RIP

Shaquil Barrett -- a linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- just suffered an unimaginable tragedy ... his 2-year-old drowned in their pool, just days after her birthday.

The news was confirmed Sunday by Shaq's football team, which released a statement expressing condolences to him and his family. The Bucs write, "Today’s tragic news is heartbreaking for all members of the Buccaneers family."

They adds, "Our thoughts and prayers are with Shaq, Jordanna, and the entire Barrett family during this unimaginably difficult time. While no words can provide true comfort at a time such as this, we offer our support and love as they begin to process this very profound loss of their beloved Arrayah."

The police confirmed it as well -- saying Shaq's daughter, Arrayah, was transported to a hospital Sunday morning after a call came in for a child who'd fallen into the water. Despite life-saving measures, cops say the child was pronounced dead a short time later.

It's unclear what led to the accident -- but cops are saying the circumstances don't appear to be suspicious in nature. An investigation is ongoing ... Shaq hasn't commented.

An even more gut-wrenching detail here is the fact that Arrayah just turned 2 on April 19. Shaq posted an adorable tribute to his kid, writing ... "Happy 2nd bday to my cutie girl. So sweet and cute. You made our family complete. I love you baby girl."

Shaq and his wife, Jordanna, are raising three other children together ... the rest of whom are older at ages 11, 9 and 8.

The man accused of carrying out 5 "execution-style" murders in Texas was triggered by his neighbors complaining their baby's sleep was interrupted by his target practice, according to a new report.

San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers told KTRK News that the suspect -- identified as Francisco Oropeza -- was firing his AR-15 style rifle in the yard of his Cleveland, TX, home late Friday night when his neighbors walked up to a fence dividing their properties.

Capers said the neighbors requested that Oropeza stop shooting his weapon because they had a "young baby trying to go to sleep."

But, Oropeza -- who had been drinking -- got annoyed and replied, "I'll do what I want to in my front yard," Capers said.

The situation quickly turned from harassment to a massacre.

Police say Oropeza marched over to his neighbor's house, stepped inside, and unleashed a barrage of bullets with his AR-15-style rifle, killing 3 females and 2 males, including an 8-year-old boy. Oropeza was reportedly caught on a Ring camera entering the home.

Capers added that all the victims were shot from the neck up "almost execution style."

During the shooting, two female victims used their bodies as shields to protect two of their children, who were found unharmed in a bedroom.

Capers acknowledged their heroics, explaining, "In my opinion, they were trying to take care of the babies and keep them babies alive."

Three more kids were discovered without injuries inside the home, but they were drenched in blood and taken to a hospital to be evaluated as a precautionary measure.

A judge issued an arrest warrant for Oropeza, who investigators believe has fled the country. The FBI has joined police in their manhunt to find Oropeza and has recovered the rifle he allegedly wielded in the deadly attack, along with his cell phone and some clothing.

While AI is sparking intellectual property debates, funnyman Bill Bellamy's making it clear ... he's not down with the tech using his jokes -- and the fact is, he's still feeling some kinda way about a different financial loss.

We linked with Bill out in NYC and tackled the ongoing discussion about artificial intelligence ... and he's unapologetically Team Human.

Bill not only thinks AI would have a hard time matching his joke-writing wit, he also believes deceased superstars -- like Michael Jackson, Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. -- would also frown upon their voices being remixed without legal approval.

We also talked to Bill about a golden opportunity he admits missing out on back in the '90s -- namely, not trademarking the "booty call" catchphrase he coined as a young comic on Def Comedy Jam.

The phrase has since been placed in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, and Hollywood also took advantage ... tapping Jamie Foxx and Vivica A. Fox for the 1997 rom-com.

Speaking of Jamie, Bill tells us his inner circle relayed positive news about the Academy Award winner's condition after he suffered a medical emergency in Atlanta.

Another mass shooting -- this time in Texas -- has claimed the lives of five people -- including an 8-year-old child -- after a gunman went on a wild rampage using an AR-15 style rifle, according to police.

The execution-style slayings occurred late Friday night in Cleveland, TX, where the suspect -- who apparently was intoxicated on drugs and/or alcohol -- opened fire inside a house with at least ten people inside, cops said.

After the smoke cleared, five people -- ranging in age from 8 to 40 -- were lying dead from their bullet wounds. Police say two female victims draped themselves over two children in a bedroom, saving their lives.

