RIP

Nichelle Nichols, who famously played Lt. Uhura on 'Star Trek,' has died ... this according to her family.

Nichols' son, Kyle Johnson, confirmed the news on Sunday with an update posted to a website dedicated to the life and career of his mother ... writing, "I regret to inform you that a great light in the firmament no longer shines for us as it has for so many years."

He adds, "Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes and passed away. Her light, however, like the ancient galaxies now being seen for the first time, will remain for us and future generations to enjoy, learn from, and draw inspiration. Hers was a life well lived and as such a model for us all."

Kyle ends by saying this ... "I, and the rest of our family, would appreciate your patience and forbearance as we grieve her loss until we can recover sufficiently to speak further. Her services will be for family members and the closest of her friends and we request that her and our privacy be respected." He also sent a "Live long and prosper" shout out.

Nichols made history as the first African-American woman to play a lead role on television. And with "Star Trek: The Original Series" costar William Shatner ... she also shared the first on-screen kiss between a Black woman and white man on American television.

She played the role for a handful of years and starred in dozens of 'Star Trek' episodes between '66 and '69. However, her acting career went far beyond just the Galactic Barrier.

With 69 acting credits to her name, NN has appeared on several hit shows and movies over the years, including notable voice-over roles, such as ... 'The Lieutenant,' 'Peyton Place,' 'Tarzan,' 'Truck Turner,' 'The Supernaturals,' 'Batman: The Animated Series,' 'Gargoyles,' 'Spider-Man: The Animated Series,' 'Futurama,' 'Buzz Lightyear of Star Command,' 'The Simpsons,' 'Snow Dogs,' 'Are We There Yet?' 'Heroes,' 'The Young and the Restless,' and so many others.

Toward the end of her life, Nichols was in an often bitter conservatorship battle with her son -- this after he was granted control of the apparatus once she'd been diagnosed with dementia ... a legal fight that went on for some years, and, at times, got pretty ugly.

Nichelle Nichols was 89.

Bill Russell -- one of the greatest and most accomplished NBA players of all time -- has died.

The announcement came courtesy of Bill's own official social media page, which posted Sunday with a sad update. The text says BR passed away peacefully with his wife, Jeannine, by his side. The exact circumstances of his death weren't discussed further.

Bill's post goes on to list his many accomplishments, dating back to his high school days. He'd won two state championships on that level, two NCAA titles, a gold medal in the Olympics ... and, of course, 11 NBA championship titles with the Boston Celtics -- plus two titles with that same organization with him as head coach and a player simultaneously, a historic feat at the time ... on several levels, obviously.

His obit here touches on the fact that he was a civil rights activist during his playing time, with boycotts of certain events and public remarks that spoke out against racism and discrimination that was prevalent throughout the U.S. at the time.

Bill is by far one of the GOATs in league history -- evidenced in the fact that the current NBA Finals MVP award is named after him ... something that was instated in 2009.

He's been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame twice ... once as a player in 1975, and again as a coach just last year. His career is memorable, especially since he broke into the NBA when it was just being expanded as an organization and getting integrated with Black and white players alike, during a time of segregation in the country.

His accolades go well beyond what was mentioned above -- Bill has an enormous amount of NBA honors, including several All-Star appearances, NBA First-Team mentions, lifetime achievement awards and on and on. He retired from the sport in 1988, playing for 3 decades.

As you can imagine ... the tributes are absolutely pouring in right now. Bill Russell was beloved by just about everyone in and around the league ... players, coaches, owners and media members alike. He would come to games quite often, and was very visible in the basketball community.

Arrangements for his memorial and funeral are being made now by the family. Bill is survived by his wife, three children and other extended family. He was 88.

Popular Louisiana rapper JayDaYoungan was fatally ambushed by 5 gunmen ... according to his father, who was there when his son was gunned down.

The slain rapper's dad, Kenyatta Scott, tells TMZ ... he and JayDaYoungan were sitting in the front yard of their Louisiana home Wednesday evening when a black truck pulled up and 3 people hopped out with guns.

Scott says he and his son tried running inside the house, but 2 more people with guns approached from the side of the property ... and then shots rang out.

JDY's father says he was armed too and shot back to defend himself and his son. Scott was shot twice in the arm, while JayDaYoungan was struck at least 8 times. Scott remains in the hospital.

TMZ broke the story ... JDY lost a lot of blood in the shooting and underwent surgery, but died in the hospital.

The rapper's dad believes his son's murder was the result of jealousy ... that he made it out of Bogalusa ... he thinks whoever was behind the shooting was envious of JDY's success.

Scott says his son didn't have beef with anyone, and he doesn't think it was gang-related. He does not think JDY knew the gunmen.

Bogalusa Police Chief Kendall Bullen tells TMZ ... cops are looking at all possibilities for a motive, including gangs and/or retaliation.

