RIP

Beloved Cleveland Cavaliers play-by-play announcer Fred McLeod died suddenly Monday night ... after reportedly suffering a heart attack. He was 67 years old.

McLeod had been calling Cavs games since 2006 alongside Austin Carr ... and was a fan favorite in Cleveland.

The team released a statement Tuesday morning, saying, "The entire Cavaliers organization mourns the loss of their great friend and teammate."

"Fred’s deep love for Cleveland and the Cavaliers was clearly evident in everything he did in and around the community and on-air during his more than 1,000 Cavalier game broadcasts."

One of Fred's most legendary calls came in 2016 when the Cavs won the NBA title against the Golden State Warriors to end the city's championship drought ... screaming, "Goodnight, Oakland. It's over! The 52-year drought is over!!"

"He was a true, heart-felt ambassador for the team, fans and entire greater Cleveland community," the team said.

McLeod was preparing for his 14th straight year as the Cavs announcer on Fox Sports Ohio.

LeBron James -- who is currently vacationing in Portofino with his family -- took a moment to share his condolences ... saying "Man WHAT!!!!??? OMG this is extremely sad. @CavsFredMcLeod May you rest in Paradise my friend! @BethHMcLeod my prayers sent up above to you and your family!! #RIPFred"

Kevin Love added ... "Shocked and saddened to hear about the loss of Fred McLeod. He was a student of the game."

"He loved the CAVS but even more so the fans...Fred worked his ass off for the city of Cleveland and the NBA. Praying and sending my best to his wife Beth and kids."

"The Cavaliers extend our deepest condolences to Fred’s entire family, including his wife Beth, mother Marilyn, sister Lynn, and his three children, Sean, Jenna, Molly and each of their families."

Jarzinho Pieter -- a goalkeeper for the Curacao national soccer team -- died Monday night after suffering an apparent heart attack 24 hours before playing Haiti, officials say.

He was only 31.

Pieter was in Port-au-Prince with his Curacao teammates -- prepping to take on Haiti in Tuesday's CONCACAF Nations League game -- when officials say he became ill at the Marriott Hotel where the team was staying.

FYI -- CONCACAF stands for Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football.

Haitian sports minister Edwin Charles issued a statement on social media -- saying Pieter was the "victim of a heart attack."

Pieter was 2nd string goalie for Curacao -- but the guy was a stud in the net and began his international career with Team Curacao back in 2013.

As for Curacao's scheduled match, the players had a meeting and decided to take the pitch to honor their teammate.

“The Confederation has been informed by the Curacao Football Federation that following consultation with the players, it has decided to play tomorrow’s match against Haiti in tribute to their team-mate," ... CONCACAF said.

There's a $20k education fund to help the children of the woman killed in the fatal Kevin O'Leary boat crash, and the campaign was set up by the son of the other victim killed in the incident.

Alex Poltash, whose father Gary died in the tragedy, is the man behind the GoFundMe for Suzana Brito's three children -- 12-year-old Liam, 11-year-old Ruby and 9-year-old Cash. Alex says the money is going into an education fund for the kids, and it's a way to carry on his dad's legacy.

The way Alex sees it ... his father was a true believer in the power of education, and the crowdfunding effort is an appropriate way to honor his pops, who was friends with Suzana.

We broke the story ... Kevin's boat was involved in a fatal crash last month on Lake Joseph in Ontario, Canada. Two people were killed and 3 others were injured.

Multiple sources with knowledge tell us, police are looking at whether the boat that was hit had its navigation lights on. Kevin insists they were not on, but we're told people on the other boat insist the lights were on, Kevin's boat was going too fast and the driver -- Kevin's wife -- wasn't paying proper attention.

Suzana, a 48-year-old single mother, died in the hospital after suffering horrific injuries in the wreck.

The doctor who was responsible for Britney Spears' medical treatment died suddenly, just weeks before the judge in her conservatorship case will receive a report focusing on whether she was receiving appropriate treatment.

