RIP

The CEO and co-founder of HQ Trivia allegedly died after a drug-fueled night with his girlfriend ... but she says he was fine when she left him.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Colin Kroll's GF told investigators she was with him the Friday night before he was found dead in his Manhattan apartment, and they were both doing drugs. We're told she claims she saw him using cocaine and heroin.

The girlfriend says she left Kroll's place in the wee hours of Saturday morning and he was alive and well, but after she didn't hear from him all day ... she contacted police to check up on him.

We broke the story ... the HQ honcho died of an apparent drug overdose. We're told cops found him early Sunday, lying facedown in his bed with drug paraphernalia nearby.

Our sources say detectives recovered several phones and a laptop from Kroll's residence to investigate the source of the drugs. His GF has not been charged in connection with his death.

Kroll co-founded the popular mobile trivia game last year and was named CEO in 2018.

He was 34.

Penny Marshall, the amazing actress, comedian and director, has died ... TMZ has learned.

Marshall died Monday night at her Hollywood Hills home. We've learned the cause of death was complications from diabetes.

Penny's first recurring role was playing Myrna Turner on "The Odd Couple," which was directed by her brother. She also appeared on "Happy Days" with Cindy Williams, and they became famous from their spin-off sitcom, "Laverne & Shirley." It became a monster hit in 1976 and ran for 8 seasons. Her character's moniker -- the "L" for Laverne on her sweater -- became one of the most famous logos in television.

Penny's accomplishments were only beginning. She directed Tom Hanks in "Big" in 1988. She was the first woman in history to direct a film that grossed more than $100 million.

Penny also directed "A League of Their Own," and "Awakenings" starring Robin Williams.

Penny's family says, "Our family is heartbroken over the passing of Penny Marshall. Penny was a tomboy who loved sports, doing puzzles of any kind, drinking milk and Pepsi together and being with her family."

The family notes Penny gave Mark Wahlberg his first acting job in "Renaissance Man."

"As an actress, her work on 'Laverne & Shirley' broke ground featuring blue-collar women entertaining America in prime time."

"She was a comedic natural with a photographic memory and an instinct for slapstick," her family added.

"We hope her life continues to inspire other to spend time with family, work hard and make of their dreams come true."

Penny was once married to Rob Reiner and once dated Art Garfunkel. She had an amazing lineage ... her brother was famed director Garry Marshall. She directed her daughter, Tracy Reiner, who played Betty in "A League of Their Own."

One of Penny's closest friends was Carrie Fisher. They had joint birthdays and Penny was godmother to Carrie's daughter, Billie Lourd.

Penny was a massive basketball fan and was a staple at Lakers and Clippers games for years.

Penny also famously directed the 1996 movie "The Preacher's Wife" starring Denzel Washington, and "Jumpin' Jack Flash" in 1986 starring Whoopi Goldberg.

Her producer credits ain't too shabby either -- with movies like "Cinderella Man" and "Calendar Girl."

The family says a celebration of Penny's life will be held at a later date.

Henry Winkler tells TMZ he worked with Penny even before "Happy Days," and knew from the start she was a very funny woman and an incredible talent. He says her comedic partnership with Cindy was akin to Lucille Ball, but more modern.

Many more celebrity tributes have been pouring in, with Albert Brooks posting on social media -- "R.I.P. Penny Marshall. So talented and funny. A big loss."

Katie Couric added, "I'm so sad to hear about the passing of Penny Marshall. #RestInPeace."

"The Simpsons" producer Al Jean said, "Penny Marshall our first guest star and a great talent. You will be missed!"

Busy Philipps said, "Oh Penny Marshall. Rest In Peace and thank you for everything."

'Law & Order' star, Vincent D'Onofrio shared a memory -- "I was invited by Penny Marshall to her house one afternoon to talk about a film she was doing. She was so kind to me. She was so smart and funny. I will never forget that afternoon. My heart goes out to her family and friends."

Melissa Joan Hart -- "Heartbroken to learn that #PennyMarshall has passed away!! The Marshall family holds a special place in my heart for being so kind and creative and encouraging to other artists. But she was a special role model for female comedians like myself. #RIP #ThankYou."

The death of Penny Marshall -- a beloved actor and HUGE sports fan -- rocked the athletic world Tuesday ... with teams and athletes alike mourning her passing.

The L.A. Clippers -- one of Penny's favorite teams -- posted they were "deeply saddened" to learn "a resilient pioneer with legendary talent" had died.

