RIP

Morley Safer, longtime correspondent for "60 Minutes" ... has died at the age of 84, according to CBS News.

Safer had just announced his retirement a week ago, after 46 years on "60 Minutes." He was the show's longest serving correspondent. He'd been with CBS News since 1964 and ran the network's Saigon bureau during the Vietnam War.

He made a name for himself with his intense reports from the war -- which frequently ticked off the White House. Morley went on to win 12 Emmys in his career.

The TV news magazine just aired a special send-off to Safer this past Sunday night.

He's survived by his wife of 47 years, Jane ... and his daughter Sarah, who is also a journalist.

Legendary Tejano singer Emilio Navaira -- an early pioneer of the genre -- died Monday night.

Navaira reportedly died of a massive heart attack while he was at home. Family members found him unresponsive. He was 53.

Emilio was good friends with Selena Quintanilla -- they performed and recorded together and popularized the music style in the '90s. He was widely considered the Garth Brooks of Tejano music.

The San Antonio native won a Grammy in 2002 for best Tejano album "Acuérdate."

Prince's sister wants to make one thing clear ... she, nor anyone in Prince's family is connected to Sunday's memorial planned by his church -- and the family won't be participating.

Tyka Nelson says, "I nor my brother's remains will be present at any Memorial or Funeral services." Jehovah's Witnesses in Minnetonka, Minnesota -- where Prince worshiped -- announced a private service this weekend.

She went on to say in a Facebook post ... she supports all memorials because the grieving process is unique to everyone who was connected to Prince, but wanted fans to know this weekend's service is NOT the highly anticipated public tribute.

She said that will be coming some time in August, and took what seems like a dig at all other memorials, saying ... "We feel inspired to celebrate his life and legacy in just the right way."

Kid Rock's assistant was wasted while driving the ATV that led to his death.

The autopsy report is now out, and Michael Sacha had a blood alcohol level of around .21 ... approaching 3 times the legal limit.

Michael crashed the ATV, and according to the medical examiner, his head wound was gruesome. His brain was severed from his spinal cord.

As TMZ reported ... Kid Rock and his girlfriend found Sacha's body laying next to the ATV. Kid Rock made a desperate 911 call, where he excoriated the dispatcher for not moving faster.

Prince's ex-wives and nearly a hundred close friends showed up in Bev Hills Wednesday for a memorial ... after being shut out of the tribute his family held days after the singer died.

Manuela Testolini and Mayte Garcia were front and center, along with Gwen Stefani, Spike Lee, Eric Benet, Dita Von Teese, Larry King, Janelle Monae, Tony Kanal, Nile Rodgers, Herbie Hancock and Tavis Smiley.

The event was held at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Most of the men had a white rose pinned to their black suits. And, of course ... lots of purple.

Prince's fortune is about to be spread even thinner because he has a long-lost relative -- according to a lawyer for Prince's deceased half brother.

The attorney filed documents, obtained by TMZ, with Prince's probate ... saying his former client, Duane Nelson, Sr. has a granddaughter somewhere in Minnesota.

Duane died in 2011, and his son -- who died in 2005 -- had a daughter who is now 11 years old.

The attorney, Mike Padden, says the court should vet the girl, and wants a guardian appointed to look out for her interests in the estate.

Duane -- who was Prince's bodyguard for a while -- was omitted from the list of siblings when Tyka Nelson began probate proceedings. We're told some family members don't buy he was a blood relative.

That was never proven, but you can bet DNA testing would be part of vetting the grandniece.

Stevie Wonder's got some advice for Prince fans trying to cope with his sudden death -- just do it.

We asked Stevie, at LAX on Wednesday, about the doctor at the center of the Prince investigation.

He's all for bringing someone to justice, but feels we should leave that to cops -- while fans focus on a much different ... much hotter, response to the tragic loss.

Watch the clip. Turns out Stevie's not just a musical genius.

A celebration for Prince is going down in Beverly Hills Wednesday night, but almost no one's heard about it ... unless you were a legit member of his inner circle.

A source who was VERY close to the singer tells TMZ they received an invitation that only mentioned the time, date, and city for the "Celebration of Life." The source was told to pass the word, but ONLY to the most important people his Purpleness would have wanted to attend.

