RIP

A billion people are watching the Queen's funeral on TV and online, and that's an impressive number for sure ... but more than a million people are right there -- in central London -- to catch a glimpse of her coffin and to say farewell.

It was also the most extensive, complicated law enforcement presence in the Country's history. In addition to crowd control, there's an unprecedented number of foreign leaders on hand to pay respects, including President Biden, Prime Minister Trudeau, President Macron, Prime Minister Truss, and on an on.

Some people waited more than 24 hours to get a good view of the procession, which is snaking around London with pageantry we don't see in the U.S.

Some of the mourners got some shuteye in sleeping bags on the street.

Most people in the crowd are silent ... taking in the moment as the Queen is about to be laid to rest. Many were visibly emotional, wiping away tears as they stood solemnly ... watching the casket go by.

As you know, with 70 years on the throne, Queen Elizabeth was the only Queen most folks there have ever known, so there was a connection unlike with other world leaders, who generally serve limited terms.

Fainting seems to be a reoccurring theme as Queen Elizabeth II gets closer and closer to her final resting place ... because a policeman took a hard fall during Her Majesty's funeral procession.

The officer collapsed Monday morning as the procession passed The Mall in London, near Parliament Square. He began to sway while guards were changing positions, before passing out.

2 other officers rushed to his aid, followed by medics -- he was carried away on a stretcher. His condition is currently unknown.

As we reported, one of the Royal guards took a rough fall at Westminster Hall last week ... landing face-first on the ground while standing guard at the foot of the casket.

He wasn't the only one losing consciousness Wednesday -- 41-year-old Lady Gabriella Windsor, the cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, collapsed earlier in the service.

President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden have touched down in the U.K. ahead of Queen Elizabeth's funeral -- but before that, they paid their respects while she lies in state.

POTUS/FLOTUS arrived in England this weekend, and were promptly met by Buckingham Palace officials as they prepared to swing by Westminster Hall to see QE2's coffin for the final day before her funeral service gets underway on Monday.

The Bidens were dressed in black, and when they were finally taken to see the Queen's temporary resting place itself ... they had their own private bird's-eye view from an elevated balcony area above the general visiting area -- with Secret Service standing at the ready.

JB looked on as others continued to pour in to see the casket ... and at one point he put his hand over heart, with minimal talking. They were pretty much just taking in the scene.

Eventually, Joe and Jill were taken to the Lancaster House in London -- where they signed a book of condolence that's been created to honor Her Majesty. The Prez was seated, with the First Lady standing behind him ... and after writing in his entry, Joe addressed the media.

He had some poignant words to remember the Queen, saying she was all about service ... and her lasting legacy (to him) is that people can make their communities better, even in the smallest of ways.

President Biden sent his thoughts and prayers to the people of the U.K., and to the Royal family as well. He even gave a nod to King Charles, saying his mother would be with him every step of the way in a vote of confidence.

The Bidens are just a couple of high-profile world leaders who are invited to attend the funeral procession. Others include Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, Indian President Droupadi Murmu, French President Emmanuel Macron, Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska and the presidents of several other European nations as well as Australia ... among others.

Queen Elizabeth's death has triggered a worldwide outpouring of love for the longtime monarch, and you can see from her last semi-candid pic, she was dutiful and happy to the end.

This pic was taken during her last days, before meeting Prime Minister Liz Truss -- her 15th btw.

The pic was taken at Balmoral, reportedly 48 hours before meeting the new P.M.  She was clearly ill, and her aides reportedly suggested that maybe Prince Charles should greet the new Prime Minister, but the Queen wasn't having it. She performed the ceremonial duties herself.

Folks from all around the world have been waiting in lines that are so long it takes 24 hours to reach the casket, but waiting they are.

PnB Rock's body is ready to be released to his family, but the process behind the scenes has been drama-filled between them and officials ... and actually required police intervention.

Sources tell TMZ ... PnB Rock's mother wanted her son's body right away because of religious reasons, but the medical examiner wouldn't give it up because his death's part of a larger homicide investigation. PnB's brother, PnB Meen, alluded to this online -- saying the family was having issues with the M.E. -- making him question how PnB's Janazah would go.

Janazah is a Muslim funeral ceremony ... and there are certain rules that come with conducting one -- including getting a burial started within 72 hours.

We're told PnB Rock's mom flew from Philadelphia to Los Angeles after being notified her son had been shot and killed Monday, and she went straight to the medical examiner's office to ID the body and try to get it released to the fam.