The Globetrotters, meanwhile, posted an old pic of Penny and the team, saying, "RIP to a long-time friend of the Globetrotters, Penny Marshall."

The MLB and the Baseball Hall of Fame also paid tribute to the "A League Of Their Own" director ... with the MLB saying, "We join the baseball community in mourning the passing of Penny Marshall."

Individual athletes expressed their remorse ... with athletes like Michael Strahan, Isiah Thomas, Mark Jackson and even Donyell Marshall taking to Twitter to pay tribute.

"R.I.P Penny Marshall," Donyell wrote ... "Still remember when you asked me for my game Jersey. You said you would go around telling people I was your nephew. We always talked before and after games when we played against the Lakers."

Legendary NBA forward Vince Carter added, "RiP to my friend the great Penny Marshall. You will be missed!!!"

Penny was 75.

William "Willbilly" Hathaway -- a featured cast member on National Geographic's "Wicked Tuna" -- has died after he was involved in a fatal car crash over the weekend.

According to local reports, Hathaway died Saturday in Salisbury, Maryland after he reportedly swerved off a remote countryside road into a ditch. Reports say Hathaway's wife told police her husband had called shortly after the accident saying he was okay, adding that someone had cut him off.

When paramedics arrived, however, he was unconscious and slumped over the center console. Hathaway was later pronounced dead after being transported to a nearby hospital. A Facebook fundraising page has been created to help support his widowed wife and newborn daughter.

As of Monday, a reported $47,500 out of $250k had been raised.

Hathaway was part of the fishing crew on the Ocean City-based Foolish Pleasures vessel, which was featured on "Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks."

The mother of Kenneka Jenkins -- who was found dead in a hotel freezer -- says the establishment is to blame for her daughter's 2017 death ... and now wants $50 million.

Teresa Martin has filed suit on behalf of her late daughter's estate against the Crowne Plaza Chicago-O'Hare Hotel for negligence, claiming there were several opportunities for the company and its staff to step in and help prevent Kenneka's death last September ... but failed to do so.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Teresa alleges that the hotel was made aware of Kenneka's disappearance from a room where a party was being thrown shortly after she wandered off, and says she was assured by Crowne Plaza personnel that they'd check surveillance footage in an attempt to locate her right away. She says they completely screwed that up.

Teresa says the hotel staff either didn't check the footage soon enough, or didn't properly review it ... because the 19-year-old could be seen clear as day stumbling into the kitchen in video later obtained and released by police who investigated her death.

She goes on to allege that Kenneka walked by several hotel staffers who didn't help her, and that the freezer Kenneka walked into was easily accessible to the public. She also claims the freezer had a faded sticker on it that failed to instruct people on how to unlock the door.

Kenneka's body was found in the freezer nearly 24 hours after she was reported missing. Her cause of death was hypothermia and it was ruled accidental. Tons of rumors swirled around the circumstances of her death, with some suspecting foul play.

Despite the police closing out their investigation without any arrests or charges, Kenneka's mother says the blame still lies with the hotel. She's asking for more than $50 mil in damages.

Colin Kroll, the CEO and co-founder of HQ Trivia, has died of an apparent drug overdose ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ, Kroll's girlfriend called police early Sunday and asked them to check up on him after she was unable to get in touch. Cops went to downtown Manhattan to do a welfare check, entered his apartment and found Kroll's body in his bedroom with drug paraphernalia nearby.

A police source tells TMZ at this point cops believe the drugs involved were cocaine and heroin.

Kroll was named CEO of HQ Trivia in 2018. He had previously been fired from Twitter after he was determined to be a "bad manager." Female employees claimed his behavior made them uncomfortable, however, no sexual harassment claims were ever filed.

HQ Trivia was having problems recently. It was steadily losing audience. In January, HQ was in the top 10 list of most downloaded iPhone games. It's now fluctuating between #250 and 500 in the U.S. Also, Kroll was dealing with an H.R. complaint by an HQ employee for his "aggressive management style."

Kroll was also the co-founder of Vine and was General Manager between 2013 and 2014. And, he was the Chief Technology Officer for Jetsetter. Prior to that, Kroll served as the Engineering Manager at Yahoo between 2007 to 2009.

Kroll was 34.

RIP

The last surviving member of LFO wants to keep the late Devin Lima's legacy alive ... and he can think of nothing better than to publish previously unreleased music just in time for the holidays.

