RIP

As cops try to figure out who targeted Pop Smoke for death ... we know the rapper shut down one of his own performances just days before his murder out of concern there were gang members in the audience.

Pop was scheduled to play the Kings Theatre in Brooklyn last Sunday night, but took to Instagram just before the show to cancel. Pop blamed it on cops, saying, "Unfortunately NYPD wouldn't let me perform."

Our law enforcement sources say it wasn't the NYPD that shut the show down ... they say the decision was made by Pop himself. The rapper was out on bail in a federal car theft case and was ordered to stay away from gang members, so cops say canceling the show was really self-preservation.

There's been a buzz in L.A. among Pop's circle that gang members might be behind his murder. The fact that Pop himself had concerns about gang members was something that has not escaped the attention of police.

TMZ broke the story -- the feds busted Pop last month for allegedly transporting a stolen Rolls-Royce -- and that's why he was on bail.

As we first reported ... Pop Smoke's death appears to be a targeted hit based on accounts by those who saw surveillance footage from outside the Hollywood Hills home where he was gunned down.

Cedric Benson's longtime home in Austin -- which he completely rebuilt from the ground up -- is hitting the market ... and it's got a $4.5 million price tag.

TMZ Sports has learned ... Benson bought the Texas pad back in 2006 and worked passionately to turn it into his dream home.

The finished product is amazing -- it's got 6 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, pool and spa, personal gym ... and it's all sitting on top of a hill overlooking downtown Austin.

We're told it took 2 years to completely rebuild the house ... and Benson was involved in every detail of the house.

The crib is looking for a new owner who will love the place as much as the former NFL star did ... and it's currently listed for $4.5 million.

Pop Smoke's tragic death came as a devastating shock to his family ... who are now heavily involved in trying to solve the who, what, why and how of the rapper's murder.

Family sources tell TMZ ... Pop Smoke's loved ones, who live in NYC, beelined it to the airport to fly to LAX and headed to the hospital after getting word he'd been shot.

We're told the family is at a loss trying to understand what happened -- nothing makes sense to them.

Our family sources say they had no clue that Pop Smoke had any enemies in L.A. They also don't believe someone would have followed him from New York to L.A. Since he spent so much time on the East Coast, if someone there wanted to harm him, they would have done it there.

Our sources say family members have personally questioned friends and witnesses, who were at the Hollywood Hills house before the shooting, to try to gather evidence ... and they want to see security footage.

We broke the story ... surveillance video suggests Pop Smoke's murder was a target hit and not a robbery gone wrong, a notion with which the family is struggling.

As far as the family knows, Smoke was in L.A. to focus on promoting his new mixtape which had just dropped, and to relax a bit before going on tour in March.

As we reported, he was killed Wednesday morning after multiple shots were fired inside his home and they only struck Pop Smoke, who was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

Our sources say just like law enforcement ... the rapper's family is in full investigation mode, and won't stop until they get some answers.

Sy Sperling -- the founder and president of Hair Club for Men known for his TV commercials in the '80s and '90s -- has died in Florida.

Sperling died in Boca Raton after a lengthy illness ... according to his spokeswoman, Terri Lynn.

Sy's career path began being forged in the late '60s when he was a balding swimming pool salesman in New York City who'd grown tired of wearing toupees.

So, he took $10k in credit card debt to open a Madison Avenue salon and used a hair weaving technique he learned from a stylist to implement a system where a nylon mesh cap was glued to a person's scalp ... allowing their hair to grow through it, then additional matching hair purchased from women was woven into the mesh.

Sounds pretty odd, but business took off ... just not to the point where Sperling wanted it to be. Enter, the TV commercials.

Sy began advertising his hair replacement system on TV and went national in 1982, with spots running 400 times daily on late-night TV. They reportedly cost $12 million a year but generated 10,000 calls a month.

The ads featured before-and-after photos of happy customers, but ended with Sperling himself proclaiming ... "I'm not only the Hair Club president, but I'm also a client." They became a cultural phenomenon almost instantly.

The company's now simply referred to as Hair Club and began offering services for women in 1995. Sy retired in 2000 after selling the company for $45 mil. It's helped more than 600,000 clients restore their hair over the years.

Sperling is survived by his wife and 2 kids.

He was 78.

Pop Smoke's death wasn't a robbery gone wrong ... it was a targeted hit ... and that conclusion is supported by surveillance video.

People who have seen the surveillance footage from outside the Hollywood Hills home where Pop was killed Wednesday morning tell us ... you see 4 men approach the home at around 4:30 AM and sneak around back.

