RIP

Miley Cyrus' beloved pet pig, Bubba Sue, has died ... and is now gobbling down apple cores and rolling around in mud in the afterlife.

Nothing breaks like a heart of a person who loses a pet, and Miley's sharing her sadness on a series of Instagram Stories paying tribute to Bubba, aka Pig Pig.

The singer first posted a short vid of PP going to town on what's left of an apple as she holds her over her shoulder like a baby. She wrote ... "Very sad to say...my dear friend Pig Pig has passed away....I will miss u always (pig emoji) thank you for so many laughs and good times girl."

Cyrus also shared a cute pic of Bubba as a piglet, with Miley giving her a smooch, and her cover photo for the summer 2015 issue of "Paper" magazine ... for which she posed nude and muddy with Pig Pig.

Miley adopted the sweet swine in August 2014 after her dog, Floyd, died. It's unclear what Pig Pig died from.

Cyrus still has plenty of pets to give her comfort at this difficult time -- 7 dogs, 4 horses and 3 cats ... and her hubby, Liam Hemsworth, also has a dog.

Beth Chapman's upcoming memorial service -- where thousands are expected -- is being run like a major Hollywood production, which is why showbiz vet Kim Fields is running point ... TMZ has learned.

Kim is coordinating security and overseeing production details, right down to the flower arrangement, as director of visual and social media at Beth's church ... according to sources close to Beth's family. How the 'Facts of Life' and 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' star ended up in charge is pretty serendipitous. 

Kim relocated to Aurora, CO earlier this year and joined Beth's place of worship ... Heritage Christian Center. We're told Kim's pastor in Georgia asked her to help him with his new Colorado church and she happily obliged.

While Beth and Kim never met in person, we're told Kim took on this massive project because she felt like God was calling her to help people in mourning. 

Kim's many decades on Hollywood productions, and her obvious celeb experience, made her a natural fit to help Dog Chapman and his family pull off the high profile event. As we first reported, the family has been working with local police to make sure the venue is extremely safe and secure, in anticipation of a massive crowd. 

Some of the security protocols are interesting ... we're told all weapons will be banned at the service even though Colorado is an open carry state. All bags will be searched, and we're told the heightened security is partly related to the community still being sensitive to Aurora's 2012 movie theater shooting, and of course the nearby Columbine massacre.

Beth's Colorado service is her final sendoff ... following the heartwarming ceremony in Hawaii.  

The service Kim's planning is part of Beth's final wishes, and we're told the church will be heavily decorated with hundreds of stargazer lilies -- Beth's favorite flower.

Rip Torn, Emmy-winning actor and comedian, is dead.

Rip, perhaps best known for his role as Artie on HBO's "The Larry Sanders Show," died Tuesday. No cause of death has been released yet. 

He won an Emmy for his 'Larry Sanders' role, and was nominated 6 more times for it. He was also an Oscar nominee in 1984 for "Cross Creek." 

Rip made his film debut in the 1956 film "Baby Doll." From there, he began a prolific and decades-long career on stage and screen.

Torn's work on "The Larry Sanders Show" garnered him a whole new generation of fans, who would go on to enjoy his character work as Zed in the first two 'Men in Black' films. He also had memorable roles on "Will & Grace" and "30 Rock."

His full name was Elmore Rual Torn Jr. ... but he started going by the nickname Rip when he was a kid. Fun fact ... his cousin is iconic actress Sissy Spacek.

He is survived by his wife Amy, his 6 kids, his sister Patricia, and his 4 grandchildren.

Rip was 88. 

Michelle Obama shared a heartfelt tribute to late Disney star Cameron Boyce ... remembering him as a talented young man with an incredible heart.

The former First Lady shared a picture of her with Cameron on Twitter during one of his visits to the White House. She wrote, "I was lucky enough to hare a few moments with Cameron Boyce -- on set, at the White House, and on a service project -- enough time to recognize that not only did he have incredible talent, but also an incredible heart."

Michelle added, "Sending out a lot of love and hugs to his family, friends, and his many, many fans."

Even at a young age, Boyce was fueled by his philanthropic spirit. Back in March, he received the Pioneering Spirit Award at a gala for the Thirst Project ... which helps deliver clean water to communities around the world. He reportedly helped raise more than $30k for the org.

Ross Perot, 2-time presidential candidate and self-made billionaire, is dead.

