RIP

Tragic news for the Baylor community -- the university's live bear mascot, Judge Joy Reynolds, has died. She was 21 years old.

Joy -- who has been in the Baylor family since she was 4 months old -- passed away peacefully surrounded by her caregivers, staff and veterinary team, the school announced.

"One of Baylor’s treasured North American Black Bears, Joy will forever be remembered as an enduring symbol of Baylor’s spirit and tradition," the university said Monday ... adding the bear will be honored with a memorial on campus.

Joy -- who was named after wife of former Baylor president, Dr. Herbert H. Reynolds -- is survived by her sister, Lady, and brother, an animal actor in California. She was predeceased by an older brother.

Joy was beloved in Waco -- she was a big supporter of the Bears and participated in many charitable activities. In fact, she is also credited alongside Lady with being the first live mascots to ever post on Twitter, thanks to a "paw-friendly" app mounted inside their habitat.

The school says a memorial will be held for Joy when students return to campus in the fall.

Kevin Samuels died as a result of hypertension ... eliminating any possible suspicious circumstances surrounding the 57-year-old's death.

The Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office just released findings into Samuels' death, telling us he died due to hypertension -- high blood pressure. The ME says, "Evidence of hypertension includes a heart whose chambers are thicker than normal."

It appears Samuels was also taking a medication called Atenolol, because the ME notes in their findings that the medication is used to treat hypertension.

Samuels's death is classified as due to natural causes.

TMZ broke the story, Samuels, who was known for his controversial -- and sometimes not-so-appropriate -- dating advice died back in May.

At the time of his death, Samuels was with a mystery woman, and collapsed in his home. We obtained the 911 call the woman placed, and it was clear, she was desperate to help save his life ... performing CPR in order to try to help Samuels.

NASCAR driver Bobby East was fatally stabbed this week by a drifter during a bloody altercation at a California gas station, police and media reports say.

Tattoo-faced Trent William Millsap is being sought by police in connection with East's murder, which occurred at a 76 gas station around 6 PM Wednesday, according to Deadline.

East reportedly got into a war of words with Millsap while the racecar driver was pumping gas. It wasn't clear what sparked the argument, but Millsap allegedly plunged a sharp object into the chest of East.

Cops were called to the scene and reportedly performed life-saving measures on East until paramedics arrived. East was then rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Millsap, who had an outstanding parole warrant, is a drifter who frequents motels in the usually safe and crime-free Westminister area. He is considered armed and dangerous.

East was a three-time U.S. Auto Club champion who snagged the USAC Silver Crown Championships in 2012 and 2013.

Bobby was 37.

RIP

Ivana Trump's cause of death has been revealed as blunt impact injuries to her torso ... the result of a fall down stairs inside her home.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ the autopsy was completed Friday. As we told you, cops got a call just after 12:30 PM ET Thursday to Trump's NYC apartment saying Ivana had gone into cardiac arrest.

As news of her death broke, former President Donald Trump, who was Ivana's second husband, said the following, "She was a wonderful, beautiful, and amazing woman, who led a great and inspirational life. Her pride and joy were her three children, Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric. She was so proud of them as we were all so proud of her. Rest In Peace, Ivana!"

Ivana and Trump married in 1977 and split in 1992, their relationship made headlines at one point when Donald had an affair with Marla Maples.

Shortly after her death on Thursday, Ivana's son, Eric Trump, was spotted outside her home ... telling photographers, "A very sad day."

William "Poogie" Hart, the Grammy-award-winning lead singer of the R&B band The Delfonics, has died, TMZ has learned.

His son, Hadi, tells TMZ ... William was having trouble breathing so he was recently taken to Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, where he passed away Thursday from complications during surgery.

William and his brother, Wilbert, launched the Philly-based group in the late '60s with Randy Cain, Ritchie Daniels and Thom Bell. The group would have a major impact on the development of the Philadelphia sound, known as T.S.O.P.

William and Thom exclusively wrote all of the songs, including such hits as "La-La (Means I Love You)," "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)," "Break Your Promise," "I'm Sorry," and "Ready or Not Here I Come (Can't Hide from Love)."

In 1971, The Delfonics won a Grammy Award for "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)" for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group, Vocal Or Instrumental.

'Didn't I' and 'La-La' were also featured in Quentin Tarantino's film "Jackie Brown." Other movies that have popularized their music were Spike Lee's "Crooklyn" and "The Family Man" with Nicolas Cage.

Their songs "Ready or Not Here I Come (Can't Hide from Love)" and "Funny Feeling" were played in the video game "Grand Theft Auto V" on a fictional radio station The Lowdown 91.1.

