RIP

Paris Hilton is saying goodbye to her grandpa, Barron Hilton ... the former Hilton Hotels chairman and founding owner of the Los Angeles Chargers has died.

Paris posted a heartfelt tribute to her late grandfather on social media Friday afternoon, saying she's deeply saddened by his death and calling Barron a visionary.

Barron, the son of patriarch Conrad Hilton, died Thursday from natural causes ... according to the Conrad Hilton Foundation. Paris says she spoke with her grandpa only days before he died, and she told him how much of an impact he made in her life.

Barron expanded the family's Hilton Hotels empire and helped start the American Football League as the Chargers' first owner, paving the way for the modern NFL.

After serving in the Navy and spending two decades as an entrepreneur, Barron joined the family biz as Hilton Hotels' vice president way back in 1954 and quickly rose through the ranks to become the chairman, president and CEO.

In 1959, Lamar Hunt approached Barron and several other wealthy businessmen, and they formed the AFL. Barron founded the Chargers, buying the franchise for $25,000. Under Barron, the Bolts became the first pro-football team to put players' last names on the backs of their jerseys, and he was instrumental in the design of the team's iconic lightning bolt logo.

Barron helped Lamar negotiate the AFL-NFL merger in 1965, and in '66 Hilton sold his controlling interest in the Chargers to take over Hilton Hotels.

Barron is survived by his 2 daughters, 6 sons, 15 grandkids and 4 great-grandchildren.

He was 91.

Suzanne Whang, the woman whose voice and face opened "House Hunters" episodes for nearly a decade, has died after a long battle with cancer.

Suzanne's partner, Jeff Vezain, said he was by her side when she passed Tuesday evening, at 7:20 PM, at their Los Angeles home. Suzanne had been diagnosed with breast cancer 13 years ago but, in a Facebook post, Jeff said she always confronted it with "courage, humor, determination and optimism."

Suzanne became an HGTV fan favorite during her 9 years hosting episodes of the immensely popular "House Hunters" series. She was also an actress with supporting roles on countless TV movies and TV series, including, "General Hospital," "Criminal Minds," and "NYPD Blue."

Suzanne most notably played manicurist Polly Nguyen on 4 seasons of "Las Vegas."

She had an undergraduate psychology degree from Yale University and a masters from Brown University and was a published author, but Suzanne poured her energy and spirit into a vast array of fields. She was also a radio host, producer, political activist and a minister.

Jeff said she would "prefer that her life be celebrated, as opposed to her passing mourned."

Suzanne was 56.

RIP

Jessica Jaymes -- the porn star best known for becoming Hustler's first contract model to become a member of the AVN Hall of Fame -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... a friend went to check on Jessica Tuesday afternoon in her San Fernando Valley home because he hadn't heard from her in a while. When the friend arrived at her home, our sources say the friend found Jessica unconscious.

We're told fire and EMS got a call for cardiac arrest for a female. When they got there, nothing seemed amiss. They pronounced her dead at the scene. The cause of death is unknown and now the L.A. County Coroner's Office is investigating.

Jessica had a history of seizures. We're told authorities found various prescription drugs.

Jessica started doing soft porn in 2002 when she was 26. She got her big break in 2004 when Hustler signed her. She made her "coming out" debut in 2005 in the adult film, "The Porn Identity." Jessica snagged Hustler magazine's "Honey of the Year" award that same year.

She went on to appear in well over 200 adult films and was an active performer as of late on her exclusive content website. She also earned some mainstream credits. Jessica appeared as herself on several episodes of the Showtime series "Weeds."

Jessica -- who just last week told her almost 1M Instagram followers she had been on vacation -- also appeared on "The Howard Stern Show," VH1's "Celebrity Rehab Sober House" and HBO's "Vivid Valley."

Jessica got her stage name combining her real first name and adding the first name of her then-lover, James. She was born Jessica Redding in Anchorage, Alaska. Her mother is of Czech and French descent while her father was reportedly an undercover DEA agent.