The Texas software pioneer became a billionaire in 1984 when General Motors bought his company, Electronic Data Systems, for $2.5 billion.  

Perot founded EDS in 1962 with a $1,000 loan his wife floated him. 

Perot ran for president in 1992 and 1996 and was famously portrayed on 'SNL' by Dana Carvey. 

Perot famously would break down American politics and the economy using bar graphs and pie graphs, using his handy pointer.

The conventional wisdom is that Perot was the reason Bill Clinton got elected, because he split the Republican vote when he ran as an independent. The Perot spoiler factor in presidential elections lives to this day.

Perot, who amassed $4 billion, donated a total of $90 million to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

EDS was only one of Perot's businesses. In 1988, he founded Perot Systems Corp., which Dell bought in 2009 for $3.9 billion.

Perot died Tuesday after battling leukemia for 5 months.

Perot is survived by wife of 63 years, Margot. They had 5 children and have 16 grandchildren.

Disney Channel star Cameron Boyce died in his sleep.

The 20-year-old actor, who starred in several Disney shows including "Descendants," could not be revived after paramedics rushed to his home ... this according to law enforcement sources.

Cameron's family said he had an ongoing medical condition and died in his sleep ... the result of a seizure.

Cameron starred in both the 'Descendants' TV series and movies. He was filming a new HBO show, "Mrs. Fletcher."

Although he was only 20, Cameron racked up a series of hits, appearing in "Grown Ups" and "Grown Ups 2" ... he played one of Adam Sandler's kids.

The actor was only 11 when he first appeared on the Disney Channel. Other credits include "Shake it Up," "Austin & Ally" and "Good Luck Charlie." His breakout role was playing Luke on "Jessie," which ran for 4 seasons.

The family said Saturday, “He passed away in his sleep due to a seizure which was a result of an ongoing medical condition for which he was being treated. The world is now undoubtedly without one of its brightest lights, but his spirit will live on through the kindness and compassion of all who knew and loved him,”

The family spokesperson went on ... “We are utterly heartbroken and ask for privacy during this immensely difficult time as we grieve the loss of our precious son and brother.”

We last saw him in March, when we asked him about the college admissions scandal.

Beth Chapman's family is doing everything it can to make sure her memorial service in Colorado goes off without a hitch, and it's an enormous undertaking ... they're coordinating with local law enforcement and hotels to accommodate a HUGE crowd.

Sources close to Beth's family tell TMZ ... her relatives are determined to make the memorial fan-friendly, reaching out to hotels in Aurora to hammer out discounted rates for people attending the service, and working with police to plan security and crowd control.

We're told Beth wanted her send-off in her home state to be accessible for everyone ... so her family is putting together a live stream for those that can't make the trek to Colorado. 

TMZ broke the story ... Beth died June 26 at a Honolulu hospital, only days after doctors placed her in a medically-induced coma. The 51-year-old had been battling cancer for a long time.

Dog Chapman and Beth lived in Hawaii and Colorado, and her Aurora memorial will be her second public service ... following a beautiful ceremony in Honolulu.

As we first reported ... Dog and his children snuck away to spread some of Beth's ashes in the Waikiki waters during her Hawaiian send-off. They didn't spread all the ashes, we're told they will spread her remaining ashes in Colorado. 

The services in Hawaii and on the mainland are part of Beth's final wishes. 

A 70-year-old marathon runner who was just disqualified for cheating in the L.A. Marathon back in March was found dead in the Los Angeles River.

Dr. Frank Meza, a retired physician, told his wife he was going for a run and that's the last time he was seen. His body was found Thursday morning in the River lying in shallow water.

Dr. Meza was distraught over the cheating allegation ... he had set a Marathon record for his age class -- 2 hours, 53 minutes, 10 seconds in the March Marathon, but officials became suspicious. Officials found video and eyewitnesses who said he had left the course and reentered from a different location.  

L.A. Marathon Officials officially disqualified Dr. Meza Monday ... 3 days before his death.

Dr. Meza acknowledged he left the course, but only to find a bathroom.

His wife said running was extremely important to Dr. Meza and he strongly denied the cheating allegation.

It wasn't the first time Meza was accused of cutting corners.  He had twice been disqualified from the Sacramento Marathon after authorities determined he cut the course.  He was banned from participating in that marathon.

Ex-NFL quarterback Jared Lorenzen -- aka The Hefty Lefty -- has died at 38 after battling heart and kidney issues, his family confirmed.

