius did not leave a suicide note at the home where he shot himself ... this according to multiple law enforcement sources.

We have been told by numerous people today that Don's health problems plagued him for years ... and the pain had become unbearable.

As we first reported, Don was discovered early this morning at his Sherman Oaks, CA home with a gunshot wound to his head.

The picture shows the ambulance that took Don to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead early this morning.

Former Soul Train host Shemar Moore said his “heart is heavy” after hearing about the suicide of Don Cornelius -- and says it was impossible to fill his shoes on the iconic show.

Moore, who hosted Soul Train from 1999 to 2003, released a statement saying, Cornelius was “one of a kind” ... and "showed generation after generation over 40 years how to keep it funky and get your groove on every Saturday morning on ‘The Hippest Trip In America’”.

Don Cornelius -- who famously created "Soul Train" was found dead in his Sherman Oaks, CA home this morning ... and law enforcement sources tell us it appears he committed suicide.

We're told cops discovered the body at around 4 AM PT. Law enforcement sources tell us ... Cornelius died from a gunshot wound to the head and officials believe the wound was self-inflicted.

We're told Cornelius was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

"Soul Train" changed the landscape of television when it debuted in 1971 and ran until 2006.

Officials have notified Don's family.

Cornelius was 75.

During Don's bitter divorce proceedings in 2009, he told an L.A. judge he was suffering from "significant health issues" and wanted to "finalize this divorce before I die."

Cornelius was arrested in 2008 for beating up his wife. He pled no contest to misdemeanor domestic violence and was placed on 3 years probation. His probation just terminated.

The divorce was granted in 2010.

Sources close to Don tell us ... the TV icon was plagued with health issues for years ... including a stroke and a condition that required brain surgery.

8:10 AM PST -- Shawn Holley -- Don's lawyer and good friend -- tells TMZ, "This is devastating news. Don was a kind, funny and brilliant man. Even though his many health battles had left him frail, he remained vibrant, courtly and always sharp as a tack."

"House of Carters" reality star Leslie Carter -- younger sister of Backstreet Boys singer Nick Carter -- died yesterday in New York at the age of 25 ... the family confirms.

The Carters released a statement saying, "Our family is grieving right now and it’s a private matter. We are deeply saddened for the loss of our beloved sister, daughter, and granddaughter, Leslie Carter. We request the utmost privacy during this difficult time.”

The details surrounding Leslie's death are unclear.

Leslie was an aspiring singer, who gave birth to a daughter back in April.

A member of the condo board that Nick Santino said pressured him to euthanize his pit-bull -- a decision that drove him to suicide -- says the condo board is NOT responsible for his death.

Board member Marilyn Fireman says she is sorry that Santino is dead, but says it has nothing to do with the building's no-pet policy. She tells the NY Post, "You just assumed that [his suicide] was a result of a board’s decision."

Fireman did concede Santino routinely complained about the building’s anti-dog policies.

Santino's sister tells the paper the family is holding off on funeral arrangements until the dead dog's ashes are brought home ... saying, "They'll be buried together."

Rev. Al Sharpton gave the eulogy and Christina Aguilera sung her classic song "At Last" ... as 300 mourners gathered at Greater Bethany Community Church City of Refuge in Gardena, CA for the funeral of legendary singer Etta James.

James passed away on January 20 at the age of 73.

Stevie Wonder was also in attendance. He performed "Shelter in the Rain" and sang The Lord's Prayer.

A soap actor killed himself this week on his 47th birthday ... hours after he was forced to put his beloved dog to sleep under pressure from his Manhattan condo.

According to the NY Post the building had a ban on pit-bulls, but Nick Santino's dog had been grandfathered in ... which didn't sit well with some of the neighbors. Some claimed the dog was loud and aggressive, but others said building management was just harassing Santino ... trying to force him to get rid of the dog.

Santino had Rocco put to sleep on Tuesday -- for some reason he felt that was his only option.

According to the paper, a tearful Santino brought dog treats to the doorman and said, "Give these to the other dogs. Rocco is no more."

Later that day Santino left a suicide note that read, "Today I betrayed my best friend and put down my best friend ... Rocco trusted me and I failed him. He didn't deserve this."

Santino -- who has appeared on "All My Children" and "The Guiding Light" -- OD'd on pills early the next morning.

Rocco was cremated and friends told the Post Santino will be too.

Actor Robert Hegyes, one of the stars of the 70s sitcom "Welcome Back Kotter" died today of an apparent heart attack.

Hegyes was best known for his role as the Puerto Rican-Jew on that show -- Juan Luis Pedro Phillipo de Huevos Epstein. Epstein for short.

Hegyes reunited with John Travolta and the rest of the Sweathogs last year to accept TV Land's 35th Anniversary Award.

He also co-starred on the hit drama, "Cagney and Lacey."