RIP

Shaq's generosity knows no limits -- the NBA legend is donating the $50,000 he was set to make from a DJ'ing gig in Buffalo to the family of one of the shooting victims.

"DJ Diesel" has been making his rounds on tour ... and was naturally reticent about continuing on with his scheduled show in Buffalo in the aftermath of the mass shooting that took place last month, sources tell TMZ Sports.

But, the Hall of Famer and 4X-NBA champ decided to still do the show ... knowing how much the event meant to those who attended.

Before Shaq got busy on the ones-and-twos ... he met with the widow and son of Aaron Salter Jr., the retired police officer who was shot and killed while heroically trying to stop the gunman inside Tops supermarket in Buffalo from killing more innocent people.

We're told ... not only did The Big Aristotle have some one-on-one time with members of the Salter family, but he also agreed to give the money he was going to make to them in wake of the heinous tragedy.

The lives of many in the Buffalo community were altered and affected ... when an armed gunman senselessly executed at least 10 people in a vile hate crime.

We've seen countless people step up -- like the Buffalo Bills org. led by star quarterback Josh Allen -- in the city's time of need ... and Shaq, who's no stranger to charitable deeds, is the latest example.

Back in December, O'Neal raised $2 million in charity for his "Shaquille O'Neal Foundation" -- which provides resources and opportunities to the youth in this country without access to either -- by selling unique NFTs of himself.

The upcoming movie on the Gabby Petito murder looks super intense ... judging by the scenes being filmed right now, including a heated argument between Gabby and Brian Laundrie.

Lifetime's "The Gabby Petito Story" is shooting scenes just outside Salt Lake City, Utah. This scene, shot Thursday, shows Gabby and Brian's characters squaring off in a screaming match at a campground before Brian storms off in the infamous white van.

It's clearly an emotional scene, with Brian hurling expletives over Gabby being on her phone ... and the actor playing Brian looks like a dead ringer for Gabby's fiancé and murderer.

The timing is eerie ... as we reported, Brian's notebook was just made public ... and he confesses to murdering Gabby and reveals his handwritten excuse as to why he killed her.

In his 8-page confession, Brian admits to taking Gabby's life ... but claims he killed her out of compassion ... after she allegedly suffered an injury while they were on a hike in Wyoming.

As for the Lifetime movie, production will continue in Utah ... and it's set to premiere later this year.

Brian Laundrie's notebook confession to murdering Gabby Petito is now public for the first time ... revealing his handwritten excuse for why he took her life.

In the 8-page confession, first obtained by Fox News, Laundrie admits killing her, but claims he only did it after Gabby sustained an injury while they were hiking in Wyoming.

He thought what he was doing was "merciful, that it is what she wanted, but I see now all the mistakes I made. I panicked. I was in shock."

Laundrie also seemed to be ready to take his own life at the point of writing his confession ... saying "From the moment I decided, took away her pain, I knew I couldn't go on without her."

As you know, the notebook was picked up with the rest of his bag in Florida's Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park by FBI agents back in October when the hunt for him was in full swing.

The pages suffered some significant damage, although his writings remained legible -- it had been underwater for roughly 5 weeks.

Bill Bellamy says he's being forced to make an impossible choice after the deaths of his father and father-in-law -- due to an "unauthorized" memorial service planned by his sister.

The comedian and actor's going through an incredibly painful period ... with his father-in-law dying May 17, and then his own dad passing on June 8.

That would be gut-wrenching enough, but TMZ has learned things got even worse. While Bill was out of the country ... we're told his sister, Karen, made plans to lay their father, William, to rest today, June 24 -- the same weekend Bill and his wife had already planned his father-in-law's service in a different state.

According to documents filed in New Jersey, Bill actually attempted to get a restraining order which would force Karen to change the date, but he was denied -- there really is no legal standing for a judge to get involved in this sort of family dispute.