The original band split in 1975 after achieving twelve top-20 hits on Billboard's R&B and Soul Single Chart. Former members created splinter groups that continued to perform through the '90s and 2000s.

William was 77.

Donald Trump's first wife, Ivana Trump, has died.

Donald Trump said, "I am very saddened to inform all of those that loved her, of which there were many, that Ivana Trump has passed away at her home in New York City.  She was a wonderful, beautiful, and amazing woman, who led a great and inspirational life. Her pride and joy were her three children, Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric. She was so proud of them as we were all so proud of her. Rest In Peace, Ivana!"

Ivana and Trump got married in 1977 and went on to have 3 kids, Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric. Their breakup made national and tabloid news ... Donald was having an affair with Marla Maples and Ivana was furious.

There was an epic confrontation when Ivana saw Marla on the slopes in Aspen.

Ivana and Trump divorced in 1992.

Before the divorce, Ivana was in charge of remodeling the famed Plaza Hotel in New York City. During the divorce, Donald famously locked Ivana out of her office at the Plaza.

Their nasty split inspired the 1996 film "First Wives Club," in which Ivana had a cameo role and delivered the classic line ... "Don't get mad, get everything."

Ivana was born in Czechoslovakia in 1949. She was a skiing prodigy and a model before coming to the U.S. Because of her skiing prowess, she was allowed to get an Austrian passport and leave the Communist Eastern bloc -- first for Canada and then to the U.S.

She also created lines of clothing, jewelry and beauty products which she sold and promoted on QVC.

Despite their ugly public breakup, Ivana and Donald maintained a bond because of their kids, and she supported his run for the White House, saying ... "He'll be a great President."

After the divorce, Ivana married twice more -- she was divorced once before she married Trump -- and divorced her subsequent husbands.

Ivana was 73. RIP

"My best friend my twin flame the love of my life. I’ve never loved anything as much as i love you."

Those are the heart-wrenching words of Kelly Kay, girlfriend of Spencer Webb -- the 22-year-old Oregon Ducks tight end who tragically died on Wednesday -- and it's clear she's broken over the devastating loss of her BF.

"You were my everything, you gave me purpose, you showed me what it’s like to be cherished and valued and seen for me," Kay wrote.

"We had so many big plans. I don’t know where to go from here but I know you’ll be watching over me keeping me strong. You always put everybody else before yourself and I’ll try to hold the same kindness in my heart ❤️‍🔥"

If Kelly's name sounds familiar, it's 'cause she made national news in 2020 when she hopped a railing during Super Bowl LIV in Miami and briefly streaked on the field during the Chiefs vs. 49ers championship game.

Details surrounding Webb's death aren't entirely clear, but the Lane County Sheriff's Office says they responded to an emergency call Wednesday afternoon for an injured person. Despite rescue efforts, the man, who cops say fell and struck his head, couldn't be resuscitated.

FYI, Webb joined Oregon's football team in 2018 after starring in H.S. at Christian Brothers Academy in Sacramento. He went on to play in 20 games for the Ducks, and was expected to have a key role with the team this season.

Everyone from the University of Oregon, head football coach Dan Lanning, teammates, friends, family and fans have expressed devastation over the unexpected loss.

Alex Murdaugh — who’s at the center of a double murder scandal in South Carolina — has been charged with murder in connection to the killings of his wife and son.

The disgraced powerhouse attorney was indicted by a grand jury Wednesday, which heard evidence from prosecutors and decided there was enough to charge Murdaugh with two counts of murder ... according to the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office.

Maggie Murdaugh and 22-year-old Paul Murdaugh were found dead at the family’s hunting property last summer after they were shot and killed by what investigators believed were two different weapons. Alex told investigators he discovered them there after the fact, and claimed he had an alibi as to his whereabouts at the time of the murders.

Despite being a person of interest for a while, Murdaugh was never formally charged over their deaths. He was, however, arrested and charged for allegedly trying to stage his own death months later.

Murdaugh survived the ordeal — a gunshot wound to the head that left superficial injuries — but prosecutors claim his intention was to actually die, and have his surviving son collect a $10 million life insurance policy. Instead, he lived … and was subsequently accused of trying to hatch an elaborate scheme.

In addition to those charges, he’s also been hit with dozens of other charges over financial crimes — prosecutors claim he swindled various people out of millions of dollars through his legal practice.

Murdaugh has pled not guilty to all the charges thus far. He’s due in court later this week, and is expected to enter a plea on the new murder charges as well.

Oregon Ducks tight end Spencer Webb has tragically died, his teammates and coaches confirmed on Wednesday night.

He was just 22 years old.

