RIP

Of all the murals dedicated to Kobe Bryant and Gianna, Vanessa Bryant seems to have found one she adores ... 'cause she just snapped a pic of her oldest daughter in front of it.

Vanessa posted a sweet tribute Sunday to her late husband and daughter, showing off 17-year-old Natalia in front of a gorgeous piece of art depicting Kobe and Gigi. Natalia is beaming in a beautiful dress -- apparently, her high school winter formal is upon us.

VB captioned the post, "💖 my babies. Natalia. #winterformal." The artwork behind Natalia is stunning -- it shows Kobe kissing Gigi on the head with a halo above. They're both drawn in with black and white against a sky blue backdrop. Looks to be in a public space too.

We did a little digging and weren't able to locate this specific mural among the many that have popped up over the past two months since Kobe and G's tragic deaths.

Marnie the Dog -- the Internet-famous pooch who was known for her tongue-out expression -- has died.

The Shih Tzu's owner, Shirley Braha, announced the tragic news Saturday on Instagram, writing ... "It is with much grief I share the news that Marnie passed away painlessly & peacefully in my home on Thursday afternoon at the age of 18."

She continued, "Her comfort had been notably declining over the past few days with little hope for improvement and she let me know she had had enough. She enjoyed her chicken until the very end." Braha goes on to thank everyone for embracing Marnie, explaining how her dog put her on the journey of a lifetime and how grateful she was for the love.

Braha ends her tribute post with a bit of info, and somewhat of a forewarning too ... saying Marnie will be buried at a pet cemetery in L.A., adding there'll hopefully be a public memorial for her whenever it's safe to hold one, in light of the coronavirus and all.

Marnie was adopted from an animal shelter in 2012 at the ripe age of 11 years old. Soon after, she went on to achieve viral fame because of her freakishly long (but super cute) tongue, which inexplicably hung out of her mouth at almost all times.

Marnie has posed with countless celebs over the years, including Jonah Hill, Tina Fey, Demi Lovato, James Franco, Betty White, Ed Sheeran, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Larry King, Aaron Paul, Usher, Selena Gomez, Lena Dunham, Riff Raff, Jason Schwartzman and more.

She once shot down an invitation to the "Wolrd Dog Awards" because, apparently, Marnie and co. felt she was too big for it. She might've been right -- Marnie got her own book deal at one point.

The doggo was 18 years old.

Tyler Cameron's family wants to honor their late mother by starting a foundation in her honor ... and they're hoping to seed the organization with some crowdfunding.

The 'Bachelorette' star's brother launched a GoFundMe campaign just days after their mother, Andrea Hermann Cameron, died of a brain aneurysm at a hospital in Jupiter, Florida. She was rushed to a hospital after suffering the aneurysm, and died 2 days later.

Tyler's brother, Austin, says, "We feel compelled to honor our mother. We are developing a charitable foundation so that she can continue to impact others as she has always done."

He went on to say, "We feel this is the best way to continue her legacy of giving." Andrea regularly volunteered with multiple charity groups, and visited retirement homes to deliver presents around the holidays.

The campaign's goal is to raise $20,000. It's nearly halfway there after just one day.

As we reported ... Tyler was seen distraught in the wake of his mom's sudden passing.

The day after she died, Tyler posted a heartfelt tribute ... a photo of him and his 2 brothers holding her hand -- apparently in the hospital -- saying, "Heaven gained an angel."

Henri Richard -- one of the greatest hockey players of all time -- has died at the age of 84, the Montreal Canadiens announced Friday.

Richard holds the record for most Stanley Cup victories by an individual player (11) ... and played his entire 20-year career with the Canadiens.

"The Montreal Canadiens are saddened to learn of the passing of one of the organization's greatest legends and ambassadors, Henri Richard, this morning," the Canadiens said in a statement.

"Our thoughts and sincere condolences go out to the Richard family."

Richard -- nicknamed the Pocket Rocket -- holds the record for most games played in franchise history (1,258). He was also named in the NHL's 100 Greatest Players of All Time list, released in 2017.

Henri is the younger brother of Maurice "Rocket" Richard, whom the NHL named the goal-scoring leader trophy after.

"The family would like to sincerely thank the staff at CHSLD Résidence Riviera for their wonderful care," the team said.

"They demonstrated incredible professionalism and humanity. The family would also like to thank the public for their heartfelt condolences and kindly requests that its privacy be respected during this difficult time."

Pop Smoke's most ardent fans are out in droves in Brooklyn ... giving the late rapper one final, emotional sendoff.

The funeral procession is going down Thursday afternoon in the Canarsie neighborhood of the borough. Two horses are pulling the carriage and hearse, decorated with white curtains ... and Pop Smoke's casket can be seen through the glass.

