RIP

12:21 PM PT -- The network from his 2-season show tells TMZ, "The DIY Network family is sorry to hear about the passing of Troy Dean Shafer, a dedicated, driven entrepreneur and restoration expert who was admired by everyone who worked on the series."

They conclude, "We continue to extend our deepest condolences to Troy's family and friends during this difficult time."

"Nashville Flipped" star Troy Shafer died unexpectedly at the age of 38 ... according to his brother.

Troy's brother, Tim, tells us the TV star died in his sleep on April 28. We're told the entire family is in shock because Troy didn't have any known medical conditions.

The coroner's office in Erie, PA confirms an autopsy was not performed on Troy's body, but a toxicology report will be finalized in the coming weeks.

Troy was laid to rest last week, at a very small private burial for his family.

Troy rose to fame by saving, restoring and flipping dozens of historic homes in Nashville ... with a film crew from the DIY Network following him around. Troy and his team specialized in customizing historic properties to fit the design of a certain era.

Before he was a reality TV star, Troy moved to Nashville with dreams of pursuing a career in music ... but he eventually realized his construction background and talent for restoring historic homes was his big ticket, so he started his home renovation business, Nashville Flipped.

He grew up in Erie, Penn., and graduated from Penn State University.

Troy was 38.

RIP

Ezekiel Elliott is covering funeral expenses for an 8th grade football star who was shot and killed by a stray bullet last weekend while leaving a party in St. Louis, sources confirm to TMZ Sports.

14-year-old Jaylon McKenzie was at a house party following a school dance late Saturday night when a fight broke out involving other people.

As McKenzie and others walked outside to leave the home, he was struck by a stray bullet and died at a nearby hospital a short time later, according to the Illinois State Police.

McKenzie was a rising star on the field, dominating as a running back, WR and defensive back. He reportedly had scholarship offers from the University of Missouri and University of Illinois.

He was also spotlighted by Sports Illustrated when he was 13 as a teen athlete to watch.

So, when Ezekiel Elliott -- who grew up in St. Louis -- heard about his passing, we're told the NFL star felt compelled to help McKenzie's family by paying for the funeral costs.

McKenzie's mother, Sukeena Gunner, spoke with the Belleville News-Democrat about Zeke helping out.

"For him to reach out to me was unbelievable," Gunner said ... "Jaylon loved Ezekiel Elliott. He talked about him all the time."

"Just for him to reach out to me and help me in this difficult time leaves me speechless."

NFL legend Jim Brown tells TMZ Sports he had tremendous respect for John Singleton -- not only because he was incredibly talented, but he used his talents to bring communities together.

"One of a kind," Brown said on the way out of Singleton's funeral in L.A. on Monday ... "Loved his people. No negatives."

We couldn't find any evidence that Brown and Singleton ever worked on a project together -- seems the Hall of Famer just admired him for everything he accomplished.

In fact, when we brought up Singleton's resume -- and his most famous film "Boyz n the Hood" -- Brown talked about the impact he had on America.

"That was a tremendous breakthrough and one of a kind," Brown said.

You can tell from the clip, Brown appreciated everything Singleton accomplished and stood for.

John Singleton's closest friends and loved ones arrived at his private funeral to pay their final respects.

The late director's Celebration of Life went down Monday at Angelus Funeral Home in L.A. where many of John's friends and family members honored him one last time. Ludacris, Ice Cube, Tyrese, Jim Brown, Tina Knowles and Congresswoman Maxine Waters were just some of the guests who attended.

John will be buried at Forest Lawn in Hollywood Hills following the service.

As we reported, John died last week at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A. after being taken off life support following a massive stroke on April 17. The "Boyz n the Hood" director had been in a coma in ICU since then.

It appears John actually died from the stroke on April 28 at 3:30 PM ... at least that's what's listed on his death certificate. It's interesting because the family announced he had passed on April 29.

