RIP

A Russian tank absolutely obliterated a civilian vehicle by opening fire -- killing an elderly couple inside who appeared to be trying to flee.

This went down Tuesday in the town of Makariv, just outside of Kyiv. As you know, that area has been under siege for days ... and people are attempting to get out any way they can, but many are still being targeted by Putin.

Tragically, that happened here ... the tank unleashing a blast from a good distance on an open road, with nothing but the car in sight. There was no threat posed, and nothing to indicate Ukrainian soldiers were afoot ... and yet, the tank operator fired on the vehicle.

The man and woman inside died -- a slaughtering that appears to have been captured by a nearby surveillance camera. In the aftermath, somebody filmed the destruction up close ... and you can see the couple's bodies leaning on each other.

It's incredibly graphic, but also crucial ... to witness the sheer brutality that's being inflicted on the Ukrainian people. There are multiple videos like this ... and reports that ordinary folks are being indiscriminately fired upon by Russian forces.

Joshua Tharpe -- a guest star on "Party Down South" -- has died ... TMZ confirms.

His brother, Billy, tells us ... Josh was found dead Monday by his mother on the kitchen floor of his home in Baton Rouge, LA. Billy says Josh's death comes as a surprise, as everything seemed fine just a day or so prior.

We're told Josh had gone to church with his mother on Sunday and then hung out at her house afterward. Later that day, he swung by a friend's place where he had plans to spend the night -- but had to stop by at his own place first to grab some clothes ... and Billy says he never returned.

The friend grew concerned when she didn't hear from him the next day, and contacted his mom ... who went to his house where she found him collapsed. Billy says the coroner has notified them that Josh died as a result of a heart attack. Apparently, he'd experienced something similar a year prior, but much more mild and he'd recovered.

Joshua wasn't a full-time cast member on the CMT reality show, but he was featured in multiple episodes.

He was just 42.

Ukrainian actor Pasha Lee was killed while fighting off Russian forces -- having gone from entertainer to soldier who put himself on the front lines in the battle for his country.

Lee died while serving in the Ukrainian army this weekend, falling at the hands of Russian occupiers who were bombarding the city of Irpin with mortar shells -- this according to the Odesa International Film Festival, which broke the news about his passing.

They memorialized him by listing his film credentials, including roles in "Shtolnya," "Shadows of Unforgotten Ancestors," "Zvychayna Sprava," "The Fight Rules," "Meeting of Classmates" and more.

He's also done commercial and TV work, as well as voice acting -- and not just that ... but the dude was apparently known as a composer and theater actor too.

The OIFF wrote, "We call on the world community to help Ukraine in the fight against Russia and stop the war. We urge you to close the sky over Ukraine immediately and continue to boycott Russian cinema."

Unclear when he joined the Ukrainian armed forces -- but Lee is reported to have served in a territorial defense unit ... which apparently saw action in Irpin, an area that was under siege all weekend long -- as many saw first-hand in brutal fashion.

Ukrainian actress Anastasiya Kasilova -- one of his fellow costars -- mourned his death by taking to social media and writing ... "Pasha Li killed during the shelling in Irpen, defending Ukraine. He is an actor, TV presenter, my colleague and a good acquaintance… Not so long ago we shot together in a teaser for a children's film…Never forgive!"

He was 33.

Johnny Brown, who played housing project superintendent Nathan Bookman on the massively hit show "Good Times," has died.

Johnny's daughter Sharon Catherine Brown tells TMZ, he was at his doctor's office in L.A. Wednesday getting his pacemaker checked out, and shortly after he left he went into cardiac arrest and collapsed. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he passed. She says the appointment was routine, so his sudden death was a shock.

Sharon said, "Our family is devastated. Devastated. Devastated. Beyond Heartbroken. Barely able to breathe."

Johnny was a protege of Sammy Davis Jr. Sammy scored Johnny a role on Broadway, and from there, his career soared. He starred in "Carry Me Back to Morningside Heights" ... directed by Sidney Poitier.  Neil Simon took notice and put Johnny in "The Out of Towners."

"Good Times," however, was his breakout role. He joined the show in 1975, in the middle of season 2.

Co-star Jimmie Walker tells TMZ he's hurting because he loved his compadre on the show.

