RIP

Olivia Newton-John's daughter Chloe Lattanzi left a tearful voicemail of gratitude to an Australian TV reporter who had done a moving tribute to her late mom.

The voicemail was played Wednesday on Australia's "Today" show. Chloe had seen Entertainment Editor Richard Wilkin's tribute and was moved to call.

You hear the pain in Chloe's voice as she tells Richard, "She's free now and out of pain." 36-year-old Chloe, the daughter of Olivia and her first husband Matt Lattanzi, went on to tell Richard how the dogs were running around and the horses were galloping. As you probably know, Olivia loved animals and was a fierce proponent of animal rights for decades.

Olivia and Richard have history ... they were pals for decades.

Chloe also uploaded a clip Tuesday of her and her mom singing "Window In The Wall," saying her mom was her safe space -- calling it an honor to be her baby and her best friend.

Emmett Till's accuser will likely NOT face criminal charges over his lynching -- because a grand jury in Mississippi just determined there wasn't enough evidence to indict her.

88-year-old Carolyn Bryant Donham skirted what many say would've been justice Tuesday when a Leflore County grand jury declined to hand down an indictment, charging her in connection with the 1955 killing of the 14-year-old Till ... which rocked the nation.

Local prosecutors presented newly discovered evidence in the case -- including an old arrest warrant with Donham's name on it from back then -- but after 7 hours of listening ... the jurors felt it wasn't sufficient to bring forth any charges.

Kidnapping and manslaughter were on the table for Donham. The unearthed arrest warrant from 1955 -- which also included the names of the men who were ultimately tried and acquitted -- was never executed, so Donham was never taken into custody at the time or charged with any crime.

Remember, her accusation that Emmett whistled at her in a convenience store is what triggered the atrocity.

There are conflicting accounts as to how Donham sees her role in the Till tragedy ... some claim she has recanted and said she never intended for things to escalate as much as they did, but she's denied that on several occasions. Emmett's family has been calling for her to pay for what she started, but now ... it seems she'll escape prosecution.

The Mississippi Attorney General has already gone on record to say she will not be reopening the case, kicking the matter down to the county.

Awful news in horse racing ... jockey Taiki Yanagida -- known as "Tiger" -- has passed away days after he fell and was trampled during a race in New Zealand.

Taiki was only 28.

The accident occurred last Wednesday during the last race at Cambridge Jockey Club ... when the Japanese jockey fell off his horse, Te Atatu Pash, about 250 meters from the post, where the race begins, according to the NZ Herald.

Yanagida -- who lost his helmet in the fall -- was rolled on by his own horse and then trampled by another following closely behind.

The jockey suffered serious brain and spinal injuries and was transferred to the Waikato Hospital where he was placed into an induced coma.

Unfortunately, Yanagida never recovered ... he died on Tuesday. Taiki is the first jockey to die in a race fall in New Zealand since 2016.

"He was such a wonderful young man," Yanagida's racing manager, Ted McLachlan, told the Herald.

"It really is a tragedy and so hard to watch what his mother and sister here have had to go through.

"This will really hurt the other people in the industry because Taiki was so popular."

Yanagida raced in New Zealand for several years and rode over 160 winners since 2017.

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing CEO Bruce Sharrock also expressed great sadness at the loss.

"Our deepest sympathies are with Taiki’s family – his mother Kayano, sisters Chiaki and Ayano, and his grandmother," Sharrock said.

"We share their grief at the loss of such a talented, friendly, and well-liked young man."

Issa Rae is showing her support, after a pregnant woman and 5 others died in a tragic car crash near her hometown ... donating money to help the woman's family in the wake of the devastating loss.

The family of 23-year-old Asherey Ryan set up a GoFundMe to raise $100K to help cover funeral expenses for the young mother. Not only was Asherey killed in the crash last week in Windsor Hills -- her 11-month-old son, Alonzo, and her unborn child also died -- the money raised will go toward their funeral expenses as well.

The family has received lots of support ... exceeding their goal by $50K. Issa Rae, who was raised in Inglewood, about 10 minutes from the crash site, is among those who have donated, chipping in $2,500.

Asherey was among 6 people who died in Thursday's fiery crash. Cops say 37-year-old Nicole Lorraine Linton was allegedly driving up to 100 mph, when she sped through a red light, slamming into several vehicles which ignited a massive blaze.

Surveillance video from a nearby business shows the horror of the accident.

Olivia Newton-John, who soared to international stardom as both a singer and movie star has died.

Olivia's husband, John Easterling, says she died peacefully at her ranch in Southern California Monday morning, surrounded by family and friends. Olivia has battled breast cancer for more than 30 years, a specific cause of death was not given, although a source close to Olivia told TMZ, "After a 30-year cancer journey, she lost her battle to metastatic breast cancer."