"So full of life in every moment of the day," Ducks football head coach Dan Lanning said of Webb in a tweet on Wednesday evening. "Your smile and energy will be missed Spencer. I love you!"

The Lane County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Wednesday night it responded to rock slides near Triangle Lake earlier in the afternoon after receiving reports of an injured 22-year-old. Cops said the man had been recreating and fell, striking his head. According to the statement, bystanders and first responders tried to help the man, but say he could not be revived.

Police did not name the victim in the statement, though The Sacramento Bee reports it was Webb.

"Shocked. Unbelievable. Unreal," Oregon wide receiver Isaah Crocker said of Webb's passing on his social media page Wednesday night.

"You've been there since Day 1 and no matter what, I will keep our promise. Love you unconditionally. Truly more than family. You was my n****! There is no turning back…. Until we meet again🕊Love you 4💔 never thought it ever come to this day..❤️🕊🕸"

Webb joined the Oregon football team in 2018 after starring in H.S. at Christian Brothers Academy in Sacramento. He went on to play in 20 games for the Ducks, and was expected to have a key role with the team this season.

"Rest easy lil bro," said NFL star Arik Armstead, who played at Oregon and interacted with Webb when he returned back to campus for games. "Great young man with a promising future gone too soon."

For the first time since 2021, Henry Ruggs appeared in a courtroom in Las Vegas for a hearing in his DUI crash case.

The 23-year-old former Las Vegas Raiders star -- who was charged back in November 2021 with four felonies after prosecutors accused him of killing Tina Tintor and her dog in a fiery car crash -- showed up to the Nevada courthouse alongside his attorneys.

During the hearing, Ruggs' lawyers argued that police had no probable cause to obtain a warrant to collect his blood following the car accident. They asked for the tests -- which cops say showed Ruggs had a BAC of .161 following the wreck -- to not be allowed to be used as evidence in the case.

The judge, however, denied the motion.

Ruggs appeared to be stoic in the courtroom as his attorneys spoke, displaying little emotion. He wore a white button-down shirt, a black bowtie, and blue pants and did not address reporters inside or outside of the courtroom.

This is the first time Ruggs has been seen in public since late November 2021, when he was ordered to show up for a hearing over a missed breath test.

As we reported, Ruggs is facing more than 50 years in prison if he's convicted on all of the charges against him.

Casey White, the inmate who escaped from an Alabama prison before getting caught, just got charged over the death of the prison guard who was on the run with him.

Casey is charged with felony murder in connection with the death of Vicky White, who died from a gunshot wound to the head when police were closing in on them.

The grand jury indictment, obtained by TMZ, alleges Casey caused Vicky's death in the course of committing escape in the first degree.

Remember ... Casey and Vicky were on the run for 11 days after his prison escape, leading to a national manhunt. They were tracked down to a small town in Indiana, where they got into a police chase and crashed their car in a cornfield. Vicky then allegedly shot herself in the head.

Casey was pulled from the wreckage and taken into custody ... and law enforcement officials said he showed no remorse in learning of Vicky's death.

Former Dallas Cowboys star Marion Barber III died due to heat stroke, officials confirmed to TMZ Sports on Monday.

According to the Collin County Medical Examiner’s Office, Barber's death was ruled an "accident."

As we reported, Barber was found dead by the Frisco Police Dept. in Texas on June 1. He was just 38 years old.

The ex-running back, who was picked by the Cowboys in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft, had shown no signs of trouble prior to his death, according to his attorney, Zoltan Papp.

Papp said Barber had started a trucking venture, and had also spent a large portion of the past few years trying to help kids in inner cities, while fighting for social justice.

Barber played in the NFL for seven seasons -- six with the Cowboys and one with the Bears -- totaling 4,780 rushing yards and 53 rushing touchdowns over 99 total games.

RIP.

The man convicted of killing LSU basketball star Wayde Sims in 2018 has been found dead in prison, officials announced on Monday ... just days after he received a life sentence for second-degree murder.

The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office confirmed to TMZ Sports that a medical team rendered aid to 23-year-old Dyteon Simpson after they found him unresponsive in prison at around 8 PM on Sunday.

The sheriff's office said Simpson was pronounced dead a short time later.

A police spokesperson tells us a preliminary toxicology report revealed Simpson appeared to have fentanyl in his system.

"The EBR Coroner will conduct an autopsy and determine final cause of death," the spokesperson added. "This investigation is ongoing as to the cause of death and possibility of contraband."

We reached out to Simpson's lawyer, Margaret Lagattuta, but she declined to comment on the incident.

As we previously reported, Sims -- who played forward for the Tigers' men's hoops team -- was shot in the head during an altercation at a Subway near the LSU campus on Sept. 28, 2018.

