RIP

A standard grooming appointment at a PetSmart turned into an emergency crisis -- one that resulted in the death of a pooch ... according to a new lawsuit.

AJ Ross is suing the pet store retailer over the 2020 death of her poodle, Kobe -- which happened after she dropped off her pooch for a nail clipping at a PetSmart in Pittsburgh, PA.

In the lawsuit, she lays blame directly at the feet of the store's employees -- and adds, the store's own surveillance video is the most compelling evidence supporting her case.

The footage is tough to watch. You see Ross drop the dog off with the staff, having already placed a muzzle on its mouth, and then leave. The workers then take it to the back and lift it onto a table.

That's where things get wild ... it appears the employees put 2 different harnesses around Kobe's neck -- one from the top and one from the bottom -- seemingly to keep the dog in place while they try to work on its paws.

Kobe thrashes around, and they eventually tip the poodle over on its side for easier access ... at least that's what Ross claims in her suit.

Soon enough, the dog goes limp and the workers try waking it up, to no avail. Ross says when she returned a mere 10 minutes later, she discovered her dog was dead -- and she believes the way the PetSmart employees harnessed Kobe during the nail clipping caused the dog to lose consciousness and die.

According to documents, Ashley claims PetSmart has allowed this to happen to other pets over the years -- upwards of 47 have allegedly been killed by PetSmart groomers since 2009 -- and now she wants damages.

A rep for PetSmart tells TMZ ... "All of us are heartbroken by and truly sorry for the loss of Kobe. Following this terrible accident in 2020, we immediately launched an internal investigation and cooperated with the authorities involved. In response, we terminated the associates who violated our pet safety policies and did not meet our high standards of care."

A 22-year-old man suffered a gruesome death on his Mykonos vacay when he was struck by helicopter blades ... and authorities looking into it think it could be a case of a photo op gone tragically wrong.

Jack Fenton and his 3 friends were recently getting off their hired black Bell 407 helicopter, coming back from the Greek isle, according to a report from The Sun.

They were taken away from the vehicle and to a private lounge as they waited for a plane to take them back to London, but Jack headed back toward the helicopter at a fast pace ... as others shouted at him to come back.

Witnesses who spoke to Greece’s committee for aviation accidents say he had a phone to his ear as he went toward the back of the helicopter, where the blade was still spinning -- he was stuck in the head, killing him instantly.

Those who saw the incident could only describe it as "horrifying. The pilot of the helicopter, who was "deeply traumatized," was arrested ... along with 2 ground technicians.

Cops are looking into every possibility, which reportedly includes "the possibility of the boy going there to take a selfie in the excitement of the moment."

Country music icon Hank Williams Jr.'s late wife, Mary Jane Thomas, died from a collapsed lung -- and it happened just one day after she'd gone under the knife.

Mary Jane's death is being classified as an accident according to the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner, who says she suffered the fatal injury during a cosmetic procedure.

The Medical Examiner says Mary Jane underwent liposuction on her back, arms and stomach, and had her breast implants removed during the March 21 surgery.

The M.E. says she suddenly became unresponsive the following day, and she died.

TMZ broke the story ... Hank's wife of over 30 years died March 22 in Jupiter, FL, and a family member said the early indication was she'd suffered a complication from surgery.

That initial theory seems to be at least close to the truth. Mary Jane's plastic surgeon, Dr. Harold Bafitis, told the ME he was about to see her for a follow-up visit in her hotel room when she suddenly became unresponsive while sitting up in bed.

Paul Sorvino, famous for his work in "Goodfellas," has died at the age of 83 ... TMZ has learned.

Sorvino's rep, Roger Neal, tells us he died this morning with his wife Dee Dee by his side. Dee Dee says, "Our hearts are broken, there will never be another Paul Sorvino, he was the love of my life, and one of the greatest performers to ever grace the screen and stage.”

Paul appeared in nearly 50 movies during a long career in Hollywood, and he's best known for playing mobster Paul Cicero in the 1990 Martin Scorsese masterpiece, "Goodfellas."