Lorenzen was admitted to the hospital over the weekend and underwent dialysis after falling ill with an infection that affected his kidney and heart.

But, after doctors tried to save his life, Lorenzen succumbed to to his ailments and passed away Wednesday.

"It is with heavy hearts that the family of Jared Lorenzen, would like to extend our sincere thanks and appreciation for all of your support and prayers over the past 6 days," the family said in a statement.

"We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Jared today, July 3, 2019."

"Again, we appreciate all of the warm wishes and prayers but as a family we would request your respect and privacy."

Jared became a national sensation as the QB at Kentucky back in the early 2000s because -- well, he wasn't built like a traditional QB ... weighing in around 300 pounds.

After college, Lorenzen joined the NY Giants as an undrafted free agent -- where he became Eli Manning's backup ... and he won a Super Bowl ring as a part of the 2007 team, when they beat the undefeated Patriots.

He went on to play indoor football for the Northern Kentucky River Monsters in 2013 -- and played well until suffering a broken leg, which ultimately ended his career.

Before college, Lorenzen was a high school stud -- he was awarded the prestigious Kentucky Mr. Football award for the best player in the state.

In college, he was the All-SEC 2nd team QB.

Jon Stewart paid his final respects to Ground Zero first responder Luis Alvarez, who just days before his death, sitting side-by-side with Stewart, pled with Congress to extend compensation funds for 9/11 victims.

Detective Alvarez's funeral was held Wednesday in NYC. He died Saturday from complications resulting from the cancer linked to months he spent combing through the rubble at Ground Zero.

Alvarez, a retired NYPD bomb squad detective, delivered a heart-wrenching testimony on Capitol Hill last month about his 9/11-related health issues and called for Congress to replenish the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund ... which is set to expire next year.

Alvarez said it was his goal and legacy to make sure lawmakers do the right thing for all 9/11 responders.

Stewart also spoke in front of the committee and made a passionate plea for Congress to approve the extension of the fund, while also chastising members for not making it a priority.

The former 'Daily Show' host attended Alvarez's funeral along with Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney and countless members of law enforcement.

Alvarez was 53.

Just one day after the death of their teammate, Tyler Skaggs, the L.A. Angels decided to take the field against the Texas Rangers on Tuesday ... and they WON!

The Angels dedicated the game to Skaggs -- and had decided that playing the game is what the 27-year-old would have wanted them to do.

It was an emotional game ... with the Halos emerging victorious in a 9-4 game.

Afterward, Mike Trout fought back tears as he talked about how much Skaggs meant to the team.

"We were close," Trout said ... "I see these guys more than my family."

Right fielder Kole Calhoun hit a home run in the 8th inning to help seal the victory -- and pointed to the sky in an obvious reference to Skaggs.

"We know we’ve got an angel watching over us now," Calhoun told reporters after the game.

"When I got to the plate, it felt right to pay some respect to him, and like I said, we know we’ve got somebody watching over us up there."

L.A. Angels starting pitcher Jose Suarez also honored Skaggs with “RIP 45” on his cap -- along with Tyler's initials "TSK" written above the bill.

Multiple people who were hanging out with Tyler Skaggs on the day before he died tell TMZ Sports there were no obvious signs anything was wrong -- "He seemed completely normal."

One source tells us, "I was with him on Sunday. He seemed like himself."

Another source added, "There was no indication anything was wrong" ... saying the 27-year-old's death was "shocking," especially since Tyler had pitched just 2 days before he died.

Skaggs and the rest of the L.A. Angels flew from Anaheim to Dallas on Sunday ... and Skaggs was in such a good mood, he suggested the team take a funny Cowboy-themed team photo at the airport. He posted the photo Sunday evening saying, "Howdy ya'll."

The very next day, Skaggs was found unconscious in his hotel room -- and was pronounced dead at the scene when paramedics arrived.

Officials say there were no obvious signs of suicide or foul play -- and the medical examiner is currently investigating. An autopsy and toxicology tests have been performed but the results have not been made public. It could take between 4 and 6 weeks for the toxicology results to come back.

Auto industry icon Lee Iacocca -- forever connected to the Ford Mustang and former chairman of Chrysler -- has died ... according to a family source. 

A family member tells TMZ Iacocca passed away, but could not provide any further detail.

Iacocca is credited with saving Chrysler from bankruptcy back in the 1980s ... and he's often referred to as the father of the legendary Ford Mustang. While he was always known within the auto industry ... he became a household name across America when he starred in a series of TV advertisements for Chrysler.  

