RIP

Kobe Bryant would've turned 44 on Tuesday ... and his wife, Vanessa, penned a heartfelt birthday note on Instagram, writing she loves and misses him so much.

Vanessa posted a photo of her and her NBA legend hubby from 2009 ... when Kobe won his 4th NBA title and 1st NBA Finals MVP.

You can see Bryant -- wearing his 2009 NBA championship shirt and hat -- hugging Vanessa post-game ... and they were both all smiles.

"Happy birthday, baby!" the 40-year-old said Tuesday.

"I love you and miss you so much! #44 ❤️ @kobebryant"

Since Kobe -- who she married in April 2001 -- and daughter Gigi's untimely death, Vanessa has been honoring them in countless ways ... including getting tattoos in their honor, launching the Mambacita clothing line, and taking her 3 other daughters to Italy -- where Kobe was raised.

"Visited Reggio Calabria," Vanessa said in July, "a city my husband lived in when he was about 8 years old."

Of course, Bryant went on to play 20 seasons in the NBA -- winning 5 championships and 2 NBA Finals MVP ... was an 18-time NBA All-Star, broke numerous records, and is known as one of the best NBA players ever.

Legendary H.S. football coach Gary Gaines -- who was portrayed in the iconic "Friday Night Lights" book and film -- has died after battling Alzheimer's, his family announced Monday.

He was 73.

"Following a long battle with Alzheimer's Disease, it is with great sadness that the family of Coach Gary Gaines announces his peaceful passing this afternoon," his family said in a statement.

"Memorial plans will be announced in the coming days. Thank you for remembering our family in your thoughts and prayers."

Gaines -- whose coaching career ultimately spanned over four decades -- got his start at Petersburg High School in Texas in 1977 ... but he's most known for his time at Permian H.S.

In 1980, as an assistant under head coach John Wilkins at Permian, Gaines helped lead the team to the Texas 5A state championship.

Gaines, though, will be most remembered for how he was portrayed in "Friday Night Lights" -- the book/movie about the journey of the 1988 Permian High School football team that marched toward a championship.

Gaines enjoyed tremendous success during his stint at Permian ... leading the team to a perfect 16-0 season and the 1989 5A state championship.

"Friday Night Lights" received an ESPY for "Best Sports Movie" in 2005 and won "Movie of the Year" that same year. Billy Bob Thornton famously portrayed Gaines in the flick.

Kelly Kay, the model girlfriend of the late Oregon Ducks football star Spencer Webb, just announced she's pregnant ... one month after the 22-year-old tragically died.

"We created an angel before heaven gained one 🕊," Kay said in an emotional post on Instagram. "all you ever wanted was to be a father ... I know you'll be the best one from up above."

"Can't believe I have to do it without you but knowing I'll have a piece of you keeps me going," she added. "I can't wait to meet the person that's half you, half me. I love you forever, both of you," she continued.

As we previously reported, Webb -- a tight end with the Ducks -- died after he fell and hit his head during an accident at Triangle Lake in Oregon.

Bystanders and first responders attempted life-saving measures on Webb.

However, unfortunately, it was too late for Spencer ... and he succumbed to his injuries, according to a statement from the Lane County Sheriff's Office.

"So full of life in every moment of the day," Ducks football head coach Dan Lanning said at the time. "Your smile and energy will be missed Spencer. I love you!"

Spencer's unexpected passing rocked the sports world ... and hit his girlfriend, Kelly, especially hard.

"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 ❤️‍🔥."

Caleb VanHooser and Christian Eubanks, players for the Indiana State University football team, tragically died in a car accident over the weekend ... according to multiple reports.

"There are no words to express the depth of our sadness about this tragedy," school president Dr. Deborah J. Curtis said. "We send our condolences to the family and friends of the students involved. The Sycamore family is mourning and will support each other in this time of grief."

