RIP

Tom Lester -- best known for playing Eb Dawson on the '60s sitcom "Green Acres" -- has died of complications from Parkinson's Disease ... TMZ has learned.

We're told the longtime actor died Monday morning in Nashville at the home of his fiancee and longtime caregiver, Jackie.

After moving to Hollywood from Mississippi in the mid-60s, he began acting in plays and soon landed an audition for the Eb character on "Green Acres." He beat out 400 other actors for the part, as the story goes, because he was the only one who could milk a cow in real life thanks to his farming background.

Along with starring as the young farmhand on the show for all 6 seasons, Lester appeared on its sister series "Petticoat Junction" and also had a few crossover guest spots as Eb on "The Beverly Hillbillies."

After "Green Acres" ... Tom went on to land supporting roles in 2 popular animal movies -- "Benji" in 1974 and "Gordy" way later in 1994. He also had a guest spot on "Knight Rider" in the '80s.

Lester's last acting credit's for a 2014 comedy called "Campin' Buddies."

He was the last surviving regular cast member of "Green Acres."

Tom was 81.

Offset says he's lost a member of his family to coronavirus -- his great uncle, Jerry, has died.

The Migos rapper posted the sad news Sunday, taking to his Instagram stories to write ... "Smfh this corona s*** done killed my great uncle 😢 Rip uncle jerry damn man." He continued in another post, "Pray for my family," adding a pic of a stitched-on cross from a jacket.

It's unclear if Offset's great uncle is from his mom or dad's side of the fam, or if he's someone Offset was close with publicly, but clearly the loss has him shaken -- as it's incredibly close to home. Cardi hasn't spoken on the death, neither have other Migos members -- namely, Takeoff and Quavo -- both of whom are related to Offset.

It's tragic, because both Cardi and Offset have been vocal about coronavirus -- the former we've obviously heard from loud and clear on the issue, but Offset himself has also been telling people to take precaution, with a few different social media posts about it.

In late March, he posted a photo of himself wearing a face mask with the caption, "STAY SAFE & STAY PRAYED UP." He's also promoted a music video of his one of YRN crew members, with a middle finger emoji ... saying screw coronavirus, "we still dropping."

It appears Offset himself has heeded the guidelines issued by the CDC -- as he's recently voiced frustration at wanting to go outside too.

Katy Perry's beloved street cat, who became a mascot for the singer and her legion of fans, has passed on.

Kitty Purry made an inauspicious entry into Katy's life -- through her then-boyfriend's window.  Fast-forward to Katy the singing icon ... the darn cat became so popular it even appeared in Katy's music video for "I Kissed a Girl."

Fans would swarm Katy and Kitty after her concerts ... begging for a selfie. Short story ... next to Grumpy Cat, Kitty Purry was top of the kitty litter.

Katy posted an homage to her beloved pet ... "Kitty Purry crawled through my then-boyfriend’s window 15 years ago, fully pregnant and seeking shelter. Two litters and many moons later, this street cat became a lovable mascot to many. Sadly, Kitty completed her 9th life last night. I hope she rests in salmon fillets and tuna tartare way up in catnip heaven. Kitty, thanks for the cuddles and companionship along the way. Big thanks to my brother David and @garethwalters for being great co-parents 💔 #kittypurryforever"

Katy's had a rollercoaster 2020 ... she's expecting her first child with Orlando Bloom, so she's clearly stoked about that, but she lost her grandma last month so she's also dealing with that hardship.

Kitty Purry was 15.

Gianna Bryant and her Mamba Academy teammates will be memorialized in a big way Friday night ... the WNBA is set to make them honorary picks in the org's annual draft, according to Vanessa Bryant.

GiGi, Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester -- who all passed away in a helicopter crash with Kobe Bryant -- will get the honor at some point during the televised selection process.

Of course, it's a huge deal for the trio ... they all had WNBA aspirations before their tragic deaths in January -- and Vanessa praised the tribute on social media Friday.

The league's show -- which is slated to be entirely virtual this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic -- is set to kick off at 4 PM PT on ESPN.

The WNBA becomes the latest in a long line of organizations, celebs and athletes that have paid tribute to the victims following the devastating helicopter wreck.

Remember, the Lakers held an emotional remembrance ceremony before their game against the Trailblazers on Jan. 31 ... while players like LeBron James and Anthony Davis got tribute tattoos.

Meanwhile, UConn -- Gianna's dream school to hoop at -- also paid tribute to Kobe's daughter by laying out a No. 2 jersey before its game in late January.

Others, like NBA stud Lou Williams, had murals of Kobe and GiGi painted to pay respects following the tragedy.

Ranjit Chowdhry -- best known in the U.S. for playing Vikram on "The Office" -- has died in India ... according to reports.

The former Bollywood star lived in New York but reportedly traveled back to his home country to receive dental treatment months ago. According to Indian theater actor Dolly Thakore ... he was supposed to return to America, but couldn't due to the shutdown, and recently suffered a ruptured ulcer in his intestine.

Thakore says Ranjit underwent emergency surgery, but died Wednesday at a Mumbai hospital.