She attended New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell, New Mexico before attending and graduating from Rio Salado Community College. She was a fourth through sixth grade teacher for 3 years before becoming an adult film actress. Interesting life.

Ed Buck -- a California Democratic megadonor -- has been arrested and charged with operating a drug house after yet another person OD'd at his apartment ... fortunately this one survived.

TMZ's obtained video of Buck slumped over in the back of a cop car as he's hauled away from his West Hollywood home ... as cops and crime lab investigators made their way into his place.

Buck's accused of injecting a man with methamphetamine at his residence last week, causing a nonfatal overdose ... according to the L.A. County D.A.'s Office.

He's facing 3 felony counts -- battery causing serious injury, administering methamphetamine and maintaining a drug house. He's set to be arraigned Wednesday.

Buck's arrest comes after months of public scrutiny following the deaths of 2 men inside his apartment. Both men died from overdoses, 18 months apart, the first in July 2017 and the second in January.

Their deaths were found to be accidental methamphetamine overdoses. Though Buck wasn't charged in either incident, the mother of the first victim has filed a wrongful death suit against him.

Prosecutors reportedly allege in court docs that Buck uses his power to manipulate victims to participate in his sexual fetishes ... including injecting them with narcotics.

Prosecutors want bail set at $4 mil.

Mac Miller's fortune has officially been totaled up -- and the guy was worth over $11 million ... which will be split among his closest friends and family.

The rapper's estate filed new legal docs showing Mac's wealth has been appraised in full at about $11.3 million, including his personal property and cash on hand. A few of Mac's buddies are going to get a vast majority of his belongings -- including LOTS of jewelry and other cool stuff -- while his mom, dad and bro will get the rest.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Mac's trust left special instructions to give Bryan Johnson all of his clothing and electronics, specifically ... his TV, laptop, iPads, etc. Another friend named Q Chandler-Cuff is getting more than 20 pieces of jewelry ... valued at several tens of thousands of dollars.

His bud, Dylan Rectenwald, will be getting all of Mac's musical instruments and equipment -- MM was a known musician and producer, so he had his fair share of toys, including a $5,000 guitar. He also left a friend named Jimmy Murton his household furnishings.

As for Mac's family, he left them a whopping $5 million-plus in bank and brokerage accounts -- plus whatever else he had to his name.

Mac Miller died of an accidental overdose last year at the age of 26. His death resulted in the arrest of his alleged drug dealer, who the feds say provided him a lethal dose of spiked drugs.

John Singleton's daughter needs help with her bills ... and she wants her late father's estate to cough up the dough every month.

The late director's daughter, Cleopatra Singleton, filed a petition with her father's estate requesting a monthly allowance of $2,778 per month. According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Cleopatra is also asking for a one-time payment of $4,150 to cover her study abroad program.

In docs, Cleopatra says she's a student and her father used to cover all of her bills -- cell phone, car note, utilities, etc. But, since his tragic passing, Cleopatra says she's struggled to keep up.

The 21-year-old says she wants the allowance for now until the estate works out how to distribute John's fortune. Cleopatra says that could take at least another year, if not more.

Cokie Roberts -- the revered journalist and political commentator who was a pioneer for women during her storied career -- has died.

The network where she spent more than 3 decades, ABC News, announced Cokie's passing Tuesday morning. She died from complications of breast cancer, according to a family statement.

Cokie -- born Mary Martha Corinne Morrison Claiborne Boggs -- earned her name from her older brother, who couldn't pronounce Corinne. The name Cokie stuck for the rest of her life. She made a name for herself as a young Capitol Hill reporter for NPR before joining ABC News in 1988.

She became a contributor on "This Week" before co-anchoring the popular news show with Sam Donaldson. They co-anchored the show from 1996 until 2002.

Cokie was also a best-selling author with several New York Times Best Sellers titles to her name.

She was inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame and named one of the 50 greatest women in the history of broadcasting by the American Women in Radio and Television.