A couple minutes pass before 3 of the 4 walk back up the side of the home to the front. The 4th apparently walked in the backdoor but no camera was trained on it. The next time you see the man, he exits through the front door of the house.

As we reported, multiple shots were fired inside the home and they only struck Pop Smoke, who was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

At first, it seemed like it might have been a robbery because the rapper posted a photo earlier in the day of a bunch of gifts ... one of which had his home address emblazoned on it. He also posted another pic hours before the shooting of himself and a friend in a car ... the friend is holding an enormous amount of cash.

But, here's the thing. The folks who have seen the surveillance video tell us the person inside the house -- presumably the shooter -- did not carry anything out. Given that he shot someone, it's doubtful he would take the time to stuff items in his pocket.

Pop Smoke was only 20 and already making a name for himself in music. His song, "Welcome to the Party" was remixed by Nicki Minaj and he appeared on Travis Scott's latest project "JACKBOYS." His mix tape charted #7 Tuesday on the Billboard 200.

A former pro-Australian rugby player murdered his wife and 3 young children in an apparent murder-suicide ... according to law enforcement officials in Australia.

42-year-old Rowan Baxter -- who played for the New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby League (NRL) -- was found in his car early Wednesday morning along with his wife, 2 young daughters and his son. The kids were aged 6, 4 and 3.

Officials believe Baxter doused the car with gasoline and set it on fire. Witnesses say they saw Baxter's wife trying to escape the car while yelling, "He's poured petrol on me."

Emergency responders raced to the scene -- and Baxter's wife was transported to a nearby hospital ... but she ultimately succumbed to her injuries. Emergency responders also reportedly tried to revive Rowan, but he was declared dead.

Police say Rowan's wife had been driving the car and he was sitting in the front passenger seat.

A Good Samaritan who tried to help the family was also hospitalized with facial burns, according to local media.

Scott Morrison -- the Prime Minister of Australia -- has issued a statement about the situation saying, "My heart goes out to the families and community going through this tragic time and the emergency responders confronting what would be a shattering scene."

Rowan and his wife had been running a fitness company called Integr8 in Brisbane. They reportedly separated late last year and were trying to hammer out custody arrangements.

Baxter stayed around the game after his playing career was over, working as a fitness coach for teams in NRL, Super Rugby and the Australian Football League.

"Good Times" star Ja'Net DuBois appeared in good spirits -- and more importantly, healthy -- just a couple weeks before suddenly dying.

We got this photo of Ja'Net posing with "Good Times" costars Jimmie Walker, Johnny Brown, Bern Nadette Stanis and Ralph Carter -- all 5 of whom showed up together on Feb. 1 at the Los Angeles Marriott at the Burbank Airport for a scheduled meet and greet with fans.

The group talked with longtime viewers, took photos and signed autographs. As you can see, Ja'Net seemed perfectly fine with the rest of the TV stars. In good enough health, anyway, to walk around and pose for at least a couple shots -- if not more.

Just a little more than 2 weeks later, she was found unresponsive at her Glendale, CA home -- where her family says she died in her sleep unexpectedly. We're told there were no known ailments or illnesses she was battling prior to her passing ... it just happened.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Ja'Net died of natural causes, plain and simple. The fact she was up and smiling just days earlier makes her loss all the more tragic.  It's interesting ... we're told there will be NO autopsy, despite the puzzling nature of her death.

As you might know, she had a hand in some iconic shows besides "Good Times" -- serving as the gorgeous voice that greeted viewers in the opening song, "Movin' On Up," on "The Jeffersons," as well as voicing Mrs. Avery on "The PJs" for all 43 episodes.

She was 74.

RIP

Gareth Pursehouse -- the man accused of murdering Drew Carey's ex fiancee, Dr. Amie Harwick -- has been arrested again and charged with her murder.

Pursehouse was re-arrested Wednesday on a no bail warrant and was charged with one count each of murder and first-degree residential burglary with the special circumstance allegation of lying in wait ... according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney.

Gareth is facing the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole, if convicted. The D.A. says no decision has been made on whether to seek capital punishment.

We broke the story ... Amie was murdered this weekend after cops say Pursehouse attacked her, causing her to fall from a third-story balcony in the Hollywood Hills.

Amie and Gareth dated years ago and as we reported ... Harwick filed for 2 restraining orders against him in 2011 and 2012, claiming he attacked her multiple times and even threw her out of a vehicle on the side of the freeway.