The gunman fled and was still at large of this morning. Police have not disclosed a motive, but said the assailant was armed with the AR-15 style rifle.

San Jacinto County Sheriff deputies responded to the home -- which is about 55 miles from Houston -- after receiving a harassment call. Cops cordoned off the crime scene and told locals to stay away so they could investigate

During their probe, investigators learned that the alleged gunman -- who lived in the area -- would practice shooting in his front yard, where officers found multiple shell casings.

Police described the suspect as a 5-foot-8 Hispanic man with short black hair who was last seen dressed in blue jeans, a black shirt and work boots.

Alec Baldwin's character in "Rust" appears to meet an extremely morbid fate, caught on the wrong end of a hanging in a series of pics from the newly-resumed set.

Baldwin and co. were in Montana shooting the independent western flick Thursday -- specifically a scene where Baldwin's brought to a noose, and it's put around his head. Baldwin's character also has what appears to be a bullet wound to his stomach.

Some of the movie's plot has been out there for a while -- like how Baldwin's playing an aging outlaw that rescues his grandson from death. Not much else has been released, but obviously these new images could be a major spoiler.

As you know, the hanging comes just weeks after all charges were dropped against Baldwin in the shooting death of "Rust" cinematographer Halyna Hutchins ...  which has now  seemingly put the blame squarely on armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed.

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Brazilian soccer legend Pelé has received yet another honor four months after his passing -- his name was added to the Portuguese dictionary as an adjective with a definition only fitting for a G.O.A.T.

The three-time World Cup winner's name was added to the Michaelis, a brand of dictionaries published in Brazil, after a campaign by his foundation to include his name garnered more than 100,000 signatures.

"That or someone who is out of the ordinary, who or who by virtue of their quality, value or superiority cannot be equaled to anything or anyone, just like Pelé," the definition reads.

"Edson Arantes do Nascimento (1940-2022), considered to be the greatest athlete of all time; exceptional, incomparable, unique."

Pelé's definition drives home the point that he was beyond exceptional at his craft while paying homage to the remarkable career he had on the pitch for Brazil.

As we reported, Pelé -- born Edson Arantes do Nascimento -- died last December at a hospital in São Paulo ... surrounded by his loved ones after a lengthy battle with cancer.

Pelé was initially diagnosed with cancer in 2021 ... and spent his final two years in and out of medical facilities, valiantly fighting the disease.

In 1958, Pelé -- widely regarded as one of the greatest scorers ever -- won his first World Cup when he was 17 ... and captured another two titles for Brazil in 1962 and 1970.

Jerry Springer and his family chose to keep his cancer battle hidden from the public so his health struggle wouldn't become a burden to many of those who cared so deeply about him ... TMZ has learned.

Jene Galvin, a rep for the Springer family, tells us Jerry was sick for months, running through a series of tests, but only recently found out just how dire his pancreatic cancer diagnosis actually was.

Galvin says Jerry's always been a fairly private person, but he and his family thought it was especially important to keep his cancer private, as they didn't want to worry other people. Instead, Jerry's family shifted their entire focus to aiding with his care, which became extremely time-consuming.

We're told Jerry knew his time was limited -- given the severity and type of cancer -- so he made a point to spend as much time with his loved ones as possible.

Jene says there was only a small circle of people outside of family -- including Jene and Jerry's friend Louis Beck -- who knew about the cancer.

As we first told you, Jerry's longtime friend and partner on TV, Steve Wilkos, told us he and Jerry shared a cigar and some memories about a month ago. Steve says he had no idea Jerry was sick, but looking back on the moment -- he believes it was Jerry's way of saying goodbye.

While Jene tells us Jerry had not designated a specific organization he wanted fans to donate to after his death, he believes a place like The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is doing good work toward finding a cure.

Bonnie Chapman, the biological daughter of Dog the Bounty Hunter and the late Beth Chapman, is going through another tragedy ... she just lost her home in a fire.

Bonnie tells TMZ ... she and her boyfriend Ismael were at work Tuesday when they got a call that their rental house in Fishersville, Virginia was burning down.

She says she rushed home, hoping the information was wrong ... but when she got there the house was up in flames.

Bonnie says she lost just about everything in the blaze at the home ... including 3 cats, a dog, a gecko and a pet snake. The animals died from smoke inhalation.