She was so respected ... Cokie was literally named a "Living Legend" by the Library of Congress in 2008. She famously came from a long line of family members embedded in politics -- her father was Congressman and Democratic House majority leader Thomas Boggs, who was also a member of the Warren Commission ... which investigated the JFK assassination.

Cokie's survived by her husband of 53 years, Steven Roberts, and her 2 kids, Lee and Rebecca.

She was 75.

Ric Ocasek's cause of death has been revealed -- The Cars frontman died of heart disease.

According to NYC's Chief Medical Examiner ... Ocasek died of hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. In layman's terms, that means he had heart disease caused by high blood pressure.

Pulmonary emphysema is also listed as a contributing condition to his death, and law enforcement sources tell us he had a history of cancer. His manner of death is listed as natural.

As we reported ... The Cars lead singer was discovered unresponsive Sunday at his townhouse in NYC and pronounced dead at the scene. He was reportedly found in his bed by his estranged wife, Paulina Porizkova.

Ocasek started the band in the '70s and they busted through to stardom with their 1978 song, "Just What I Needed." They went on to have a number of hits, including "My Best Friend's Girl," "Good Times Roll," "Bye Bye Love," "Let's Go," "Shake It Up" and their biggest hit ... "Drive."

Ric was known for his distinct voice and became known as a new wave rock pioneer.

He was 75.

RIP

NASCAR champion Mike Stefanik -- a 9-time touring series winner -- died in a plane crash near Rhode Island on Sunday. He was 61.

Stefanik was flying a single-engine, single-seat Aerolite 103 -- which took off from the Riconn Airport in Coventry, Rhode Island -- when something went wrong.

Officials say the plane was attempting to return to the airport when it crashed in the woods near the runway, killing the pilot.

NASCAR chairman Jim France issued a statement remembering the former stock car racer ...

"Mike Stefanik was one of the most successful drivers in NASCAR history, but even more so, he was a true representative of our sport," France said.

"His tough, competitive nature and excellence on the race track won him the respect and admiration of fans and competitors alike."

"His career stretched more than 30 years, bridging the generations between Jerry Cook and Richie Evans to our current drivers."

"He recorded achievements in this sport that are likely untouchable, and his legacy as a champion will endure. We will keep his wife Julie and his family and friends in our prayers."

Stefanik was named Busch Series Most Popular Driver in 1995, 1997, 1998 and 2004.

Most people know Stefanik for crushing the Whelen Modified Tour Circuit from 1989 to 2006, when he won 7 different times!

Stefanik made NASCAR history in 1997 and '98 when he won dual titles by winning both the Modified and K&N Pro Series East divisions.

In other words, the guy was a legend and he'll be missed.

Ric Ocasek -- the frontman and lead singer of the rock band The Cars -- has died.

Police say Ocasek was discovered unresponsive Sunday at his townhouse in NYC, and was pronounced dead at the scene -- according to an NYPD spokesperson. It's unclear for now how he might've died. He was reportedly found in his bed by his estranged wife, Paulina Porizkova.

Ocasek started The Cars back in the '70s and made a name for themselves with their 1978 song, "Just What I Needed." They went on to churn out a number of hits, including "My Best Friend's Girl," "Good Times Roll," "Bye Bye Love" and many others.

Their first Top 20 single, "Let's Go," arrived from their second album, "Candy-O" in '79, with other hits to follow such as "It's All I Can Do," "Double Life" and more. Their biggest hit to date, "Drive," peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and topped other charts as well.

The tune was prominently featured in the 1985 event Live Aid, where it was used as the background song in a montage depicting famine in Ethiopia.

The Cars were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame just last year, where they reunited to perform at the induction ceremony.

Ocasek is survived by his five children. He was 75.

Brian Turk -- who starred in HBO's "Carnivale," and had countless appearances in hit shows -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

The veteran actor passed away Friday due to complications from cancer, according to his rep. We're told he was diagnosed a year ago, but that his cancer recently became terminal.