He also played Henry Kissinger in the 1995 movie "Nixon" and Fulgencio Capulet in 1996's "Romeo + Juliet." Paul made his film debut in 1970 with "Where's Poppa?" and also acted in TV shows like "Law & Order" and on Broadway.

One of Paul's last roles was the TV show "Godfather of Harlem," where he played Frank Costello.

Sorvino was born and raised in Brooklyn ... his father was an immigrant from Italy. Paul wanted to be an Opera singer before getting into acting while studying at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York.

Paul lived with severe asthma, mastering different breathing techniques to manage his condition, writing a best-selling book, "How to Become a Former Asthmatic," and starting the Sorvino Asthma Foundation.

He has 3 children, including Oscar winning actress Mira Sorvino and actor/producer Michael Sorvino.

Mira is one of Harvey Weinstein's accusers and the last time we saw Paul, he was pretty pissed with HW.

He was 83.

Lil Wayne is currently mourning Robert Hoobler aka “Uncle Bob” -- the police officer who saved 12-year-old Wayne's life following a suicide attempt.

Weezy broke the news of the loss Monday on IG, where he posted ... “RIP uncle Bob. Aunt Kathie been waiting for u.”

According to Nola.com, Bob’s family said he was found dead in his home Friday. The former New Orleans officer was a double amputee, and his police peers always spoke fondly of Bob.

He was the responding officer when Wayne attempted suicide by shooting himself in the chest. Wayne's always credited Bob with not only responding, but rescuing him when he got on the scene.

Bob spoke to TMZ in August 2021, and said Wayne had offered to him financial assistance for life, if he ever needed it.

Wayne previously thought Uncle Bob had already passed -- he rapped about it in the 2015 track, "London Roads" -- but he was alive, got in touch with Weezy ... and they resumed their friendship.

"Naked and Afraid" contestant Melanie Rauscher has died under mysterious circumstances in Arizona -- her body was recently found near cans of dust cleaner, TMZ has learned.

Melanie, who appeared on 2 seasons of the popular Discovery Channel show, was dog sitting at a residence in Prescott, AZ while the homeowners were away on vacation, according to Corey Kasun, a rep for the Prescott Police Department.

The homeowners returned on the afternoon of July 17 and found Melanie deceased on the bed in the guest room, Kasun said.

We're told several cans of compressed air -- which can be used to clean dust off computers -- were found near her body. It's unclear if Melanie consumed the contents of the cans.

Cops say there were no obvious signs of foul play, and they did not find a suicide note or drug paraphernalia. The dog was okay.

The Yavapai County Medical Examiner will determine Melanie's cause of death.

Melanie was mainly a contestant on "Naked and Afraid" in 2013 and the spinoff show 'XL' in 2015. Close castmate Jeremy McCaa posted a touching tribute to Melanie on his FB page, saying he was "feeling broken."

Melanie was 35.

Paddy "The Baddy" Pimblett gave a powerful speech about mental health after his big win at UFC Fight Night in London ... revealing he found out on Friday his friend took his own life.

Pimblett won a hard-fought battle against Jordan Leavitt via submission in the second round ... and after briefly celebrating the victory, his demeanor quickly changed while speaking to Michael Bisping in the post-fight interview.

"I woke up on Friday morning at 4 AM to a message that one of my friends back home had killed themselves," Paddy said. "This is 5 hours before my weigh-in. So Ricky lad, that’s for you."

"There’s a stigma in this world that men can’t talk," he added. "Listen, if you’re a man, and you’ve got weight on your shoulders, and if you think the only way you can solve it is by killing yourself, please speak to someone. Speak to anyone."

"People would rather, I know I rather they cry on my shoulder than go to his funeral next week. Men start talking."

Paddy -- who was clearly overcome with emotion -- then collapsed to the canvas and broke down in tears ... finally allowing himself to grieve over the loss of his friend.