Dr. Timothy Benson died in Santa Monica, CA on August 24. The cause of death has not been disclosed, but sources tell us the 48-year-old psychiatrist died from an aneurysm.

The timing is significant. Sources connected to Britney tell TMZ the judge will receive a report within the next 10 days from a court-appointed evaluator who has spent more than 3 months determining if her medical and other care was appropriate.

Our sources say, during a hearing last spring, questions were raised about Britney's medical care. It's no secret ... Britney's mom, Lynne, has been critical of Jamie Spears handling of the conservatorship and the medical care her daughter has been getting. The questions revolved around the medications Britney was receiving for her serious mental health issues.

The evaluation was ordered after questions were raised over Britney entering a mental health facility earlier this year. Sources connected to Jamie claim the medicine she was taking had lost its efficacy, and doctors were struggling to find a new combination. But, others say they were baffled by what they felt was a sudden turn -- they say Britney was going full steam ahead with a new show, and then suddenly became all but incapacitated.

Some have questioned Dr. Benson's expertise in treating serious mental health issues. He developed a name for himself working with NBA and NFL teams, inspiring athletes to achieve success. He's a board-certified psychiatrist, but we're told some people in Britney's life felt she needed someone who worked full-time on serious mental health issues.

The evaluator's report is just one issue facing the judge. As we reported, Jamie has filed papers and will appear in court Monday asking a judge to temporarily relieve him of conservatorship duties until January, and put her case manager, Jodi Montgomery, in the conservator's role during the interim.

Jamie says he's ill and can't perform the duties, but there's a bigger issue. He's prohibited from having any contact with Britney's kids after allegedly putting his hands on 13-year-old Sean. Kevin Federline filed a police report and cops are investigating.

It seems improbable Jamie could be Britney's conservator until the case is resolved, since the conservator is ultimately responsible for the welfare of the children and that's hard to do when you can't interact with them.

Our sources say Monday's hearing should be non-eventful. We're told there's no real objection to Montgomery stepping in for the short term. But, depending on the evaluator's report and the way the assault investigation goes ... Jamie's long-term prospect for staying conservator is up in the air.

Mac Miller's alleged drug dealer richly deserves time behind bars for contributing to the death of the rapper ... at least according to Ariana Grande.

Sources close to Ariana tell TMZ ... she believes Cameron James Pettit -- the 28-year-old feds believe supplied Miller with counterfeit oxycodone pills that contained fentanyl -- took advantage of someone suffering from addiction and should face harsh consequences for his role in Mac's death.

We're told Grande feels ANYONE who was involved in supplying Miller drugs should be charged and convicted for contributing to his death from an accidental overdose.

As we reported ... prosecutors arrested Pettit and allege he was one of three people who supplied Mac with the fentanyl-laced drugs. The other 2 are possibly a madam and a prostitute also associated with Pettit and Miller.

Our Ariana sources also say the recent arrest has brought some sense of closure to her, though she knows this isn't the end of the story until justice is served.

As for what that justice might entail ... law enforcement sources tell us Pettit could be hit with an enhanced drug trafficking charge resulting in death. This charge requires more investigation, which we're told is currently underway.

Robert Axelrod, the voice of Lord Zedd and Finister in the "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers," has died.

Robert's agent said, "It is with a heavy heart that we write that client, Robert “Bob” Axelrod passed away yesterday in Los Angeles at the age of 70."

Axelrod played Lord Zedd in the flesh in "Mighty Mophins Power Ranger: Live" in 1996.

His career was layered with characters ... he played more than 150 over the years. He was featured in "Digimon" and "Samurai Pizza Cats." He wrote more than 50 episodes of 'Pizza Cats.'

Robert was a well-known guitarist in the early '70s ... playing folk rock and soul. He was also a singer before becoming a famous voice-over actor.