Some possessions were salvaged ... Bonnie says Beth's ashes survived, and that was one thing she was terrified to lose.

As for the cause of the inferno ... the fire department believes an electrical issue ignited the blaze.

Steve Wilkos is opening up about his final time seeing Jerry Springer -- a night they both got very emotional -- but he says his dear friend never let on that he was battling cancer.

Steve, who spent 10 seasons working on "The Jerry Springer Show" from '94 to '07, joined "TMZ Live" Thursday ... after news broke his longtime boss and close pal passed away.

He says he and Jerry just hung out about a month ago, and while Jerry didn't mention his pancreatic cancer diagnosis ... Steve says he might have "been saying goodbye to me." He told us Jerry "hugged me like he never hugged me before," and they reminisced about the good old times ... something they rarely ever did.

As we reported, Jerry died at the age of 79, Thursday at his home in the Chicago area, and will forever be remembered for his bombastic talk show -- which ran for 27 years and eventually helped Steve start his very own show.

Other than his father, Steve says no one had a bigger impact on his life than Jerry. He credits JS for giving him his career ... and even his wife!

Steve was a retired cop when he was hired, in 1994, as a security guard for the 'Springer Show.' His immense popularity there led to him launching "The Steve Wilkos Show" in 2007, and is now in its 16th season.

Through all the ups and downs, Steve says Jerry was always in his corner, and even at their last get together last month ...he believed his good friend would outlive him.

Jerry Springer, one of the most influential and controversial figures in TV history, has died ... TMZ has confirmed.

Jerry hosted the smash hit syndicated talk show "The Jerry Springer Show" for 27 years ... and it was never a boring moment on the raucous and wild show -- which was known for its outrageous guests who usually got into crazy fights as the audience cheered, "Jerry, Jerry, Jerry, Jerry!"

A family spokesperson says Jerry was battling a "brief illness." Our sources tell us it was pancreatic cancer that was diagnosed a few months ago, and this week he took a turn for the worse.

The spokesperson says he died Thursday morning, peacefully at his home in the Chicago area.

Before TV, he was a politician who ran a failed campaign for U.S. Congress in 1970, got elected to Cincinnati's City Council in 1971 ... and became the city's mayor in 1977. He served one term.

But, Springer became a worldwide sensation with his show ... which debuted in 1991. Most people won't remember this, but when he started Jerry's show focused on political issues. Of course, it eventually became the exact opposite ... and a ratings smash.

Jerry's show was so popular in the late '90s, it even topped Oprah Winfrey's in several cities. 'Springer' finally went off the air in 2018.

He made one more run in TV, with his courtroom show, "Judge Jerry," which ran for 3 seasons.

Jerry's last TV appearance came last season on "The Masked Singer" ... where he performed as "The Beetle," singing a Frank Sinatra classic.

We're told his cancer battle got much worse about a month ago, and he finally had to stop working. He had been hosting a folk music show on a local radio station in Cincinnati.

He's survived by his daughter Katie Springer and his older sister Evelyn.

Jerry was 79. RIP

Jerry Springer's death is sending shockwaves through the daytime TV industry ... with tributes pouring in from other talk show hosts who knew Jerry well.

Maury Povich tells TMZ ... "I am shocked and saddened by Jerry's passing. He was a friend and colleague. He was in his own way a unique showman. I will miss him."

Ricki Lake tells us she loved Jerry and was sad to hear he died, and she's remembering him as "a mensch and a friend."

Ricki adds, "I always loved his final thought at the end of his crazy show. My favorite memory of him was when he and I battled it out on Rap Battle. He was hilarious and he beat my a**. Jerry Springer will be missed."

Sally Jessy tells TMZ ... "I'm extremely sad at the news of Jerry Springer's passing. He was a bright, funny man whom I considered to be a friend. He will be missed."

Even Jerry's former industry "rivals" are giving it up ... with Geraldo Rivera telling us they actually had a friendship off camera despite competing for ratings on daytime TV back in the day.

Geraldo says Oprah was the catalyst who brought him and Jerry together ... though it had been a few years since he last spoke to Jerry and didn't know he was battling cancer.

Despite their competing shows, Geraldo says he and Jerry were "in it together" and always supported one another no matter what ... and he tells us why "The Jerry Springer Show" is still culturally significant.

As Pras waits to find out his sentence after a guilty verdict in his federal fraud trial ... he's also waiting on his Fugees bandmates to publicly show him any support.

