RIP

Jason "White Chocolate" Williams felt the heat for saying Kobe Bryant is not a top-five all-time Laker -- and, now, he's retracting his statement, officially deeming the Black Mamba L.A.'s G.O.A.T.

The former point guard says he misunderstood the question on the "Players Choice" podcast last week when he said he was "not sure" if Bryant was a top-five Laker.

"In the conversation you all heard," Williams said in a lengthy post on his social media page Sunday, "my thinking was that we were talking about ALL the greatest NBA players EVER who wore the Laker purple and gold jersey for at least ONE season."

"I wasn’t talking about the greatest LAKER ever… because of course that’s Kobe!!! Kobe IS the Lakers!!! 💛💜"

In other words ... Williams says he thought the question was strictly from a basketball standpoint -- NOT what each player actually meant to the franchise.

In his IG statement, Williams explained he believes Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal and LeBron James are better hoopers than Bryant, but they don't mean nearly as much to L.A. as Kobe.

"My bad if I've hurt any of y’all feelings, it’s just my opinion!!!" Williams said. "I love this game and I respect this game!! It has nothing to do with Kobe bustin my team’s ass just about every time we played them either."

William Hurt -- an Oscar-winning actor with a long tenure in Hollywood -- has died.

His son, Will, made the sad announcement Sunday -- telling Deadline ... "It is with great sadness that the Hurt family mourns the passing of William Hurt, beloved father and Oscar winning actor, on March 13, 2022, one week before his 72nd birthday."

Will adds of his father's passing ... "He died peacefully, among family, of natural causes. The family requests privacy at this time."

Like we said, Hurt was a bit of a chameleon of an actor ... able to portray several different types of characters in a range of genres -- from comedy to drama to science fiction, and everything in between. He might best be remembered for his Academy Award-winning role in 1985's "Kiss of the Spider Woman."

The guy was on a roll in the '80s when it came to noteworthy parts -- in addition to 'Spider Woman,' he was also nominated for Oscars for his work in 'Children of a Lesser God' and 'Broadcast News.' Other flicks from that era he starred in include 'The Big Chill,' 'Gorky Park,' 'A Time of Destiny,' 'The Accidental Tourist,' 'Body Heat,' and more.

The '90s gave Hurt even more shine ... he acted in a ton of cult classics like 'Mr. Wonderful,' 'Alice,' 'Lost in Space,' 'One True Thing,' 'Jane Eyre,' 'Dark City,' 'The Doctor' and 'The 4th Floor,' among others. Going into the new century, Hurt kept on cranking out great performances -- some standouts that come to mind ... 'A History of Violence,' 'The Incredible Hulk,' 'The Village,' 'The King,' 'Mr. Brooks,' 'Syriana,' 'Vantage Point,' 'Changing Lanes' ... and many, many other huge movies.

Hurt's TV game was quite strong too ... he'd acted in hit shows like 'The King of Queens,' 'Goliath,' 'Condor,' 'Damages,' 'Dune,' 'Beowulf,' and others. He was in the middle of production for a new series called 'Pantheon,' and also starred in the new fantasy movie 'The King's Daughter.'

Hurt had previously been diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer, but seemed to be on the road to recovery some years ago as he tried new treatments out of Berkeley that were touted as side-effect-free at the time.

He leaves behind four children from different relationships. Hurt was 71.

Traci Braxton, the sister of Toni Braxton, has died ... TMZ has learned.

Traci's Husband Kevin Surratt tells TMZ ... "We have come to a time where we must inform the public that after a year of privately undergoing a series of treatment for Esophageal cancer our beloved Traci Braxton has gone on to glory."

We're told Traci's sisters, mom and friends were by her side when she passed.

Traci appeared on the family's reality show, "Braxton Family Values." She was an actress, best known for "Sinners Wanted." She also appeared in "There's a Stranger in my House" and "Chaaw." She recorded a hit song, "Last Call," that rose to #16 on the Billboard Hot 100. She also recorded "Broken Things" featuring her sisters, Toni, Towanda and Trina.