His agent said, "Robert enjoyed meeting his fans and inspiring them to follow their passions. His beautiful and kindred soul will never be forgotten and we take comfort in knowing his memory will live on in all those he inspired, met and knew."

Rober was born and raised in New York City. He appeared in commercials as a kid, he also did off-Broadway plays at the Soho Avant-Garde Theater as a teen.

Robert starred in Michael Jackson's 1995 music video, "Stranger in Moscow," from the album 'HIStory.' The video's been watched on YouTube over 46 million times.

His most recent credit was the 2019 comedy thriller, "Induced Effect," which was released in April.

Robert was 70.

Eazy-E would've been happy about this -- his family just put in a new tombstone over his grave that's worthy of his excellence ... and that's properly fact-checked too.

The unveiling of E's new headstone went down Saturday at the Rose Hill Cemetery in Whittier, CA -- where his kids, friends, fam and die-hard fans came out to show the world a newly commissioned engraving that was way more decked out than his OG slab.

It also included his correct date of birth, with the right year ... 1964, not 1963 as his tombstone had indicated for years since he was buried in the '90s.

Besides that, the headstone is truly a work of art -- with photos of Eazy from his NWA days, and a new title that reads, "The Godfather of Gangsta Rap." It includes the same line from his old tombstone -- "We loved him, but God loved him more" -- but has an additional remembrance as well ... "He Put Compton On The Map." Yep, he sure did.

Eazy's kids have told the media that this is something they've wanted to do for a long time for their dad, as the old grave site was, frankly, not up to par ... not to mention misleading.

What makes the day so special in addition to the new headstone itself is the fact that it was put on display on what would've been Eazy's 55th birthday. People were certainly in a celebratory mood too, as the crowd rapped his lyrics and released doves to boot.

We talked to Cemetery Tim, the creator of the new tombstone, and he told us about the pressure he felt in creating this new one in the ground. Looks like he did a job well done, 'cause his daughter was pretty ecstatic with how it all played out.

The rapper died in 1995 from complications due to HIV/AIDS. He was only 30 years old.

Chester Bennington's widow is moving forward with her life because we've learned she's now engaged ... and at the same time she's honoring her late husband with some pretty noble work in the field of mental health.

Our sources tell us Talinda Bennington got engaged in April to a Los Angeles County firefighter. She says, "I can find love after tragedy." She adds, "To all suicide loss survivors, you CAN be happy again. You CAN have space in your heart for grief, joy, happiness, sadness and love."

We're told Chester's relatives are super supportive of Talinda's new relationship. They think her fiance's a good guy and they're especially pleased he's involved with Chester and Talinda's kids. The family thinks Talinda's fiance will help provide stability for the children. We're told the kids are happy, especially because it makes their mom happy.

TMZ broke the story ... Chester took his own life in his Palos Verdes home back in 2017, while Talinda and their children were out of town.

Talinda has now made mental heath her life's work to honor her late husband. She's the executive director and co-founder of 320 Changes Direction, a mental health awareness org created in honor of Chester.

Chris March, a costume designer who appeared on "Project Runway" -- and dressed huge stars like Beyonce and Meryl Streep -- is dead ... TMZ has confirmed.

Sources close to Chris' family tell TMZ ... he died Thursday afternoon at 1:45 PM from a heart attack. We're told Chris had been in and out of the hospital for the last year, but the heart attack came as a surprise to doctors and relatives.

Despite his medical battles -- related to a nasty fall he suffered 2 years ago -- we're told Chris was still designing dresses until the end.

Chris was a finalist on season 4 of "Project Runway" ... he also appeared on "Project Runway All Stars" and had his own show on Bravo called "Mad Fashion." He also made cameos on "The Real Housewives of New York City" ... helping find elaborate costumes for Sonja Morgan.

Known for his avant-garde style, Chris had major A-list clients. He designed for Madonna, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Coolidge and, as we said, Bey and Streep. He was responsible for Meryl's 2010 Golden Globe and Oscars gowns.