Our sources say Rock's mom was adamant the body needed to be released ASAP because their customs. We're told things got heated when the family was informed their request for immediate release could not be met and that LAPD was called to the L.A. County Coroner's office to help calm things down.

Our sources say PnB's mom also didn't want an autopsy performed, because it goes against their religion ... but we're told the M.E.'s office told her they had to conduct an autopsy by law.

TMZ broke the story ... PnB Rock was shot and killed Monday while dining at a Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles restaurant in South Los Angeles.

The M.E. released the autopsy findings Friday, saying PnB Rock died from a gunshot wound to his back/chest, classifying his death as a homicide.

With PnB Rock's body finally getting the green light to be released into his family's possession -- after tons of back-and-forth between his loved ones, legal team, LAPD and the M.E. -- we're told the plan is for his family to take the body back to his Philly hometown for a funeral.

The death of a famous Philadelphia drag queen is getting national attention ... due to the tragic manner in which she died.

25-year-old Valencia Prime passed away after performing as part of a drag show ... according to Shaniyah Banks, an investigator for Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office.

A rep for Philadelphia PD tells TMZ they got a call about someone who had collapsed at Tabu Lounge & Sports Bar around 11:15 PM Monday night ... they were pronounced dead just before midnight.

We're told the causes of death were determined to be cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity.

The venue paid tribute to Valencia, posting a statement online about "the loss of a very bright and rising star in the performance community." They also said they're talking with her family about hosting a show in her honor in the future.

She's been met with tributes left and right since her passing ... drag queen Brittany Lynn wrote on Facebook, "You will be sorely missed ... keep twirling, ma'am," while drag artist Aloe Vera said, "I love you with everything in my heart Valencia. Rest in power.”

Valencia was 25.

John "Bad Dude" Stearns -- a beloved New York Mets catcher and four-time All-Star -- has sadly died at 71 years old.

Former Mets exec Randye Ringler announced the news on his social media page ... saying Stearns -- who played for NY from 1975 to 1984 -- passed away on Thursday.

"May he be setting up to catch Tom Seaver in Baseball Heaven and Resting in Peace," Ringler said. "He left us all with so many wonderful memories."

A cause of death was not revealed ... but Stearns had been battling prostate cancer.

"No one played the game with more spirit or determination than John Stearns," Mets president Sandy Alderson said Friday morning. "He literally willed himself to attend Old Timers' Day last month so he could visit friends and old teammates."

"Despite his illness, he even managed to step into the batting cage to take a few swings. His nickname, 'Bad Dude' couldn’t have been more appropriate. A four-time All Star, John was one of the most complete catchers in Mets history. Our thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family."

Stearns started his career in the show with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1974 -- but only played one game before he was traded to the Mets.

He went on to become a fan favorite for the way he played behind the dish. In one of his most memorable moments as a catcher, he broke Pirates outfielder Dave Parkers' cheekbone after he tagged him to end a game in 1978.

Stearns' most famous moment, though, came in 1980 ... when he subdued a fan who ran onto the playing field. Stearns also gained notoriety for his involvement in a bench-clearing brawl weeks later.

After retirement, due to career-ending injuries, Stearns held several roles in the league including being a scout for the Mets, Brewers and Reds.

He also became an ESPN broadcaster in 1993.

Some of Anne Heche's family members are duking it out in court over the late actress' estate ... and it's getting nasty.

Here's the deal ... Anne, who had 2 sons with 2 different men, died without a will and her oldest son, 20-year-old Homer Laffoon, wants to run the estate. He also wants his younger half-brother, 13-year-old Atlas Heche Tupper, and himself listed as Anne's sole heirs.

That would've been clean and simple, but enter James Tupper -- Anne's former "Men In Trees" co-star and Atlas' father says Anne wanted him to be in charge of her estate.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, James claims Anne emailed him and 2 other people a copy of her will back in 2011, when they were still dating. James says in the email Anne stated she nominated him as the executor of her will so he could carry out her financial wishes.

Meanwhile, Homer's recently doubled down on allegations James is trying to manipulate him ... with Homer claiming he can't get in touch with his half-brother because James is controlling Atlas' phone.

James is firing back in this latest legal filing ... claiming Homer "is not suitable" to run the estate, claiming he's only 20, is unemployed, dropped out of school and was estranged from Anne at the time of her death.