Chowdhry made a name for himself in Indian comedies in the late '70s and early '80s before moving to the U.S. for a Hollywood career.

He wrote the screenplay for the 1991 film, "Sam & Me" before becoming a successful character actor in the '90s.

Most notably, Ranjit played the role of Singh on "Cosby" and had a 2-episode arc on "The Office" as a telemarketer who worked with Michael Scott.

His other credits include "Prison Break," the Queen Latifah movie "Last Holiday," and most recently ... a guest spot on "Law & Order: SVU" in 2013.

Chowdhry was 64.

Steve Cash -- known to his millions of fans as the guy behind the "Talking Kitty Cat" videos on YouTube -- is dead by suicide ... TMZ has learned.

The social media star died Thursday morning from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Steve's wife, Celia DeCosta Cash, wrote on Facebook, "I just lost my best friend, my sidekick, my lover, my mentor, my absolute everything. It hurts me to share this. Please understand, give the family time to grieve, but know that Steve is no longer in pain."

Steve was open with his fans about his mental health battles. Back in September, someone replied to one of his posts saying, "You've been so active on social media lately that at first I thought you were hacked."

Steve replied, "Nah, just bipolar. I'm on a manic up right now. When I go back into depression I'll vacate everything."

He started his sketch comedy series (think "Garfield") on YouTube in November 2007. He voiced every episode in which he talks to his cats as if they were humans. The short but popular videos drew tons of fans ... with 2.43 million subscribers.

In nearly two decades, Steve racked up more than 770 MILLION views and counting. His most popular video is the "Bad! Bad! Bad!" episode from 4 years ago ... with 17 million views. His last video was posted on December 30.

Brian Dennehy -- the veteran actor whose career spanned 5 decades on the stage and screen -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us Dennehy died Wednesday night in Connecticut ... we're told he passed of natural causes and there will not be an official autopsy.

The actor's career began in the '70s with a run of small guest roles on TV shows like "Kojak," "M*A*S*H," "Lou Grant" and "Dallas" ... before landing a recurring role on "Dynasty" in 1981.

That led to his big breakout movie role the following year -- playing Sheriff Teasle in Sylvester Stallone's Rambo action flick, "First Blood."

He'd go on to star in several films in the '80s and '90s, including "Silverado," "Cocoon," "The Belly of an Architect," "Best Seller," "Presumed Innocent" and "Romeo + Juliet."

Brian's most notable comedy role came in 1995, when he played Big Tom Callahan in the classic Chris Farley-led laugh-fest, "Tommy Boy."

In more recent years, he voiced the character Django in "Ratatouille" and appeared on the hit show, "The Blacklist." All in all, he has nearly 200 film and television credits to his name ... and he won a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in 2001 for the TV movie, "Death of a Salesman."

Dennehy was also an accomplished theater actor, winning 2 Tony Awards for Best Actor ... his first for "Death of a Salesman" a couple years before his TV role, and the second for "Long Day's Journey Into Night" in 2003.

In fact, the last time we saw him in 2013, he was in L.A. doing a play ... and he had some good jokes.

Brian's survived by his wife and 5 children. He was 81.

RIP

Roy Halladay's dad told investigators he was worried the abuse of prescription meds played a role in his son's fatal plane crash back in Nov. 2017 ... this according to new docs obtained by TMZ Sports.

NTSB officials say in 2 separate interviews with Halladay's father shortly after the fatal flight -- he told them he was worried the ex-Philadelphia Phillies ace might have been abusing Rx drugs.

Investigators claim Halladay's father told them Roy had "enrolled in an in-house detox program for an addiction to Lorazepam" a couple years prior to the accident ... and he told officials he was "concerned that Roy was abusing prescription medications, and that may have played a role in the accident."

As we previously reported, an autopsy revealed Halladay had zolpidem (the generic name for Ambien), as well as morphine in his system at the time he crashed his plane in the Gulf of Mexico.

The tests also came back positive for amphetamines.

Investigators say Halladay's dad told them Roy was suffering from anxiety and depression around the time of the accident.

According to the report, Halladay's dad also told officials he believed back pain, shoulder surgery and anxiety were the only medical ailments the former pitcher suffered from.

There's more ... officials also claim Halladay's father told them Roy often took risks while flying ... saying, "Mr. Halladay had a feeling that his son did not appreciate the dangers involved with flying."

Roy -- who was 40 at the time of the crash -- had tweeted about a conversation with his father just days before the accident, writing, "I keep telling my dad flying the Icon A5 low over the water is like flying a fight jet!"

"His response...... I am flying a fighter jet!!"

Officials also included new photos of the wreckage after it was pulled from the water -- which shows the aircraft was essentially reduced to scrap.

Howard Finkel -- one of the most famous announcers in the history of pro wrestling -- has died, WWE confirms. He was 69.

Details surrounding his death are unclear at the moment.

The Fink (as he was lovingly called) had been ring announcing since 1977 -- when he was hired by Vince McMahon, Sr. for the WWE's predecessor, WWWF.

He became a full-time staffer in 1979 and went on to become WWE's longest-serving employee.