Chris also designed costumes for Cirque du Soleil and a slew of Broadway performances.

He had struggled to fully recover from a June 2017 fall in his apartment where he'd hit his head. Chris laid there for 4 days, finally woke up and called 911 before being rushed to the hospital.

He had to be placed in a medically induced coma, and suffered organ failure ... including a collapsed lung.

Chris was 56.

'Bachelorette' star Tyler Cameron is so in with Gigi Hadid ... he scored an invite to a family event ... sadly it was grandma's funeral.

Tyler and Gigi winged it to Rotterdam, Netherlands ... where Yolanda Hadid's mother, Ans van den Herik, was laid to rest.

Remember ... Gigi and Tyler have only been dating for a month ... this after the superfan model sought him out after he came up short on the reality show.

Tyler has made the most of it, and now he's embedded in the fam ... we're guessing he didn't deliver the eulogy ... but nice he was there to support his girl.

Anwar's also there with his new girl, British singer Dua Lipa. They've also been moving fast after just 2 months of dating ... they're supposedly moving in together.

Bella, on the other hand, is still fresh off her breakup from The Weeknd and went solo.

Gigi and Anwar weren't the only ones with a little arm candy. Yolanda walked hand-in-hand with her new man, Joseph Jingoli.

Dog the Bounty Hunter is about to be a first-time viewer, just like Joe Q. Public, of his new reality show ... and he nearly broke down as he told us why.

We spoke to Duane "Dog" Chapman on "TMZ Live" about Wednesday night's debut of "Dog's Most Wanted" and he broke some interesting news. Dog says he has NOT seen the final edit of the of show -- which is not his normal process.

Dog said he usually weighs in on edits of the show, but after his wife, Beth Chapman, passed in June ... things changed for him.

Dog says it was too difficult to watch footage of Beth, and therefore ... he stayed out of how the show was cut. As far as what's documented though -- Dog tells us the show captures Beth's final days before she passed away in June, including one final ass-kicking moment in the field.

We also asked Dog for an update on the break-in at his Colorado storefront last month, in which crooks made off with some of Beth's personal belongings. The investigation is ongoing, but he opens up about what local police begged him to do ... or NOT do.

As we reported ... Dog had a hunch the crime was an inside job based on what a psychic told him, who claimed she'd spoken to Beth from the great beyond.

He admitted it wouldn't be pretty if he ends up getting a hold of the culprits.

The "Fastest Woman on Four Wheels" was traveling at a breathtakingly incredible speed for well over a minute -- with no signs of trouble -- just before her fatal jet-car crashed.

This video of Jessi Combs' final ride -- obtained by TMZ -- shows the professional racer absolutely flying across the Alvord Desert in Oregon last week as she attempted to break the land-speed record she'd previously set in 2016.

Shortly after this footage ends, the vehicle started to come apart. As we reported, Combs' jet-powered car crashed and killed her. Photos of the wreckage show the 56-foot-long jet-car -- called the North American Eagle -- was destroyed with only a few parts even recognizable after the horrific accident.

According to the Harney County Sheriff's Office ... the cause of the crash is still unknown and under investigation.

Along with setting land-speed records that earned Jessi her moniker -- she was a TV personality with notable appearances on "MythBusters" and "Overhaulin'."

Spanish Olympic skier Blanca Fernandez Ochoa was found dead in the Guadarrama Mountains outside Madrid on Wednesday ... nearly 2 weeks after going missing. She was 56 years old.

The 1992 bronze medalist was last seen on August 23 and was reported missing by her daughter ... sparking a massive search operation with drones, helicopters and volunteers to find the world-class athlete.

There's a lot of questions about her death that have just not been answered yet -- including why she left home without her cell phone and credit cards ... and how she ended up at that location. We'll post more information as it becomes available.

Fernandez Ochoa's abandoned Mercedes vehicle was found on Sunday ... and an off-duty officer found her body early Wednesday morning.