VanHooser's former school -- Lakota East High School -- confirmed the tragic news of his passing ... writing, "It is with (a) heavy heart that we mourn the loss of Caleb VanHooser, former Hawk great, and Indiana State football player who was called home to Heaven early this morning."

"We will never forget his contributions to our program. RIP #2. We love you."

Officials from Indiana State University also released a statement, saying ... "It is with great sorrow that Indiana State University announces that police are working to positively identify three people who died in a single-vehicle accident early Sunday morning."

The Vigo County Sheriff's Office says the crash happened around 1:34 AM on Sunday, according to WTHR ... when a vehicle traveling on State Road 46 -- not too far from ISU's campus -- veered off the road, struck a tree and caught on fire.

VanHooser and Eubanks were 2 of the 5 people trapped inside the vehicle, which was engulfed in flames by the time first responders arrived, according to the outlet.

VanHooser and Eubanks were freshmen at ISU.

Once the news about VanHooser's death circulated on social media, hundreds of people wearing blue and white gathered at Memorial Stadium to pay their respects.

Tyson Fury says his cousin was killed after being stabbed in the neck in the UK over the weekend ... and now, he's pleading with government officials to crack down on knife crime in wake of the tragedy.

According to authorities, Fury's relative, 31-year-old Rico Burton, was killed following an incident at a popular bar at around 3 AM on Sunday in Manchester. A 17-year-old was also injured in the altercation, cops said, and remains hospitalized.

Fury took to his Instagram page after learning of Burton's death to mourn the loss -- and called for greater punishment for knife crimes to hopefully deter similar incidents from happening going forward.

"This is becoming ridiculous," the boxing superstar said. "Idiots carry knives. This needs to stop 🛑 Asap, uk 🇬🇧 government needs to bring higher sentencing for knife crime, its a pandemic & you dont know how bad it is until its 1 of your own!"

He added, "Life is very precious & it can be taken away very quick enjoy every moment🙏RIP RICO BURTON 🙏 may the lord god grant you a good place in heven. see you soon"

Police say they have arrested two men who they believe were involved in the stabbing. They added that they are increasing police patrols in the area with the hopes of preventing future crimes.

"This was a senseless attack," Greater Manchester Police spokesperson Ben Ewart said, "and both victims should've returned home this morning after enjoying a night out with friends."

Leon Vitali -- Stanley Kubrick's longtime assistant and collaborative partner in cinema for decades -- has died.

The late director's verified social media accounts confirmed Vitali's death Sunday ... writing, "It is with the greatest of sadness that we have to tell you that the mainstay of a vast number of Kubrick's films, Leon Vitali, passed away peacefully last night.  Our thoughts are with his family and all that new and loved him." No other details were offered.

Kubrick's account goes on to heap on the praise for Vitali ... noting his behind-the-scenes work with his film master, but also pointing to the roles he portrayed on camera as an actor -- including as one of the leads for SK's 1975 period drama "Barry Lyndon."

The post also notes this ... "Whether giving the performance of his life as Lord Bullingdon, portraying the ominous Red Cloak, providing BTS technical support on FMJ and attending the Cannes Film Festival 4K release of The Shining, Leon Vitali was the heartbeat of Kubrick’s films after the master himself." So yeah, he's very important in the Kubrick-universe.

As has been well-documented, the guy was hopelessly devoted to Stanley ... taking on the challenging role of becoming his effective right hand and enforcer on film sets, including for flicks like 'The Shining,' 'Full Metal Jacket' and Kubrick's final movie, 'Eyes Wide Shut.'

He's credited in each film as "Assistant to Director," and was even the CD in the latter 2 films. But Vitali's involvement in these films went well beyond just his titles -- he was literally running around on set alongside Kubrick and making sure his boss's vision came to life.

Kubrick, of course, was notorious for his grueling shoots ... doing dozens of takes of any given scene and demanding absolute perfection from his cast and crew -- which applied to Vitali as well. Still, he hung tight and stayed loyal throughout the years until SK's own death.