The obvious rift with his sister has left Bill in an unenviable position. He tells TMZ ... "In the span of less than a month I lost both my father William Bellamy Senior and my father-in-law Bernard Baker Junior. These two wonderful men that have impacted my life and my family's lives in ways that are beyond words."

He continues, "My effort to stop an unauthorized memorial service for my father, which was planned without my knowledge, was not successful. I am devastated my family has to choose to miss one service for another, no one should ever have to be in this position. My father-in-law's memorial service was confirmed back in May when he passed.

There are no words to express how disappointed I am to not be a part of laying my father to rest but I look forward to celebrating my father's life and legacy with my wife, his grandchildren and our close friends in our own time.

Awful news out of Red Sox nation ... Drago -- the German shepherd who became famous for roaming the field at Fenway Park over the past few years -- has died at 10 years old.

The pup's owner, Red Sox head groundskeeper Dave Mellor, mourned the passing in a message to the Associated Press this week.

"I was blessed he was in my life as he saved my life, changed my life, inspired me, and gave hope to my life in ways I hadn't had in decades and didn’t know were possible,” Mellor said. "I am absolutely heartbroken."

Mellor, a die-hard Red Sox fan and a former star high school pitching prospect, got Drago back in 2014 in order to help deal with the PTSD he was suffering from after he was involved in two horrific car crashes earlier in his life.

The two quickly became inseparable -- and Drago soon joined Mellor at his job tending to the grounds at Fenway Park, where the dog quickly became beloved by Red Sox players, staffers and fans.

Sadly, Drago suffered a stroke before Boston hosted the Oakland Athletics last week, and died two days later.

The Red Sox org. showed a heartfelt message on the video board at the ballpark last Friday when the team played the St. Louis Cardinals ... saying that Drago was a companion who provided countless memories over the years.

"We send love and support to his family, honor his service and recognize a life well-lived," the Sox's tribute read. "We will miss you, Drago.”

Former NFL running back Hugh McElhenny -- whose #39 is retired by the San Francisco 49ers -- has passed away, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced Thursday.

He was 93 years old.

The Hall of Fame said McElhenny died of natural causes at his home in Nevada.

"We pass along our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and to the many whose lives he touched," The Hall wrote in a tweet when announcing the news.

McElhenny -- whose nickname was "The King" -- was taken by the 49ers with the 9th overall pick in the 1952 NFL Draft ... and he went on to star for the team for 9 seasons.

A 6x-Pro Bowler and 2-time All-Pro, Hugh was a unique offensive weapon who posed a threat to opposing defenses rushing, receiving and in special teams.

In his first NFL season (1952), McElhenny was unanimously elected Rookie of the Year and earned All-Pro status as well as a spot on the Pro Bowl team.

McElhenny's final year came in 1964 with the Detroit Lions, but he also played for the Vikings and Giants.

McElhenny -- who finished his career with 38 rushing touchdowns and 5,281 rushing yards -- was inducted into the Pro Football of Fame in 1970, and he's also a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

Police tell TMZ Sports ... NFL legend Tony Siragusa received CPR at a home in New Jersey before he tragically passed away on Wednesday.

The Toms River Police Department tells us officers were dispatched to a home on the barrier island in the beach section of town at around 11:45 AM ... after receiving a call about a "CPR in progress."

Cops say Siragusa was pronounced dead on the scene shortly after officers and EMS arrived. He was 55 years old.

A cause of death has not yet been revealed -- police tell us an autopsy is pending.

The scene is horrifyingly similar to the one Siragusa's father faced when he passed away while Siragusa was just 21 years old.

In discussing that tragic aspect of his life with Howard Stern back in 2012, Siragusa said he and his brother had tried to administer CPR on their father after the 48-year-old had suffered a "massive heart attack."

"In the middle of the night, I hear my mother screaming," the former star football player recalled. "Me and my brother ran in there. And he was like gasping for air ... I'm like trying to push his chest in and stuff."

"We were just holding onto him," Siragusa added.

Tony told Stern that despite the unexpected death as well as the history of heart disease in his family, he was not concerned about his own mortality.