The carriage made its way past a mural honoring Pop Smoke, and his good friend and mentor 50 Cent's Lamborghini was part of the procession as well ... though it doesn't look like Fiddy was behind the wheel.

There were barricades set up in the mostly residential neighborhood to keep fans on sidewalks. NYPD is also on hand to keep things under control.

TMZ broke the story ... 20-year-old Pop Smoke was gunned down last month in the Hollywood Hills in what appeared to be a targeted hit.

He was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, but doctors couldn't save him, as he died from a gunshot wound to his chest, according to his death certificate.

Pop Smoke's family held a private ceremony last weekend for close friends and family. After today's procession ... he'll be laid to rest in a Brooklyn cemetery.

Tim Story, the successful director of the 'Ride Along' franchise, is facing a lawsuit over a tragedy in his backyard ... the death of a 2-year-old boy in his hot tub.

The child's father, Miguel Raygoza-Castillo, is suing over what went down Nov. 18 at Story's L.A. home. According to docs, obtained by TMZ, Miguel's son, named I'M, fell onto an un-fenced spa tub and suffered fatal injuries.

The boy's father says Story's hot tub not only lacked proper fencing, but it was also missing warnings and alarms. In the suit, he also claims there was no alarm to detect someone falling into the water. He claims Story -- who's also directed "Barbershop" and the 'Think Like a Man' flicks -- didn't have an exit alarm on his home's back door to the hot tub area.

According to a GoFundMe page started for I'M ... the child was hospitalized for 4 days before his family made the difficult decision to turn off life support.

Raygoza-Castillo is suing Story and his wife for damages including medical, funeral and burial expenses ... as well as pain, suffering and the emotional distress from losing a child.

NASCAR driver Daniel Suarez felt the best way to honor Kobe Bryant was to give back ... so he's auctioning his personalized Kobe racing gear and donating the money to all the victims of the tragic accident.

"I became a Kobe Bryant fan not for everything he did in the basketball world, but for everything he did on the outside," Suarez tells us.

The 28-year-old says he admired the work Kobe did for the community and other athletes ... so when the tragedy happened on Jan. 26, he decided to honor him the way Mamba would want.

"I really wanted to do something to honor him," Suarez says, "in a way to give back, like how he used to do it."

Suarez hit up artist Salvador Amezcua to make the one-of-a-kind race gear ... and Amezcua tells us it only took 4 1/2 hours to make 'em that AWESOME!

Suarez put the gloves and shoes up for auction after the Auto Club 400 race Sunday in California ... and the bids started rackin' up, with almost $5,000 in 48 hours!!!

"I think the gloves and shoes were the perfect toast to do it and it's really great," Suarez added.

"The auction is still going on, we still have a few more days and it's doing amazing. Way better than what we were expecting!"

FYI -- the names of the nine victims were also displayed on his No. 96 Toyota Camry.

After the auction ends on March 6, all the money will go to MambaOnThree -- a fund for all the victims' families.

Tragic news ... a top basketball recruit who was committed to play for Missouri State next season has died in an accidental shooting, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

19-year-old Ashley "A.J." James -- a 3-star prospect who had offers from Fresno State, Murray State and USF, among others -- was killed on Monday night in Chesapeake, Va., according to cops.

A police spokesperson tells us ... officers responded to an apartment just before midnight and found James with a gunshot wound "in the chest area" after he had allegedly been handling a firearm with another man when it accidentally went off.

The spokesperson says the basketball star received emergency medical care ... but later died from his injury. The spokesperson added foul play was NOT suspected.

"crazy really going to be my teammate next year praying for the James family," MSU freshman Isiaih Mosley tweeted Tuesday.

James -- a 6-foot-3, 170-pound shooting guard -- was playing at Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia Beach, Va. this season before he was scheduled to join MSU's roster later this year.

The prospect, who was also being recruited heavily by N.C. State and Virginia Tech during his recruiting process, had just committed to Missouri State in December.

Cops repeatedly warned "ER" actress Vanessa Marquez to put down a gun before they opened fire -- and the incredibly tense scene plays out in this bodycam footage police just released.

In the video, from August 2018, cops entered Vanessa's South Pasadena home to do a welfare check. She was laying in bed, and said she had just suffered a seizure ... but was refusing to go to a hospital.

A mental health clinician spoke to her for about 30 minutes, and then cops told Vanessa they were placing her on a 5150 psychiatric hold because she was a danger to herself and others. Vanessa refused to cooperate, and pulled out a pair of scissors and a gun ... prompting officers to draw their weapons while retreating from her room.

