RIP

Stand-up comedian and shock magician "The Amazing Johnathan" is dead after battling heart issues for years.

An assistant to Johnathan's wife tells TMZ ... Johnathan passed Tuesday night while at home "cuddling" with his wife of 11 years, Anastasia Synn. We're told a hospice nurse had been staying with him for the last 3 weeks, and confirmed he had passed.

The former Las Vegas headliner, whose real name was Johnathan Szeles, had been diagnosed with congestive heart failure in 2007, and it's been a very tough road. The assistant says, "We have thought we lost him so many times that we never thought it would actually happen."

Johnathan was reportedly making up to $3 million per year at the peak of his Vegas fame when he had a residency at Bally's casino. His gonzo act featured some astounding, and downright shocking, moves ... including putting a spike through his tongue and sucking on his dangling eyeball.

The Detroit native gained a more mainstream audience after appearing on Criss Angel's reality show, "Mindfreak."

During a 2014 appearance, he announced he'd been told he only had one year to live ... but he was still around 5 years later when he launched a comeback tour.

Anastasia's assistant says they will have memorials for Johnathan in Vegas, Michigan and in L.A. they will hold the "Los Angeles Broken wand ceremony at the Magic Castle."

Johnathan was 63.

Lindsey Pearlman, the "Empire" and "General Hospital" actress who was found dead in her car Friday ... had a history of depression before committing suicide ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Lindsey called her husband, Vance Smith, the day before her body was found, saying she was intent on ending her life. Her husband contacted police in a frantic effort to find Lindsey. He never saw her alive again.

We're told Lindsey drove to the base of Runyon Canyon in Hollywood -- a popular hiking spot -- and swallowed enough pills to fatally overdose. A hiker came upon her car last Friday, saw her body inside and called police.

We've learned Lindsey left a suicide note at her home and also left a note in her car ... telling whoever found her to call 911.

Investigators learned Lindsey suffered from bouts of depression over the years, and it appears it just became too overwhelming.

After her body was found, Lindsey's sister posted the phone number of the National Suicide Hotline on social media and said, "Please know that you are never truly alone."

The Los Angeles County medical examiner's office says an autopsy was performed but they are requesting more tests and studies before determining an official cause of death, but our law enforcement sources say it's apparent it was a drug overdose.

Gary Brooker, the singer who put '60s British rock group Procol Harum on the map with an iconic hit of the 'Summer of Love,' is skipping the light fandango in heaven now.

Gary died Saturday after battling cancer according to a statement released by the band. They say their lead singer and pianist died peacefully at his home.

Procol Harum is best remembered for their 1967 hit, "A Whiter Shade of Pale" -- it was co-written by Gary, and became an anthem of the famous 'Summer of Love' in San Francisco.

The Hammond organ-heavy track is one of those '60s hits everyone kinda knows when ya hear it -- and the lyrics and their meaning have long been debated in rock history.

Just a sample:
"One of sixteen vestal virgins
Who were leaving for the coast
And although my eyes were open
They might have just as well've been closed"

Most critics and fans agree the haunting song is about a psychedelic or drunken sexual encounter. Let's face it ... there were lots of those back in '67 when Procol Harum formed!

The song's been covered by other artists countless times, and the OG single sold more than 10 million copies. The band broke up in 1977, but reunited in the '90s and continued to perform here and there until 2018.

Brooker's bandmates said, "The single defining constant of the band's 50-year career, Gary's voice and piano playing was legendary and he leaves behind a legacy that will last for generations. He will be sorely missed by everyone who knew him."

Medina Spirit has been stripped of his 2021 Kentucky Derby title ... officials announced Monday the horse has been officially disqualified following a hearing last week.

In a statement, Kentucky horse racing stewards said Medina Spirit did have the banned substance betamethasone in his blood on race day -- a huge no-no -- and announced second-place finisher Mandaloun will now be recognized as the race's winner going forward.