What's more, James claims he's trying to meet up with Homer, but says he's being ghosted ... and James also accuses Homer of locking him and Atlas out of Anne's house as soon as she died.

As we reported ... Anne lost consciousness shortly after last month's car crash and never regained it, dying from her injuries days later in a hospital from thermal injuries and smoke inhalation.

Prince William admits the mourning process for his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, is making him relive the moment he walked in Princess Diana's funeral procession.

The Prince of Wales opened up Wednesday to folks outside Sandringham House ... they'd come to lay flowers there following the Queen's procession to Westminster Abbey, but ended up getting an interaction with William.

He told one woman who'd come to mourn the Queen that it's been difficult for the family to process the loss ... according to the Daily Telegraph. He said the ceremony brought back sad memories of his mother's death and funeral service.

Witnesses at Sandringham reportedly said the Prince's pain seemed evident in his eyes, and they claim he was close to tears.

As we reported, William and his brother, Prince Harry, walked behind their grandmother's coffin during Wednesday's ceremony as the procession went from Buckingham Palace to Westminster ... which is where QEII's will lie in State for a total of 4 days.

Her funeral and burial are set for Monday, Sept. 19.

Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Bresee will be playing games this season with a heavy heart ... he just revealed his sister, Ella, has tragically died following a battle with brain cancer.

She was just 15 years old.

"My beautiful sister Ella you amazed me every single day with the fight that you put up and how joyful you were constantly through this battle," Bresee wrote on his social media page Thursday morning. "Never did I think I would be sitting here today saying bye to you."

Ella was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer in 2021. Bresee and the Tigers had shown support for her throughout her fight with the disease -- with the defensive lineman leading the Tiger Walk last weekend while he and his teammates wore "Ella Strong" shirts.

In announcing her passing, Bryan thanked Ella for "bringing happiness to not only me but so many people," saying she's "the best sister a brother could ask for."

"I know for a fact heaven has gained a beautiful angel today, Love you forever and always Ella bear.❤️"

Ella was originally supposed to attend the Clemson vs. Furman game on Saturday, according to the Associated Press, but had a setback and went to the hospital instead.

Coach Dabo Swinney said Bresee could miss this weekend's game against Louisiana Tech on Saturday night while he's away from the team with his family.

"He's got more important things that he needs to focus on right now than football," Swinney told reporters. "Lot more important things than the game of football for that young man right now."

Olivia Newton-John's publicist is fuming the late singer and actress was excluded from the "In Memoriam" tribute at the Emmys ... insisting she absolutely deserved to be honored.

Michael Caprio, Olivia's publicist of 24 years, tells TMZ ... while the family is still grieving and not commenting at this time, he was personally very disappointed by the snub.

Michael feels the decision wasn't right, given Olivia's extensive track record in Hollywood and especially on TV ... including acting in TV movies like "A Mom For Christmas" as well as appearing on "American Idol," "RuPaul's Drag Race," "Murphy Brown," "Glee" and 'DWTS.'

He also noted, Olivia had ton of TV specials like ABC’s "A Special Olivia Newton-John" and "Olivia Physical."

ICYMI, the 2022 Emmys faced a ton of backlash when viewers noticed Olivia and other stars were left out of the annual segment dedicated to stars who died within the last year.

The tribute included legends such as Betty White, Bob Saget, Ray Liotta, Anne Heche and Sidney Poitier ... and naturally folks were shocked after noticing Olivia was missing.

As we've reported, Olivia died in August -- at the age of 73 -- after a long battle with breast cancer, and, obviously, was a household name in Hollywood and around the world.

Prince William and Harry walked behind their grandmother's casket during a ceremony steeped in pageantry as the procession went from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall where her body will lie in State for 4 days.

The 2 Princes walked side-by-side ... William in military garb, Harry in civvies.

Prince Andrew was also in the procession, and he too was in civilian clothes, and not by choice. Queen Elizabeth stripped Andrew of his Royal duties and many perks after his ties to Jeffrey Epstein surfaced.

The Queen's crown is resting atop the coffin. BTW ... only 3 people are allowed to touch the crown ... the monarch, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Crown Jeweler.

It's impossible to ignore what happened 25 years ago, when a young Harry and William walked side-by-side during the funeral of their mom, Princess Diana.

King Charles is obviously front and center as well, as everyone walked in lockstep to the Houses of Parliament, where the casket will be placed. Princess Anne is also right there ... she will assume an even larger role in the family.