Pursehouse was initially arrested for murder Saturday afternoon, but he bonded out of jail Tuesday night after being held on a $2 million bail.

Now, Pursehouse is back in custody and the D.A. says on Thursday he will be arraigned.

Pop Smoke, an up-and-coming rapper, was shot and killed Wednesday morning in what appears to be a home invasion robbery ... TMZ has learned.

The rapper was at a home in the Hollywood Hills at around 4:30 AM when 2 men wearing hoodies and masks broke into a house ... this according to law enforcement sources. We're told the 2 men fired multiple shots, striking and critically wounding Pop Smoke. The men were seen fleeing on foot.

Pop Smoke was rushed by ambulance to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in West Hollywood where he was pronounced dead.

The suspects have not been caught and as far as we know they have not been identified.  It's unclear if Pop Smoke knew the shooters. One man was placed in handcuffs but cops determined he was not involved and was released.

Pop Smoke released an album back in July and one of the songs, "Welcome to the Party," blew up ... it was considered by many the song of the summer. Nicki Minaj did a remix of the song a few months later. He also did a song, "Gatti," with Travis Scott.

We got Pop Smoke out at LAX back in July, and he told us about a hoop dream that came true.

Pop Smoke was 20.

RIP

Australian F1 superstar Daniel Ricciardo is paying tribute to the late Kobe Bryant with his helmet as the new season kicks off ... showing off a design that would be Mamba-approved.

Ricciardo showed up for the opening of the Formula One preseason with an all-purple helmet ... and later on in the morning, had the design added to complete the NBA legend-inspired look.

The helmet has "KB8" and "KB24" below the visor ... as well as a snake and the words "Mamba Mentality" on top.

Ricciardo is a big NBA supporter and lives in L.A. ... so we take it he was a big fan of Kobe.

The helmet will be used throughout the preseason ... and Ricciardo will reveal a new design in time for the Australian Grand Prix next month.

The Kobe tributes have been pouring in since the tragic accident in January ... from the All-Star Game MVP trophy name change to many Bryant tattoos to players changing their jersey numbers.

Gareth Pursehouse -- the man accused of murdering Drew Carey's ex-fiancee, Dr. Amie Hardwick -- once cracked a joke about "Game of Thrones" that now seems especially unnerving.

Harwick's alleged killer -- who allegedly attacked her in her home and caused her to fall from a third-story balcony -- posted his "joke" on Instagram in May 2019 ... about the famous 'GoT' scene from season 1 where Jaime Lannister pushes Bran Stark out of a window.

Pursehouse's pun is more about the incestuous relationship between Jaime and his sister, Cersei, but the fact it involves someone falling from a great height to their presumed death is certainly creepy.

We broke the story ... cops say Harwick was found unresponsive underneath a third-story balcony, with injuries consistent with a fall. She was taken to a hospital where she later died from her injuries.

Pursehouse was arrested for murder Saturday afternoon. He bonded out of jail Tuesday evening after being held on a $2 million bail.

Harwick and Pursehouse dated years ago, and as we reported ... she filed for 2 restraining orders against him in 2011 and 2012, claiming he attacked her multiple times and once threw her out of a car on the side of the freeway.

Ja'Net DuBois -- one of the main characters on "Good Times" -- died Monday ... TMZ has learned.

Ja'Net played the Evans family's sassy neighbor Willona Woods on the classic '70s TV series. Her family tells us ... Ja'Net died unexpectedly in her sleep overnight at her home in Glendale, CA.

We're told Ja'Net hadn't complained of any specific ailments recently, and appeared to be in good health to those around her. She even attended a fan event in Hollywood a couple weeks ago.

Ja'Net might be most famous for "Good Times," but she also composed and sang the theme song, "Movin' On Up," for "The Jeffersons" -- so, she should also be remembered for her voice.

She appeared in tons of movies over the years, including "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka", "Tropic Thunder" and "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle."

Ja'Net's acting career began on Broadway, where she was cast in a number of plays including "Golden Boy" with Sammy Davis Jr. and Louis Gossett Jr. -- plus "A Raisin In The Sun."

She also won two Emmy awards for her voice-over work on "The PJs."

Ja'Net is survived by her 3 children.

Dr. Amie Harwick -- Drew Carey's ex-fiancee who cops say was murdered by her ex-boyfriend -- was also attacked multiple times by the ex, almost a decade ago ... according to 2 restraining orders.

