RIP

Rosario Dawson's cousin died after the actress found her unconscious last week ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us Rosario walked downstairs in her Venice home last Thursday and found 26-year-old Vaneza Ines Vasquez lying unresponsive. Paramedics rushed to the scene and transported Vaneza, but ultimately they could not resuscitate her.

We're told Vaneza -- who worked for Rosario -- had recently been suffering migraines and also had hypertension. We're told early autopsy results point to her dying from natural causes.

Toxicology results are still pending, but our sources tell us Vaneza had no history of substance abuse.

Brad Grey, one of Hollywood's most prolific producers and former Paramount Studios chief, died Sunday night from cancer.

Grey died at his home in Holmby Hills ... surrounded by family. He had stepped down from his post as Chairman/CEO of Paramount a few months ago. He'd held the role for 12 years.

Grey co-founded Plan B Entertainment with Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston. He's been executive producer of several landmark TV shows and films ... like "The Sopranos," "The Larry Sanders Show," "The Departed," "Happy Gilmore" and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."

He was 59.

Story developing ...

Chris 'Big Black' Boykin's clothing line was in the midst of a comeback ... but his untimely death brought those plans to a screeching halt.

Chris' personal manager, Mark Shin, tells TMZ ... Big Black clothing was strongly considering a relaunch fueled by continuing popularity and demand. The brand had stopped licensing and sales over the last year while strategizing their next business deal.

We're told that effort was put on pause following Chris' death Tuesday. Mark says he was the heart and soul of the brand and there were questions whether it could continue without him.

However, Mark tells us the brand's now considering a small launch with the sole purpose of having proceeds benefit Chris' daughter, Isis.

As we reported ... Chris was smart about investing his money to help set up Isis financially.

Powers Boothe -- best known for his roles in "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D" and "Sin City" -- died in his sleep Sunday.

The actor's publicist said he died of natural causes at his L.A. home. His family will hold a private service in Texas and they're also considering a memorial celebration.

Boothe earned an Emmy for his leading role in the TV movie "Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones." He starred as Senator Roark in the 'Sin City' franchise and played Gideon Malick on "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."

In 2009, he was inducted alongside Billy Bob Thornton in the Texas Film Hall of Fame.

Boothe was 68.

#RIP

Ex-NFL wide receiver Michael Jackson -- who led the NFL in receiving TDs in '96 -- was killed in a motorcycle accident Friday morning in Louisiana ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Louisiana State Police confirm Jackson was in an accident in Tangipahoa, LA while riding his motorcycle in the early morning. He was 48.

Officials say Jackson was driving a '13 Kawasaki on US 51 around 1 AM at a "high rate of speed" when a 20-year-old woman backed out of a parking spot and into both lanes of the highway.

The motorcycle crashed into the driver's side door of the car -- and the impact was so violent, the bike smashed through the door and killed the driver of the car.

Officials are investigating the crash.

Jackson played in the NFL from '91 to '99 for the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Ravens. He exploded in '96 when he finished 6th in the league in receiving yards, behind guys like Isaac Bruce, Herman Moore and Jerry Rice.

He was also college teammates with Brett Favre at the University of Southern Mississippi.

After injuries cut his career short, Jackson turned to politics and became the mayor of Tangipahoa in 2009. He served until 2013.

Christopher 'Big Black' Boykin's daughter will have NO money worries because her father did everything in life with her in mind ... including saving like crazy for her.

Sources close to Chris tell TMZ ... he set up a college fund for 9-year-old, Isis, and her education is pretty much covered. We're told he was solely focused on being a great dad, and it forced him to be very smart with money and investments.

Friends think that also made him a pretty hilarious penny-pincher, who rarely picked up big tabs or splurged on luxury items for himself. We're told Chris' inner circle wants to make sure Isis' college fund is managed properly, so his dreams for her will be fulfilled.

As we reported, Chris knew his family history of heart problems ... another reason he was determined to leave Isis enough to live comfortably.

ESPN legend Chris Berman and his family say they're "overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and sympathy" they've received in the wake of Kathy Berman's death.

Chris 'Big Black' Boykin's heart was basically a ticking time bomb, and he died of a heart condition that's long plagued his mother's side of the family ... TMZ has learned.

We spoke with two of Big Black's family members ... his Uncle Jerry, who appeared on a few episodes of "Rob & Big," and his niece, Brittany Williams. They say congestive heart failure caused his death, and it's a condition he first found out about in 2000.

Jerry and Brittany say the disease also killed Black's mother, uncle, and both of his grandparents back in Mississippi. They told us Black paid 'em a visit down south in 2007, and even then he knew his condition was worsening.

Chris was planning to bring his daughter, Isis, to Mississippi this summer ... according to Jerry. It would've been the first time much of his family got to meet the 9-year-old.

Uncle Jerry says it's more important than ever to make that happen now.

Christopher 'Big Black' Boykin's heart was in terrible condition for days before his death -- so bad, in fact, doctors feared he'd eventually need a heart transplant ... TMZ has learned.

Chris' ex-wife, Shannon Turley, tells us Chris was hospitalized in Plano, TX for several days while doctors monitored his heart. He'd been struggling with heart issues, and already had a defibrillator implanted in his chest.

She says doctors tried to resuscitate Chris for 30 minutes when his heart gave out on Tuesday. He died at 4 PM. Shannon says Chris was not on the transplant list yet, but doctors said he was heading in that direction.

Shannon and Chris have a 9-year-old daughter, Isis. Although they divorced in 2009, she says Chris had been living with her in Texas due to his declining health.

As we reported, Boykin's death shook his "Rob & Big" co-star and friend Rob Dyrdek, ... who wrote, "My heart is broken. I don't want to believe that this is reality. I am so thankful for you."