As you know, Traci has famous sisters ... Toni, Towanda, Tamar and Trina.

The family has experienced other recent tragedies. Her niece, Lauren Braxton, died from a heroin and fentanyl OD back in 2019 at age 24.

The last time we saw Traci she was joking and laughing with our cameras on the streets of NYC in April 2019.

Traci leaves a husband, Kevin Surratt and a child.

She was 50.

RIP

Clint Arlis, one of the contestants on season 11 of "The Bachelorette," died by suicide ... TMZ has confirmed.

According to the coroner's report, obtained by TMZ, cops found Clint dead in his parent's Illinois home back in January, he was found hanging in a bedroom closet.

The report says officers found a note left behind on Clint's bedroom dresser ... and his parents told investigators he had been experiencing paranoia and thought people were watching him.

According to the docs, Clint's parents told police his struggles with paranoia began after he had a legal issue with a friend, and he had recently moved back with his parents to get back on his feet after having some difficulties living on his own in Texas.

Page Six was first to report the cause of death.

The report says Clint's parents also told investigators he was having relationship issues with his girlfriend of 4 years ... and he was taking experimental medications as part of a clinical trial for alopecia, with his dosage increasing.

As we reported ... Clint's sister broke the news of his death back in January, but at the time, there was no cause of death.

It's heartbreaking ... the docs say Clint's father told cops he was the one who found Clint hanged in the closet, with the dad searching the house for his son when Clint didn't come downstairs in the morning.

Clint, who was only 34, competed against Nick Viall on 'Bachelorette' is remembered for his slogan ... "Villains gotta vill."

Two dogs have been sprung from death row after allegedly killing a neighbor's cat ... this after a legal battle that lasted more than a year.

A 2-year-old pit bull named Odin, and a 6-year-old Akita mix named Lucy were caught back in January 2021 next to a dead cat named Big Boy. Animal control officers came and took the dogs to a shelter, and began legal proceedings to euthanize the pooches.

The dogs owners, Nola Lowman and her son, William Dillon Jr., hired lawyers ... who argued Odin and Lucy just came upon the cat and the probability was that a coyote killed the feline.

They pointed to not just one but 4 cat attacks in the area ... which suggested a serial animal killer was on the loose.

Authorities didn't see it their way, and ruled the 2 dogs were considered "vicious." That's a critical word, because under Maryland law animals that are labeled "vicious" must be euthanized.

According to The Washington Post, the dogs were impounded for more than a year, as lawyers racked up a $25,000 bill trying to appeal the decision.

A few weeks ago, a judge reversed the death sentence, saying the dogs had no history of aggressiveness. The judge didn't find the dogs innocent ... rather, the label "vicious" was replaced with the label "dangerous."

Jerry Jones' longtime assistant, Marylyn Love, passed away this week ... and the Dallas Cowboys owner said he's devastated over the death, calling her his "best friend."

The team and Jones announced the sad news in a statement Thursday ... with Jerry saying he's flat-out heartbroken over it all.

"Marylyn has been by my side, she has been my rock, my voice, my calm in the storm for more than 40 years," Jones said ... "She was our foundation."

Jones said Love left a law firm in Oklahoma decades ago to become the Cowboys owner's assistant -- and the 79-year-old added that she helped form the Cowboys' org. from the beginning.

"Marylyn helped shape this franchise as one of very few people who have been with me and my family since Day 1," Jones said.

"Marlyn was not only my executive assistant, but she was my advisor, my confidant, my best friend and a cherished member of our family."

Her impact was so great on the team, former Cowboys star Deion Sanders actually shouted her out in his Hall of Fame acceptance speech back in 2011 -- calling her Jones' "greatest cover corner in the NFL."

Jones said he and the team are all mourning her passing "together with her family."

Tragic news in the baseball world ... former MLB pitcher Odalis Perez died on Thursday night after he apparently fell off a ladder in his home.

He was just 44 years old.

Perez's attorney, Walin Batista, confirmed the news to ESPN ... explaining Perez's family believes the former Los Angeles Dodger slipped down a ladder in the Dominican Republic.