A lot of Vitali's journey with Kubrick was chronicled in the 2017 documentary 'Filmworker,' which cleaned up at a ton of festivals upon its release ... giving great BTS insight into the life and work of an expert artist, through the lens of LV.

As many of the actors who worked on Kubrick sets point out ... Vitali was involved in just about every step of the production process, oftentimes serving as an acting coach for iconic characters and scenes.

He wasn't just behind the camera, though -- Vitali has a fair amount of acting credits to his name ... including in films such as 2013's 'Romeo and Juliet,' 'Little Children,' 'Inter Rail,' 'Terror of Frankenstein' and a ton of TV series and sitcoms from the '70s.

Vitali even played Red Cloak in 'EWS' -- the leader of the sex-crazed cult that Tom Cruise infiltrates. He's survived by his wife and his children ... Vitali was 74.

The Bills Mafia is teaming up to support star tight end Dawson Knox -- putting their wallets together to honor his brother, FIU football player Luke Knox, after his tragic death ... by donating nearly $100k to a charity that is close to their family.

P.U.N.T. -- a pediatric cancer organization affiliated with the Knox brothers -- has been receiving donations of $16.88, representing their jersey numbers, after news of Luke's passing broke on Thursday.

Dawson has been affiliated with the org. since his rookie season in 2019 ... and as the Bills Mafia is known to do during tough times, they did what they could to share their condolences.

The charity says its inbox has been flooded with contributions ... saying, "Since yesterday [Thursday], over 5000 donations have come in, most in the amount of $16.88, in acknowledgment of Luke and Dawson’s football numbers, totaling nearly $95,000."

"These resources will be meaningful and impactful in our service to WNY families facing pediatric cancer in the ways they need it most."

Thoughtful donations have become a trend for Bills fans -- they also previously made contributions to the Oishei Children's Hospital after Josh Allen's grandmother passed away.

As we previously reported, Luke -- who began his college career at Ole Miss -- died at the age of 22. No details surrounding the cause of Luke's death have been released.

P.U.N.T. Exec Gwen Mysiak said, "Dawson Knox and his family are an incredibly valued and cherished part of our organization. They have stood behind our mission with their whole hearts. In sorrow, we stand with them now at this time of profound loss."

Richard Glass may have been the last person to see Anne Heche before she careened into a house in her car ... and he's riddled with guilt because he didn't save her -- he's also furious at people on social media who are blaming him.

Richard, who owns Glass Hair in Venice, tells TMZ he can't believe people think he's the one who supplied Anne with cocaine and fentanyl ... drugs that were present in her system after the crash. Richard says he's never done drugs, and the folks accusing him are just hateful.

He also thinks a higher power may have sent Anne to his salon so he could somehow save her from death. He's clearly beating himself up for something over which he had no control, but he feels it so in his mind it's real.

Actor Frank Grillo is speaking out about the senseless murder of his beloved boxing trainer ... and he's not pulling punches when it comes to what he views as L.A.'s crime problem.

Grillo, who played Crossbones in Marvel's 'Captain America' films, was visibly upset as he spoke about the death of Azuma Bennett during an interview at Fortune Boxing Gym in Hollywood on Thursday.

"He made everybody feel good about training," Grillo told KNBC. "I don't know what's happened to Los Angeles that a beautiful guy like this gets shot and killed over nothing."

Police say Bennett died en route to the hospital after he was struck by at least 8 bullets outside a marijuana dispensary in Windsor Hills last Friday. Detectives are still searching for the shooter, and there's not yet a motive.

Bennett was a centerpiece at Fortune Gym with a roster of celeb clients, including Grillo, UFC fighter Jason "Mayhem" Miller and musicians Kiana Ledé and Eddie Benjamin.

The staff at Fortune Gym released a statement in Bennett's honor, "Azuma was our family. One of the best of the best. We are all so broken."