Johnny racked up a bunch of credits, including 3 seasons on 'Laugh In,' 'Julia,' 'Maude,' "The Jeffersons," "Archie Bunker's Place," "Family Matters," "Sister, Sister," "Moonlighting," and "Martin."

Johnny is survived by his wife, whom he married 61 years ago, his daughter Sharon and son, John Jr.

Johnny was 84.

DMX's Fiancée Desiree Lindstrom says their son, Exodus, is the apple that doesn't fall far from the tree -- he could follow in his dad's footsteps -- but for now, he's staying strong after X's passing.

Desiree was on "It's Tricky with Raquel Harper," when she opened up about whether her 5-year-old might become a rapper ... and turns out he's flashing some skills. She told Raq, "He loves to sing. I was like, 'Is my son gonna be an R&B singer?'"

She says Exodus can beatbox pretty well too, sooo ... place your bets.

As for the traumatic loss of his father -- Desiree says Exodus has been very strong, even comforting her when she gets down. If she starts tearing up, her little boy reassures her DMX is always watching over from Heaven.

She tells Raq he's eager to learn, too -- choosing to write over playing with toys! She couldn't be prouder of who he's becoming, and knows X would feel the same way.

Tim Considine, famous for his work on TV shows like "The Hardy Boys" and "My Three Sons," has died.

The veteran actor died Thursday at his home in Los Angeles, where he was surrounded by family ... according to his son, Christopher. We're told the cause of death is not immediately known but it was sudden and painless.

Tim had a long career in Hollywood, beginning when he was just 12, and he's also well known for playing Spin Evans on "The Adventures of Spin and Marty," which aired way back in 1955 as part of ABC's "The Mickey Mouse Club."

On the TV version of 'Hardy Boys,' Tim played amateur detective Frank Hardy ... giving life to the character from the widely read book series.

When he was 19, Tim again starred on ABC as Mike Douglas in "My Three Sons" ... an enormous, hit series about 3 brothers being raised by their widowed father. He played the role from 1960 to 1965 before leaving the show to pursue other opportunities.

Tim also acted in movies, most notably in the 1970 best picture film "Patton," where he plays a soldier who gets slapped by the famous army general.

The son of a prominent producer at MGM, Tim also wrote TV episodes for NBC, published books and even had a guest column in The New York Times Magazine.

Tim was 81.

The parents of soccer star Katie Meyer say they fear a possible punishment from Stanford could have led to their daughter's suicide earlier this week.

In an interview with NBC's "Today" show on Friday, Steven and Gina Meyer say their daughter was facing potential discipline over an alleged incident involving her and one of her Cardinal teammates.

The two parents say over the last few weeks Katie had been receiving letters from the school over it all ... and in the past few days, she had gotten "kind of the final letter that there was going to be a trial or some kind of something."

Gina speculated it all might have led to the Stanford goalie's death on Tuesday.

"This is the only thing that we can come up with that triggered something," Gina said.

The school declined to comment on the situation ... telling "Today" in a statement, "We are not able to share information about confidential student disciplinary matters."

Gina and Steven said they've been devastated and heartbroken since Katie was found on Tuesday ... explaining, "the last couple days are a parents' worst nightmare."

Katie was just 22 years old.

Britney Spears thinks there's something not quite right about how Brittany Murphy died a sudden death, and she has good reason to wonder ... because there's a direct connection between them.

The singer just posted about the late actress, saying she finds it "curious" Brittany died at just 32, and doesn't seem to buy the official explanation. Britney admits she's a bit late to the discussion -- she references a People cover story from last October.

As you know ... Brittany was found unresponsive back in 2009 in her Hollywood Hills home, and the coroner ultimately determined she died of drug intoxication and untreated pneumonia.

What's interesting is the fact Murphy bought that house from Spears, who lived there back when she was dating Justin Timberlake.

Even eerier ... Murphy's husband, Simon Monjack, also died in that house 5 months later, and also from drug intoxication and pneumonia.

Along with the People story, there was also an HBO documentary last year about Murphy's death -- which has clearly piqued Britney's interest.

Spears didn't mention her connection to Murphy in her IG post -- but both Britney and Brittany didn't like staying in the house.