Besides that famous voice, Fink was involved in a bunch of WWE storylines over the years involving superstars like Mr. Perfect, The Million Dollar Man, CM Punk and more.

He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009.

"WWE extends its condolences to Finkel's family, friends and fans," the org. said in a statement.

Stephanie McMahon also weighed in -- saying, "In what has already been a tough week for our @WWE family, today we lost our 1st ever employee and WWE Hall of Famer, @howardfinkel."

"Howard’s voice is iconic & recognized by generations of fans. He will be missed. #RIPHowardFinkel Thank you for everything."

RIP, Fink.

Pro Football Hall of Famer and 5-time champion Willie Davis has passed away at age 85, the Hall announced Wednesday.

Davis -- who won Super Bowls I and II under legendary coach Vince Lombardi -- quickly blossomed into one of the best defensive ends in the league after the Cleveland Browns traded him to the Packers in 1960.

“It is with great sadness the entire Pro Football Hall of Fame family mourns the passing of Willie Davis," Hall CEO David Baker said in a statement.

"Willie’s extraordinary athleticism was an undeniable factor in Green Bay’s winning tradition of the 1960s under Coach Lombardi. He helped the Packers through an unprecedented championship run and to two Super Bowl victories."

Davis racked up 5 First Team All-Pro selections, made the Pro Bowl 5 times, and was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1981.

"He was the basketball version of me, and I was the rap version of him, and that’s facts!"

That's Kanye West ... explaining why he and Kobe Bryant were one and the same -- LEGENDARY -- and in typical Kanye style, he's not holding back.

It's spelled out in a candid (just released) interview with GQ that went down back in February, less than a month after his good pal Kobe died in a helicopter crash very close to Kanye's Calabasas-area home.

As part of the interview, Kanye agreed to take photos on a basketball court -- and admitted, it was therapeutic.

"One thing I thought was really amazing is that we were able to find a groove with the photographs today even as out of it as I was with the loss of Kobe," Kanye said.

"We were able to just go to the court and play ball."

Kanye says he often drives on a street near the spot of the helicopter crash ... and it makes him motivated to dominate in life like his friend Kobe did.

"There’s no way for me not to be as determined as Kobe every time I drive down that street. It’s game time. There’s no move that we can’t make, or that we’ll wait to make."

Of course, Kanye and Kobe were close friends for years -- they trained together, starred in Nike commercials together ... and Kanye was even courtside for Kobe's last game.

Now, Kanye says he continues to draw motivation from Kobe -- attacking challenges in life and business with that trademark Mamba Mentality.

"Everyone in our life is now a member of the Lakers on one of Kobe’s championship teams. The way that Kobe would say that we all have to come together and win this championship is the way I look at life now."

New York Yankees co-owner Hank Steinbrenner has died, his family confirmed. He was 63.

Hank had been battling an illness for a while -- but according to the NY Post, it was NOT related to COVID-19.

Steinbrenner was reportedly surrounded by family at his home in Clearwater, Florida when he passed. Hank is survived by his brother, Hal, and their two sisters, Jennifer and Jessica. He also has 4 children with his ex-wife.

Hank famously took over much of the ownership duties after his father, George Steinbrenner, passed away in 2010. In recent years, his brother, Hal, has taken over the role of "boss."

But, while Hank was in charge, he was known for being big and brash like his dad -- never afraid to speak his mind in public.

In fact, Hank famously made headlines back in 2008 when he took aim at the rival, Boston Red Sox.

"Red Sox Nation?" What a bunch of bush*t that is," Steinbrenner told The New York Times' Play magazine.

"That was a creation of the Red Sox and ESPN, which is filled with Red Sox fans.

"Go anywhere in America and you won't see Red Sox hats and jackets, you'll see Yankee hats and jackets. This is a Yankee country. We're going to put the Yankees back on top and restore the universe to order."

Funny, we feel like that's the quote Hank would want to end this post -- so we'll leave it at that.

RIP

Hockey fans paid their respects to Colby Cave in an awesome way Monday ... lining up cars for over 9 MILES to welcome the player's family back to his hometown after his tragic death.

As we previously reported ... the 25-year-old Edmonton Oilers center suffered a brain bleed early last week -- and despite emergency surgery, he passed away on Saturday.

On Monday, his family returned to North Battleford in Saskatchewan with a law enforcement escort ... and the love people showed the Cave fam on their way home was pretty amazing.

Fans parked their cars all along the shoulder of Highway 16 -- despite snow and freezing temps -- and displayed their appreciation for the Caves all along the route with signs and cheers.

In fact, former Oilers defenseman Eric Gryba even participated ... taking a selfie in front of the cars and writing, "a heartbreaking and heartwarming time."

"Over 15km of parked cars welcoming Colby's parents and sister home to North Battleford," Cave's wife, Emily, said of the scene. "Unfortunately, I had to stay behind with Colby's body in Ontario."

"My heart is broken. My heart is full. North Battleford, thank you for honoring your hometown hockey hero."

Cave grew up playing hockey in North Battlefield before he eventually moved on to the NHL as an undrafted player in 2015.