Officials also announced Bob Baffert, Medina Spirit's trainer, has now been suspended 90 days from all Kentucky racing facilities and fined $7,500 because of the findings.

Baffert will have the opportunity to appeal the ban -- which officials said will last from March 8 through June 5.

The ruling means Baffert will now have to win another Derby title to regain the crown of winningest trainer in the race's history (Medina Spirit's victory had given him seven total).

'America's Got Talent' breakout star Jane 'Nightbirde' Marczewski has died after a battle with cancer ... TMZ has learned.

A source with direct knowledge tells us the phenom singer passed away Saturday after months of receiving treatment for the disease ... which had spread to her lungs, spine and liver.

Nightbirde withdrew from 'AGT' mid-season -- when she announced she'd be focusing on her health full-time. She had previously survived breast cancer after being diagnosed in 2017 ... but it eventually returned, coming back in a metastatic state.

She'd said doctors gave her a slim chance at survival -- just 2% -- and the remainder of her life had been given a small window in 2019 ... just 3-6 months. Incredibly, she beat those odds and was declared cancer-free the following year ... only to have it return in 2021.

All things considered, she lived much longer than health professionals ever thought -- fighting hard for survival, and ultimately ... winning over audiences on 'Got Talent' and beyond.

'AGT' judge Howie Mandel posted a touching note about Nightbirde, saying, "(she) was such a bright inspirational light in all our lives.we must continue to live and learn from her words and lyrics. As much as I feel horribly about her passing I feel lucky to to have met, heard and known her."

Her story captivated America -- during her initial outing, she sang an original song, "It's Okay," which absolutely blew the judges away ... making Cowell emotional and getting a standing ovation from the others, not to mention a rare golden buzzer from SC himself. Obviously, she got a green light to move on -- and made it to the quarterfinals. She may well have even won the whole competition ... if not for having to pull out.

Unfortunately, her 'AGT' run was cut short due to the cancer ... and she's been mostly out of the spotlight since -- doing a few interviews here and there, while also staying positive on social media and sharing her journey.

Sadly, Nightbirde was never officially signed to a label and doesn't have an album out -- but she does have some EP releases and singles under her belt from her early years in the music biz, when she was trying to break out into the mainstream out in Virginia.

She was just 31.

RIP

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed -- the head armorer on the set of Alec Baldwin's "Rust" -- isn't handling firearms for her new job, but she'll still be around guns ... the tattoo kind!!!

Hannah's working at Belton Tattoo shop in her hometown of Bullhead City, AZ ... and was seen stepping out for a recent lunch break. According to the photo agency, she's the shop's receptionist. It's the first time she's been seen in public since the family of Halyna Hutchins filed a wrongful death lawsuit against her and several other people ... including Baldwin.

You'll recall ... the lawsuit alleges the hiring of inexperienced armorers -- like Hannah -- and having her split time as an assistant props master played a factor in Halyna's death.

Back in November, Hannah's attorney claimed the entire tragedy is a setup, with the goal of framing her -- adding "We believe that the scene was tampered with as well before the police arrived."

The D.A. has scoffed at the claim, saying no such evidence has surfaced.

It's unclear if tattoos are a new passion for Hannah, or if she's just waiting until the legal dust settles before returning to the film industry. After the "Rust" disaster, you gotta wonder if she can even get work on a movie or TV set.

Michael Jordan shared a special moment with Kobe Bryant's wife at the All-Star Game on Sunday ... with MJ embracing Vanessa after the Lakers legend was honored during halftime.

The Black Mamba received a powerful ovation as members of the league's 75th-anniversary team were recognized in Cleveland ... and Vanessa was visibly overcome with emotion as her husband was featured on the scoreboard.

Jordan, Jerry West and Lakers GM/Kobe's longtime agent Rob Pelinka were spotted alongside Vanessa during the festivities ... as #23 went up and gave her a big hug and chatted with her on the court.