Monjack once said Murphy considered the home "unlucky" ... while Spears reportedly thought the place had bad spirits.

The Murphy family sold the mansion in 2011, and in 2013 it was razed and an all-new home was built.

Stanford women's soccer star Katie Meyer died by suicide, officials in California announced on Thursday.

In a statement released by the County of Santa Clara, officials said "Meyer's death was determined to be self-inflicted." They added no signs of foul play were found.

"The Medical Examiner-Coroner extends sincerest condolences to the family, friends, and fans of Katie Meyer," the officials said in a statement.

As we reported, Meyer was tragically found dead on Stanford's campus this week at just 22 years old.

She was the Cardinal's starting goalkeeper and a team captain ... and reps for the university called her "a bright shining light for so many."

Her death rocked her family and friends, Stanford's school and the sports world in general.

"There are no words," Katie's sister, Samantha Meyer, said in a social media post earlier this week. "Thank you for all the kindness extended to my family."

Katie joined the Cardinal in 2018 ... and helped the team win a national championship in 2019. A GoFundMe set up in her honor has already raised nearly $150,000.

Sad news in the golf world ... PGA Tour star Jason Day's mom has passed away following a lengthy battle with cancer.

The 34-year-old golfer made the heartbreaking announcement on his Instagram page Thursday ... saying his mom, Adenil "Dening" Day, died on Wednesday night five years after she was diagnosed with lung cancer.

"We are heart broken but incredibly grateful for the gift we had in her living with us for the last almost two years full time," Day said. "She fought so hard until the very last breath."

According to the PGA Tour, Dening passed away peacefully with Jason and other family members by her side.

"I am forever indebted to her for the sacrifices she made for me to be successful, and for the person she helped me to become," said Day, who pulled out of the Arnold Palmer Invitational earlier this week to be with his mother in her final days.

"We will miss her so much."

Tragically, Dening is not the first parent Jason has lost to cancer ... his father passed away from stomach cancer when Jason was just 12 years old.

Brett Hankison -- the former Louisville cop being prosecuted in connection with Breonna Taylor's death-- was just acquitted on all the charges against him.

A jury found Hankison not guilty of all 3 counts of felony wanton endangerment in the Breonna case ... returning the verdict Thursday in a Kentucky court.

You'll recall ... Hankison was never charged for shooting and killing Breonna during a botched police raid back in 2020 ... instead, he was charged for shooting into one of her neighbor's apartments.

Hankison pled not guilty and was fired from the Louisville Metro Police Department ... and he was facing 1 to 5 years in prison for each charge.

During the trial, prosecutors argued Hankison blindly fired bullets through Breonna's window and sliding glass door into a neighboring apartment with 3 people inside ... and one of the neighbors testified they would have been shot if the bullets were one or two inches in a different direction.

Former Ohio State star Shane Olivea -- who played for the San Diego Chargers after his time in Columbus -- died on Wednesday, his good friend and ex-Buckeye teammate Bobby Carpenter announced.

He was just 40 years old.

Carpenter did not reveal a cause of the death ... but said the former offensive lineman passed away at night.

"I'll never forget the kindness he showed to a young freshman who was clueless and didn't know anything about anything," Carpenter said in a statement on Twitter. "#RIPShane #Thankyou."

Olivea played for the Buckeyes from 2000 to 2003, and won a national championship with the team in 2002. He went on to get picked by the Chargers in the seventh round of the '04 draft, and started 57 games for the Bolts from 2004 to 2007.

Sadly, an addiction to pain killers ended up derailing his career following the '07 season. Olivea had said to The Columbus Dispatch in 2017 that his addiction during his playing days was so bad, doctors told him he was fortunate to be alive.

Olivea went to rehab and eventually got better, and he later said he had aspirations of coaching football and mentoring kids.

"Very sad to hear the news of my former teammate Shane Olivea," ex-NFL O-lineman Roman Oben said on Twitter after learning of the news. "Praying for his family today."

DMX's fiancée Desiree Lindstrom opened up on "It's Tricky with Raquel Harper" about how she's been after her beau's passing ... and how things are going with their son, Exodus.

"My life changed so fast," Desiree told Raq. "Holidays get lonely ... because Earl was my family, but I do have Exodus and I try to make the best of it, because I know that's what he would've wanted me to do."