Pimblett -- who also dedicated his fight to 4-year-old Baby Lee Hodgson, who tragically passed away from cancer last month -- was in tears as he left the arena ... with the crowd cheering in support.

Pimblett improved to 19-3 with the win ... and says he will return to the Octagon before the end of the year.

Martha Stewart sure knows how to set the mood -- but the one she went for with this sad announcement might be ... a little off.

The famed home-life guru made news Saturday by revealing several of her peacocks had gotten murdered by wild coyotes at one of her farms -- presumably the one she has in upstate NY ... an attack that apparently happened in broad daylight.

MS writes, "RIP beautiful BlueBoy. The coyotes came in broad daylight and devoured him and five others including the magnificent White Boy any solutions for getting rid of six large and aggressive coyotes who have expensive tastes when it comes to poultry??"

She goes on to explain she's no longer gonna let her peacocks -- of which she has upwards of 21, as she's previously explained -- roam outside of their enclosed yard. Martha also says they're going to add wire fencing to the top of their pen area to avoid more episodes.

Like we said ... definitely a sucky update. And while we're sure Martha is devastated -- she sorta suggested the opposite with the music she set her IG post to ... namely, Marvin Gaye.

Legendary actor James Caan died from a combination of serious heart problems ... according to his death certificate.

The document, obtained by TMZ, says James died from a heart attack and coronary artery disease -- the most common heart disease in the U.S.

The certificate says James also suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, also known as COPD, and congestive heart failure.

As we reported ... James died July 6 at 82 years old, but details were scarce aside from a family statement.

The death certificate says James died at 9:02 PM at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. He's since been buried at Eden Memorial Park, the final resting place for many celebs.

Actress Shonka Dukureh, who recently gained attention for her role in the "Elvis" movie has died ... TMZ has learned.

Cops say Shonka -- who plays Big Mama Thornton in the film -- was found dead Thursday in a bedroom inside her Nashville apartment. It was one of Shonka's young children who found her ... the child then ran to alert a neighbor, who called 911 around 9:30 AM.

At this time, police say there's no foul play suspected in the actress' death.

Investigators are awaiting autopsy results before they can determine a cause of death.

Not only did Shonka appear in "Elvis" ... she was also in Doja Cat's "Vegas" music video, where she played the Big Mama Thornton role as well.

Shonka was only 44.

Bo Jackson's heart is clearly as big as his muscles ... the two-sport legend just revealed he donated to Uvalde shortly after May's horrific shooting, helping pay for the victims' funerals.

The former NFL and MLB player told The Associated Press on Wednesday he felt the need to lend a helping hand after having been to the city multiple times throughout his years of traveling through west Texas.

"It’s just not right for parents to bury their kids. It’s just not right," said Jackson, whose donation had previously been made anonymously.

"I know every family there probably works their butts off just to do what they do. ... The last thing they needed was to shell out thousands of dollars for something that never should have happened."

Jackson told the AP he and a close friend quietly flew to Uvalde three days after a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary ... and gave a $170,000 check to Gov. Greg Abbott, and offered then to pay for the funeral expenses.

"In a truly selfless act," Abbott said. "Bo covered all funeral expenses for the victims’ families so they would have one less thing to worry about as they grieved."

Added Jackson, "Uvalde is a town that sticks in your mind. Just the name."

The Uvalde massacre has traumatized the entire community ... and now we've learned the U.S. government is stepping in to offer mental health services -- to some members of law enforcement.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection earmarked a little over $15,000 for a mental health specialist to counsel Border Patrol agents who were present during the shooting.

The agency hired trauma expert Carrie A. Elk -- who runs a practice out of Florida. She'll be providing "psychological health training in response to the Uvalde TX School Shooting for Government personnel"... this according to federal procurement docs obtained by TMZ.

The exact amount USCBP dropped to bring Dr. Elk in ... $15,450. This will cover 6 days of therapy.