Brad Fischetti tells TMZ ... he just released "Xiles Xmas" and "Hip Hop Reindeers." The 'Reindeers' track is a tribute to all the artists who influenced LFO over the years -- from Snoop Dogg and Andre 3000 to Jay-Z, Biggie Smalls and Tupac. Meanwhile, 'Xiles' pulls at the heartstrings -- it's about spending Christmas alone while missing that special someone.

BTW ... both tracks are also gonna be available on iTunes and Spotify.

Brad says releasing the tracks fulfilled 2 purposes ... for starters, he and Devin talked about releasing the track shortly before Devin passed away after losing his battle with stage 4 cancer. Secondly, Brad felt it's a great way to remember his pal.

Check out the vid ... Brad says Devin's fingerprints are all over the new tracks. And, it's unclear what's next for LFO -- Brad says the group is gone as we know it since former lead singer, Rich Cronin, died in 2010. Nevertheless, he's optimistic the new music will set the band's legacy in stone.

A production assistant on the set of "Power" was hit by an out of control SUV and died from his injuries ... TMZ has confirmed.

NYPD tells us ... Pedro Jimenez was setting up parking cones for a location shoot in Brooklyn around 4:20 AM when he was struck by a 2006 Ford Explorer. Police responded and Pedro was transported to a Brooklyn Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

In a heartfelt Instagram post, 50 Cent said his prayers and condolences are with Pedro's family. Fiddy is one of the show's executive producers and previously had a starring role.

NYPD officials say they are investigating the incident and have already spoken with the driver of the SUV that struck Pedro. The driver, a 64-year-old man, is also a crew member of "Power." No arrests have been made.

Pedro had worked on the series since it debuted in 2014. He was 63.

Australia just lost a true legend ... Roger the ripped kangaroo has died at 12 years old.

Roger -- AKA Kangaroo Jacked -- lit the internet on fire back in 2015 after pics of him crushing a metal bucket with his hands went viral.

The 6'7", 200-lb. 'roo was living at the Kangaroo Sanctuary in Australia ... and his videos and pictures showing off his Schwarzenegger-esque physique were a big hit on the web.

"Sadly Roger has passed away of old age," owner Chris Barnes announced on Facebook. "He lived a lovely long life and was loved by millions around the world."

Barnes rescued and raised Roger as a joey after his mother was killed in a car accident ... and in 2016 announced the kangaroo was dealing with arthritis and vision loss.

"We will always love you and miss you Roger"

12:40 PM PT -- Venezuelan authorities believe Valbuena and Castillo may have been victims of robbers who throw rocks onto roads to cause cars to crash and then steal from people inside the vehicle.

Yaracuy governor Julio León Heredia announced 4 suspects have been arrested after they were found with the players' belongings.

MLB infielders Luis Valbuena and Jose Castillo were killed in a car crash in Venezuela on Thursday ... after a car they were riding in veered off the road.

According to local reports ... 33-year-old Valbuena and Castillo, 37, were leaving their Venezuelan league game with Cardenales de Lara in Yaracuy when their driver either hit or swerved to avoid a rock ... and drove off the road.

The man driving the car was the chauffeur of their teammate, Carlos Rivero -- who survived the crash.

Photos of the accident have surfaced ... showing the van totally damaged and flipped on its side.

Valbuena -- who most recently played for the Angels this past season -- has been in the majors since 2008 ... and has also played for the Astros, Cubs, Indians and Mariners.

Valbuena hit 25 home runs with Houston in 2015.

Castillo played 5 seasons in the MLB with the Pirates, Giants and Astros.

The MLB released a statement Friday morning, saying, "We are saddened by the tragic news that Luis Valbuena and former major leaguer José Castillo have died in a car accident."

#RIP

Another reason for Mac Miller's fans to celebrate his life and music -- the late rapper just got his first ever Grammy nomination.

The Recording Academy announced Friday morning Mac Miller's "Swimming" is nominated for rap album of the year. The album's got hefty competition ... going up against Cardi B (Invasion of Privacy), Nipsey Hussle (Victory Lap), Pusha T (Daytona) and Travis Scott (Astroworld).

"Swimming" peaked at no. 3 on the Billboard charts when it was released back in August. It returned to the top 10 following his death in September.

TMZ broke the story ... Mac died from an accidental overdose.

"Swimming" got rave reviews, including from Rolling Stone which said Mac revealed "himself to be a sympathetic, even winning presence."

BTW, Mac wasn't the only artist to earn a posthumous nomination. Chris Cornell -- nominated 4 previous times -- is up for best rock performance. Chris died by suicide in May.