His famous catchphrase in the ads was ... "If you can find a better car, buy it." 

Lee was born in Allentown, Penn. after his parents immigrated to the United States from Italy ... and he got his start in the automotive industry way back in 1946, working as an engineer at Ford Motor Company. He's credited with leading the team that created the very first Mustang in 1964.

He went on to rise through the ranks at Ford, becoming the car giant's CEO in 1970 before being fired from his position by Henry Ford II some 8 years later. 

Lee quickly landed on his feet, joining Chrysler and becoming their CEO. 

In the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan appointed Iacocca as chairman of the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Centennial Commission, and Lee was tasked with raising money to restore the Statue of Liberty.

Lee was 94. 

RIP

The Los Angeles Angels players and manager had a team discussion and agreed to play the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night because they felt it's what Tyler Skaggs would have wanted.

Angels manager Brad Ausmus along with General Manager Billy Eppler, owner Arte Moreno and president John Carpino addressed the media Tuesday in a very emotional press conference to reflect on the 27-year-old pitcher who died Monday afternoon.

Ausmus and Eppler fought back tears as they explained what Skaggs meant to the team -- a beloved teammate, friend and family man.

Team officials said they still have no idea about what led to Skaggs' sudden death -- they're waiting on information from the medical examiner.

The Angels -- along with the Rangers and MLB -- agreed to postpone Monday's scheduled game in the wake of Tyler's death. But, Ausmus said the team met on Tuesday and decided to get back to action.

Ausmus and Eppler explained that playing baseball can help the players take their minds off of the sadness and give them a "refuge" from the tragedy.

Ausmus noted he doesn't think sitting in a hotel room would do the players any good.

Several Angels players attended the press conference -- including Mike Trout and Albert Pujols. They all sat quietly in the corner as Ausmus, Eppler and Moreno talked about Skaggs.

As we previously reported, Skaggs was found unconscious in his Texas hotel room where the team was staying around 2:20 PM on Monday ... and he was pronounced dead a short time later.

There's been a lot of speculation about how Skaggs died -- but so far, officials have not released a cause of death.

The Medical Examiner has said there were no obvious signs of suicide or foul play. An autopsy was conducted Tuesday morning but no word on the results. Toxicology results could take 4 to 6 weeks to come back.

Skaggs had just pitched 2 days before his death -- logging 5 strikeouts in 4.5 innings against the Oakland A's.

Skaggs had been having a standout 2019 season ... posting 7 wins and 78 strikeouts in 79.2 innings pitched.

"Happy Birthday to my big brother" ... 

That's how Kim Goldman began her letter to her late bro, Ron Goldman, on Tuesday -- while reflecting on his life 25 years after his death. 

"You would have turned 51 today - just insane to think about all of the years lost, absolutely breaks my heart," Kim wrote in a note posted on social media. 

Of course, Ron was brutally murdered on June 12, 1994 ... when he was only 25 years old. 

At the time of his death, Ron was working as a waiter at the Mezzaluna Trattoria restaurant in Brentwood and had gone to Nicole Brown Simpson's condo to return a pair of sunglasses that had been left at the eatery earlier that day. 

While at Nicole's home, Ron and Nicole were ambushed by a knife-wielding scumbag who killed both of them. 

Kim Goldman says she's still trying to focus on the good times she shared with her big brother.

"The what-if's torture my spirit, so instead I will focus on your smile, your zest for life, your kindness, the memories of us growing up, our talks, our laughs, our tears."

"I will focus on the tremendous adoration and respect I have for you and I will hold on dearly to the memory of what your hugs felt like, cuz I sure could use one."

She ended her letter, "All the love in the world, xo Squirt."

An autopsy is scheduled to be performed Tuesday on L.A. Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs, the Tarrant County Medical Examiner tells TMZ Sports.

As part of the examination process, we're told the M.E. is also conducting toxicology tests to find out what (if anything) was in Skaggs' system when he died.

Officials say they found 27-year-old Skaggs unconscious in his hotel room in Texas around 2:18 PM on Monday -- just hours before L.A. was set to take on the Rangers.

Emergency responders were unable to revive him and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Cops say no foul play was suspected and police sources tell us there were no obvious signs of suicide.

We're told toxicology results are expected back in about 4-6 weeks ... and the autopsy is scheduled to begin sometime Tuesday.