RIP

The death of Anthony Myrie, a NY state prison inmate, has become a cause celebre -- with Cardi B and Meek Mill suggesting a cover-up -- which is forcing the prison to release new details about the mystery.

New York Department of Corrections spokesperson Thomas Mailey tells TMZ ... the death of Anthony Myrie on February 11 at the Greene Correctional Facility near Albany "appears to be consistent with sudden cardiac arrest."

Mailey says the prison typically doesn't provide facts about an ongoing investigation, but it's making an exception due to "the abundance of misinformation in circulation."

After news of Myrie's death came out ... Cardi and Meek both shared a message from Myrie's family, alleging prison guards may have been responsible for hurting him. They also accused prison officials of lying about where his body was being held to "buy time to cover this up."

According to Mailey ... Myrie was involved in a 3-on-1 fight with other inmates, but officers broke it up without using force. Mailey says Myrie was examined after the incident and the medical staff found no injuries.

However, Mailey says Myrie complained of chest pain shortly afterward while he was waiting to be interviewed by prison staff. When they took him back to the medical unit, he collapsed ... "unconscious and unresponsive."

He was given emergency medical services by the staff before being transferred to Albany Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

9th Wonder says XXXTentacion absolutely deserved to be part of the Grammys' In Memoriam segment, because the guy left a musical legacy that's bigger than life.

The legendary hip-hop producer made no bones about it Monday at LAX, where he told us Grammy producers missed an opportunity to include someone who gave a lot to the industry and changed lives ... adding that every big artist deserves recognition in death.

9th -- who's worked with Jay-Z, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige and MANY other giants -- says X's impact on the culture is undeniable ... citing even his own son as proof the controversial MC was making waves before his tragic murder.

He suggests X's exclusion might have something to do with older Recording Academy members not knowing X -- but adds there were plenty of far less famous people honored on screen.

Our photog raised the issue that's reportedly the real reason X didn't make the cut -- his many legal issues and allegations of domestic violence.

Debbie Reynolds' famous dance studio, where tons of celebs rehearsed over the last 4 decades, isn't recognizable anymore -- because it's a giant pile of rubble now.

The building that housed Debbie Reynolds' Legacy Studios was torn down over the weekend ... and as you can see, all that remains on the North Hollywood site are mounds of bricks.

It's a super sad ending for a dance studio frequented by tons of A-listers ... Debbie opened the place in 1979, and it's where celebs like Michael Jackson, Cher, Bette Midler, Mariah Carey, Usher, John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John rehearsed.

As we reported ... Todd Fisher, Debbie's son, planned on turning the building into a museum after she died of a stroke. Unfortunately, Todd's vision never materialized and in October the building was sold at auction.

Angela Simmons' ex-fiance went down in a hail of bullets when he was murdered ... TMZ has learned.

We knew Sutton Tennyson was shot multiple times back in November, but now his autopsy reveals the exact number of fatal shots was 13 ... to his chest, stomach, legs and arms. The Fulton County Medical Examiner says 3 of the shots did an "enormous amount of damage" to his heart ... piercing several chambers of the organ.

Other shots were lodged in Sutton's lungs, and pierced his stomach and spleen. Nine of the shots penetrated his body, and 4 only cut or grazed him.

As we reported, Sutton -- the father of Angela's 2-year-old son -- was in his Atlanta driveway when he got into an argument with Michael Williams, who cops say opened fire, then fled in a car. Witnesses told police the men were arguing about money.

Chris Cornell won a Grammy Sunday nearly two years after his death ... and his children accepted it on his behalf with a heartfelt message about their father.

Cornell's two kids -- his son, Christopher, and his daughter, Toni -- took to the stage at Staples Center after their dad had been awarded the Grammy for Best Rock Performance for his song, "When Bad Does Good" ... his third Grammy win ever.

Christopher spoke first, reading from a statement that read in part ... "I never thought we'd be standing here without my dad. I'm sure he would be proud and honored. He was known for many things. He was a rock icon, the godfather of grunge and the creator of a movement."

Christopher added ... "While he touched the hearts of millions, most importantly he is known for to us is for being the greatest father in our ear."