Stephen Hillenburg -- the creator of the hit Nickelodeon show "SpongeBob SquarePants" -- officially died of heart failure as a result of his ALS, but the more interesting tidbit ... his remains were scattered at sea -- and you gotta hope he'll rest in Bikini Bottom.

According to Hillenburg's death certificate -- obtained by TMZ -- the animator's immediate cause of death was cardiopulmonary failure due to ALS -- the diagnosis which he publicly revealed in 2017. The document also reveals that Hillenburg was cremated and his ashes were scattered at sea -- at least 500 yards off the coast of California, to be more specific.

As we reported ... Hillenburg died late last month after battling the fatal disease for more than a year. Nickelodeon called him "a beloved friend and long-time creative partner" and praised his seminal work on 'SBSP' as "a reminder of the value of optimism, friendship and the limitless power of imagination."

You can clearly tell just how much George H.W. Bush was liked and respected simply by the incredible number of celebs who turned out for the late President's funeral in the Lone Star State.

Reba McEntire sang "The Lord's Prayer" and The Oak Ridge Boys gave a powerful rendition of "Amazing Grace" during the funeral services Thursday at St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston.

Everything's bigger in Texas, including Houston sports stars -- past and present -- who turned out to say goodbye to 41 ... former Rockets centers Yao Ming and Dikembe Mutombo towered over the crowd, while Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt brought the muscle with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Naturally, Chuck Norris was there, and legendary Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda made the trek from Los Angeles.

The Thousand Oaks bar where 12 people were killed in a shooting rampage nearly a month ago is making a valiant effort to return to normalcy. First order of business -- hosting country night again.

The Borderline Bar & Grill's management is bringing their popular Country Line Dancing Night to a new venue, because they're not yet ready to open their doors. The event will be held at The Canyon Club in Agoura Hills -- just a 9 minute drive away from Borderline.

The owners say The Canyon Club "graciously allowed us to set up shop and take over Thursday." The first country night is slated for December 20 with doors opening at 6 PM, dance lessons at 6:30 PM ... then line dancing, drinks and food until closing.

As we first reported ... Borderline plans to open again, but the owners don't have a timetable yet.

It's been closed since an ex-Marine stormed the bar last month and opened fire on tons of college students attending Country Night. Tamera Mowry's niece and a Ventura County Sheriff's sergeant were among the victims.

Former "America's Next Top Model" contestant Jael Strauss dedicated her life to helping people struggling with addiction before she lost her battle with cancer earlier this week.

An employee at Solstice Recovery Foundation near Austin, TX, who worked there with Jael, tells TMZ the ex-model was heavily involved in the rehab center's efforts -- volunteering to help folks, especially women, fight drug addiction.

We're told Jael would often spearhead online fundraisers to provide scholarships to those needing treatment. She'd also share her own story of recovery as inspiration for patients.

Jael's kindness was reciprocated this past October shortly after she announced she'd been diagnosed with incurable, stage 4 breast cancer.

The Solstice employee tells us her friends quickly organized the "F**k Cancer-Love Like Jael" fundraiser for her, and raised around $8,000 for her treatment costs.

During the fundraiser, people who donated $20-$50 could get free tattoos that said "F**k Cancer" or "Jael Love." We're told about 20 people got them.

We broke the story ... Jael died in hospice Tuesday, just 2 months after being diagnosed with cancer. We're told she stopped chemotherapy around Halloween.

George H.W. Bush's state funeral just wrapped up at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. ... where his son -- 43rd President George W. Bush -- was brought to tears eulogizing his late father and former POTUS.

Dubya delivered an incredibly emotional tribute to his dad, which ended with him choking up and having to step back from the lectern. It was a powerful moment, and fellow mourners gave 43 a big round of applause as he went back to his seat.

Presidential funerals are always extraordinary for the rare gathering of ex-Presidents. Trump, Obama, Clinton and Carter are all there ... and seated RIGHT next to each other.

Trump's attendance was not initially a lock, but he reportedly decided to attend after discussions with the Bush family, and getting assurances he wouldn't be bad-mouthed. Interesting to note, this is the first time Hillary Clinton and Trump will be in the same space since the election.

Also, Michelle Obama wrote in her new book she would never forgive Donald Trump for sparking the birther movement. Sooo ... tense moments.

The former President's body has been lying in State at the Capitol since Monday ... and a steady stream of dignitaries, politicians and celebrities have shown up to pay respects.