"If I die tomorrow, I told my wife, just put a smile on my face," Siragusa said. "Put a little Sinatra on. You know, let's go."

Kendrick Lamar sat in the front row of Louis Vuitton's Men’s Spring-Summer '23 Show in Paris this morning ... a point worth noting because he was performing at the same time!!!

The French fashion house rolled out all the stops for Men’s Fashion Week as K-Dot publicly debuted a couple of tracks from "Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers" -- "N95" and "Savior."

Speaking of being a savior, Kendrick rocked a crown of thorns -- similar to Jesus Christ's -- as he sat next to his manager Dave Free and belted out the tracks.

He could be still reveling in the fact he has the biggest rap release of the year.

K-Dot also improvised lyrics to dedicate portions of the show to the late Virgil Abloh ... who the hip hop community has been mourning since his passing last November.

As the first Black man to spearhead LVHM as artistic director, Virgil's creative vision directly inspired a wide range of rappers like Kanye, Migos, Tyler, the Creator and, obviously, Kendrick.

Model and influencer Niece Waidhofer -- who often worked to help her followers through their mental health struggles -- has died by suicide ... TMZ has learned.

Niece's family tells us, "Sadly, Niece took her own life after a long battle with mental health issues." The 31-year-old died in Houston, TX.

Her family says, "She was very open with her followers about her struggles, even wanting to help followers who also suffered." We're told a non-profit called "Peace from Niece" will be established in her honor, and the org will benefit mental health awareness and provide grants for mental illness research.

Niece's family says she took pride in the fact she wrote all of her Instagram posts herself, and shot the majority of her photos without a professional photog.

As for the circumstances surrounding her death, law enforcement sources tell us they got a call from a concerned family member last month to check on Niece at her Houston-area residence ... and that's when she was discovered.

Fans of Waidhofer -- who had amassed 4.2 million followers on Instagram -- became concerned when she wiped her account of almost all of her photos ... she left only 3 posts. Turns out she did that in the weeks leading up to her death.

Her family adds, "Niece was more than her struggles. She was beautiful and kind, sensitive and funny, creative and talented, generous and compassionate, thoughtful and challenging. While it is so very painful to say goodbye, we take comfort knowing she is reunited with her father, her three grandparents, her Uncle Rusty, and her beloved Puff; and that she is now free to be herself and, finally, at peace."

RIP

NFL legend Tony Siragusa has died at 55 years old, his former Baltimore Ravens teammate, Jamal Lewis, confirmed to TMZ Sports.

"It's a sad day to be a Raven I must say," the ex-running back said on Wednesday.

A cause of death for the former defensive lineman has not yet been revealed.

Siragusa -- a 6-foot-3, 340-pound defensive tackle -- initially broke into the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 1990 and became a full-time starter by the 1992 season.

In 1997, he signed with the Baltimore Ravens ... and went on to be a key cog on the legendary 2000 team that won Super Bowl XXXV.

Playing alongside Ray Lewis, Rod Woodson and Adalius Thomas, Siragusa -- nicknamed "Goose" -- helped the Ravens defense set the record for fewest points allowed in a regular season on their way to winning a title.

In his 12 years in the league, he compiled 22 sacks and 564 combined tackles.

Following his playing career, Siragusa gained national fame for his role as an NFL sideline reporter and analyst for Fox. He made audiences laugh with his unique style and knowledge of the game.

Siragusa had also hosted several TV shows after retiring from the NFL, including "Man Caves."

Colts owner Jim Irsay just tweeted about Siragusa's death, saying, "The Goose, Tony Siragusa has passed away at 55.. I’m heart broken as is all of Colts Nation."

Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti also commented on Siragusa's passing, writing in a statement, "Our deepest prayers and sympathies go out to Kathy, their three children and the rest of the Siragusa family."

"This is a tremendously sad day for the Baltimore Ravens. We appreciate everyone who has expressed an outpouring of support for our players, coaches and staff."