The sports world is rallying around Chris Berman after news broke that his wife died in a car wreck ... with huge stars sending their condolences and messages of support to the ESPN legend.

Russell Wilson -- "Truly sad to hear Mrs. Kathy Berman is no longer with us. Praying for you Chris as I know you always told me she was your rock."

WWE legend Jim Ross -- "So unfortunate for the #ChrisBerman family. My sincere condolences. #KnowTheFeeling"

Buffalo Bills -- "Chris Berman has been a friend of the Buffalo Bills for many years and we are all heartbroken to learn of the passing of his wife, Kathy. We will circle the wagons for Boomer and his family."

Chris Long -- "Prayers with Chris Berman over the loss of his wife. Unimaginable."

Justin Tuck -- "Prayers to Chris Berman and his family!!"

Rob Dibble -- "Thoughts and Prayers to Chris Berman and his family, his wife Kathy passed away yesterday. RIP"

Hunter Strickland -- "Thoughts and prayers for Chris Berman and his family. Deeply saddened to hear this news."

Dick Vitale -- "Like many of u I am Heartbrokrn over the news of the tragic passing of Kathy Berman / Prayers go out to Chris & his family May she RIP"

Jamal Anderson -- "Thinking of Chris Berman and his family. Rest in peace, Kathy. Awful news."

The wife of ESPN legend Chris Berman was killed in a bad crash in Connecticut on Tuesday ... when her car slammed into another vehicle, killing both drivers.

According to the police report obtained by TMZ Sports, 67-year-old Katherine Berman was driving her 2003 Lexus around 2:15 PM when she slammed into the back of a Ford Escape.

Officials say Katherine's car veered off the roadway and overturned into a small body of water, as seen in a photo from the scene, obtained by NBC Connecticut.

The other car collided with a utility pole and landed on its roof.

The driver of the other car -- an 87-year-old man -- was transported to a nearby hospital but did not survive.

In a photo of the crash scene obtained by WTNH, you can see the other driver's car (behind the red Ford) was completely totaled.

Chris and Katherine have been married since 1983 and have 2 kids together.

Chris was reportedly at the Giants vs. Mets game at Citi Field when he was notified of the crash by NYPD officers.

ESPN President John Skipper issued a statement saying, "This is a devastating tragedy and difficult to comprehend."

"Chris is beloved by all his ESPN colleagues and for good reason: he has a huge heart and has given so much to so many over the years. We know how much his family means to him and all we can do at a moment like this is give him the love and support he will surely need at this hour."

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Chris, Meredith, Doug and the entire family."

Rob Dyrdek just addressed the death of his longtime friend Christopher "Big Black" Boykin with a heartfelt message about the memories and time the two had together.

Rob posted a series of photos of the pair with the message, "My heart is broken. I don't want to write this post. I don't want to believe that this is reality. I am so thankful for you. We truly were brothers that lived an unexpected unforgettable adventure. I just can't fathom that it would end so suddenly."

TMZ broke the story ... Boykin died Tuesday, we're told it was of a heart attack.

Dyrdek added, "You will forever be in my heart."

Boykin was 45.

Christopher 'Big Black' Boykin, who was the other half of Rob Dyrdek's hit MTV show "Rob & Big" -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

His rep tells us Chris died Tuesday morning. No official cause of death yet, but multiple people connected to Chris tell us they believe it was a heart attack.

He was Rob's best friend and bodyguard on their reality show, which ran from 2006 to 2008 -- and also later appeared on 'Fantasy Factory.'

The pals got into a bunch of random adventures -- like breaking Guinness World Records, exorcising their house, installing an ATM ... and, of course, catching people with their net gun.

Chris and Rob's relationship became strained while shooting their show. Rob talked about their falling out a couple of years ago.

They eventually patched things up. Not only did they work together on 'Fantasy Factory' ... but Chris recently posted a throwback pic of them from the show's heyday.

Before he was a TV star, Boykin served in the U.S. Navy. He's survived by his 9-year-old daughter.

'Big Black' was 45.

#RIP

It's hard for some people to understand how pro athletes like Isaiah Thomas compete after the death of a loved one ... but L.A. Clippers player Raymond Felton summed it up pretty perfectly.

Felton lost his grandmother earlier this year and tells TMZ Sports he can completely relate to Thomas -- whose sister died in a tragic car crash last month.

"I understand the grief. I understand what he's feeling, what he's going through."

Aaron Hernandez's attorney, Jose Baez, says his legal team is in talks with the NFL player's former agents to see how the abatement of his murder conviction will affect his contract with the Patriots.

There are theories that with the murder conviction erased, the New England Patriots will be on the hook to pay out the remainder of his contract to Aaron's estate ... a number reportedly around $6 million.

Baez says Aaron's family and legal team are still grieving over Aaron's death and while they're exploring their options, they're not rushing to action.

As for prosecutors suggesting that Hernandez planned to kill himself in a plot to exploit the abatement doctrine to force the Patriots to pay out his family ... Baez says it's a long shot theory and "I don't give it any shred of credibility at this point."

A handful of Prince's unreleased recordings are totally fair game as far the producer is concerned, because he says he never signed a contract to keep the music under wraps.

George Ian Boxill, the former sound engineer who briefly released the "Deliverance" EP last month -- before Prince's estate blocked it -- filed new legal docs saying his deal with Prince was strictly for remodeling his studio.

Boxill says he helped overhaul Prince's studio in 2004 and did indeed sign a nondisclosure agreement. He insists that document ONLY applied to that job. Later, Boxill served as sound engineer when Prince recorded the 5 tracks on "Deliverance."

According to the docs, Boxill never signed a nondisclosure for the recording sessions.

He's asking the judge to throw out the estate's lawsuit which is blocking him from releasing the music to the public.