RIP

Andrew Breitbart -- founder of the popular news website Breitbart.com -- died early this morning at the age of 43.

According to his website, Breitbart -- the political journalist who broke the Anthony Weiner penis pic story -- died "unexpectedly from natural causes" shortly after midnight this morning in L.A.

A statement on Breitbart reads, "We have lost a husband, a father, a son, a brother, a dear friend, a patriot and a happy warrior."

Andrew is survived by his wife and 4 children.

Breitbart's father-in-law told reporters Andrew was walking near his Brentwood home around midnight when he collapsed.

The father-in-law says someone saw Andrew collapse and called paramedics ... who raced to the scene and tried to revive him. Breitbart was transported to UCLA Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

According to reports, Breitbart suffered from heart problems last year.

Law enforcement sources tell us the LAPD is investigating the death.

Micky Dolenz says he had a feeling something bad was going to happen today ... saying he "had bad dreams all night long" ... only to later learn about the death of his friend Davy Jones.

Dolenz released a statement moments ago ... saying, "Can't believe it...Still in shock...had bad dreams all night long."

In a separate statement, Dolenz added -- "I am in a state of shock ... The time we worked together and had together is something I'll never forget. He was the brother I never had and this leaves a gigantic hole in my heart. The memories have and will last a lifetime. My condolences go out to his family.

Monkees bassist Peter Tork also released a statement about Jones which reads:

"It is with great sadness that I reflect on the sudden passing of my long-time friend and fellow-adventurer, David Jones.

His talent will be much missed; his gifts will be with us always. My deepest sympathy to Jessica and the rest of his family.

Davy Jones -- lead singer of The Monkees -- died after suffering a heart attack this morning ... TMZ has learned.

An official from the medical examiner's office for Martin County, Florida confirmed with TMZ they received a call from Martin Memorial Hospital informing them that Jones had passed away.

We're told Davy suffered the heart attack at a ranch near his Florida home, where he was visiting his horses. Davy began experiencing distress while he was sitting in his car, and that's where a ranch hand found him.

The ranch hand told Sheriff's detectives ... the singer began to complain that he was not feeling well and was having trouble breathing. Paramedics were called and Jones was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead. Authorities say there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.

Jones is survived by his wife Jessica and 4 daughters from previous marriages. He was 66-years-old. Jones was married to Jessica Pacheco -- his 3rd wife.

Jones joined The Monkees in 1965 ... along with Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork ... and together they churned out a bunch of hugely popular songs including 3 number 1 hits -- "Daydream Believer," "Last Train to Clarksville" and "I'm a Believer."

The group was initially cast by TV producers who wanted to create a scripted series about an actual rock n' roll band. But the group exploded, and Jones in particular became a Beatles-caliber heartthrob.

The Monkees songs were covered by huge bands like Coldpay, and Smash Mouth's version of "I'm a Believer" was famously featured in "Shrek."

Davy's last performance was on February 19th in Oklahoma -- the night before, he performed "Daydream Believer" and "It's Nice to Be with You" at the BB King Blues Club in NYC ... and he looked totally fine (video below).

Children's book legend Jan Berenstain -- who co-created the Berenstain Bears -- died Friday at 88-years-old after suffering a stroke ... this according to her family.

Jan and her husband Stan Berenstain created the Bear family -- Mama Bear, Papa Bear, Brother Bear and Sister Bear -- back in 1962 ... when they published their first book, "The Big Honey Hunt."

Since then, they fired out more than 300 stories.

According to Jan's son, Jan suffered a severe stroke on Thursday and died the following day.

Stan died back in 2005 at the age of 82.

Jack Osbourne's adorable bulldog Lola -- who famously tore up couches and peed all over the place on the family's MTV reality show -- has died at the age of 12.

Lola wasn't just a reality star ... she was a Twitter sensation as well, racking up more than 8,800 followers.

Jack broke the news a few hours ago ... tweeting, "Thank you all for the kind words about @PrincessLolaO it's nice to know she was loved by so many people."

He added, "Lola you were the best friend anyone could ever have. I will love you and miss you always. RIP @PrincessLolaO 00-12."

Kevin Costner had his hands full at LAX moments ago, where he's set to board a plane bound for Whitney Houston's "Home Going" ceremony in Jersey -- grabbing his wife with one hand, and a trolley bag with the other.

As TMZ previously reported, Whitney's funeral is expected to be star-studded -- with invites like Oprah, Stevie Wonder, and Aretha Franklin.

Mel Gibson was invited, but is unable to attend.

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’”.