Kobe's presence was felt throughout the night ... as Vanessa was in attendance to hand Chris Paul the WNBA's first Kobe and Gigi Bryant Advocacy award, which honors players for their contributions to women's hoops.

Stephen Curry won the newly-designed Kobe Bryant All-Star MVP award ... after nailing 16 3-pointers to help Team LeBron beat Team Durant, 163-160.

The exchange between MJ and Vanessa was truly emotional for fans to watch -- Jordan and Kobe were close, and the Bulls legend even gave a tearful speech at Bryant's service in 2020.

The Young Dolph murder case continues to produce new leads -- police say there are now more people they want to talk to about what happened that fateful day.

Memphis PD announced Sunday two persons of interest in connection to the homicide -- 26-year-old Devin Burns and 26-year-old Joshua Taylor ... both of whom the cops say they are unable to locate, and need the public’s help in finding.

Burns is described as 5'6" at about 135 lbs. and Taylor’s a tad bit bigger ... 6'6" at 180 lbs. MPD says Burns has unrelated open warrants for his arrest -- but both men appear to have posed for mug shots before.

It’s unclear how or why exactly these two are suspected to be related to the murder -- but cops say they want to sit down with them regardless.

The authorities have already nabbed two men they say are the actual shooters -- Justin Johnson and Cornelius Smith, who’ve both pled not guilty to first-degree murder charges, among others.

A third man was also arrested ... Shundale Barnett, whom the police say served as an accessory in helping Johnson flee Tennessee.

Lindsey Pearlman, the actress with credits that include "Empire" and "General Hospital" was found dead 3 days after disappearing ... the LAPD now confirms.

The body of the 43-year-old was found Friday at the base of Runyon Canyon Park in Hollywood ... a very popular hiking spot. Her body was discovered inside a car.

The cause of death has not been released, but Saturday Lindsey's sister said on Twitter, "Please know that you are never truly alone," as she posted the phone number to the National Suicide Hotline.

Pearlman, who also appeared on "Chicago Justice," "The Ms. Pat Show," and "Selena," was last heard from Thursday afternoon. She called her cousin and phone data shows the call was made a mile-and-a-half from where her body was discovered.

Lindsey's husband, Vance Smith, said, "The police found Lindsey. She's gone. I'm broken."

The family says to honor Lindsey -- an animal rights advocate -- please donate to the Sante d'Or, an L.A,-based animal rescue org.

Passengers who witnessed a woman jump overboard to her death on a cruise ship have been left traumatized, and they want the cruise line to do some kind of a make-good.

Rhonda Turner, a 28-year-old from Booneville, MS, was enjoying her time on the Carnival Valor with her husband and two children ... before chaos erupted after a woman jumped off the balcony into the ocean.

Rhonda and her family rushed to where a large group of passengers was gathered. Rhonda says the scene was horrifying. She saw the head of the woman who jumped bobbing in the water. The woman was not decapitated, but all Rhonda could see was her head.

The woman jumped Wednesday afternoon after she was subdued by security. She had gotten into an altercation with a man in the hot tub.

Rhonda says the chaos left her and her family reeling, as helicopters hovered over the ship, trying to locate the woman. Her small children were bewildered and upset ... unable to understand the scope of what had happened.

Rhonda says it's time for Carnival to pony up ... at the very least she wants credit for another cruise. She's so traumatized she's considering counseling.

Bob Saget will be remembered for many incredible things ... but, being Desiigner's personal chef definitely isn't one we saw coming.

You heard that right! Saget plays a money-catching chef in Desiigner's music video, "Bakin" -- and it turns out to be one of the last roles he ever shot.

The video opens with Snoop Dogg suggesting Desiigner, "get Bob on the job" ... and we then see Saget whipping up bacon, catching cash and vibin' to the music alongside pornstar Kendra Sunderland.

The song’s co-writer and producer DJ Whoo Kid said folks on set didn't believe Saget would play the chef ... until he showed up. He told Rolling Stone rappers normally pull up in fancy cars, but Saget rolled up and parked his Lexus on the grass, "looking like a dad.”