Simpson was arrested for killing Sims a day later ... and was ultimately charged with second-degree murder.

L.Q. Jones -- a versatile character actor whose career dates back to the 1950s -- has died.

His death was confirmed by his family, who says he passed of natural causes in the Hollywood Hills surrounded by loved ones ... this according to Variety.

Jones had over 160 acting credits to his name, with his first several coming in the year 1955 -- when he starred in military-inspired flicks like "An Annapolis Story," "Battle Cry" and "Target Zero." He also appeared in a few episodes of the western-themed TV show "Cheyenne."

From there, LQJ was on a roll ... with acting in a number of films and TV series like "Annie Oakley," "Gunsight Ridge," "Operation Mad Ball," "Buchanan Rides Alone," "The Naked and the Dead," "Jefferson Drum," "Men of Annapolis," "The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin" and more.

Flip-flopping between war and westerns, Jones stayed busy in the '60s. Some of the more popular titles he was in ... "Lassie," "Klondike," "Laramie," "Perry Mason," "Route 66," "Wagon Train," "Rawhide," "The Virginian," "Gunsmoke" and "The Big Valley" ... just to name a few.

Other hit shows in which he had guest-starring roles included, "Hawaii Five-O," "Charlie's Angels," "Ironside," "Kung Fu," "CHiPs," "Columbo," "Cannon," "The Runaways," "The Dukes of Hazzard" and lots of others. He even starred in "The Incredible Hulk," "Walker, Texas Ranger," "The A-Team," "Renegade," "The Yellow Rose" and more throughout the '80s/'90s.

He'll also probably be remembered for his work on "The Wild Bunch," "Major Dundee," "Ride the High Country" and "A Boy and His Dog" -- the latter of which he wrote and directed.

Jones also had a memorable scene in Martin Scorsese's "Casino." While the guy certainly had already carved out a name for himself before the turn of the century, millennials might actually recognize him as well thanks to a cult classic from the late '90s.

Indeed, Jones plays the Legendary Three-Fingered Jack in "The Mask of Zorro" -- where he had a scene-stealing moment in which he was shot and killed mid-air ... this after being ejected from a mineshaft cart and flying toward a group of bad guys with a pickax.

Jones was 94.

Oprah is mourning the death of her dad, Vernon Winfrey, who has passed away after battling cancer.

One of Vernon's longtime employees confirmed to TMZ that he died Friday night in East Nashville, TN. A local city councilman first broke the news to Nashville's WKRN.

In what now seems to be a prescient move, Oprah had just been in town last weekend to celebrate her father.

She surprised him by organizing a Vernon Winfrey appreciation day on July 4 ... giving the community a chance to thank Vernon for his service as a former city councilman and longtime local businessman.

As Oprah put it, "My father is ill, so we wanted to be able to have all of his friends come and celebrate him while he's able to receive the joy. So that's what we're doing."

Vernon was seated, appropriately, in a barber chair in the middle of the backyard barbecue ... as his friends and family celebrated him.

He had owned and operated Winfrey Barber & Beauty Shop for more than 50 years -- and was beloved by the community. One of his employees told us, "[Vernon] would give you the shirt off his back."

Vernon's daughter wasn't shy about how proud she was of him, and she's celebrated his accomplishments for a long time.

Back when she had her daily talk show, Oprah took her cameras back for a visit with her dad in his establishment.

Leading up to Monday's celebration, it was obvious how excited she was about planning the event.

Oprah said she was "getting back to my Nashville roots" as she posted several videos and photos with family members prepping for the BBQ.

You might recall ... her mother, Vernita Lee, passed away back in 2018 at the age of 83.

Speaking of her father earlier this week, Oprah said she wanted to make sure to give him his flowers while he was still here, and she couldn't have timed it any better.

Vernon was 88.

RIP

Derek Chauvin can't return to law enforcement after he serves his prison sentence ... and he can't even be a rent-a-cop ... at least for the 5 years he's on supervised release.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ, the former cop's supervised release specifically bars him from working as a law enforcement officer, corrections officer, or security officer while on his 5 years of supervised release after he's out from behind bars.

Chauvin will have to find a new career outside policing .. even Derek Chauvin the mall cop is off the table.

In addition, Chauvin can't contact George Floyd's family ... unless he gets prior approval from his probation officer.

As we reported ... Chauvin was recently sentenced to more than 20 years in federal prison, plus 5 years of supervised release once he's out, for violating Floyd's civil rights.

Remember ... Chauvin was already found guilty of murdering Floyd and sentenced to 22.5 years behind bars in that case. The sentences will be served concurrently.