One of Prince's family members says they didn't hear about it, so it appears this is exclusively for close friends and people in the biz. We're told the exact location is only being revealed to invitees who get vetted after RSVP'ing by email.

Bottom line: There are about to be some disappointed people who thought they were tight with Prince.

Prince is tearing KISS apart ... because lead singer Paul Stanley is embarrassed over his partner Gene Simmons saying Prince's death was "pathetic."

Stanley went so far as to apologize for his bass player ripping Prince for using drugs. Simmons told Newsweek, "How pathetic that he killed himself. Don’t kid yourself, that’s what he did. Slowly, I’ll grant you... but that’s what drugs and alcohol is: a slow death.”

Seems Paul was blindsided by the interview. He tweeted, "Embarrassed by cold clueless statements re Prince's death. Without all the facts better to say nothing. My apologies."

After Gene's interview came out, there was a backlash from many KISS fans who felt he was insensitive -- so Paul appears to be doing damage control.

Chyna was seriously struggling before she died -- so much so, police found her wasted and passed out on the ground outside her apartment building ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement tells us they got a call in November for a woman lying unconscious at 7 AM in Redondo Beach, CA -- and when they arrived, officers found Chyna. We're told she was slurring her speech, had bloodshot eyes and reeked of booze.

Cops say Chyna admitted drinking wine the night before and said she decided to sleep outside because she was struggling with her keys. She was also carrying nearly $20k in cash she says she made at an autograph session.

Paramedics on scene determined she was too drunk to take care of herself, and cops booked her for public intoxication.

Chyna was found dead on April 20. Her cause of death is still under investigation.

Doris Roberts died from a massive stroke ... according to her death certificate.

TMZ obtained a copy of the doc, filed in L.A. County Court -- and it reveals the "Everybody Loves Raymond" star had been suffering from hypertension for years.

The immediate cause of death though ... was a "large hemorrhagic cerebrovascular accident" ... the medical term for a stroke.

Prince's blood will be under a microscope soon at the request of the special administrator of his estate.

A judge in Carver County authorized Bremer Trust to order DNA testing of the late singer's blood ... for purpose of addressing "parentage issues." It's clear Bremer is expecting alleged family members to come out of the woodwork to get a slice of Prince's fortune.

According to docs, there is a sample of Prince's blood being held at the Medical Examiner's office for testing.

The Bellator MMA company says it has "plans to help cover the costs" for the funeral of Bellator fighter Jordan Parsons, who died Wednesday after being struck in a hit-and-run incident.

Parsons' manager has said the fighter didn't have a lot of money when he died -- and with huge medical expenses and funeral costs ... Bellator says it wants to help ease the burden on his family.

A GoFundMe page for Parsons raised $36k to cover doctor bills and other costs. If there is money left over, Parsons' manager says the funds will be donated to a cause in Jordan's name.

Jordan had been fighting with Bellator since 2014. He was killed after bring struck by a Range Ranger in Florida on Sunday. Officials are still trying to find the driver.

Former "American Idol" finalist Rickey Smith was killed Thursday night in a multi-car highway wreck in Oklahoma.

Smith was on I-240 just outside Oklahoma City when, according to reports, another man driving the wrong way on the interstate slammed head-on into Smith's vehicle. Cops say the other driver was hospitalized and booked for DUI.

Smith competed on the second season of 'Idol,' and finished in eighth place. Ruben Studdard took the title that year.

Rickey was 36.

The death of former MMA fighter Blas Avena -- who last fought War Machine at Bellator 96 -- is being investigated as a suicide ... Las Vegas Metro Police tell TMZ Sports.

32-year-old Avena was found dead around 11:36 AM Wednesday morning in his Las Vegas apartment.

A spokesman for the LVMPD tells us, "Arriving police and medical personnel located an adult male who was pronounced deceased at the scene. As of now, the death is being investigated as a suicide."

Fear not, wrestling fans ... pro wrestling legend Chyna WILL be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, so says WWE honcho Stephanie McMahon who tells TMZ Sports it's only a matter of time.