Tragic news ... Luke Knox, a Florida International University linebacker and brother of Bills star Dawson Knox, has died suddenly at the age of 22.

FIU officials and Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott just confirmed the passing ... though a cause of death was not revealed.

"Our hearts go out to Dawson and his family during this time," McDermott just told reporters at Bills training camp. "We're right there with him and supporting him and his family. Just tragic news that I woke up to this morning."

Luke initially began his college career at Ole Miss in 2018 -- playing both linebacker and tight end. He transferred to FIU this offseason -- and had been expected to compete for a starting LB spot this year.

FIU's head coach Mike MacIntyre, who coached Luke at both Ole Miss and FIU, said in a statement Wednesday he was heartbroken over the football player's death.

"Luke’s family is special to me and they will continually be in my heart and my prayers during this difficult time," MacIntyre said. "On behalf of the entire FIU football family, I extend sincere condolences to Luke's family and all who love him."

Dawson was very close with Luke -- the two played together for a season at Ole Miss in 2018 -- and the guys actually shared a very funny moment when Dawson was drafted by Buffalo in 2019.

Luke, celebrating the pick, accidentally punched Dawson in the face -- causing him to bleed on his big night.

"So dang proud of you bro," Luke said in a post to Dawson on the draft night. "Time to go get what's yours!! Love you"

Dawson has yet to publicly comment on the tragedy.

RIP.

Anne Heche died from smoke inhalation and thermal injuries ... which she obviously sustained when her car went flying through the home of a woman in Mar Vista a couple weeks ago ... this according to the L.A. County Coroner.

The Coroner notes another significant factor that contributed to her death was a sternal fracture due to blunt trauma. That essentially means part of her chest was crushed in the accident ... which left her in a coma for the remainder of her life.

Anne's death has been listed as accidental.

As we reported ... Anne was declared brain dead last week, which is considered legally dead in California. Her body was kept on life support for a little while longer so doctors could properly harvest her organs and find donors, which they ultimately did.

The day of the car crash was well documented by bystanders and security footage -- much of which showed Anne flying through the residential area at incredibly high speeds and nearly hitting people along the way. She struck a garage and car before plowing into a house.

While being carried by stretcher into an ambulance, she briefly came but then lost consciousness.

Randy Martin, the so-called "Lone Wolf" reality TV home renovator, has died after a cancer battle.

His death was announced Wednesday on his FB page as well as by his costars from "Texas Flip N Move," the Snow Sisters, who had the same statement. It reads, "We are broken hearted over The Lone Wolf Randy Martin who passed away early this morning. Please pray for his wife and family as they navigate this difficult time. You will be missed."

Donna Snow tells TMZ ... Randy, a longtime friend/associate, died from cancer, and he was at his home when he passed, with his wife, Judy, by his side. We're told Donna visited him recently and he appeared fairly weak and in bad health.

Judy confirms Donna's account, elaborating to us that he had liver cancer and had been diagnosed in May 2022. She notes ... he was beloved by all, even strangers.

RM has been on the show pretty much since the beginning. The series started on the DIY Network in 2014, and he's had appearances on and off since Season 1. The following year, however, Martin was heavily featured as a main cast member ... which continued on through 2017.

It doesn't look like he's been on there much since then ... but he's certainly considered part of the 'TFNM' family. As his nickname indicates, Randy wouldn't hesitate to get things done on his own -- especially when it came to the business of buying and flipping homes.

That's what the show's all about -- with the catch being they can't see the inside of the houses they buy before working on them -- and Randy wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty. He was quite the personality as well, with quick wit and jokes always on hand.

Randy was 65. He leaves behind a spouse, kids and grandchildren.

Ironman athlete Brian Kozera -- who was also a police officer and cancer survivor -- has tragically died at 44 years old ... after he was involved in a terrifying bicycle crash while he was training for an upcoming competition.

Kozera -- a 16-year veteran of the Norristown Police Dept. -- passed away after he struck a car on Saturday while he was biking in Caernarvon Township, PA.