3:21 PM -- We got several attendees leaving the Celebration of Life ... from "Baby Boy" star Ving Rhames and Tina Knowles, to Congresswoman Waters, all of whom showered the late director with kind words.

John Singleton died of a stroke ... according to his death certificate, but there's a new detail that was kept secret ... until now.

The certificate -- obtained by TMZ -- lists the cause of death as acute ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage and hypertension. Singleton's date and time of death was April 28 at 3:30 PM ... a day earlier than when his family made the announcement John had passed.

As we reported ... the famed director died Monday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A. after being taken off life support following a massive stroke.

The "Boyz n the Hood" director had been in a coma in ICU after suffering the stroke April 17 while in the hospital. He had checked himself in after returning from Costa Rica and experiencing problems with his legs.

Singleton's death certificate lists his occupation as writer, director and producer.

John's death sparked waves of reactions from celebs ... Ice Cube, who starred "Boyz n the Hood," gave us an emotional statement on Singleton's passing. Michael Blackson told our photog he was devastated by John's loss, because they were like brothers. Barack Obama remembered him as a trailblazer who told stories Hollywood tried to ignore.

Singleton was only 24 when he directed "Boyz n the Hood" and became the first African American nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director. His decorated career spanned nearly three decades, directing 9 films and scores of episodes on hit TV shows.

John was just 51.

John Singleton's impact will continue to be felt on one of his favorite projects ... which is why the late Hollywood icon's credit will NOT be taken off "Snowfall."

As you know ... John co-created the FX show, and he was extremely hands-on in his roles as director and producer on the drama series, which chronicles the crack epidemic in 1980s Los Angeles.

"Snowfall" sources tell TMZ ... production on season 3 is almost done -- the show will wrap in June -- so there are no plans to replace John as an executive producer.

Obviously, John meant a lot to the cast and crew ... and we're told everyone was released after a half day's work on the day John died.

Funeral services for John are currently private, and we're told the cast and crew will have the day off to attend his funeral and pay their respects.

The star of the show, Damson Idris, posted an emotional tribute after John's death ... saying he, "lost my big brother."

Trina Braxton's family has had a lot of heartbreak lately, but she says the passing of her 24-year-old niece really struck a chord and made her realize something very important -- life's too short.

We got Trina at LAX Friday afternoon, and she talked about the tragic death of Lauren Braxton -- her older brother Michael Conrad Braxton Jr.'s daughter -- along with other hardships she and her family have had to endure.

As you may know, Trina lost her ex-husband to cancer in December, and recently dealt with the death of her aunt, as well. Trina says it's been trying, but everyone is holding up and supporting one another.

Regarding Lauren's death, Trina says the grieving process has opened her eyes to what truly matters in this world ... and it's not petty drama or holding onto grudges.

Trina also provides a beautiful acronym she says she keeps in mind during the difficult time after a loved one dies ... check it out.

We broke the story ... Lauren died last week in Maryland, and her father says it was related to a heart condition.

6:21 PM PT -- A source close to the family tells TMZ, Monday's funeral will be extremely intimate and closed off to the public ... a larger event will be held later this month, but those details are still being worked out.

John Singleton will be laid to rest at the cemetery where Nipsey Hussle was buried.

TMZ has obtained the invitation to celebrate the life of John Daniel Singleton. The service will be held at 10 AM Monday at Angelus Funeral Home in South L.A. It's the same place where Nipsey's family came for the viewing and private service.

After the funeral, John will be interred at Forest Lawn-Hollywood Hills. Again, it's the same place where Nipsey was buried.

As for the connection, we're told Nipsey and John knew each other, but the deeper connection is that they were both raised and active in South L.A. John's office was fairly close to Nipsey's store, The Marathon Clothing.

TMZ broke the story ... John's will was filed in Los Angeles Friday. His oldest daughter, 26-year-old Justice, will get his estate which is valued at $3.8 million. The will was drafted in 1993, before his 6 other children were born. They could have a claim to split the assets 7 ways.

