RIP

Whitney Houston's longtime pal, Robyn Crawford, is now saying what everyone in Whitney's world knew ... she had a physical relationship with the singer.

Robyn -- who made the revelation in her new book, "A Song for You: My Life with Whitney Houston" -- says she met a then 16-year-old Houston in 1980 at a summer camp, and that their friendship quickly turned physical and romantic.

Robyn told NBC News in a new interview ... it started with a kiss, and then eventually went on to sleeping together. Robyn says it wasn't planned -- it's just something that happened.

Over the next 2 years ... Robyn explains Whitney told her they had to stop seeing each other, as she felt it would sink her music career. On top of that, Robyn says there was family pressure.

Here's what's crazy ... Robyn says Whitney wanted to keep things on the down-low, yet people we've spoken with who were close to the singer say she often flaunted her relationship with Robyn in public. One source says he saw them at the Crillon Hotel in Paris, and they were full-on making out in the lobby, with numerous people watching.

Robyn goes on to say, in the interview airing Saturday on Dateline, Whitney told her that her own mother -- a gospel singer -- had issues with them being together, saying it wasn't natural.

Whitney married Bobby Brown and had one child with him -- Bobbi Kristina Brown. Whitney died in 2012, and her daughter passed a few years later. As you know, they both eerily died in a bathtub and drugs were involved.

With her book, Robyn says she hopes to shed more light on who Whitney truly was. She'll be live on 'Today' November 11 ... the day before her book comes out.

Christopher Dennis -- a street performer known for portraying Superman on Hollywood Blvd. for more than 25 years -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... Dennis was found dead Saturday in the San Fernando Valley. We're told his body was discovered lying headfirst in a bin that's used for clothing donations.

Investigators believe Christopher -- who was homeless -- was attempting to gather clothes for himself. Our sources say no foul play is suspected.

Dennis' story is both charming and tragic -- after 2 decades of entertaining folks in Hollywood by impersonating The Man of Steel, he was the victim of a vicious assault and robbery that nearly killed him and left him without a way to make money.

He was rendered homeless, but thanks to the help of friends and a Kickstarter campaign, he got a new suit that allowed him to get back on his feet ... and return to the Blvd for the Superman fans.

He also starred in the documentary, "Confessions of a Superhero," and appeared multiple times on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"

Sadly, it seems he fell on hard times again recently.

Christopher was 52.

RIP

John Witherspoon was a magnetic figure ... so it's no surprise most of Hollywood showed up to bid him one last goodbye.

The late comedian's open-casket celebration of life went down Tuesday in L.A. in front of a huge gathering of friends, family and celebs alike. David Letterman commenced the celebration. He and John went way back ... they honed their craft together at The Comedy Store in Hollywood alongside Richard Pryor, Robin Williams and Jay Leno.

Ice Cube was one of several speakers and he paid a touching tribute ... saying he enjoyed the hell outta John for as long as he could remember.

Some other celebrity guest speakers included Cedric the Entertainer, George Wallace, Angela Gibbs and Bill Bellamy. Regina King couldn't make it but she did send along a video message that was played on the big screen.

Guests at the celebration of life received a colorful program adorned with John's infectious smile. The back-page included one of his most famous lines from "Boomerang" ... "BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!"

As we reported ... John died suddenly last week, at the age of 77, after he went into cardiac arrest at his home in Sherman Oaks, CA.

His career -- which started in stand-up comedy -- spanned more than 5 decades ... and included his unforgettable roles as Ice Cube's father in the "Friday" movies, Granddad on "The Boondocks" and Pops on "The Wayans Bros."

Jessi Combs -- the "Fastest Woman on Four Wheels" -- crashed her jet-car because her front wheel gave out.

According to the Harney County Sheriff's Office ... the front wheel of Jessi's jet-powered car suffered a mechanical failure before her fatal crash, and the front wheel assembly most likely collapsed as a result of hitting an object during her attempt at breaking her own land-speed record.

The Sheriff released the findings Monday after completing an investigation into the crash ... and they say the front wheel failed when Jessi's jet-car reached around 550 miles per hour.

Jessi's cause of death was also determined to be blunt force trauma to the head, which the Sheriff says occurred before her race vehicle was engulfed in flames following the crash.

As we reported ... Jessi's jet-powered car crashed and killed her in August in the Alvord Desert in Oregon. Photos of the wreckage showed her 56-foot-long jet-car -- the North American Eagle -- completely destroyed, and the footage we obtained shows her traveling at incredible speeds before the crash.