Fred Goldman says the staggering sum that O.J. Simpson owes him has now ballooned to a whopping $96 MILLION, TMZ Sports has learned.

Goldman laid it all out in new court documents, in which he's applying for a renewal of his old judgment against the former NFL star stemming from the death of Fred's son, Ron Goldman.

You'll recall, in 1997 ... O.J. was ordered to pay $33.5 million to the Goldman family after he was found liable in the 1994 killing of Ron, who died along with Nicole Brown Simpson in Brentwood, Calif.

In 2015, Fred said with interest, O.J. owed him $57 million. But, in the new docs, Fred now says interest has continued to pile up over the last 7 years and has now reached nearly $97 mil.

This is awesome ... an outdoor basketball court in Los Angeles got a complete makeover this week -- with images of Kobe Bryant, Shaq, Magic Johnson, and other Lakers legends being painted all over it.

The artist behind the work, Gustavo Zermeno Jr., tells TMZ Sports he initially linked up with Veniceball and Project Backboard to repaint the court at Southside Christian Church in Inglewood to try to give it some TLC.

The Lakers theme was Zermeno Jr.'s idea ... saying he's been wanting to do this for years and "the pastor of the church is a huge Laker fan so it worked out perfectly."

Zermeno -- who's been painting professionally since 2016 -- tells us the focal point was Kobe (his favorite Laker) and other players who had their jerseys retired.

He also wanted to pay homage to Pau Gasol ... saying he "deserves to be up there with them."

And, after working alongside his friend Nick Flax for 2 weeks (10 hours per day using $3,000 worth of paint), he delivered a masterpiece.

Besides Bryant and Gasol, the court features Shaq, Magic, James Worthy, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Chick Hearn, Jerry West, and Jerry Buss in front of the downtown L.A. skyline and Staples Center.

"It means the world really," Zermeno said of the piece. "It's also right next door to the new Clippers arena so it also shows this is still a Lakers town haha."

The unveiling marks the start of Zermeno's upcoming nonprofit organization called "Heart In The Paint" which will focus on the betterment of young lives through sports, art, and education.

Baltimore Ravens pass rusher Jaylon Ferguson has tragically died at 26 years old, the team announced on Wednesday.

No details surrounding his death were released.

"We are profoundly saddened by the tragic passing of Jaylon Ferguson," the Ravens said in a statement early Wednesday morning.

"He was a kind, respectful young man with a big smile and infectious personality."

The team added, "We express our heartfelt condolences to Jaylon's family and friends as we mourn a life lost much too soon."

Ferguson was picked by the Ravens in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft ... and played in 38 total games for the team the last three seasons, tallying 4.5 sacks and 67 tackles.

Prior to his NFL career, the 6-foot-5, 275-pound athlete was a superstar at Louisiana Tech Univ.

Ferguson recorded 45 total sacks in his career there, making him the NCAA career sacks leader. The school mourned his death in a statement on Twitter on Wednesday morning.

"We will remember his God-given talents on the field and his infectious personality off of it," the university said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends."

TMZ Sports actually spoke with Ferguson just before he was drafted back in 2019. At the time, he had been mired in a bit of controversy due to an arrest during his freshman year at Louisiana Tech that was preventing him from fully participating in the NFL combine that year.

But, he was kind and humble during our conversation, and explained he was looking at the whole situation from a positive perspective.

RIP

Black folks are pissed off and deeply traumatized by Nipsey Hussle's murder, with a new wave of emotions coming back up during his alleged murderer's trial ... so says Luenell.

The comedy vet chatted with Raquel Harper Tuesday on the 'It's Tricky' podcast. Luenell says she lives near the area where Nipsey was shot, and to drive by the spot almost daily feels like some sort of post-traumatic stress.

She also addressed Nip's alleged killer, Eric Holder, who is currently on trial, saying, "The Black community don't hate nobody as much as they hate Eric Holder's bitch ass."