We spoke to Dr. Elk ... who wouldn't comment on specifics, but did tell us that she's often contracted by Border Patrol and the military to provide counseling after events like Uvalde.

It's unclear if Elk is doing one-on-one sessions with folks at Border Patrol -- whose agents ended up being the ones to take out the shooter in the slow-moving raid -- but she does say she'll often teach techniques to agents about how to identify emotional triggers, how to process painful memories and how to cope with trauma they experience on the job.

Former Florida high school football star Sam Bruce -- who was briefly part of the 2016 Miami Hurricanes team -- died due to a heart attack ... according to the medical examiner's report.

The Broward County Medical Examiner released the report, obtained by TMZ Sports, which revealed the cause of the issue was coronary artery disease.

Officials determined the manner of death was "natural."

As we reported, Bruce tragically passed away on April 28 after he suffered a medical episode while driving his car in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Bruce had become known nationally because of his play at powerhouse Florida H.S. St. Thomas Aquinas -- where he torched defenders so often, he earned the nickname "The Samborghini."

The do-it-all athlete eventually signed with the Hurricanes, but was dismissed for violations of team rules just months into his freshman season.

Bruce's death rocked the football world back in April -- with many current and former NFL players, including Chad Johnson, mourning the loss on social media.

Bruce was just 24 years old.

Trina's family is reeling after the devastating loss of her niece, who was shot and killed in Miami ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to Trina confirmed with TMZ that her niece, who the rapper endearingly referred to as Baby Suga, was killed Tuesday night ... telling us she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Law enforcement sources say it appears the teen was visiting the area, they're still investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting to determine if the attack was random or targeted.

Suga and 2 other women sustained gunshot wounds during the incident ... the condition of the other 2 is not currently known.

A rep for Trina tells TMZ, "We kindly ask that everyone please respect the privacy of Trina and her family at this devastating time."

Baby Suga, whose real name was Toni Chester, was only 17.

Charles Johnson -- a former NFL first-round draft pick and Super Bowl champion -- has died at 50 years old.

The North Carolina high school he had been working at as an assistant athletic director confirmed the sad news on Tuesday ... writing in a tweet, "RIP Coach. You will be missed by so many, especially your Husky Family."

No cause of death has been revealed.

Johnson was taken by the Pittsburgh Steelers at #17 overall in the 1994 NFL Draft -- just a few picks after the Colts took Marshall Faulk -- and he went on to have a solid pro career.

The 6-foot, 200-pound wide receiver played nine years in the league for the Steelers, Eagles, Patriots and Bills ... piling up 4,606 receiving yards and 24 TDs in his career.

Johnson ended up being a part of Tom Brady's first-ever Super Bowl win -- he was on the 2001 New England team that beat Kurt Warner's Rams at SB XXXVI.

He left the NFL following the 2002 season.

Nolan Neal, a contestant on both "America's Got Talent" and "The Voice," has died.

Nolan passed away Monday according to the medical examiner ... Nolan's cousin Dylan Seals tells TMZ he was found dead in his apartment in Nashville.

No official cause of death has been determined, but the singer has talked openly about his struggles with substance abuse. During an interview with WBIR in 2020, he admitted that he was still struggling with addiction while he was competing on "The Voice."

Dylan tells us Nolan lived with him for 4 months prior to the pandemic ... when Nolan was clean, jamming out and making music with him.

Nolan was featured on season 15 of "AGT" ... making it all the way to the quarterfinals where he performed an emotional original piece, "Send Me a Butterfly."

During his audition for the show, he sang a song called "Lost," which he said was the first thing he wrote after getting clean. The performance got a standing ovation from the crowd and all 4 judges.

Nolan also blew everyone away on season 10 of "The Voice," getting picked to be on Adam Levine's team, and making it to the knockout round before he was eliminated.

A Nolan Neal fan page posted Tuesday morning about his death, saying, "I can't believe you're gone from us" ... the caption ends with "Heaven just got a new music director."

Nolan was 41.

RIP