"Around 7 p.m., his brother Cristian Perez arrived at the house and found Odalis lying in the patio," Batista told the outlet. "We don't know yet the cause of his death, but everything seems to indicate Odalis slipped down a ladder. This is a tragedy."

The Dodgers and the Nationals -- two of Perez's former teams -- both mourned Perez's passing on social media on Thursday night ... with both organizations sending their condolences to the former left-handed pitcher's family and friends.

Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero also expressed sadness over the news in an emotional tweet.

"I keep the memories of the moments we were able to share," Vlad said. "May God take you to a good place."

Perez made his debut in the Big Leagues with the Atlanta Braves in 1998 ... and he went on to play 10 more years in The Show for the Dodgers, Royals and Nationals.

Emilio Delgado -- the actor best known, and beloved, for his role as Luis on "Sesame Street" -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Delgado's wife, Carol, tells TMZ he passed away Thursday surrounded by family at his home in NYC. We're told Emilio had recently been in hospice care ... he was diagnosed with the blood cancer Multiple myeloma in December 2020.

Carol says Emilio was still a working actor right up until the pandemic -- playing the lead in "Quixote Nuevo" -- a theater production that had a 3-city run before things were shut down. He also recently did some voiceover work in January 2022.

The beloved Mexican-American actor was a pioneer in children's television, playing Luis, the 'Fix-It Shop' owner for a total of 40 years on the 'Street.' He took a brief hiatus from the show in the late 80s, but returned within a year.

He also performed in live theater throughout his career -- including some "Sesame Street" stage productions -- and has appeared at various conventions over the years.

Emilio was 81.

This ghastly image is swirling around the world, bringing home the horrors of Putin's war.

We can now put faces to the innocent civilians who were killed by Russian mortar fire as they tried to escape Irpin, Ukraine.

Tatiana Perebeinis was the chief accountant for SE Ranking ... it's a Silicon Valley startup which has a large presence in Kyiv. The 43-year-old mother of 2 died, alongside her daughter, Alise, 9, and son Nikita, 18.

Tatiana's husband, Sergii Perebeinis, was not with his family when they were killed. He posted on Facebook, "Trying to hold on but it's really hard." He said the family dogs were also killed in the attack.

It's heartbreak heaped on heartbreak ... their funerals are on hold because the morgues in the city are all filled to capacity.

The family's apartment building was bombed the day before Tatiana and her kids were slaughtered on the street by Russian force.

Tatiana's company issued a statement, saying she was "a very friendly, brave, courageous woman with a great sense of humor. She always cheered everyone around her up. She was truly like a big sister to all of us."

Her son was supposed to attend a university this year. He was required to stay in Ukraine ... 18 to 60-year-old men cannot leave the country.

"Bones" actor Heath Freeman died from an overdose of multiple opioids and narcotics, including fentanyl and cocaine ... according to the medical examiner's report.

Heath was found dead in his Austin, TX home last November, and the Travis County Medical Examiner says he had a lethal cocktail of booze and several drugs. Specifically, the report says fentanyl, cocaine, hydrocodone, oxycodone and alprazolam (generic Xanax) were in his system. The manner of death is listed as an accident.

According to the report, he was found unresponsive in his bed ... after apparently partying very hard the night before.

Heath was pronounced dead at the scene, and the report notes cops found oxy and alprazolam pills in his home.

A heart-wrenching, and far too common scene, in Ukraine ... 2 soldiers killed while trying to fend off the Russians were laid to rest, and their friends and family could not hold back their emotions.

The funeral service for the soldiers -- only identified as 44-year-old Victor and 25-year-old Ivan -- commenced Tuesday. The servicemen were buried at the Lychakiv Cemetery, where loved ones gathered to say their final farewells and their grief is evident in these images.

Several mourners were down on their knees next to the gravesites ... sobbing and wiping away tears as they laid flowers atop the caskets.

An estimated 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in less than 2 weeks of war against the Russian invaders -- and nearly 500 civilians are confirmed dead.

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.