Both Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean, rightfully, joined the world in publicly mourning artist/activist Harry Belafonte after his death on Tuesday, but one day later their IG accounts were bare of any reference to Pras' trial and verdict.

The Fugees' last album, 1996's "The Score," sold more than 22 million copies worldwide ... but the group never got on the same page to record a follow-up. A 25th-anniversary tour to celebrate the project was scrapped last year due to Pras' legal drama, so it's possible there's a rift between them after all that drama.

As we reported, Pras was found guilty of spearheading a multimillion-dollar political conspiracy alongside Malaysian fugitive Jho Low.

The trial included high-profile testimonies from the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions -- but to date, there's been no reaction from Lauryn or Wyclef.

On the other hand, Chuck D is being extremely vocal ... the Public Enemy frontman launched into a tirade Thursday, ripping apart what he calls a hypocrisy on Pras' accused crimes.

Ironically, Chuck also found time to memorialize Belafonte -- sharing the late icon's many virtues with TMZ Hip Hop when we spotted him at the airport.

Jerry Springer will always be remembered for the outlandish topics and wild guests on his talk show, but 9 years ago he made one major change in how he addressed transgender issues on that program.

Jerry's awakening came back in 2014, when he was a guest on "TMZ Live" ... we'd invited him on our show to discuss the backlash he and his producers were getting at the time. "The Jerry Springer Show" had aired an episode entitled, "Tr***ies Twerk It Out," and the LGBTQ community was outraged.

We asked the host about using the t-word, and he told us he'd "just been educated" on the subject. The clip is super interesting ... Jerry said, "I'm not interested in offending people" -- which, in and of itself, might surprise longtime 'Springer Show' critics and fans.

Jerry vowed he'd stop using that term on all future shows. Now, we can't confirm it was never used again, but watch the clip ... he seemed totally earnest in his plan to ban it.

Side note: apologies for that 2014 video quality -- Wi-Fi just wasn't what it is today. Hell, we were only on iPhone 5 back then!!!

Carolyn Bryant Donham -- the woman who accused 14-year-old Emmett Till of whistling at her, leading to his horrifying death at the hands of her husband -- has died.

Donham's death was confirmed Thursday by the Calcasieu Parish, LA coroner's office ... which told Mississippi Today the 88-year-old had been under hospice care while suffering from cancer.

Donham's 1955 allegation against Emmett, which was never proven, prompted her husband and brother-in-law to kidnap the child, beat him and shoot him in the head.

When Emmett's body was found he'd been brutalized so badly his face was unrecognizable. More than 50,000 people attended his funeral, where his mother decided to leave his casket open, saying ... "Let the world see what they did to my boy."

A jury acquitted Donham's husband and brother-in-law, although many years later they confessed to the crimes.

As for Donham, she was never charged in Till's murder. Although, an unserved warrant for her arrest, back in 1955, was found last year in the basement of an old courthouse ... a grand jury declined to indict her for the slaying.

Toni Braxton wants to share her survivor's story after recently undergoing lifesaving surgery to unblock a main heart artery ... because she learned important lessons about taking care of your body.

TMZ Hip Hop caught the R&B legend Wednesday in NYC ... and she was simply grateful to be out and about after her procedure last September. She recently revealed doctors found an 80% blockage in her main coronary artery, which could've led to a fatal heart attack.

Toni tells us she can't tour or sing like she wants to at the moment, but she's slowly getting reacquainted with the studio and promises she'll be back at full strength for her next live shows.

It's been a little over a year since Toni's sister, Traci, passed away from cancer ... and Toni tells us she took the loss so hard, she let her own medical checkups slip.

She's urging fans to pay attention when your body's talking to you and stay up-to-date with doctor visits.

Action-movie star Jet Li was in his late 30s when he showcased his (many) talents during the early 2000s... taking his martial arts and acting skills to the big screen with some of Hollywood's hottest celebrities and putting up quite the fight!

Working alongside Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, the 1998 film "Lethal Weapon 4" would be Li's first Hollywood gig. In 2000, he took on the leading role of Han Sing in the action-packed film "Romeo Must Die" next to the late Aaliyah and would continue to be praised for his work for years to come.

And these notable roles don't take away from his 5x title of Men's All-Around National Wushu Champion ... dating back to the mid/late-1970s.