For some reason, cops think there was only one shooter ... police have not ID'd the suspect or made any arrests.

Arnold Schwarzenegger hit a milestone in age this weekend -- but he doesn't really wanna talk about that ... instead, he put the focus on his late mother, with a very touching tribute.

The ex-California governor and legendary movie star hit the big 7-5 Saturday, and he's getting tons of tributes online and elsewhere ... with everyone wishing him a happy 75th birthday. Of course, it's well-deserved -- but AS's mind seems to be elsewhere right now.

On Friday -- the day before Arnold's own bday -- he posted a remembrance for his mom, Aurelia, whom he said would've turned 100. He explains how much his mother meant to him while she was alive, and what she taught him growing up that he still upholds today.

Arnold writes, "Today my mother, Aurelia, would have turned 100. She was the best mother you can imagine and I’ll always love her. I can’t explain how much she meant to me, but she is the number one reason I won’t call myself self-made."

He adds, "She showed me unconditional love, the importance of keeping my house clean, how to make the perfect schnitzel, and patience. A lot of patience. Make sure to tell your mothers how much they mean to you!"

Aurelia passed away while visiting the gravesite of her late husband, Gustav, in her native Austria back in 1998. She collapsed during the visit after suffering a heart attack -- and despite being flown to the nearest hospital, she died.

It greatly affected Arnold at the time, whose Hollywood star was at its peak ... he said his world was crushed, and clearly -- his mother's death still means a great deal to him today.

Ivana Trump was laid to rest at her ex-husband's golf course this month -- and now, photos of her gravesite have emerged ... which are getting a major side-eye from the Internet.

Here's the deal ... Donald and his kids had their late mother buried at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, NJ about a week and change ago -- which might sound like a strange place to entomb a loved one ... but, hey, to each their own. It's a family decision.

The problem now is that pictures of her actual gravesite have surfaced for the world to see -- this after being snapped and published by the New York Post -- and people are shaking their collective heads at the images ... which many are calling sad, bare and disrespectful.

Indeed, her burial plot does appear a bit ... bland. And not just that, but it's completely isolated -- without any adornment or much of anything else to honor her, save for a small bouquet of white flowers and a marble plaque that seems slapped down at her feet.

As some pointed out, her gravestone inscription has barely any writing on it at all -- just her name and her DOB and DOD ... that's about it. No other words of remembrance for Ivana.

While it might seem like a bizarre sight -- and just a weird and inappropriate place to bury DT's ex-wife -- this is actually something The Donald has reportedly been gunning for for a while ... namely, getting authorization for a decent amount of burial plots on his property.

Jimmy Sohns, lead singer for the 60's band The Shadows of Knight, is dead after suffering a stroke.

Jimmy and his band are most remembered for their iconic, singalong hit "Gloria" ... which was a top 10 hit in 1966. Not to be confused with Laura Branigan's 80s hit of the same name, Jimmy and co.'s famous chorus spelled out the name ... G-L-O-R-I-A.

The Illinois band had announced earlier this week that Jimmy was hospitalized after suffering a stroke -- but on Friday his daughter announced he had passed.

Jimmy and a friend still ran the band's social media pages ... posting old pics from The Shadows of Knight's heyday.

Sohns was still a teenager when his band struck gold with "Gloria." He and his bandmates were all high school pals in suburban Chicago, and got together to play their version of British blues ... a la The Rolling Stones and The Yardbirds.

The surviving members were still doing live shows together as recently as 2016.

Jimmy was 75.

Tsudoi Miyazaki -- a Japanese triathlete and aspiring Olympian -- was tragically killed on Wednesday after she was struck by a car while training on her bike in France.

She was only 25.

The terrible incident happened near Orleans (almost two hours south of Paris) where Miyazaki was staying for a triathlon training camp at an overseas base, according to the Triathlon website.

Miyazaki was out riding on her bike for practice when she was hit by a car ... and sadly, she did not survive the accident.

"World Triathlon and the Japan Triathlon Union want to offer our deepest condolences to Ms. Miyazaki family, friends, coaches and teammates," the org. said in a statement.

"The thoughts of all the Triathlon Family are with you all in these terrible times."

This deadly accident comes just days after Miyazaki competed in the Pontevedra World Cup in Spain -- in fact, her last IG post was about the race and how she "hadn't reached my level yet!"

"It was a good experience and I hope it doesn't end, and I'm going to use what I feel next," Miyazaki said in the caption.

"Thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving me the challenge. Thank you for your support."

During her career -- which started when she was in college -- Miyazaki won the Japan U23 Triathlon Championships in 2019 and was aiming to make it to the 2024 Olympics in Paris and 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

The crash is under investigation by the French authorities.