John, who died of a stroke last month at 51, could also have a trust outside the will. His estate was reportedly valued at around $35 million, so the will may not be a full accounting of the assets John left behind.

John Singleton's mother, Shelia Ward, has filed her son's last will and testament, and according to the document, obtained by TMZ, his 26-year-old daughter, Justice Singleton, the oldest child, gets his estate, which is reportedly valued at $3.8 million.

John wrote the will in 1993 when he only had one child -- Justice. He has since had 6 other children.

Under California law, the 6 children born after the will was signed may have rights, because they were not specifically excluded from the will. If the 6 kids didn't get anything from John, under California law, they could make a strong case the $3.8 million should be divided into 7 equal parts ... in other words, each child would get 1/7th.

We assume the $3.8 million is not the full extent of his assets. He may well have a trust that disposes of other assets that are not included in the will. His full estate is reportedly valued at $35 million. BTW, if the other 6 children are provided for in the trust, they would probably lose their right to collect anything under the will.

According to the docs, John's personal property is valued at $2.5 million. His real property is valued just shy of $1.3 million. Again, this does not include any assets that may be handled separately in a trust.

The document provides Shelia will get custody of the minor children, of which there are 2. Fact is ... if the biological mothers of the children have taken custody, this provision is almost certainly irrelevant.

By the way, Justice's address is the same as Shelia's, so it would appear they're close.

As we reported, Shelia and another of John's daughters, Cleopatra, were fighting while he lay in a coma after his stroke. Shelia filed legal docs asking a judge to appoint her temporary conservator so she could handle John's business affairs, and Cleopatra claimed Shelia was fleecing the estate to deny his children any money.

TMZ broke the story, John suffered a stroke last month after he had checked himself into Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A. for a leg problem. His mom says John suffered from hypertension for years, and that is what likely triggered the stroke.

The backlash against Kodak Black -- for disrespecting Nipsey Hussle -- is taking out an innocent victim ... namely Danielle Bregoli, but now she's doing something about it.

As we told you ... Bhad Bhabie released a track in February called "Bestie" featuring a verse by Kodak -- and a DMX cameo in the music vid. It was a pretty big hit ... right up until Kodak popped off about Lauren London, saying he'd give her a year of "crying and s**t" over Nipsey's death before making a move on her.

When radio stations banned his music, "Bestie" got screwed too. Sources close to the situation tell us several radio stations contacted Bhabie's camp, asking if she could record another version without Kodak, so they could play it -- and that's what she did.

BB got Houston rapper, Megan Thee Stallion to replace Kodak ... and they released the updated version late Thursday night, and it's now available on all streaming platforms.

We're told Danielle's hoping hip-hop stations will take notice ... and give it another run.

David Eason, Jenelle Evans husband, who allegedly killed their family dog with a shotgun, made it clear to a photog in court Friday ... stay clear of him, or else.

Eason was in a North Carolina courtroom because he owed $5,187 in back child support. He had a deadline of Friday to pay up or possibly be held in contempt and go to jail. He showed up empty-handed, but the judge gave him a reprieve ... to come up with the money in the next few hours.

Eason left court, and a photog/reporter for WSFX tried asking him about killing his dog, but he wasn't having it and warned, "Don't get in my face, bro. I promise you don't want to do that."

Eason came back a short time later and paid the money.

He owed the money to Olivia Leedham, the mother of his 5-year-old son. Leedham claimed back in 2013, when she was 8 months pregnant he shoved her and also left her in the middle of the road when she was 7 months pregnant.

As for the dog ... we're told he was irate after the French Bulldog nipped at his daughter after she got in the dog's face ... beat the animal, and then shot it to death.

Chewbacca's howling in heaven today ... Peter Mayhew -- the man behind the mask of the iconic 'Star Wars' character -- has died ... according to his family.

