RIP

Former WNBA star and ex-Tennessee Lady Volunteers hooper Nikki McCray-Penson has tragically passed away at 51 years old.

The heartbreaking news was confirmed to The Tennesean on Friday by Rutgers University, where McCray-Penson had been working as an assistant coach for the women's basketball team.

The school did not provide a cause of death ... but Univ. of Tenn. reporter Maria Cornelius said McCray-Penson passed away after battling breast cancer for a second time.

The former guard starred at Tennessee in the 1990s ... winning SEC Player of the Year twice (1994, 1995) -- as well as earning Kodak All-American honors twice.

Following her stint with the Vols, she went on to become a three-time WNBA All-Star ... while playing eight seasons for the Mystics, Fever, Mercury, Silver Stars and Sky.

She also won two gold Olympic medals with Team USA in her career ... and was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.

Her coaching tenure began in 2006 ... when she was hired to be an assistant on Western Kentucky's staff. She later became a head coach for Old Dominion, where she won C-USA Coach of the Year in 2019-2020. She then had a stint as Mississippi State's head coach ... before she began her career at Rutgers in 2022.

McCray-Penson also had a significant impact off the court ... she was selected by Bill Clinton to be a member of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. She was also picked by the Library of Congress as a speaker for the Women's History Month Address in 1999.

News of the death has rocked the basketball world ... with many stars remembering her fondly after learning of her passing.

"Nikki McCray : Sweet person and cold hooper!," ex-NBA star Chris Webber wrote. "Rest in Peace."

Added Dick Vitale, "I am so heartbroken hearing this news a few minutes ago about Nikki McCray - Penson . Loved everything about Nikki - she was a Hall of Famer as a player & as a person . May Nikki RIP."

Lady Vols senior Rickea Jackson, who played under McCray-Penson at Mississippi St., also tweeted her condolences to the McCray-Penson family.

"One of the most beautiful souls I've ever met," Jackson said. "The one who genuinely went out their way to understand me when I was so misunderstood. The one who was always there."

"You fought so long and hard and I am grateful to have known you. I love you. Rest easy."

OceanGate is pressing pause in the wake of the Titan submersible's fatal voyage to the Titanic shipwreck ... the company says it's halting all operations.

In a statement Thursday, OceanGate says it's suspending all exploration and commercial operations in the wake of last month's tragedy, which killed OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush and four others.

As you know, Stockton was piloting the Titan submersible when it imploded during a dive to the famed shipwreck ... killing everyone on board, including British billionaire Hamish Harding, French researcher/diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman.

OceanGate has several other submersibles aside from the Titan, but the company says none will be going below the surface any time soon.

The Titan wreckage was recently recovered from the bottom of the Atlantic ocean ... along with presumed human remains.

Journey's co-founding guitarist, George Tickner, is dead ... according to his former bandmate, Neal Schon.

Schon, Journey's longtime lead guitarist, announced Tickner's passing Thursday with a social media post saying, "Journey Junkies, I have some very sad news. George Tickner, Journey’s original rhythm guitarist and songwriting contributor on their first three albums, has passed away."

He added, "Our condolences to his family and friends, and to all past and present band members. So heartbreaking. I think we need to do a group hug."

Tickner was the original rhythm guitarist, when he formed Journey in 1973 ... along with Schon and bassist Ross Valory.

Interestingly, he bowed out of the band in 1975 -- before they became hitmakers, selling more than 100 million records -- because he wanted to pursue a career in medicine, and he was serious about it. George earned a scholarship to attend Stanford Medical School.

He never fully gave up on music, though ... he was reportedly writing and doing local performances as a hobby.

George rejoined his Journey bandmates -- and subsequent members like Steve Perry -- back in 2005 when the group got its star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. That's him rocking that sweet handlebar mustache.

Prior to Journey, George was a member of Frumious Bandersnatch, a psychedelic rock band formed in Berkeley in the late '60s.

Neal's post didn't mention a cause of death. George was 76.

Coco Lee, famous for voicing Mulan in the Mandarin version of Disney's "Mulan," has died by suicide.

Coco's sisters, Carol and Nancy, say she attempted suicide at home Sunday and was sent to a hospital, where she slipped into a coma and died on Wednesday despite attempts to save her life.

Coco suffered from depression for years, her family says, and she sought professional help ... but her condition drastically deteriorated over the last few months and she ultimately took her own life.

In addition to her work with Disney, Coco performed an Oscar-nominated song, "A Love Before Time," in the movie "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" as part of a three-decade career as a singer.