Amie filed for the first restraining order in June 2011 against Gareth Pursehouse, the man accused of murdering her. In the docs, obtained by TMZ, she claimed he once pushed her out of a car after they had an argument, leaving her on the side of a freeway.

She also alleged Pursehouse physically assaulted her about a month before the car incident. Amie claimed he "choked me, suffocated me, pushed me against walls, kicked me, dropped me to the ground with force ... slammed my head into the ground, and punched me with a closed fist."

Her injuries included bruising to her neck, back, legs and arms ... according to the docs. Although she was granted a temporary restraining order, the case was dismissed after she failed to appear for a court hearing.

However, about a year later in April 2012, she again filed for a restraining order claiming Pursehouse broke into her apartment and smashed 10 picture frames and texted her, "things will get worse."

The next day, Pursehouse allegedly broke into her building to leave flowers on her door -- and again the next day to wait outside her door playing music ... according to the docs.  He also allegedly sent threatening emails to her friends.

This time around, the restraining order was granted for 3 years. It expired in April 2015.

We broke the story ... Amie was murdered this weekend after cops say Pursehouse attacked her and caused her to fall from a third-story balcony. Cops say there's evidence of forced entry and a struggle inside the home.

Veteran character actress Esther Scott -- who's been in countless movies and shows over the years -- has died.

A member of Esther's family tells TMZ ... Esther suffered an apparent heart attack last Tuesday at her Santa Monica home, and was later found unconscious and taken to a hospital. We're told she remained hospitalized for a few more days before eventually passing on Friday.

She was surrounded by family and loved ones at the time she died. Her sister, Shaun, tells us, "She loved what she did. She would get stopped on the street often and people would recognize her -- but they didn't know her name. Hopefully now people will remember her name, her work and the contributions she gave to the entertainment industry."

Esther had a massive resume, having appeared in at least 73 films and shows dating back to the '80s. She's perhaps most well known for her role as Bridget, one of Nat Turner's relatives, in 2016's 'Birth of a Nation.' Esther's been in several other projects, however.

She's also been the voice Shodu in the 'Star Wars' animated spin-off, "Ewoks" -- and had a memorably hilarious scene in "Boyz n the Hood." She played the grandmother of a girl who hooked up with Tre, Cuba Gooding Jr.'s character.

Her resume is crazy impressive, with roles on "Encino Man," "Beverly Hills, 90210," "Full House," "The Wayans Bros.," "Martin," "Nash Bridges," "Melrose Place," "ER" and "The King of Queens" ... just to name a few.

Esther was 66.

Jason Davis' death has authorities thinking he might've overdosed on heroin -- a drug he'd been addicted to in the past and once kicked ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation tell us ... Jason was found unresponsive in his bathroom Sunday morning around 10:30 AM. We're told there were items nearby that were consistent with heroin or opioid use -- including burnt tin foil and other paraphernalia.

An official cause has yet to be determined -- we're told an autopsy and toxicology analysis still needs to be conducted, but for now ... authorities are treating his death as a possible OD.

It makes the situation all the more tragic, as Jason had battled addiction ... and in 2011, he was even arrested and charged for allegedly having heroin on him.

Those charges were eventually dropped after he completed a drug diversion program. About a year before that, he'd been featured on "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew," where he attempted to get clean. We got him on camera around the time his criminal case was being worked on, and he talked sobriety with us -- saying at the time he'd been off drugs for almost a week.

Jason went on to cofound a charity called Cure Addiction Now, which he's said to have been heavily involved with running.

Jason was most known in Hollywood as the voice of Mikey Blumberg on the long-running Disney Channel show, "Recess." He'd acted in several other movies and shows as well.

The guy was just 35.

RIP.

"The Price Is Right" is going on a brief hiatus ... we've learned the game show is not taping this week as part of the fallout from the shocking murder of Drew Carey's former fiancee.

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... "The Price is Right" won't be shooting any new shows for the entire week. They had episodes scheduled to shoot on Tuesday and Wednesday. Audience members got an email about the cancelation Monday morning.

TMZ broke the story ... cops say Drew's ex-fiancee, Dr. Amie Harwick, was murdered over the weekend after an ex-boyfriend allegedly attacked her and caused her to fall off a third-story balcony in the Hollywood Hills.

Police arrested the ex, Gareth Pursehouse, Saturday and booked him for murder.

Drew and Amie started dating back in 2017 and announced their engagement in early 2018, but less than a year later they split.

As you know ... Drew's hosted "The Price Is Right" since 2007, succeeding longtime host Bob Barker.