He's acted in some of Hollywood's biggest shows and movies over the years, including supporting roles in series like "Two and a Half Men," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "The Jamie Foxx Show," "Step by Step," "Wings," "Beverly Hills, 90210," "Boy Meets World," "ER," "Criminal Minds," "General Hospital," "Animal Kingdom," "NCIS" and others.

Brian also had smaller roles in flicks like "American Pie 2," "A.I. Artificial Intelligence," "Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles," "The Lost World: Jurassic Park," "Big Fat Liar" and more. He had 42 acting credits to his name, per his IMDb page.

He's perhaps best known for his starring role on "Carnivale" in the early 2000s, in which he played strongman Gabriel, who was part of the travelling circus depicted on screen.

A GoFundMe has been created on Brian's behalf -- funeral arrangements are currently being made and donations are being solicited to assist his family.

Brian is survived by his wife, and his 8-year-old son. He was 49.

Nate Dogg is getting a fancy new tombstone on his grave ... designed by the same guy who just gave Eazy-E's final resting place a face-lift.

Cemetery Tim, the man behind Eazy-E's updated gravestone, tells TMZ ... Nate Dogg's family hit him up this week looking to spruce up the rapper's plot with a new headstone. The original headstone is kinda basic, and the elements have taken their toll.

Nate's loved ones saw how CT worked wonders with Eazy-E, and they wanted something similar for Nate.

We broke the story ... Eazy-E got an extravagant tombstone on what would have been his 55th birthday.

Nate Dogg, who was 41 when he died back in 2011, is buried in his native Long Beach, CA at Forest Lawn cemetery ... and we're told his family is talking to Tim about their vision for the new tombstone.

The headstone will take about 60 days to be designed, manufactured and delivered ... and we're told the target date for the unveiling is December 1.

If Eazy-E is any indication, Nate's family will be pleased with Tim's vision ... nobody does it better.

Eddie Money -- the '70s and '80s hitmaker known for "Take Me Home Tonight" and "Baby Hold On" -- has died ... TMZ has confirmed.

The singer died Friday in Los Angeles. His family said, "The Money Family regrets to announce that Eddie passed away peacefully early this morning. It is with heavy hearts that we say goodbye to our loving husband and father. We cannot imagine our world without him. We are grateful that he will live on forever through his music."

Eddie made the stunning revelation about his diagnosis during season 2 of his reality show, "Real Money." As we reported ... Eddie got the heartbreaking news late last year during a routine checkup with doctors.

It didn't look good at that point ... the cancer started in Eddie's esophagus but spread to other parts of his body. He'd been battling health scares for some time now. You'll recall he was forced to take a break from the road for other health issues -- a minor heart valve procedure in May and he also caught pneumonia in July, but neither issue was related to the cancer.

Eddie -- born Edward Joseph Mahoney -- was born in Brooklyn. He came from a long line of family members who served with the NYPD. He himself was on the force for 2 years ... before ditching NYC in 1968 for California to fulfill his lifelong dream of becoming a rock star.

Money worked the local clubs in Berkeley before he was signed to Columbia Records in 1976. His self-titled debut album earned double-platinum success. The album also included some of his classic hits ... including "Two Tickets to Paradise." His career spanned more than 4 decades and he sold over 28 million records.

Eddie also made a guest appearance on the CBS sitcom 'King of Queens' back in 2002.

He's survived by his wife of more than 30 years, Laurie, and 5 children ... Zachary, Jessica, Joseph, Julian and Desmond.

Last time we got Eddie out, he talked to us about his favorite era of music, and even tolerated a couple bars sung to him by our camera guy.

Eddie was 70.

RIP

T. Boone Pickens -- the super charismatic billionaire known as the "Oracle of Oil" -- has died at age 91, a spokesperson confirms.

Pickens reportedly died peacefully Wednesday of natural causes at his home in Texas.

You may know T. Boone for being one of the successful oil tycoons in history. You may know him for the BILLIONS he donated to charity.

And, if you're a college football fan, you might know him because the stadium at Oklahoma State University is NAMED after him! In fact, over the years, T. Boone raved about OSU to TMZ Sports!