Jennifer Hudson is ready for her close-up as the Queen of Soul herself -- 'cause she's already in character and filming -- as is her onscreen husband, Marlon Wayans.

The Oscar-winning actress and Grammy-winning singer was spotted on set Sunday in NYC, where she was in costume as a young Aretha Franklin for the upcoming biopic about the music icon called 'Respect.' Marlon plays her first hubby and ex-manager, Ted White.

In this scene -- which is supposedly set in Harlem during the mid-60s -- you can see Marlon talking to a group of prostitutes, before collecting money and roughing one up a bit. Jennifer (as Aretha) looks on from a waiting car, and when Marlon gets back in ... they share a passionate kiss. Gotta say ... the production value seems to be pretty high here.

BTW, Jennifer was reportedly hand-picked by Aretha before her death in 2018. She probably couldn't have chosen a better person to play her in a movie. Jen's got the chops on both ends to pull it off -- and so far, she certainly has the early Aretha look down.

And, while Marlon usually plays the funny guy, he comes off as menacing and serious here. That jives with the real-life Ted, who's remembered as a notorious Detroit pimp ... who allegedly abused Aretha before they finally parted ways in 1969.

Walter Mercado -- a Spanish TV icon who served as an eccentric astrologist with his own syndicated segments -- has died.

Mercado passed away late Saturday at a hospital in San Juan, Puerto Rico due to kidney failure, according to the facility's spokesperson, Sofia Luquis, who told AP. It's unclear how long he'd been hospitalized there and what exact ailment he'd been battling.

Nonetheless, a major loss in the Spanish community -- as Mercado was a staple in many Latino homes through the '80s, '90s and onward. He got his start on TV in his native land of Puerto Rico, establishing himself with daily horoscopes, advice and predictions.

Eventually, he got his own show on Univision, where he had a home for years before parting ways in 2010 and moving on to other Spanish networks. He was known for his lavish outfits, which often included robes, capes, jewelry, makeup and other extravagant accessories.

While he never came out and announced his sexual preferences, Mercado was a bit of a hero in the LGBTQ community ... with many viewing him as a trend-setter on Spanish TV, which had often leaned more conservative. He had no children,  and no known partners.

In 2012, Mercado was rushed to a Cleveland area hospital for cardiac problems -- after which, he claimed he'd seen death ...  wanting to devote himself to philanthropic causes.

Mercado had a known catchphrase he'd always end his horoscope segments with. It went like ... "Que reciban de mi siempre pas, mucha pas. Pero sobre todo, mucho, mucho, mucho amor." It translates to, "May you always receive peace from me, but above all else ... lots and lots of love."

Brian Tarantina has died ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us that the veteran actor was found dead early Saturday morning in his Manhattan apartment from what we're told appeared to be a fatal drug overdose to the officers and first-responders who came out.

Our sources say Brian's niece went to check in on him at his Hell's Kitchen residence at around 12:30 AM, and discovered her uncle unresponsive on the couch. We're told the niece told cops she'd last talked to him late Tuesday night. Upon finding him, she called 911, and we're told when officers and paramedics arrived ... they found a white powdery substance near his body, believed to be alleged narcotics. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

It's unclear at this point what the white substance might've been. We're told the NYC medical examiner's office will conduct an autopsy to determine an official cause of death.

Brian has been working in the biz for a long time, often playing supporting characters through the '80s and '90s, and even into the 2000s and onward. He's perhaps best known for tough guy roles in flicks like "Jacob's Ladder," "Uncle Buck," "The Jerky Boys," "Summer of Sam," "Knight and Day," "Carlito's Way," "Donnie Brasco," "City By the Sea" and others.

He's got a much more extensive resume than that though. The guy's been in tons of stuff over the years ... shows like "Law & Order," "Miami Vice," "Spin City," "Oz," "NYPD Blue," "ER," "The Sopranos," "Gilmore Girls," "Heroes," "The Black Donnellys," "The Blacklist," "Madame Secretary," "Blue Bloods" and most recently in "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" playing Jackie.

He was 60 years old.

RIP

Rudy Boesch, who was on the debut season of 'Survivor' has died ... TMZ has learned.

Rudy was the retired Navy SEAL who had an alliance with the ultimate winner, Richard Hatch. A member of Rudy's family tells us he died Friday night of complications from Alzheimer's Disease.

During his time on the show, Rudy was 72 ... the oldest contestant by far.

The show was called "Survivor: Borneo" and was a ratings smash hit and was the trigger for a number of similar shows, including "The Amazing Race." 'Survivor' is now in season 38.