Olivia hit it big in 1971 with songs like "If Not for You," and in 1973 "Let Me Be There." She followed that up with a monster hit, "Have You Never Been Mellow."

Her huge break came in 1978, when she starred opposite John Travolta in "Grease." Her role as Sandy was iconic, as were several songs from the movie, "You're the One that I Want," "Summer Nights," and "Hopelessly Devoted to You."

The movie propelled Olivia to new heights, and she followed it up with movies like "Xanadu."

Olivia's biggest hit was "Physical" in 1981, which stayed at #1 for 10 weeks, breaking all records in the '80s. She remained an environmental and animal rights activist throughout her career.

Olivia was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992, but it went into remission and it came back in 2013. It went back into remission but surfaced again in 2017.

Olivia, who was British but raised in Australia, married Matt Lattanzi back in 1984 ... they met while filming "Xanadu." They had a child, Chloe Rose in 1986. They divorced in 1995.

She married John Easterling in 2008. He's the founder of Amazon Herb Co.

Olivia was 73. RIP

Police had the opportunity to save Gabby Petito's life after responding to her domestic dispute with Brian Laundrie before she was killed ... this according to her family, which is now looking to sue the police department for a ton of cash over it.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Petito's family blames the Moab City PD for Gabby's death ... claiming Brian killed Gabby shortly after the department "failed to adequately respond to reports and evidence of domestic violence between Brian and Gabby."

The docs go on to recount the events leading up to her death ... including when police interviewed them on the side of the road last year -- with one officer saying she was crying uncontrollably and had cuts on her face and arm.

As you know, Brian told officers Gabby had been under emotional distress, allegedly pushing her away as she tried to slap him.

But, the family says there were inconsistencies in Brian's story -- including claiming he wanted to walk away from Gabby despite a witness alleging he tried to drive off without her.

Gabby's family claims the police didn't do enough probing of the situation to save Gabby -- adding that an independent investigator later concluded the officers "made several mistakes and could not rule out that Gabby's murder might have been prevented if the officers had handled the situation properly."

Laundrie family attorney, Steven Bertolino, tells TMZ, "The Moab police, in my view, did not contribute to the death of Gabby Petito in any way. My understanding of the Moab incident is that Gabby was the aggressor and admitted on camera to hitting Brian first. The Moab police report indicated that they could have arrested Gabby but chose not to and instead separated Brian and Gabby."

He continues, "The intervening days and events from the Moab incident to the date of Gabby's death appear to be far enough removed from the reasonable actions of the officers on the scene. I see no legal liability but maybe the City of Moab will settle the matter. So best of luck to the Petito family in their quest to recover for their loss from another source."

"Street Outlaws: Fastest in America" star Ryan Fellows was killed in a car accident during filming for the popular Discovery show, TMZ has learned.

A source connected to the show tells us the crash happened just outside Las Vegas early Sunday morning. Ryan was racing another driver in what was the 8th out of 9 races scheduled for the night for the show.

We're told Fellows was driving a gold Nissan 240z, and somehow lost control near the finish line, Ryan's vehicle rolled and caught fire ... onlookers were unable to get him out on time. Filming was ended for the day after the crash.

A spokesperson for Discovery tells us, "The Street Outlaws family is heartbroken by the accident that led to the tragic death of Ryan Fellows. We extend our deepest sympathy to Ryan's loved ones as they process this sudden and devastating loss.”

TMZ broke the story, earlier this year "Street Outlaws" star JJ Da Boss and his wife, Tricia, were involved in a wreck when filming for the show ... Tricia was hospitalized.

A GoFundMe created for Ryan's family reads, "Ryan was an avid car enthusiast and was a road 'warrior' in many ways that extended to loves of basketball, cars and business in sales/advertising. He was admired for tenacity and a relentless drive to overcome the challenges before him."

Bert Fields, one of the most powerful lawyers in the United States who, among many other things, who waged legal war on behalf of Michael Jackson and Tom Cruise, has died.

Sources close to Fields, including one of his famous clients, tell TMZ ... the attorney has indeed passed.

Fields' client list included James Cameron, Warren Beatty, Dustin Hoffman, Mike Nichols, Jeffrey Katzenberg, David Geffen, Jerry Bruckheimer, The Beatles and Madonna ... among many others.

Among his notable cases ... in 1993, Bert was involved in defending Michael Jackson against molestation allegations, and famously held a news conference acknowledging MJ was so profoundly addicted to pain meds, he could barely function on an intellectual level.

He also filed a $50 million lawsuit against a magazine publisher on behalf of Tom Cruise after the mag claimed Cruise was gay. He sued another outlet for claiming Cruise had abandoned Suri after his divorce from Katie Holmes.

Fields taught entertainment law at both Stanford and Harvard law schools. He was an accomplished author and wrote several novels and even lectured on Shakespeare.