He told us back in the day the best part of having a stadium named after him is "I'll always have a seat!"

Pickens made his fortune in energy -- he started working in oil after graduating from OSU in 1951 (with a degree in geology) and ultimately built Mesa Petroleum, which he grew into one of the largest gas and oil companies in the U.S. He became a BILLIONAIRE in the '80s.

He later honed his talents as a corporate raider -- and made TONS of money buying out companies. In 1996, he started BP Capital Management, which was also wildly successful.

As for his philanthropic work, he reportedly donated more $1 BILLION to various causes during his lifetime.

Pickens famously donated more than $500 MIL to Oklahoma State -- and the funds were almost evenly divided between OSU's athletics and academics.

Another interesting note ... Pickens had pledged to donate 90% of his net worth to charity upon his death.

Nobody knows exactly how much Pickens was worth -- or where the funds will go -- but should be VERY interesting to see how that shakes out.

He's survived by 5 children, 11 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren. Pickens had been married 5 times during his lifetime ... but was not married when he died. He had reportedly been rekindling his relationship with wife #3 Nelda toward the end of his life.

Pickens was also famous for being a host to the most powerful people in the world at his 65,000-acre ranch in Texas ... including George W. Bush, Nancy Reagan, Dick Cheney, Ted Turner and more.

Pickens also penned his 1987 biography, "Boone," and 2008's "The First Billion is the Hardest."

Jeff Fenholt -- best known for playing the title character in the original Broadway theater production of "Jesus Christ Superstar" -- has died.

Law enforcement sources tell us Jeff died Tuesday, only 5 days before his 69th birthday. We're told Fenholt had recently been battling some health issues and was found dead at his home. Jeff's death is not being investigated under suspicious circumstances.

Jeff famously played Jesus in Andrew Lloyd Webber's rock opera, "Jesus Christ Superstar," which opened on Broadway in October 1971 and played at the Mark Hellinger Theatre for a widely successful run of more than 700 performances.

Right after the play debuted, Jeff was featured on the cover of Time Magazine in full costume, complete with a thorn crown on his head.

Jeff was also embroiled in controversy over his involvement with the English heavy metal band, Black Sabbath. Jeff claimed he was a singer in the band for a few months in 1985, and says the band used several of his melodies for their album, "Seventh Star," though he was not credited.

However, original Sabbath member Tony Iommi never confirmed Jeff was in the band ... and the official line from Black Sabbath is that Jeff merely "tried out" for a spot in the group.

Jeff also gained notoriety as a Christian evangelist, and he says he made the conversion after becoming addicted to drugs and alcohol after the end of 'JCS' on Broadway.

Jeff was 68.

Neiron Ball -- a beloved ex-Florida Gators football star -- has died at 27 after a long battle with a rare brain disorder, his family announced.

Ball was a stud at UF from 2011 to 2014 despite being diagnosed with Brain AVM (arteriovenous malformation) ... a condition characterized by tangled blood vessels in the brain. It reportedly affects less than 1% of the population.

Ball was hospitalized in 2011 after collapsing during football practice. Doctors determined he was suffering from a brain bleed and required surgery.

Despite the crippling condition, Ball recovered and GOT BACK ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD -- and he played so well, the Oakland Raiders selected the pass rusher in the 5th round of the 2015 NFL Draft.

Ball racked up 9 tackles, a fumble recovery and a sack his rookie year.

But, he suffered an injury and was released the next season.

In 2018, Ball reportedly suffered a brain aneurysm and was placed in a medically induced coma. His sister said Ball's health suffered tremendously -- describing him as a quadriplegic who could only communicate using his eyes.

The family announced Ball passed away Monday morning -- saying, "Neiron was a very special and loving father, brother, and teammate. Neiron has transitioned to a place of peace."

The Florida Gators football team posted a tribute on social media -- "Rest in Peace, Neiron. You'll be forever remembered and always missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with your family during this difficult time."