Coco was born in Hong Kong but attended middle school and high school in San Francisco, where she was crowned 1991's Miss Teen Chinatown.

She was the first Chinese singer to go big in America, with her song "Do You Want My Love" reaching No. 4 on Billboard's Hot Dance Breakout chart way back in 1999.

Coco's family is remembering her for working "tirelessly to open up a new world for Chinese singers in the international music scene, and she went all out to shine for the Chinese."

She was 48.

RIP

Robert De Niro's grandson is one of the latest victims of the fentanyl crisis ... according to his mother.

Leandro De Niro's mother confirms TMZ's story ... police are investigating the 19-year-old's death as a possible overdose, and adds someone consciously sold him tainted drugs.

Drena De Niro said on Instagram, Someone sold him fentanyl laced pills that they knew were laced yet still sold them to him."

She went on ... "So for all these people still f**king around selling and buying this s***, my son is gone forever."

As we reported, police found drugs and drug paraphernalia near his body at a New York City Apartment.

Legendary strongman Don Reinhoudt, winner of the 1979 World's Strongest Man competition and perennial powerlifting champ, has died at the age of 78.

According to police, Don was involved in a car crash on Monday in upstate New York. Further details are not yet clear.

6'3" Reinhoudt started competing in the early '70s ... and was a four-time IPF Men's World Powerlifting champ between 1973 to 1976, according to Generation Iron. He was also a 3x AAU US National Powerlifting champion from '74 to '76.

Then, the World's Strongest Man competition launched in 1977. After declining to participate during the first year, Don agreed to compete in 1978, where he came in second place (behind 2x champ Bruce Wilhelm).

The following year, Reinhoudt returned, and took the top spot ... earning the moniker the "world's strongest man." Don was just the second man to ever win the competition.

Reinhoudt, who set dozens of records throughout his career, was inducted into the National Strength and Power Hall of Fame in 2018.

News of Don's death has begun the spread throughout the powerlifting and strongman community, with competitors and fans alike expressing condolences over the loss.

Strongman Laurence Shahlaei weighed in, writing ... "Very sad to learn about the passing of Don Reinhoudt, the second man to win The World’s Strongest Man, and one of the pioneers of the modern sports of Powerlifting and Strongman."

"I was lucky enough to talk to Don a couple of times, and he was incredibly kind and a real gentleman with so many stories to share. Our thoughts are with his wife, family and friends."

John Berylson, owner and chairman of English Football League team (EFL) Millwall FC, tragically died in a single-car crash in Massachusetts Tuesday morning.

He was 70 years old.

Berylson was driving his 2019 Range Rover around 8 AM when police say he lost control of the vehicle, which rolled over, and ultimately hit a tree. Despite rescuers' best attempts, John succumbed to his injuries.

"John’s sudden and tragic passing will unquestionably impact all those who were fortunate to have known him," Millwall Football Club said in a statement.

"He was a truly great man, incredibly devoted to his family, and a person of such remarkable generosity, warmth, and kindness. He lived a storied life, one full of colour and joy, and was infinitely thoughtful of others with an endless desire to share his immense knowledge and experiences to help people."

"John reveled in the club’s underdog status and mentality," the statement continued. "He related strongly to such values and identity and adored Millwall supporters. He was fiercely loyal to all his staff, and both they and the fan base will miss him beyond measure."

Millwall -- which just began preseason training camp in Spain -- honored Berylson during practice on Wednesday.

Berylson, who first became involved with Millwall in 2006, was very involved in philanthropy ... running the Amy Smith and John G. Berylson Foundation. He was also a trustee of the Smith Family Foundation, which awards grants of approximately $15 million a year, according to its website.

John is survived by his wife, Amy, and three children, Jennifer, James, and Elizabeth.

The legendary actor left his Upper East Side townhouse with a newspaper clutched in his hand, before getting into an SUV, which then chauffeured him to the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel nearby, according to photos taken by the Daily Mail.

The footage also showed De Niro walking into the funeral home with Leandro's parents, De Niro's adoptive daughter, Drena, and her ex-husband, Carlos Rodriguez. De Niro then returned to his Manhattan home after making funeral arrangements for Leandro, who was only 19.

As we reported, 19-year-old Leandro was found dead inside an NYC apartment Sunday when a friend went to check on him after not hearing from him for a while. NYPD detectives discovered what appeared to be narcotics and drug paraphernalia at the scene, leading them to believe Leandro's death was an overdose. The medical examiner will make the final determination on how he died.

De Niro's grandson, actor Leandro De Niro Rodriguez, has died ... TMZ has confirmed.