The spouses of the Princes and the King are in cars ... following along per tradition. Queen Consort Camilla and Kate Middleton were in the same car. Meghan Markle was in another car with Sophie, the Countess of Wessex.

The procession arrived at Westminster Hall. William, Kate, Harry and Meghan are standing near each other while the ceremony carries on inside.

Detectives from the LAPD are working around the clock to track down PnB Rock's killer, even alerting local pawn shops to keep an eye out for the jewelry stolen off the rapper's neck.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... investigators are confident they'll make an arrest, and have spoken with those close to PnB to determine exactly what type of jewelry he was wearing at the time of his murder.

We're told investigators contacted numerous pawn shops in the area, asking them to alert cops if anyone tries to make a buck off the stolen pieces. The theory is that the murderer would want to get rid of the jewelry quick ... otherwise, it would directly link him to the crime.

Our sources say detectives believe the suspect targeted PnB because of social media posts. The rapper shared a video of himself wearing several expensive chains, and his girlfriend, Steph Sibounheuang, shared their location just before the shooting.

What's more, we're told the entire crime was captured on surveillance ... though sources inside the restaurant tell us that footage is blurry. Cops have been canvassing the area for other cameras, and are working to identify a possible getaway vehicle.

Our law enforcement sources say the killer was wearing a mask at the time of the shooting.

Popular '90s R&B crooner Jesse Powell has died at his home in L.A., this according to his family.

His sister, Tamara, broke the sad news Tuesday night on IG, but did not reveal a cause of death.

She wrote ... "It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our beloved son, brother, and uncle Jesse Powell. Jesse loved music and he especially loved his fans who supported him throughout his career. We want you all to know that you meant the world to him." Tamara asked for privacy so her family could grieve and celebrate her brother's life.

Born in Gary, Indiana, Jesse got his first break in his early '20s after a music producer saw him perform at a local talent show. He was signed to a record label and released his first album in 1996.

Throughout the mid-to-late '90s, Jesse enjoyed some moderate success, but he really hit his stride with the release of his 1998 song, "You," which rocketed to No. 2 on the Billboard R&B charts. His second album, 'Bout It," was certified gold after it shot to No. 15 on the charts. Jesse also won high praise for his four-octave vocal range. He retired after his fourth record release in 2003.

Jesse was 51.

The wife of Cleveland Cavaliers legend Zydrunas Ilgauskas has sadly died, a funeral home in Ohio confirmed this week. She was just 50 years old.

Jennifer Ilgauskas, according to an obituary from the Zeis-McGreevey Funeral Home, passed away on Sunday. A cause of death was not revealed.

Zydrunas and Jennifer had been married for almost two decades -- the couple reportedly tied the knot way back in 2004, when Big Z was starring for the Cavs.

She had worked in the medical industry while Zydrunas was playing in NBA arenas ... and according to her obit, "She always had ideas for growth and the never-ending desire to achieve more."

"She truly enjoyed working and being a leader who led by example," her family and friends wrote in the obituary. "She cared deeply about everyone she employed, and her door was always open to those who needed to talk. She was generous with her time, finances and counsel."

Jennifer and Zydrunas had two sons. Her funeral is scheduled for Sept. 17.

The former basketball player -- whose jersey was retired by the Cavaliers in 2014 -- has yet to publicly comment on the loss.

RIP.

Tamika Mallory says there's an underlying problem that explains why PnB Rock was murdered in cold blood -- and, to her, it all has to do with economics.

We got the activist in NYC Tuesday at the Helen Mill Theatre for a screening of VH1's My True Crime Story: Aron. She gave us her take on Rock's killing ... and she's pretty passionate about her position. Essentially, she says we as a society -- but especially our government -- have to examine what circumstances led to PnB being robbed in the first place.

From her perspective, she thinks it all boils down to poverty and folks being in dire straits to make ends meet -- and by extension, desperate as well ... a longstanding issue in underserved communities, which Tamika says has only been exacerbated by the pandemic.

Tamika says it's dangerous for Black men to simply exist, seeing how they're so often the victims of crime ... famous or not. While PnB Rock was the latest example, TM says this issue finally has to be addressed by America as a whole -- because it's gonna keep happening if not.

Beyond just tackling people's money woes and lack of opportunities, Tamika says mental health is a key part of this conversation too. Lots of roots to this problem, no doubt ... and it's time to start ripping out the weeds to fix it once and for all -- so says Tamika.