The emotional discussion is tough for her ... but she thanks everyone that's checked on her and their son. She thinks X's fans played a big part in keeping her going in the months following his death.

TMZ broke the story ... the legendary rapper was rushed to the hospital following an overdose. After a week of being on life support last April, he passed away ... survived by his 15 children.

At his celebration of life, tons of artists came to say goodbye -- Ye, Swizz Beatz, and Nas were just a few. Desiree gave a tear-jerking speech about how much he meant to her ... ending it with "Forever X."

Stanford women's soccer star Katie Meyer -- a Cardinal goalkeeper and a team captain -- has tragically died, the school announced Tuesday.

She was only 22 years old. No cause of death was revealed.

"Please join us in offering our deepest condolences to her parents and sisters," university officials said of Meyer in a statement. "We would also like to extend our heartfelt condolences to Katie's friends, hallmates, classmates, teammates, faculty and coaches."

School officials added that counseling has been made available all over campus to students and others who are grieving the loss.

Meyer -- described by the school as "a bright shining light for so many" -- was one of the Cardinal's best players ... and had helped the team win the NCAA women's soccer championship in 2019.

During that title game against North Carolina, she made two massive saves to help secure the victory. Her celebration afterward went viral.

Meyer was slated to be a redshirt senior on Stanford's team this season.

Darren Criss' older brother, Charles Criss, has died by suicide -- and his sibling is sending out a powerful message about mental health in the wake of such a tragedy.

The actor revealed the sad news Wednesday in a social media post, throwing up a bunch of photos of his bro, as well as a lengthy statement about what had happened ... and what the takeaway is for him as a result.

Charles -- who Darren refers to as Chuck -- took his own life sometime last month ... although the exact circumstances are unclear.

What is clear, however, is how much thought Darren put into breaking this to the public -- because his note here is incredibly powerful and well worth a read in full.

To sum it up, he says that Chuck -- with whom Darren actually started a band -- had apparently suffered from depression ... something DC says he and his family were somewhat aware of, but not to the extent they thought it would ever lead to this.

He says his brother lost sight to the darkness -- despite the fact he was so very loved -- and also takes a moment to acknowledge ... this is something that cannot be discussed in just a sentence or two, going on to acknowledge the complexities of mental health that any one individual may be going through ... even if everything looks okay from the outside.

Darren writes, "There is simply no sense, nay, compassion or decency, to try to find blame in any direction other than the inner most tragedy of an untreated illness," going on to add ... "Which is why it is paramount for me to remind anyone reading this that may be feeling consumed by any similar kind of darkness -- that there is absolutely no shame in feeling shame, and furthermore, nothing wrong whatsoever with seeking help."

He also makes sure to hit this point home ... that Chuck's life is not defined by his suicide, and that it was so much more than just that -- acknowledging the great things he contributed to this world, including three young children that he leaves behind.

Darren's brother was just 36. RIP

Yevhen Malyshev -- a former Ukrainian biathlete -- lost his life while defending his country in the war with Russia ... officials announced Wednesday. He was only 19 years old.

The International Biathlon Union's executive board released a statement confirming the tragic news earlier this week ... saying Malyshev died following Russia's invasion.

"The EB expresses its deepest condolences on the loss," officials said.

Specific details surrounding the circumstances of his passing are unclear ... though officials added he died "serving in the Ukrainian military."

Malyshev raced for Ukraine's biathlon junior team in 2018 and ended his career when the pandemic started in 2020.

"The EB once again condemns the Russian attacks on Ukraine and the support provided by Belarus and reiterates its hope for an immediate end to the war," officials said.

It's been common for Ukrainian athletes to take up arms in the country since Russia's attack ... with star boxers Oleksandr Usyk, Vasyl Lomachenko, Vitali Klitschko and Wladimir Klitschko already in the country fighting off invaders.

Ukrainian tennis star Sergiy Stakhovsky also left his family in Hungary to fight ... saying on "Good Morning Britain," "The world needs to unite and stop this mess."

Tragically, several other Ukrainian athletes have been killed during the war ... with the FIFPRO World Players Union saying earlier this week "young Ukrainian footballers Vitalii Sapylo (21) and Dmytro Martynenko (25)" also passed away.