We're told the actor died from a heart condition Tuesday at his home in North Texas, and was surrounded by friends and family. Peter played Chewie in all three films of the original 'Star Wars' trilogy, and did it all over again decades later in 'The Revenge of the Sith' and in 2015's 'The Force Awakens.'

His family says Peter fought his way back from being in a wheelchair to star in 'The Force Awakens' before retiring. However, he served as a consultant to Joonas Suotamo -- the Finnish basketball player who took over the role in 'The Last Jedi.'

Mayhew's survived by his wife and 3 children. His family is asking fans to donate to the Peter Mayhew Foundation -- which benefits families around the world in crisis situations -- in lieu of sending flowers or gifts.

They add ... there will be a memorial service for family in June, but in December ... they're planning to hold a service fans can attend in Los Angeles.

Peter was 74.

1:30 PM PT -- The Columbus County Sheriff's Office just told TMZ they, along with the Columbus County Animal Control, have "initiated a joint investigation into allegations of animal cruelty. The investigation is ongoing."

1:11 PM PT -- A source close to Jenelle tells us right after Nugget nipped at his daughter, David brought the dog outside and continuously slammed him against their back deck ... from there, he took Nugget into a wooded area and shot him.

12:07 PM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell us Animal Control officers just went to Jenelle's home to do their check. We're told officers were able to drive onto the property through an open gate, but there was a grey pit bull on the porch and several "No Trespassing" signs.

Our source says the Animal Control officers -- fearing for their safety -- left the property and alerted the Sheriff's Department who, we're told, will now attempt to complete the visit.

We're told officers want to determine if Nugget is alive and whose name is on ownership papers for the dog ... from there, they'll be able to determine next steps.

Animal Control wants Jenelle Evans and David Eason to answer some questions about the death of their family dog, but that might be easier said than done ... based on David's history with unwanted visitors.

TMZ's learned that following the news that Jenelle's husband shot and killed her French Bulldog, Nugget -- for nipping their daughter, Ensley -- North Carolina's animal welfare hotline was flooded with calls about the incident.

We're told the Attorney General's Office received 138 complaints and referred them to Animal Control after review, and also informed the Columbus County Sheriff.

Sources connected to the case tell us Animal Control is sending an officer to the 'Teen Mom' couple's house Thursday with a mission -- confirm the dog is dead, and verify Jenelle and David have possession of the dog's corpse.

It's unclear what, if any, legal action could be taken after that -- but it likely won't be an easy visit for Animal Control. Eason reacted aggressively when authorities showed up at his home in December.

As we reported, he posted a series of gun-crazed videos after he said Secret Service drove up on his property to question him about some threatening social media posts. He said he wasn't afraid to shoot future trespassers ... and showed off his stockpile of ammo.

David's alarming behavior reached a new level Wednesday, when he practically admitted on Instagram to killing Nugget. Jenelle later confirmed it, claiming David dragged the dog into the woods and shot him.

Up to this point, David's gotten away with it. The Columbus Co. Sheriff's Dept. made it clear the only way they'll take action is if Jenelle files a police report. We were told they don't rely on "sensationalized" social media reports. We'll see if a report from Animal Control will change their mind.

Nipsey Hussle's team is putting the kibosh on the late rapper's memorial ... because people trying to pay their respects were being hounded by bootleggers and grifters trying to make a buck off his death.

Sources close to the slain Crenshaw rapper tell TMZ ... the memorial outside his Marathon Clothing store is going away, principally because it was becoming a chaotic scene where hustlers roamed the street, turning what was supposed to be a solemn tribute into a circus.

As you know ... Nipsey was gunned down in the parking lot outside his store, and the lot was transformed into a makeshift memorial, with fans leaving flowers, pictures, notes, trinkets and loads of candles.

But, that's all over now.

Here's what the wild scene outside Nipsey's shuttered store looked like ... people selling bootleg t-shirts with Nipsey's image, others demanding money for a tour of the neighborhood, and some even charging fans just to walk through the area where Nipsey was shot. The memorial became so busy, food trucks started parking outside.