Popular Louisiana rapper JayDaYoungan is currently hospitalized, battling injuries sustained when he was shot outside a home in his home state ... TMZ has learned.

A rep for the Bogalusa PD tells us they received a call just before 6 Wednesday night for a shooting at a home on Superior Ave. Cops say one victim had been transported to a local hospital by someone on scene, and another victim -- who was critically wounded -- was treated by paramedics and rushed to the hospital for treatment.

A law enforcement source tells us JayDaYoungan is in critical condition, and a source close to the rapper tells us he's lost a lot of blood and is currently in surgery. Online reports say the second victim is a relative of the rapper, potentially his father.

We've obtained video taken from outside the home where the shooting happened ... you can see the rapper's blue sports car parked outside.

Cops tell us about an hour after the shooting JDY was involved in, another shooting occurred in which a vehicle was struck ... officers believe it's possible the two shootings are related. We're told no one was injured in that shooting.

The rapper first found success when he signed to Atlantic Records in 2017 ... and has gained a steady following thanks to his mixtapes.

The 24-year-old has collabed with artists like Latto, Moneybagg Yo, Lil Durk and Boosie Badazz.

Story developing ...

Young Dolph would've turned 37 on Wednesday, and his good friend Deion Sanders didn't forget -- wishing the late rapper a happy birthday by sharing a clip of him and the Jackson St. football team.

Sanders posted the video on his Instagram page ... and featured a bunch of memories the Dallas Cowboys legend had with Dolph, who was tragically killed last November.

"God bless, Young Dolph," Sanders said in the video. "God bless my brother. I miss my brother."

The video features the moment when the Memphis rapper partied with the Tigers' squad in the locker room after their homecoming game in October 2021 -- while playing his song, "100 Shots."

"Happy Birthday My Brother @youngdolph," Sanders said in the IG post. "Your name will live FOREVER."

Dolph's girlfriend and the mother of his two kids, Mia Jaye, also celebrated Dolph's first birthday since his untimely death with two bday tributes.

"So yesterday, tomorrow and especially today my family and I will celebrate the man affectionately known as Daddy in our home and Dolph to the world," Mia said.

"Happy Birthday Daddy, we forever love you."

As we previously reported, Dolph was shot and killed outside of a cookie store in his hometown last Nov.

Tony Dow, known for his role as Wally Cleaver on "Leave It To Beaver," has died ... a day after a premature death announcement was made from the actor's management team.

A new statement made on Tony's Facebook page Wednesday from his management reads, "We have received confirmation from Christopher, Tony’s son, that Tony passed away earlier this morning, with his loving family at his side to see him through this journey."

As we reported, a statement was posted on Tony's official Facebook account Tuesday announcing the death of the actor -- the statement taken down hours later after his management team learned the actor was, in fact, still alive.

As for the cause of confusion, Tony's manager tells us Tony's wife, Lauren, who was very distraught at the time, believed her husband -- who had been in hospice -- was dead.

Tony's son Christopher posted Tuesday, "Dad is at home, under hospice care, and in his last hours. My wife and I are by his side along with many friends that have visited. He has a fighting heart."

TMZ broke the story, Tony was diagnosed with liver cancer in May. An update on his cancer battle last week said it was, "... a rollercoaster of ups and downs as Tony continues his fight with cancer. Tony has been in and out of the hospital with various complications and treatments."

Born in Hollywood, California -- Tony found massive fame as Wally Cleaver on "Leave It To Beaver" which ran from 1957 to 1963. He was also on "Never Too Young" and "My Three Sons" before taking a break to serve in The National Guard from 1965 to 1968. He later reprised his role as Wally from 1983 to 1989 on "The New Leave It To Beaver."

Tony continued acting into the 2000's when he appeared in "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star."

Tony was 77.

J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao, two of the former Minneapolis police officers involved in George Floyd's death, were sentenced to prison on federal civil rights charges. Kueng was sentenced to 3 years in prison. Thao was given 3.5 years behind bars.

Kueng and Thao were convicted back in February ... remember, Kueng helped hold Floyd down as Derek Chauvin pinned Floyd for nearly 9 1/2 minutes, while Thao was on crowd control behind the police vehicle.

As we reported, Kueng and Thao were found guilty of all the charges against them ... including deprivation of rights under color of the law for failing to render medical aid to Floyd, plus failing to intervene in Chauvin's use of unreasonable force.

Kueng and Thao argued they didn't intend for Floyd to die under the circumstances and were deferring to Chauvin's seniority and experience in the situation.

Young Dolph would have turned 37 today, a day still worth celebrating for the Memphis rapper's family, friends and fans.

Mia Jaye, Dolph's girlfriend and the mother of his two children posted a never-before-seen tribute video of Dolph to celebrate his "heavenly birthday."