Ex-'SNL' star Jay Pharoah is also in the video, and says, “It’s so funny because this video is a testament to what Bob Saget was on stage.”

The "Bakin" music video was actually shot back in December ... just a few weeks before Saget was found dead in his Orlando hotel room. The end of the vid now reads "Rest In Peace Bob Saget" and shows footage from the shoot.

Kim Potter was just sentenced to 2 years for the killing of Daunte Wright ... though it won't all be served behind bars.

Potter received a sentence of 24 months Friday in an MN courtroom ... but only 16 months of that will be served behind bars, the remaining time will be on supervised release. On top of that, she'll have to pay a $1,000 fine. The sentence is significantly less than the 7 years prosecutors had suggested.

Potter broke down in addressing Wright's family during the sentencing hearing, apologizing several times for what happened and asking for the family's forgiveness.

As we've previously told you, the ex-Minnesota cop was found guilty of first and second-degree manslaughter after fatally shooting the 20-year-old black man in December.

Daunte's mother, Katie Wright, spoke during the sentencing hearing in an emotional moment that had the courtroom silent. She refused to refer to Potter by her first name, Potter only referred to Daunte as "the driver" through their exchange.

Katie also expressed her frustrations in how selfish she thought Potter was after shooting Daunte, only worried about getting in touch with her union rep ... Katie asked the judge to give the maximum sentence.

On April 11, 2021, Daunte Wright was pulled over by police for an expired tag and an illegal air freshener. Cops attempted to arrest him when they learned he had a warrant, and he tried to flee ... that's when Potter pulled out a gun and shot him.

You'll recall ... Potter has said she thought she pulled out her Taser ... instead of pulling out her firearm. As you can see in the bodycam footage, she yells out "Taser" ... and moments later she says, "Holy sh**! I just shot him!"

She broke down on the stand during trial when recounting the events that led up to Wright's death.

Shortly after the shooting, the incident sparked protests and civil unrest throughout the U.S. over how Black people are treated by police.

The legal team for Wright's family insisted that his death was absolutely preventable.

There's new video of the woman who jumped off a cruise ship into the ocean ... and she's clearly agitated a minute or so before she jumped.

You see the woman flanked by security guards who are trying to subdue her as she struggles to break loose. Security has her arms behind her back, but, contrary to the accounts of some passengers, she was not placed in handcuffs.

She's screaming "Alicia" as security tries moving her off the deck. She somehow escaped the grip of security and, without warning, jumped from the 10th floor of the ocean liner. One passenger says the woman hit the side of the vessel before going face-first into the water.

The 32-year-old woman disappeared from view ... 150 miles off the coast of Louisiana. The crew searched for several hours, to no avail.

She is heard screaming out the name "Alicia" as the guards help her up a flight of stairs and off of the pool deck after an alleged hot tub incident.

A beach in Sydney has been temporarily closed after some folks witnessed a gruesome killing -- a 15-ft shark devouring a swimmer.

A Rep for New South Wales Police Force tells TMZ ...  cops were called about the terrifying shark attack around 4:35 PM on Wednesday.

We're told folks were fishing off the nearby shoreline, and they heard the swimmer scream in terror and saw the entire attack unfold.

As you can see in the video, a shark was still lurking around and the guy recording yelled out, "Someone just got eaten by a shark. Oh man! Oh no! That's insane." He believes it was a great white.

Police say when they arrived, they could still see human remains in the water.

As of now, they don't know details about the deceased swimmer, but police said they are investigating and might know more info later today.

Tina Tintor and her dog have been memorialized with a mural in Las Vegas ... three months after they tragically died there in a car crash involving former NFL star Henry Ruggs.

The art was just painted on a wall near the wreck site -- showing a depiction of Tina and her Golden Retriever, Max, smiling in front of a blue background.