Sources close to Nipsey tell us the whole thing reeked of disrespect ... and they felt like he was not being properly honored, so they're closing up shop.

We've seen this kind of thing before ... scalpers tried charging astronomical prices for free tickets to Nipsey's celebration of life, and people who went to the service tried selling the free programs for huge profits on eBay.

3:20 PM PT -- Jenelle spoke with US Weekly about the incident, saying, "He just took her and shot her in the woods, about two acres away from the house."

As we reported, local law enforcement said they won't act on the killing until Jenelle comes to them to report the crime ... one source we spoke to said media reports and social media postings aren't enough to trigger an investigation.

Jenelle also told US, "At this time, we are dealing with this rough situation. I want to focus on what's best for me and my kids."

9:45 AM PT -- Police went to Jenelle and David's house Tuesday night to perform a welfare check on Ensley. Officers found everyone, including Ensley, was okay.

As for the dog -- a law enforcement source tells TMZ ... David told cops Nugget was alive, although he would not let them see the dog. We're told cops have no evidence showing anything happened to the dog.

The Columbus County Sheriff's Dept. says it's contacted Animal Control, but as far as any further investigation from cops ... our source says Jenelle would need to make a report on her own. We're told officers won't act on "sensationalized media reports or social media posts." The source said it's irrelevant to cops what Jenelle says on IG.

Meanwhile, PETA says it hopes charges are filed against Eason if it's true he shot Nugget. They say, "People who abuse animals typically don't stop there."

"Teen Mom" star Jenelle Evans is heartbroken over the death of her dog, which was shot and killed by her husband ... who is defending his disturbing move in the name of protecting his family.

David Eason admits he killed the family's French bulldog, Nugget, because it bit the couple's 2-year-old daughter, Ensley. He shared a video that appears to show the dog snapping at Ensley as she's moving closer to its face for a kiss.

David explained his decision to put the dog down, saying ... "I dont give a damn what animal bites my baby on the face... whether it be your dog or mine, a dog is a dog and I dont put up with that s**t at all."

A photo of Ensley's face after the incident shows a red mark, but there's no apparent break in her skin.

Eason added ... "I'm all about protecting my family, it is my lifes mission. Some people are worth killing or dying for and my family means that much to me. You can hate me all you want but this isnt the first time the dog bit Ensley aggressively. The only person that can judge weather or not a animal is a danger to MY CHILD is ME."

Jenelle doesn't seem to be on the same page as her husband at all. She just shared a photo of Nugget sitting in the car with her, along with a message suggesting she believes they should have simply trained the dog to stop biting.

She wrote ... "Nugget... I'm crying everyday. I love you so much and I'm so sorry. I'm speechless," and added, "You still had a lot to learn and a lot to grow from your lessons."

Jenelle says she's heartbroken and distraught, and there are reports she fled their home after the incident.

It's 4 months until the NFL season ... but DeSean Jackson already has his game cleats picked out -- the Eagles star is honoring Nipsey Hussle with his spikes for the ENTIRE year.

The Philadelphia WR is set to wear custom cleats with Nipsey's face and lyrics on them all season long ... and Marcus Rivero AKA Soles By Sir has already designed Jackson's first pair of kicks.

The footwear -- one painted all blue and the other designed with black and white checkers -- has Nipsey's face on one side and famous lyrics on the other.

Rivero tells TMZ Sports Jackson specifically requested the designs ... and tells us there will be more custom shoes to follow in the near future.

Jackson said of the spikes on social media, "'Lock us behind gates but can’t tame us' Used to be stay safe, now it’s stay dangerous NipDaGr8 Ima rep every game 4 you Loc TMC"

DeSean is just the latest athlete to honor Nipsey -- who was murdered in late March -- joining guys like Clippers star Montrezl Harrell, who just wore his own set of custom Hussle sneakers for their playoff games last month.