Fernandez Ochoa competed in 4 Winter Olympics in the '80s and '90s ... becoming the first Spanish woman to take home a medal in the 1992 winter games in France when she won the bronze in the slalom.

Trina's mother has passed away ... TMZ has learned.

The 'Love & Hip Hop' star and legendary femcee's mom, Vernessa 'Nessa' Taylor, died Tuesday morning, according to Trina's rep. We're told she lost a battle to cancer.

Trina's camp tells us that Nessa was the rock that molded her daughter into the strong, successful woman she's become, and that she was also a pillar in her community in advocating for self-love, confidence and perseverance among women in general.

The rep tells TMZ ... "Thank you all for your kind words and condolences regarding Trina’s mother. It truly gives the family some peace and comfort knowing that 'Nessa' lived such a fulfilling life filled with love and abundance." Trina's team asks for privacy as the family mourns.

Trina mentioned her mother in her music, notably referencing her in a song similar to Pac's "Dear Mama." In her 2017 track -- simply titled "Mama (The One)" -- Trina raps about wanting to pass before her mother did 'cause of how attached she was to her.

Trina's lyrics go like this ... "Thinking 'bout you mama / Got me running to the liquor / Mama where you goin'? / I'm gon' have to beg to differ / I'd rather go first, so I wanna go with you 'cause I can't do this without you." Obviously, they were incredibly close.

Just last year, Trina and co. threw Nessa an extravagant rooftop birthday party, where photos and music were in abundance and a good time was had by all. Even in this clip though, you can see Nessa struggling a bit to walk -- it's clear she was ill at the time.

We're told Trina's inner circle is trying to keep her grounded during this difficult time, and that she's surrounded by loved ones as she works through the grieving process.

Nessa was 62.

Haley Smith -- a former contestant on "American Idol" -- died over the weekend after crashing her motorcycle in Maine ... TMZ has learned.

The singer passed away early Saturday morning in Millinocket, Maine in a one-vehicle crash after police say it appears she failed to make a sharp turn along a residential road that becomes a highway in certain sections. Police say she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Her father, Mike Smith, tells TMZ ... Haley was riding on a country road and her family believes a deer might've caused the accident -- as he implied she was a good rider, and they doubt she simply lost control of her bike.

Haley's time on 'AI' was relatively brief in 2012, when she auditioned in Colorado during season 11. She didn't make it beyond the second Hollywood round, but Haley certainly left an impression on the judges at the time in her audition.

She sang Rufus and Chaka Khan's "Tell Me Something Good," putting a folksy twist on it that left Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler pretty impressed.

Steven even said it was an honor to hear her sing, 'cause he said she was out of his "era" with her look, sound and vibe.

Haley was 26, and her family says they were preparing to celebrate her birthday this upcoming November.

RIP

Detroit Tigers minor league catcher Chace Numata died in a Pennsylvania hospital on Monday at the age of 27 … after sustaining serious injuries in a skateboarding accident last week.

According to police, Numata -- who played for the Tigers double-A and triple-A affiliate this season -- was riding his skateboard home early Friday morning around 2 AM when he appears to have fallen and hit his head.

Minutes later a motorist saw Chace on the ground -- unconscious and bleeding -- and called 911. Emergency responders transported Numata to the hospital … where he remained until passing away earlier today.

Numata was taken by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 10th round of the 2010 MLB Draft. He also spent time with the Yankees organization before signing with the Tigers organization before this season.

Numata -- in 77 games this season -- had a .244 batting average with 4 home runs and 28 RBI's. Over his career, Chace played in 575 minor league games.

The Tigers released the following statement on Chace's death, saying … “The Detroit Tigers are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Chace Numata. Though this was his first year with our organization, Chace was beloved by many from our Major League club through all levels of our player development system."

"He had an engaging personality that quickly established him as a leader on and off the field, and his presence will be forever remembered in our organization and beyond. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, teammates and coaches.”