There was also some music dropped to celebrate Dolph ... his team at Paper Route Empire released a new track called "Hall Of Fame" Wednesday to honor the rapper. On the track -- produced by his longtime collaborator Bandplay -- Dolph flexes his hood status.

Dolph became an incredibly prolific rapper -- especially in Memphis -- over the last few years, having racked up dozens of full-length releases and collaborations with the likes of Gucci Mane, Megan Thee Stallion, Juicy J, and his PRE stable of artists.

Howard Kleinberg of 'Top Chef' fame has died from a heart attack.

The kitchen wiz -- who appeared on the third season of the reality show -- passed away last week, which was made public in a local obituary. Howard's mother told the Miami Herald, "I am just finding out how many lives he touched. He was married to his passion in life, which was his cooking."

She also confirmed he'd suffered a heart attack.

Bravo addressed Kleinbeg's death as well, writing ... "The Top Chef family is saddened to learn about the unexpected passing of Howard Kleinberg from season three. Howie’s passion for cooking filled so many and our deepest sympathy goes out to his family and friends."

HK is best remembered for competing in "Top Chef: Miami" in 2007, where he placed seventh. Afterward, he opened his own restaurant in town called Bulldog Barbecue -- among other eateries as well -- and found success in the local scene.

It was actually a memorable run for Kleinberg -- with one of his highlights from that season being a tense conversation he had with the late Anthony Bourdain, who was chastising him over speed in the kitchen ... only to have the tables turned on him by Howard dropping a Bourdain quote from one of his books, which left AB thoroughly impressed.

Kleinberg is survived by his mom, his stepdad, his sister and her children. He was 46.

Jerry Jones has just put his foot in his mouth at the opening day of Dallas Cowboys training camp ... using an offensive term for little people while addressing a throng of media members.

The team's owner was remembering the late Larry Lacewell -- the Cowboys' longtime Director of College and Pro Scouting -- when he used the m-word.

"Lace held court out here," Jones said while speaking about his former employee who passed away at 85 years old in May. "I'm going to get me somebody, a m*****, to stand up there with me and dress him up like Lace and think Lace is still out here helping us. Look at the practice with us."

"But, you know, we all need our props. A little memory that goes with him."

When saying the term, Jones -- who's 79 years old -- also used a hand gesture signaling he wanted someone smaller in stature.

If you're unfamiliar, the m-word has been deemed a derogatory slur by the Little People of America, who have urged people to stop using the word for nearly a decade.

We've reached out to the LPA for comment, but so far, no word back yet.

Tony Dow, the producer, director and actor most famous for his role as Wally Cleaver on "Leave It To Beaver" has died after a battle with liver cancer.

A statement from Tony's team reveals he died Tuesday morning, "Tony was a beautiful soul - kind, compassionate, funny and humble. It was truly a joy to just be around him. His gentle voice and unpretentious manner was immediately comforting and you could not help but love him. The world has lost an amazing human being, but we are all richer for the memories that he has left us."

TMZ broke the story, Tony was diagnosed with cancer in May 2022. An update on his cancer battle last week said it was, "... a rollercoaster of ups and downs as Tony continues his fight with cancer. Tony has been in and out of the hospital with various complications and treatments."

The statement continues, "From the warm reminiscences of Wally Cleaver to those of us fortunate enough to know him personally - thank you Tony. And thank you for the reflections of a simpler time, the laughter, the friendship and for the feeling that you were a big brother to us all. We will miss you."

Born in Hollywood, California -- Tony found massive fame as Wally Cleaver on "Leave It To Beaver" which ran from 1957 to 1963.

Dow continued his acting career on shows like "Never Too Late" and "My Three Sons" before taking a break to serve in The National Guard from 1965 to 1968. He later reprised his role as Wally from 1983-1989 on "The New Leave It To Beaver."

Tony continued acting into the 2000's when he appeared in "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star."

Tony was 77.

RIP

A soccer player tragically died weeks after he was brutally attacked by multiple people on the pitch during a soccer match in Oxnard, California earlier this month.

The man was only 29.

According to the NY Post, the brawl happened around 11 AM on July 10th at Oxnard High School -- about 90 minutes west of downtown Los Angeles -- when Misael Sanchez was allegedly beaten by opposing players and spectators after a dispute over a referee's call.

The assault left Sanchez severely injured and unresponsive on the field. EMT took him to a local hospital, the Ventura County Medical Center.

Sadly, 15 days later the family announced Sanchez died. The cause of death will be determined during an autopsy.

"My family is heartbroken and still in disbelief, as we expected a bright future for him," the family said on Monday via GoFundMe.

"Misael was assaulted by multiple assailants on July 10, 2022, and left in critical condition. We were not ready for this type of goodbye."

The family is now asking for prayers and for any donations to cover Sanchez's funeral.

"Thank you for the love, support and prayers."