As the cops barked orders for her to drop the gun, Vanessa yelled back, "Kill me." Moments later, she walks downstairs with the gun pointing in the cops' direction and that's when they fired 12 shots. Cops recovered her weapon ... which turned out to be a replica.

As we reported ... her landlord had called police, saying he was worried about the actress' well being. After her encounter with cops, Vanessa was rushed to the hospital where she died. The D.A.'s Office found the officers acted appropriately because they "actually and reasonably believed Marquez posed an imminent threat of great bodily injury or death."

At the time, authorities had said Vanessa -- who played Wendy Goldman on "ER" -- was suffering from an eating disorder which is what triggered her seizures..

Longtime jockey Richard Gamez has died after he suffered devastating injuries in a fall from his horse during a race Sunday at a famous Arizona track.

The 66-year-old was reportedly in the lead at Rillito Park Racetrack in the Tucson area when his horse suddenly bucked him from his saddle.

Gamez hit the ground ... and after he was trampled by another horse -- he was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries.

On Monday, track officials announced Gamez had died ... and in an interview with the Arizona Daily Star, a track spokesperson said the injuries were catastrophic.

"The accident was such that it didn’t really have anything to do with his age," Rillito Park Foundation president Jaye Wells said. "I'm no medical expert, but we believe the brain injury was such that he wouldn't have survived if he'd been 20."

Gamez's horse was reportedly not injured in the accident.

Gamez had been racing and raising horses for decades ... reportedly running in hundreds of events and winning more than $1 MILLION in prize money.

"He was a good guy. A hell of a guy. He loved horses," his friend, Hector Pinedo, told the Arizona Daily Star. "He loved the sport of kings, and he died doing what he did best."

Tyler Cameron looks devastated in the wake of a family emergency that has reportedly claimed his mother's life.

TMZ got photos of the former 'Bachelorette' star out Sunday with people we're told looked like close family members. They were dining in Jupiter, Florida at a restaurant called Brass Ring Pub. As you can see ... he appears to be distraught, with a lot on his mind.

At one point, he had his face buried in the palm of his hand. It was a small gathering -- we're told he wasn't drawing attention, and not too many people around even recognized him.

According to reports ... Tyler's mom, Andrea, passed away after being rushed to the hospital Thursday. The ex-reality TV star announced a "family emergency" Friday on social media, saying he'd have to cancel a 'GMA' appearance ... and asked for prayers.

It appears friends of the family are also mourning her apparent death on Facebook, with a few different people sending their condolences to Tyler, his father and his two younger brothers.

He hasn't commented on her status himself just yet. That said, we've been hearing Andrea has indeed passed, but have to yet to definitively confirm it. His rep had no comment.

Tyler and Andrea were incredibly close -- which was well-documented on his social media feed. While she lived in Florida, it looks like she made the trek out to New York back in November to support her son while he ran the NYC Marathon.

At the time, he wrote ... "So grateful for all of the support that I got from my family, friends, and BN! Couldn’t have done this race with out all of y’all." Andrea herself was a huge supporter of her boy -- and appeared to keep tabs on him during Hannah B's season.

In one photo of them two together, she said of her son ... "I love you Tyler! You are America’s sweetheart!! Thank you for that wonderful experience!!"

She was 55. RIP

Eight deputies were involved in snapping and taking and/or sharing photos of Kobe Bryant's helicopter crash site ... according to L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva.

The Sheriff made the revelation Monday, saying he's "shocked" by the scandal and calling it "a punch to the gut." Villanueva says the images have been erased and the deputies involved are facing disciplinary action and an investigation.

Villanueva also says there's a "sense of betrayal" to the families who lost loved ones in the tragedy. He claims there were only 2 groups at the scene authorized to take pics -- the coroner and NTSB investigators.

As you know ... Vanessa Bryant was devastated after hearing Sheriff's deputies took photos of the remains of Kobe and the 8 other victims, and she wants those responsible punished.

As we've reported ... some deputies took pics at the crash site and sent them to numerous people inside and outside the department. Law enforcement sources also told us a deputy trainee was inside a bar several days after the crash and showed a woman photos of the remains. The bartender overheard and filed an online complaint with the Sheriff's Department.

Villanueva says it's not a crime for law enforcement to take these photos, but he says it's still against department policy and says he's apologized to the families.

"Inside the Actors Studio" host and veteran TV writer James Lipton has died ... TMZ has learned.

Lipton passed away peacefully Monday morning at his New York City home. His wife, Kedakai Turner, tells TMZ James had been battling bladder cancer. She adds, "There are so many James Lipton stories but I’m sure he would like to be remembered as someone who loved what he did and had tremendous respect for all the people he worked with."