His sister finished up the speech, saying ... "His voice was his vision and his music was his peace," adding ... "This is for you daddy and we love you so much." Chris' family walked the red carpet together before the show, and put on a united front for the cameras.

TMZ broke the story ... Chris was found dead in Detroit in 2017. A coroner ruled his death as a suicide by hanging.

He was 52.

Carmen Argenziano -- who's perhaps best known from "Stargate SG-1" -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Argenziano passed away Sunday, according to his personal appearance agency, Event Horizon Talent. His agent, who books him for conventions, confirms to TMZ that Argenziano had, in fact, died ... but the circumstances of his death remain unclear for now.

The Pennsylvania-born actor has starred in tons of TV shows and movies over the course of his 5-decade career, including "The Rockford Files," "Lou Grant," "Heartbeat," "Booker," "L.A. Law," "Melrose Place," "Sisters," "CSI: NY," "The Young and the Restless" and, of course, 'SG-1' ... where he played Jacob Carter from 1998 to 2005.

Argenziano also has lots of smaller roles in big productions like "Columbo," "Police Story," "The Godfather: Part II," "CHiPs," "The Greatest American Hero," "The A-Team," "Cheers," "Crime & Punishment," "ER," "Walker, Texas Ranger," "House" ... and many, many more. The man has 227 acting credits to his name on IMDb.

Argenziano is survived by his children.

He was 75.

Brandon Moore -- the man who created the viral "what are those" meme -- died after a night of ingesting a bunch of drugs, including cocaine and ecstasy ... TMZ has learned.

According to the Contra Costa County Coroner's report ... the exact cause of death was polypharmacy -- meaning he died as a result of ingesting multiple drugs. The coroner says Moore's blood tested positive for cocaine, morphine, codeine, methamphetamines and ecstasy.

What's more ... the report says Moore's wife, Noonie, told authorities he drank and possibly ingested cocaine the night before he was found dead. According to the report, there's no evidence to suggest Moore ingested the drugs with the intent to harm himself ... and lists the death as an accidental overdose.

As we reported ... Brandon's wife told us his heart stopped while he was sleeping in their Northern California home ... and now we know why.

The internet comedian, known as Young Busco, made a huge splash in 2015 after mocking a police officer's shoes as a joke. You'll recall, while his friend was being arrested, Brandon joked about the cop's clunky boots, saying, "What are those?"

The meme caught fire online ... and the catchphrase even appeared in "Black Panther." Michael Jordan was also jokingly asked, "What are those?" during a Q&A session at a basketball camp.

Brandon, who was a father of 9, was 31.

Kristoff St. John will be laid to rest next to his late son ... sources close to the family tell TMZ.

"The Young and the Restless" star will be buried at Valley Oaks Memorial Park in Westlake Village, California ... in a plot right beside the grave of Julian St. John, who tragically died by suicide in 2014.

We're told Kristoff's autopsy has been performed and his body's been released to the family, but it's unclear when his funeral will be held. His cause of death is still unknown.

We broke the story ... one of the actor's friends found his body at his San Fernando Valley home Sunday. Paramedics pronounced St. John dead at the scene but said there was no foul play ... though one source tells us alcohol may have been a factor.

We were also told Kristoff had checked himself into UCLA Medical Center in January for depression issues ... and had just been released a few days before his death.

His depression was linked in part to his son's suicide. Kristoff was hospitalized and placed under psychiatric evaluation after allegedly threatening to kill himself with a gun in 2017, right around the 2-year anniversary of Julian's death.

Kristoff was 52.

Cops have arrested 5 juveniles who allegedly shot and killed pop/rock singer Kyle Yorlets.

Cops say the children were attempting to steal the 24-year-old singer's car and shot him after he refused to turn over his keys.

The children range in age from 12 to 16.

Police say the 5 children were in a pickup truck in an alley behind Kyle's home when they saw him and allegedly decided to steal his car. They didn't get the car but did get his wallet. Kyle, who was dying from the wound, somehow made it inside his home. One of his roommates found him sometime later.

The eerie profile picture on Kyle's Facebook page was updated on January 21 with a bitmoji with his hands up in the air and labeled, "Guess I'll die."

Kyle was the lead singer in the band Carverton. He had a side job as a bartender in Nashville.