Roger E. Mosley -- famous from 'Magnum P.I.,' among other shows -- has died.

The veteran actor passed away peacefully early Sunday morning at his home surrounded by family and loved ones ... this according to his daughter, Ch-a, who posted a tribute to her dad while announcing the sad news.

She writes, "We could never mourn such an amazing man. He would HATE any crying done in his name. It is time to celebrate the legacy he left for us all. I love you daddy. You loved me too. My heart is heavy but I am strong. I will care for mommy, your love of almost 60 years. You raised me well and she is in good hands. Rest easy."

Mosley will perhaps best be remembered as Theodore 'TC' Calvin in the OG 'Magnum' series of the '80s, opposite Tom Selleck. His character ran a helicopter biz in the show, and was often helping the lead man get out of a jam by transporting all over the Hawaiian island.

He actually portrayed two other characters within the same franchise, and acted on 'MPI' for a total of 8 years, with 158 episodes under his belt. Of course, REM dabbled in several other hit TV series as well throughout the years ... not to mention some films here and there too.

Some of the shows he was on ... 'Love Boat,' "Night Gallery," "Sanford and Son," "Kung Fu," "Kojak," "McCloud," "The Rockford Files," "The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams," "Starsky and Hutch," "You Take the Kids," "Night Court," "Hangin' With Mr. Cooper," "Walker, Texas Ranger," "Rude Awakening," "Las Vegas," "Fact Checkers Unit" and many more.

Mosley actually came back to the 'Magnum P.I.' family the past few years (for the reboot) to play a cameo role, but not his old character ... an entirely new one. Still, pretty cool.

Judith Durham, the lead singer of The Seekers whose song "Georgy Girl" was an international hit, has died.

The Seekers were a huge hit in the '60s, racking up big hits like "I'll Never Find Another You," and "A World of Our Own." But, "Georgy Girl" was a monster ... the title song to the movie with the same name that also became a blockbuster.

Universal Music Australia announced her death, saying she had a brief stay in a hospital and ultimately died from a chronic lung disease.

The company said in tribute, “Our lives are changed forever losing our treasured lifelong friend and shining star. Her struggle was intense and heroic - never complaining of her destiny and fully accepting its conclusion. Her magnificent musical legacy Keith, Bruce and I are so blessed to share.”

Judith's sister, Beverley Sheehan, added, "Judith's joy for life, her constant optimism, creativity and generosity of spirit were always an inspiration to me".

Anthony Albanese, the Prime Minister of Australia, called Judith "a national treasure."

The Seekers were around in a big way from 1963 - 1968, aligning with The Beatles' run.

The group sold 50 million records which was a huge feat.

The group received the Australian of the Year award in '67. Although they broke up about a year later, they reunited from time to time ... as recently as 2014.

Judith was 79.

Yasiel Puig says he's heartbroken over Vin Scully's death -- telling TMZ Sports the legendary sportscaster was a father figure to him, and the former Dodgers star is crushed he's gone.

"I'm so sad because when I met him when I play in Los Angeles, he's a good person," the 31-year-old said.

"He's like a dad for me. I'm so sad that we lose a great person."

And, remember Puig's nickname, "The Wild Horse"? Scully is the one who gave it to the Cuban outfielder.

Yasiel told us three incredibly influential men from the Dodgers org. are now all gone ... and that's painful.

"Vin is like a father for me," Puig said, "Same to Tommy Lasorda and Mike Brito. We so sad to miss all these three amazing guys. Sad for myself and for all baseball, for Los Angeles."

Brito was a Cuban-American Dodgers scout who played a big part in bringing Puig to Los Angeles. Mike died in July at the age of 87.

We also talked to YP about a moment we captured back in 2017 ... when he ran into Vin on the streets in Beverly Hills in front of our cameras.

"I was so excited," Puig said about the moment.

"I get emotional, but that hit me in my heart like, 'Wow this amazing person is coming to say hit to me, talking to me.'"

And, Puig -- who currently plays for Kiwoom Heroes in the Korean Baseball Organization -- has been raking in honor of Vin.

"I had two homers yesterday and I hit a home run today, too."

"He's inside of me right now. I hit it and give God the thank you because he's next to God and next to his wife right now. I want to give it to him."

Ex-NBA player Mike Woodson agrees with Magic Johnson -- every team in the league should "absolutely" retire #6 in honor of Bill Russell ... telling TMZ Sports the Boston Celtics legend "was the s**t."

We spoke with Woodson -- the current head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers -- out at LAX this week ... and asked about Magic's call for the NBA to honor the Hall of Fame center in a unique way.

"Absolutely. Absolutely," Woodson said. "That man set the stage for a lot of the players today. For me, a lot of the players before me. Bill Russell was the s***. I don't care how you cut it."