The man had a storied career in and around television and film. Of course, he served as the Dean Emeritus of the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University in NYC for several years. And, he was responsible for spearheading his famous talk show, "Inside the Actors Studio" -- James interviewed actors, big and small, to pick their brains about the craft.

It was filmed in front of a live audience full of student actors, some of whom got a chance to ask questions from time to time. He started the show in 1994 and finally retired in 2018 after 22 seasons. The program continues to this day, however, with other hosts.

Lipton has interviewed stars like Ben Affleck, Halle Berry, Jeff Bridges, Morgan Freeman, Ian McKellen, Eddie Murphy, Faye Dunaway, Robert Duvall, Ron Howard, Anthony Hopkins, Jim Carrey, Al Pacino, Gwyneth Paltrow, Willem Dafoe, Brad Pitt, Henry Winkler, Betty White, Naomi Watts, Chris Rock, Whoopi Goldberg, Hugh Grant and on and on and on.

One of Lipton's more memorable guests was Bradley Cooper, who was once an Actors Studio student, and asked a pretty good question to Sean Penn about revisiting a character he'd played before. He asked that in 1999 and returned as the interviewed guest in 2011.

Lipton said it was one of his favorite interviews because it was so emotional and great to see one of his students make it big. He appeared on more than 250 episodes.

He had other claims to fame as well -- perhaps most notably, his many TV head writing credits on shows like "Capitol," "Return to Peyton Place," "The Doctors," "The Best of Everything," "Another World" and several TV specials he contributed to as a writer.

JL also had regular appearances as an actor on "Arrested Development," playing Warden Stefan Gentles ... the bumbling lawman who aspired to be a big shot screenwriter and was kinda obsessed with the Bluth family.

His other acting credits included roles on "Bewitched," "Guiding Light," "The Goldbergs," "Cold Squad," "You Are There," and even offering up his voice talents to the Disney movie "Bolt." Lipton also went down in 'SNL' history for Will Ferrell's regular spoof portrayal, which was a staple character on the show in the 2000s.

We last got him on camera in 2015 talking about any possible snubs he might have received over the years. Turns out, no one ever turned him down for 'ITAS.' Go figure.

Lipton was 93.

Doctors tried to save Pop Smoke's life by opening his chest after he was rushed to the hospital with multiple gunshot wounds.

Pop Smoke's death certificate, obtained by TMZ, says doctors performed a thoracotomy on the left side of his chest -- meaning they opened his chest, most likely attempting to remove bullets. As we first reported, he was hit multiple times when masked assailants broke into the Hollywood Hills home where he was staying.

Pop Smoke's cause of death was a gunshot wound to the torso, according to the document. It says the time between the shooting and his death was "rapid."

The rapper -- born Bashar Barakah Jackson -- died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center at 5:12 AM.

The document also reveals his body was transported back to his native Brooklyn. Pop Smoke's family held a private ceremony last weekend for close friends and family.

Nate Dogg's new headstone is a masterpiece ... no better way to pay homage to a legend.

The late rapper's new headstone was unveiled over the weekend at Forest Lawn in Long Beach, his hometown. Fans, family and friends of Nate came out to show their love ... including Nate's brother, Sam, and the LBC's own Daz Dillinger.

The new tombstone honors Nate's legacy ... from his music career and love for Long Beach to honoring his time in the United States Marine Corps. He enlisted after high school.

Nate Dogg was also universally respected as a brilliant collaborator. The "King of Hooks" also had lyrics from his "Music and Me" track emblazoned on the headstone, which also pays homage to his G-Funk Classics.

TMZ broke the story ... the same guy who gave Eazy-E's final resting place a face-lift put in some serious work on Nate Dogg's headstone. This had been in the works since last September after Nate Dogg's family hit up Cemetery Tim to spruce up Dogg's plot with a new headstone.

Marilyn Monroe's time behind-the-scenes of the 1953 film, "Niagara," was captured by a photographer, and his huge set of photographic negatives is up for grabs ... but it won't come cheap.

The pics -- 227 total, 198 of which depict Marilyn -- were snapped by Canadian journalist and photog Jock Carroll in 1952, while she was preparing for her first top billing as Rose Loomis in the noir thriller.

The set of photos is mostly comprised of black-and-white negatives but includes some color positive transparencies. And, along with shots of Monroe, there are several of the sets, scenery and of course ... Niagara Falls.

The negatives could become much more than just a collector's item too ... because they include the copyright to the images. Carroll signed the rights over to his son before he died, and the son will grant them to the buyer.

This means the highest bidder at the auction will have the right to print and even sell copies from the negatives, which could lead to big bucks. Commercial use requires permission from Monroe's estate, however.