A GoFundMe page was set up to raise money for his funeral. So far, it's raised nearly $27,000.

Five-time Oscar nominee Albert Finney has died.

A family spokesman said the actor died after a short, undisclosed illness. Finney had kidney cancer back in 2011, but it's unclear if it was related to his death.

Finney was at the forefront of a British invasion of sorts ... a wave of British actors who hit the big screen in the '60s in the U.S.

The actor received Oscar noms -- Best Supporting Actor for "Erin Brockovich," and Best Actor in "Under the Volcano," "The Dresser," "Murder on the Orient Express," and the titular role in "Tom Jones." He didn't win, but 5 nominations are pretty impressive. He did nab a Golden Globe and an Emmy for the 2002 miniseries, "The Gathering Storm."

Finney started his career onstage doing "Shakespeare," and his first movie -- "The Entertainer" -- hit big in 1960. That same year, he rose to fame playing Arthur in "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning."

He played the iconic role, Ebenezer Scrooge, in the 1970s film "Scrooge" ... for which he also won a Golden Globe.

Finney's most recent acting role was 2012's "Skyfall." He also had notable roles in the 'Bourne' franchise and "Big Fish."

His family says he passed away peacefully with friends and family by his side.

Finney was married 3 times and had 1 son.

Emiliano Sala -- an Argentinian soccer player -- has been confirmed dead ... coroner's ID'd a body that was pulled from a tragic plane crash as his, Dorset Police announced.

The 28-year-old had boarded a small plane in France with a pilot on Jan. 21 destined for Wales ... but it crashed in the English Channel shortly after takeoff.

The striker -- who was in the process of completing a transfer from FC Nantes to Cardiff City FC -- was reportedly concerned mid-flight, sending a cryptic audio message in Spanish to friends.

"I am now aboard a plane that seems like it is falling to pieces," Sala said [translated from Spanish] ... "I'm going to Cardiff now, crazy, and tomorrow we get going. I will train with my new team tomorrow."

"If you do not have any more news from [me] in an hour and a half, I don't know if they need to send someone to find me. I am getting scared!"

The plane disappeared from radar ... and after three days of trying to find it -- police called off the official search.

A private search was launched on Jan. 27 ... and the wreckage -- plus a body -- were found. Dorset Police announced Thursday the body had been ID'd as Sala's.

Sala was a star for Nantes before transferring to Cardiff City ... he led the team in goals the past three seasons.

His transfer fee was around $20 million ... a record signing for Cardiff City.

FC Nantes President, Waldemar Kita, said in a statement Friday [translated from French], "I do not have the words, it's a tragedy, I'm devastated."

"Emiliano left his mark, which is why, like many fans, I want to honor him again by retiring the number 9."

Frank Robinson -- a Baltimore Orioles superstar and MLB's first-ever black manager -- died at 83 on Wednesday ... Major League Baseball confirmed.

Robinson was one of the greatest hitters in the game's history ... playing 21 seasons and batting .294 with 2,943 hits and 586 home runs.

The Hall of Famer's resume is legendary -- he was a 2-time MVP, a 2-time World Series winner, the MLB's Rookie of the Year in 1956 ... AND a triple-crown winner in 1966.

Before his playing days ended ... he was named player-manager of the Indians in 1975 -- making him the MLB's first-ever black manager.

He went on to manage the Giants, Orioles, Expos and Nationals -- piling up over 1,000 career wins.

“We are deeply saddened by this loss of our friend, colleague and legend, who worked in our game for more than 60 years," MLB commish Rob Manfred said in a statement.

Former boxing champ Rocky Lockridge -- who later had the most famous appearance on the show "Intervention" -- has passed away at age 60, his family confirms.

Family members tell us Rocky died Thursday morning from complications from a stroke he suffered a while back.

Lockridge was a stud fighter back in the '80s -- racking up multiple titles with victories over guys like Roger Mayweather.

But, he later became addicted to crack cocaine ... and his family brought him on the A&E show, "Intervention," in an effort to get him cleaned up.

During one famous scene, family members were pouring out their hearts to Rocky and he belted out a cry that went viral. It later became an Internet meme known as "best cry ever."

Rocky's son Ricky Lockridge confirmed his father's passing and said, "It is with great pain but a whole heart that I tell you family and friends that my father Ricky Lockridge aka Rocky Lockridge has passed away."