According to a crash report, obtained by TMZ Sports, at around 9:48 AM ... Brian ran a stop sign and hit the passenger side of a pickup.

Kozera, according to the docs, was thrown from his bike and ended up being caught in the car's rear wheel. Cops say he was transported to a nearby hospital, but died from the injuries he suffered in the accident.

Kozera had been training for the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii in October 2022 ... according to a statement from the Norristown Fraternal Order Of Police Lodge 31.

In 2014, Kozera was diagnosed with a rare cancer called Lymphocyte-depleted Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He later beat it in 2015 -- and said his battle with the disease gave him the push to become an Ironman athlete.

Kozera was slated to compete in three more events leading up to the competition in Hawaii ... before his untimely death, according to his blog.

Brian is survived by his wife and three young daughters.

The pilot who fell out of an airplane to his death last month was upset after damaging the landing gear during an aborted, hard landing ... and there's a strong insinuation he may have jumped out ... according to a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board.

Charlie Crooks was co-piloting the plane that was being used for skydiving runs back on July 29. Crooks was trying to land the plane when it "dropped" on final approach. Crooks struggled to get the plane back up but it hit the runway hard, damaging the right main landing gear.

The chief pilot told investigators Crooks became "visibly upset" about the hard landing, according to the NTSB. The pilot says Crooks opened his side window, complaining he "felt like he was going to be sick and needed air."

The pilot says Crooks got out of his seat, apologized and went to the back of the aircraft and opened the ramp door. The NTSB describes it this way ... Crooks "apologized, and departed the airplane via the aft ramp door." The word "departed" is ominous. The NTSB says the pilot did not witness Crooks grab a safety bar 6 feet above the ramp -- to prevent someone from falling -- before exiting the aircraft.

As we reported, Crooks fell 3,500 feet to his death.

Stunning revelation in the courtroom during the Kobe Bryant photo trial case Tuesday ... a deputy testified that he sent another cop graphic pics from the crash site while the two were in the middle of a "Call Of Duty" gaming sesh.

Michael Russell -- an L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. deputy -- says the exchange of the photos happened shortly after the Lakers legend and his daughter, Gianna, perished in the tragic, Jan. 2020 helicopter crash.

Russell, who claimed he had initially received the photos from fellow deputy Joey Cruz hours after the wreck, said he joined a video game party with Santa Clarita deputy Ben Sanchez the following day.

While the two were playing the first-person shooter game, Russell testified he told Sanchez he had the photos, and then asked if he wanted to see them. When the cop said yes, Russell said he sent them over.

Russell admitted in court that he had no business doing that. He also testified that he received nothing more than a minor write-up as punishment.

Cruz, meanwhile, also testified in court on Tuesday ... and did admit to showing the photos to a bartender as well.

Cruz said he did it to relieve the stress he had been dealing with due to the situation -- and testified that he did feel remorseful over it all.

Vanessa Bryant, who is suing for, among other things, emotional distress, was present in court -- though she did leave the room for at least part of Cruz's testimony.

Anne Heche was trapped in her vehicle as fire quickly spread and onlookers worked desperately to get her out ... and the panic plays out in the 911 call from the scene.

The caller -- who appears to be a neighbor of the home Anne crashed into -- tells the dispatcher Anne's car went through the home "very fast." At first, it doesn't appear the caller is aware of the fact Anne is trapped in the car, but you can hear people yelling in the background making it clear that someone is in trouble.

The call gets much more desperate when smoke starts to surround the vehicle -- and the caller works to get a water hose to the crash scene.

You can start to hear sirens in the background as the caller states the smoke is getting really black and fire breaks out ... and there's more shouting in the background about someone being trapped.

TMZ broke the story, it was August 5 when Anne crashed into the home -- an event that put her in a coma and eventually killed her. Law enforcement sources told us the actress had cocaine and possibly fentanyl in her system at the time of the crash.