She also says there are a lot of people praying, if convicted, Holder's placed in general population. Luenell doesn't spell it out, but her insinuation's clear ... inmates are ready to get revenge.

Holder's trial kicked off in L.A. last week, 3 years after Nipsey was killed, and we've already heard the grisly details from the day Holder allegedly pulled the trigger -- including his final words to Nipsey before the rapper died.

Luenell says she's at the point where she feels she needs to move away from Crenshaw, as the reminders throughout the neighborhood of what happened to Nip have become too much to handle.

She also sends her love to Lauren London, who has a son with Nipsey and was dating the rapper when he died. Luenell believes a part of Lauren died with Nipsey.

"The X Factor" star Tom Mann suffered a horrible tragedy over the weekend ... his fiancee died just hours before their wedding.

Dani Hampson, a 34-year-old publicist, had no apparent health issues and the cause of her death has not been revealed.

She had posted pics of her and Tom, along with their 8-month-old son Bowie, just days before she died.

Tom and Dani were actually supposed to get married Sept. 25, 2020, but the pandemic got in the way. At the time she posted, "I can't wait to marry you, but the world has other plans."

Dani also had posted a video of Tom -- a member of the group Stereo Kicks -- singing Elton John and Dua Lipa's song, "Cold Heart."

She used the song to wish Bowie, "Happy 6 months my darling boy." She wrote, "I played this song almost every day of my 3rd trimester, it was in my labour playlist & it was number 1 the day Bowie was born… determined for it to be "our song" & for it always remind us of life's good bits."

Tom announced Dani's death Monday, calling her the "brightest light in any room," adding he will miss her forever. He told his followers, "I can't believe I am writing these words but my darling Dani - my best friend, my everything and more, the love of my life - passed away in the early hours of Saturday morning, 18th June. On what was supposed to be the happiest day of our lives ended in irreversible heartbreak."

He went on to say, "I am completely broken trying to process this and I honestly don't know where to go from here, but I do know I need to use any strength I can muster for our little boy."

Tom auditioned as a solo singer for 'X Factor' back in 2014, but producers created the group, Stereo Kicks, of which he was a member.

Dani was 34.

RIP

Tragic news ... Caleb Swanigan -- the former Purdue star who was later picked in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft -- has died at 25 years old.

A spokesperson for the Allen County Coroner’s Office in Indiana tells TMZ Sports ... the ex-Boilermaker center died of natural causes.

In a statement released Tuesday morning, the Purdue men's basketball team said Swanigan passed on Monday night.

"Devastated," the school's team's account wrote in a tweet. "Our thoughts and prayers to Caleb Swanigan’s family and friends. The world lost a gentle soul last night. Love you Biggie."

Purdue head coach Matt Painter added in a statement, "Biggie had a positive influence in everyone's life. Was such a thoughtful person and gentle soul who had to overcome so much in his life. He will be greatly missed."

Before starring at Purdue, Swanigan compiled one of the greatest high school basketball careers ever in the history of the state of Indiana.

The 6-foot-9, 260-pound hooper was a five-star recruit, who earned McDonald's All-American honors after averaging 22.6 points and 13.7 rebounds per game in his senior season.

During his two years with the Boilermakers, Swanigan averaged 14.4 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. He was eventually taken by the Portland Trailblazers with the 26th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

Swanigan played in the NBA with the Trailblazers and the Sacramento Kings until 2020.

Damian Lillard, who played with Swanigan in Portland, paid homage to Swanigan in an Instagram post Tuesday ... writing, "Rest In Peace Big."

The Trailblazers added in a statement, "We are heartbroken by the passing of former Trail Blazers player Caleb Swanigan. Our thoughts and prayers are with Caleb’s family, friends and all who loved him. Rest In Peace, Biggie."

Off the court, Swanigan had a music career -- rapping under the name "Slyy5jackk." He released several songs including "Thoughts/THOTS" and "My Life" in 2021.

Swanigan had just put out a music video called "Acquired Taste" in April ... and according to the rapper's IG, a new project was coming soon.