As for Rudy ... he joined the Navy in 1945 and quickly volunteered for "secret hazardous duty." In 1962 Rudy became one of the first 50 officers of the original SEAL Team Two.

Rudy served in Vietnam and earned the Bronze Star Medal for heroic action. He retired from the military in 1990 ... 10 years before making his debut on 'Survivor.'

After the debut season of 'Survivor,' Rudy made an encore on "Survivor: All-Stars" in 2004.

Rudy's wife, Marge, passed away in 2008. He is survived by 3 kids.

Dog the Bounty Hunter's still very much in the throes of his grief from losing his soulmate ... and he spent her birthday grieving, all by himself.

Sources close to Dog tell TMZ ... Beth Chapman's death hit him especially hard on October 29 ... when he would have been celebrating her 52nd birthday. We're told Dog was back in their hometown of Denver that day and spent the entire time indoors.

Dog sat alone going through photos of Beth and himself, with their family ... reflecting on their lives. We're told it was a tear-filled day, but he wasn't in complete solitude. We're told he called their children and many of Beth's friends to reminisce and talk about the positive impact she had on their lives.

Dog paid tribute to his late wife on Instagram that day too, with a series of video clips of Beth from their most recent reality show. He captioned one, "There will never be another like you. Happy birthday Beth! We [love] you!"

As we've told you, along with trying to recover emotionally, Dog's been focused on getting healthier ... starting with his diet. He revealed to Dr. Oz he was diagnosed with a life-threatening condition -- a pulmonary embolism --  and added he wouldn't be around for long without improving his heart condition.

Bridget Marquardt and Holly Madison were able to reach Hugh Hefner from the great beyond ... and Bridget says Holly's finally made peace with her famous ex.

Bridget came on "TMZ Live" this Halloween, breaking down her séance at Holly's house -- which she claims is haunted -- and telling us about the girls' paranormal chat with the late Playboy founder.

As we first told you ... the former 'Girls Next Door' stars planned to contact Hef the night before Halloween with the help of "Ghost Adventures" star and Hollywood psychic medium Patti Negri.

The girls accomplished their metaphysical mission, contacting Hef and several other spirits from beyond the grave.

Holly and Hugh had a rocky history before his death -- she claimed he abused her emotionally and verbally while she was in the Playboy Mansion -- but Bridget says Holly was totally okay with getting in touch with Hef's spirit.

It's kinda spooky ... Bridget says during the séance, Holly learned Hef periodically checks in on her from the spirit world, but Holly's happy to know he still cares about her.

Jeffrey Epstein's family is still waiting to hear about DNA evidence to prove he wasn't murdered -- evidence they've been demanding for more than 2 months, according to the family's forensic expert.

Dr. Michael Baden, a pioneer in forensics, says the family hired him to observe the autopsy that was conducted on August 11 ... the day after Epstein was found dead in his prison cell. Dr. Baden was on FOX News Wednesday, and he confirmed something TMZ first reported more than 2 months ago.

Baden says fractures in Epstein's neck are more consistent with homicide than suicide by hanging. Specifically, he says the hyoid bone (in the Adam's apple area) and 2 bones next to his thyroid cartilage were broken ... fractures common in strangulation. As we told you, those breaks are extremely rare in hangings.

Beyond the bones, Baden says the family had asked for DNA testing results from Epstein's fingernails -- which could show if he fought back against someone choking him to death -- and from the sheets he allegedly used to hang himself. Baden says the family wants to know if someone else tied the sheets together.

Baden says, immediately after the autopsy, the Medical Examiner said more information was needed to determine the cause of death -- presumably including that DNA testing.

He says the family doesn't understand why the ME suddenly announced, just 4 days later, it was suicide by hanging -- especially because the family never got the requested DNA results.

John Witherspoon, who made his mark in comedy and in films like "Friday" has died.

Witherspoon's family announced he died suddenly Tuesday at his home in Sherman Oaks, California. The statement reads, "It is with deep sadness we have to tweet this, but our husband & father John Witherspoon has passed away."

The statement continues, "He was a Legend in the entertainment industry, and a father figure to all who watched him over the years. We love you 'POPS' always & forever."

Witherspoon's career -- which started in stand-up comedy -- spanned for more than 5 decades, with his most notable role being Willie Jones, father of Ice Cube's character, Craig ... in all of the "Friday" movies.

John did voice work as Gramps on the animated series "The Boondocks," which is being revived for HBO. He also played Pops on "The Wayans Bros." and made appearances on "The Tracy Morgan Show" and "Black Jesus."