"All he wanted was to be in the comfort of his home with friends/ family. God has called him to walk through the gates of heaven."

Lockridge had reportedly been in hospital care for the past few weeks.

The pilot who crashed a plane into a Southern California home on Super Bowl Sunday -- killing himself and 4 people on the ground -- had a famous friend and client ... Dennis Hof.

75-year-old Antonio Pastini was best buds with the late brothel owner for 23 years ... according to our sources. We're told Tony frequently flew Dennis and his girlfriend in the same plane he was flying when it crashed into a Yorba Linda home where a Super Bowl party was being held.

As you can see, the tail number on the plane on which Dennis often flew ... matches the number on the wrecked fuselage on the site of the deadly crash.

Dennis and Tony's relationship extended beyond the skies ... we're told Tony owned the Carson City restaurant Kim Lee Sushi, where Dennis loved to hang out with the ladies from the Bunny Ranch.

During Dennis' 72nd birthday bash last October, days before his death, he shouted out Tony while making a speech.

Tony didn't only fly Dennis, we're told he flew Bunny Ranch girls for free if they paid for his fuel.

Colin Kroll, the CEO and co-founder of HQ Trivia, died from an overdose of multiple drugs ... including fentanyl ... TMZ has learned.

The NYC Chief Medical Examiner tells TMZ ... Colin died from acute intoxication due to the combined effects of fentanyl, fluoroisobutyryl fentanyl, heroin and cocaine. They've ruled his death accidental.

We broke the story ... the HQ honcho died back in December, when cops found his body lying face down in his bedroom with drug paraphernalia nearby.

As we reported ... 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. His GF has not been charged in connection with his death.

Colin co-founded the popular mobile trivia game in 2017 and was elevated to CEO in 2018. Kroll was also the co-founder of Vine and was General Manager between 2013 and 2014. He previously worked for Twitter, Jetsetter and Yahoo.

Kroll was 34.

Fentanyl also played a role in the deaths of Tom Petty, Prince, Mac Miller and Lil Peep.

11:00 AM PT-- A source close to Kristoff tells us the actor had checked himself into UCLA Medical Center in January for depression issues ... and had just been released within the last few days.

We're told his depression was linked, in part, to his son, Julian's suicide years ago.

8:50 AM PT -- Kristoff's fiancée, model Kseniya Mikhaleva, reacted to his death, saying ... "How did it happen??? How??? Why did you leave so early???? and left me all alone ..."

Kristoff and Kseniya just got engaged 5 months ago.

TMZ also got the dispatch audio from the fire department, which responded to a call for an "unconscious individual" at Kristoff's home. You'll hear officials use the term "natural causes" -- that only means there was no foul play.

Kristoff St. John, star of the long-running soap opera 'Young and the Restless,' was found dead Sunday ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us one of Kristoff's friends went to check on him at the actor's home in San Fernando Valley, and found his body. Police and paramedics were alerted and responded to the house. We're told Kristoff was pronounced dead on the scene.

We're told there was no sign of foul play, however one source says alcohol might have played a role.

Kristoff has played Neil Winters on 'Y&R' since 1991 -- a role that earned him 9 Daytime Emmy Award nominations. He also won 10 NAACP Image Awards.

Kristoff has a tragic and troubled history with suicide. He and his ex-wife, boxer Mia St. John, lost their son, Julian, when he took his own life in 2014, while getting treatment at a mental health facility. Mia and Kristoff sued the facility for negligence. The suit was eventually settled.

In 2017, around the anniversary of Julian's suicide, Kristoff threatened to kill himself with a gun. Cops placed him under a 72-hour hold for psychiatric evaluation.

Mia reacted to Kristoff's death with an emotional post on social media (which she has since deleted), and it's clear she is connecting his death to Julian's. She wrote, "THAT HOSPITAL KILLED OUR SON @TheArtofJulian THEN MY HUSBAND @kristoffstjohn1. THATS WHAT HAPPENED! THEY KILLED MY FAMILY"

After their son's death, Kristoff and Mia founded the El Saber es Poder (Knowledge is Power) Foundation to battle mental illness.

Kristoff was 52.

RIP