"At the end of the day, you look what he’s done in his career, and ... it's unbelievable," he added. "That’s all you can say. So, Magic’s not far off. What he's pushing for, the league should want to do that for him."

"The players should want to do it because again, he set the stage."

Woodson knows not everyone will be on board with the idea ... especially since the #6 is still worn by active players like LeBron James, who switched back to his Miami Heat digit last season.

But, Mike recognizes the impact Russell had on the NBA and the Celtics -- with whom he won 11 championships -- including 8 straight in the '60s.

"Well, listen ... at the end of the day, the Celtics have been a dominant organization for many, many years, and Bill Russell put ‘em on top," Woodson said. "I think what he’s done for the NBA stands alone."

Ultimately, Woodson thinks Magic was right to suggest #6 be retired ... and he believes the game's biggest superstars will support the idea out of respect for Russell.

"I think the league will do that. These players respect him enough. LeBron, [Kevin] Durant, [Steph] Curry, they respect what he did for our league."

Tragic news for the Houston Cougars community -- the university's live mascot, Shasta VI, has passed away after suffering from an illness. He was 10 years old.

The school shared the devastating statement just minutes ago ... saying, "We are sad to announce that Shasta VI passed away on Thursday, August 4 after a brief and sudden illness."

"He represented the spirit and tenacity of UH's students and alumni, and personified the resilience and strength of the University."

Shasta VI was the school's first live mascot since 1989 ... and was rescued and adopted as a cub back in 2011 after his mother was shot and killed in Washington.

Shasta lived at the Houston Zoo ... and was a fan favorite among Cougars fans.

Shasta -- the school's first male live mascot -- attended many important university events via webcam.

The 3 men found guilty of Ahmaud Arbery's murder are getting rejected by a federal judge ... who's affirmed their convictions for federal hate crimes.

Gregory McMichael, Travis McMichael and William "Roddy" Bryan had filed motions to set aside the jury's guilty verdict, but on Thursday a federal judge told them there was "more than sufficient evidence" to nail them for the 2020 murder of Ahmaud.

Their federal convictions -- which came down in February -- were for killing Ahmaud based on his race and kidnapping. In denying their motion the judge relied on social media posts from the defendants that negatively compared Black people to white people, generally.

Specifically, the judge pointed out Gregory McMichael had posted, "all these blacks are nothing but trouble; I wish they would all die."  ... and made disparaging comments about a Black tenant.

The U.S. Department of Justice just made a significant move in the investigation into the police raid that resulted in the killing of Breonna Taylor ... charging several officers involved that day and in the events leading up.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced charges Thursday against four former and current Lousiville cops. Charges include unconstitutional use of force, unlawful conspiracies, civil rights offenses and others.

Brett Hankison, a former detective is said to have "willfully used unconstitutionally excessive force ... when he fired his service weapon into Taylor's apartment through a covered window and covered glass door."

Ex-Detective Joshua Jaynes, and Detective Kelly Goodlett and Sergeant Kyle Meany were charged with submitting a false affidavit to search Breonna's apartment and then allegedly put together a "false cover story in an attempt to escape responsibility for their roles in preparing the warrant affidavit that contained false information."

It was back in March 2020 when officers stormed Breonna's apartment in a forced-entry, shooting and killing the emergency room technician.

The pilot who mysteriously died just before a plane made an emergency landing last week -- allegedly "jumping" out of the aircraft -- may have actually fallen after trying to examine the damaged landing gear.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... one of the operating theories is that co-pilot Charlie Crooks went to the back of the cargo plane and opened the back cargo door to inspect the landing gear that was damaged and accidentally fell out as the plane headed for the airport.

As reported first by WRAL, the pilot radioed air traffic control that Charlie had "jumped" out of the plane. A close friend of Charlie's who has flown with him tells TMZ, the notion of Charlie jumping is absurd. The friend tells us, Charlie was excited a few days before the fatal flight at the prospect of being promoted to captain. The friend says he was in a great head space.

The 23-year-old told his friend, the day before he died, the chief pilot from the company that owned the plane was coming out from Colorado Springs to fly with him for 2 days last week ... to evaluate Charlie with an eye toward making him a captain.

As for Charlie jumping out of panic, the close friend scoffs at that notion as well, saying Charlie was cool as a cucumber in the air, recalling that there was a mechanical mishap in one of the planes a while back and Charlie landed it so well -- although the landing was rough -- the company he was working for at the time actually gave him a piece of the plane as a thank you.

The photo (above) shows Charlie at the back of the plane ... sitting on the very door that is being looked at as the one he possibly opened to look underneath at the landing gear.

He posted the pic on social media with a joke "If there's anything we can do to make your journey more comfortable, there is an exit ramp at the rear of the airplane that we will gladly open for you."

The NTSB and other federal agencies are currently investigating the fall and the plane.