We last spoke to Witherspoon earlier this month at LAX where he told us he was excited about Eddie Murphy getting back into comedy and hoped to see him doing stand-up soon.

He is survived by his wife, Angela, and sons JD and Alexander.

John was 77.

RIP

The sister of New York Knicks player Reggie Bullock was murdered Monday night after cops say she suffered a gunshot wound to the chest in Maryland.

TMZ Sports has confirmed 22-year-old Keiosha Moore was shot just a few miles from Downtown Baltimore sometime Monday evening ... and walked to a nearby hospital with a bullet wound in her chest.

Police say they responded to the hospital at around 7:48 PM ... but Moore was pronounced dead a short time later.

Cops say the person who shot Moore is still unknown ... and add they have launched an investigation into the shooting.

Bullock wrote on Twitter on Tuesday night, "GUN VIOLENCE I WILL LEAD OMM💔"

It's the second time 28-year-old Bullock has had to go through this tragedy ... back in 2014, another one of Bullock's sisters, Mia Henderson, was killed in what appeared to be a hate crime for her being transgender.

Bullock has talked often about how that shaped his life ... saying on "The Herd" back in 2016 Mia taught him how to be a strong person.

Bullock has since been extremely active in communities to help stop bullying.

The Knicks announced Tuesday that Bullock's teammate, Dennis Smith Jr., is also dealing with a tragedy this week ... saying he lost a close relative recently as well.

“Our Knicks family is deeply saddened by the sudden passing of two of our players’ close family members," the team said in a statement.

"At times like this, we are reminded that life is bigger than basketball. Our thoughts are with them and their families.”

Kevin Spacey won't be charged in a sexual assault case in Los Angeles because the alleged victim died during the investigation ... TMZ has learned.

Spacey was accused of forcing a male massage therapist to touch his genitals during an in-home session back in 2016. The therapist claimed he suffered emotional pain and distress from the incident ... but Spacey denied everything.

The L.A. County District Attorney's Office just rejected the case because the alleged victim passed away during their investigation. Without a victim, the D.A. said the case could not be proven. Law enforcement sources tell us the man died of natural causes a few weeks ago.

We broke the story ... the L.A. County D.A. declined to file charges against the actor for another case in which a man claimed he was sexually assaulted by Spacey in 1992. The D.A. concluded it was well beyond the statute of limitations.

John Singleton's estate and the fortune it claims is aboutta get little more flush -- because the studio that distributed one of his biggest films is ponying up some belated cash.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, Sony Pictures has agreed to fork over a little more than half a mil to the late director's film company, New Deal Productions. The money -- $515,472 -- is tied to John's 2001 flick, "Baby Boy." Unleash the behind-the-door Rodney memes!!!

In case you haven't seen it, 'BB' stars Tyrese Gibson, Taraji P. Henson, Ving Rhames ... and, of course, Snoop Dogg playing a gangster who's out to square things with Tyrese's character, Jody, who's got a kid with Taraji's character, but still lives at home with his mom.

It made $29.3 million in the U.S. box office, with a budget of around $16 mil. Sony and its subsidiary, TriStar Pictures, were the primary distributors.

Based on the docs, it appears John had requested a formal audit for money the film made a while back, and now in wake of his death ... Sony is settling up with this dough. The company says the settlement was agreed to prior to John's death in April.

Robert Evans -- one of the most successful producers in Hollywood history -- is dead. Evans, who produced such iconic films as "The Godfather," "Chinatown" and "Urban Cowboy," died Saturday.

His credits are crazy ... "Rosemary's Baby," "Romeo and Juliet," "Goodbye Columbus" and "Love Story." These movies were shot under his watch as the head of Paramount productions.

Evans actually had issues with "The Godfather" and some say it was produced over his objections.

Evans started out as an actor, appearing as a bullfighter in Ernest Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises." He later wrote his memoir, "The Kid Stays in the Picture," which later became a documentary film.

One of the biggest challenges for Evans was filming "The Cotton Club," which was considered a nightmare, taking several years to shoot and going way over budget before coming out in 1984 and bombing big.

His last big hit was Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey's romantic comedy, "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" in 2003.

Evans was super close to Jack Nicholson, whom he often partied with in Hollywood and at his home.

His only Oscar nom was "Chinatown" back in 1975.

He suffered a stroke in 1998 that left him partially paralyzed and he recovered. It was the first of 3 strokes that same year, but he was able to bounce back.

Evans was married and divorced 7 times, including to Ali MacGraw, with whom he had a son, Josh. One of his marriages lasted a grand total of 10 days.