The artist painted both of their names in pink lettering above their pictures ... and added, "In loving memory."

In front of the art -- which sits on the corner of the intersection near where the two were hit by Ruggs' Corvette on Nov. 2 -- family, friends and supporters have continued to leave photographs, candles and flowers.

Tintor's uncle told KLAS in Vegas that he organized the painting of the mural following Tina's death.

As we previously reported, investigators say Tintor burned to death after officials say Ruggs was speeding with a .161 BAC before he rammed his sportscar into the back of her RAV4.

She was just 23 years old.

Alec Baldwin is now a defendant in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Halyna Hutchins.

In the lawsuit, lawyers for the family list what they say are the lapses in safety on the "Rust" set ... lapses they claim led to the cinematographer's death.

Among the alleged lapses ... live ammo on the movie set. The suit also claims other shortcomings ... the crew failed to treat the gun as if it were loaded.

As for Baldwin, the suit claims he was only 4 feet from members of the crew and reached across his body and used his right hand to grab the revolver holstered on his left side, drew the revolver with a cross draw movement and aimed it directly at Hutchins while drawing back the hammer.

The suit claims, "He released the revolver's hammer, and -- BAM -- defendant Baldwin fired the revolver." Baldwin said in an interview he did not pull the trigger, but at a news conference Tuesday the Hutchins' lawyer said "I think it's clear what happened. Alec had the gun in his hand, he shot it -- Halyna was killed. The gun cannot fire unless the trigger is engaged and the hammer is back."

The suit says Baldwin never checked the gun himself for ammo before using it.

The suit also talks about cost-cutting measures and, a few days before Hutchins' death, a local camera operator made safety complaints to the producers that there had been 3 unsafe weapons discharges and the set was "super unsafe."

The unit production manager responded "with callous sarcasm," according to the lawsuit, saying the accidental discharges were "awesome" and "sound[ed] good."

Among the cost-cutting measures ... the hiring of inexperienced armorers, requiring the armorer to split time as an assistant props master, establishing and aggressively adhering to unreasonably rushed production schedules.

In addition to Baldwin, the armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and the assistant director, David Halls, are being sued, among many others ... including various production companies. The company that provided the ammunition is also a defendant.

The suit, filed by Hutchins' husband and son, asks for unspecified damages, including punitive damages. They're repped by L.A.-based Panish, Shea, Boyle, Ravipudi LLP.

While Baldwin himself has denied culpability -- pointing the finger elsewhere -- Hutchins' family had been slow to indicate who they think is actually responsible, until now.

Others have been much more willing to assign blame early in the process ... including a "Rust" gaffer, Serge Svetnoy, who sued AB, the armorer and others for what he called a reckless and negligent display of movie-making.

As you know, there have been different accounts of what exactly went down. Everyone agrees they were in the middle of setting up a shot, with Halyna and director Joel Souza framing up Alec for what was going to be a scene featuring the gun.

Svetnoy claims Alec had no business aiming the gun at Halyna and Joel -- but Alec himself argues differently, saying he was simply following their instructions ... and didn't even pull the trigger. He says when he let go of the cocked hammer ... the pistol fired unexpectedly.

He also says he never knew there was live ammo in the chamber, which has become a huge issue for investigators -- namely, how the hell did real bullets make it onto the film set???

Baldwin's hinted he feels head armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and assistant director Dave Halls should bear responsibility for the fatal accident. Meanwhile, Hannah's pointed the finger in Alec's direction, claiming he didn't respond to her request for him to take safety lessons ... and she allegedly wasn't informed the star would be handling a gun on that fateful day.

Not to be forgotten ... there's a looming criminal investigation off in the distance that's still underway in New Mexico, where authorities have yet to exclude anyone, including Baldwin, of potential charges as they continue to look into what exactly happened.

As all of that has been playing out ... Halyna's loved ones have been grieving.

She leaves behind a husband, Matt, and a young son. She was just 42.