The 19-year-old was found dead sitting in a chair, inside a New York City apartment Sunday afternoon, law enforcement tells TMZ. We're told there were no obvious signs that led to his death. He was found by a friend who hadn't heard from him in a few days and was checking in on him.

His mother, Drena De Niro, confirmed her son's passing on Instagram Sunday night.

"My beautiful sweet angel. I have loved you beyond words or description from the moment I felt you in my belly. You have been my joy my heart and all that was ever pure and real in my life. I wish I was with you right now. I wish I was with you. I don’t know how to live without you but I’ll try to go on and spread the love and light that you so made me feel in getting to be your mama. You were so deeply loved and appreciated and I wish that love alone could have saved you. 😞 Rest in Peace and Eternal Paradise my darling boy."

Leandro appeared in the 2018 film, "A Star is Born." He played the son of Bradley Cooper's best friend, George "Noodles" Stone, played by Dave Chappelle. Leandro also appeared in "Cabaret Maxime" in 2018.

Drena was adopted by Robert De Niro in 1976, after marrying Diahnne Abbott.

Leandro's dad was artist Carlos Rodriguez.

It's only been a week since former NFL QB Ryan Mallett's tragic death ... a moment obviously still weighing heavy on his girlfriend, as she shared in a heartbreaking message.

Madison Carter took to Facebook Sunday night, writing, "I prayed for you for 27 years, and we finally found each other. I trust that God has a plan for everything, but I don’t think I will ever understand why this happened. I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you, and I hope you know how hard I tried."

She goes on to talk about how loving Mallett was, always looking for the good in the world ... a trait many who knew him outside of football were quick to notice about Ryan.

Madison continues, "We were planning our future. We were just getting started. I’m sure some think we’re crazy for feeling the way we did about each other in such a short time. I thought we were crazy at first too. But you helped me understand that when two souls connect the way ours did, love has no set timeline."

It was June 27 when Mallett drowned in Florida, a spokesperson for the Okaloosa Co. Sheriff's Office called the incident a "tragic loss of life," but indicated there were no dangerous conditions at the beach to cause Mallett's death.

Frightening new details have emerged about the 5 people trapped inside the Titanic-bound sub ... and what they experienced leading up to their deaths, which was nothing less than a nightmare come true.

The doomed passengers were engulfed in darkness the entire time they were inside the Titan submersible while descending into the depths of the North Atlantic Ocean to view the wreckage of the Titanic on June 18, according to the New York Times.

As you know, Titan imploded after it took off on its voyage from St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada, killing everybody on board, including OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, whose company ran the ill-fated operation.

Christine Dawood, whose husband Shahzada and son Suleman also perished, told the NYT .... Rush turned off all the floodlights on the way down to the ocean floor to conserve battery power for the tour of the Titanic, leaving the passengers in almost total darkness.

Dawood said the only light in the sub came from glowing marine organisms, such as flaming fungus, shimmering squid, and flashing fish. She noted laptop computer screens provided slightly more illumination, but that was it.

Christine also said OceanGate recommended the passengers download their favorite tunes onto their phones so they could listen to the tracks on a Bluetooth speaker for what was supposed to be a four-hour expedition. Country music, though, was barred from everyone's playlist.

Dawood learned all this information because she was present during the tutorial to go over safety procedures before her husband and son launched to sea.

Jay Bloom and his son, Sean, dodged death by skipping a ride on the doomed Titan submersible at the last minute -- and, now they're explaining why ... red flags galore.

The multimillionaire Vegas tycoon -- who recently disclosed he and his boy were on the verge of being passengers themselves -- were out in Bev Hills and he further explained what he and Sean saw that gave them major pause.

It sounds like it was the younger Bloom in this instance that might've saved his old man -- based on what he describes here ... common sense and good judgment kicked in.

Take a listen for yourself ... Sean says there were a few things that stood out to him when he did his research -- including the fact that OceanGate's CEO, Stockton Rush, was literally piloting this thing with nothing more than a Logitech video game controller.

That spelled trouble to Sean ... as did the actual construction/makeup of the vessel itself, which Sean wisely surmised would not be able to withstand the ocean's immense pressure at those far-down depths. While Titan had completed successful voyages up until that point, something in Sean's gut told him to steer clear ... and they obviously chose correctly.

As we all know  ... the five people aboard, including Rush, perished after the sub imploded. Their spots were given to another father-son duo (Shahzada and Suleman Dawood) which is something that, as Jay and Sean explain, lingers. As they say, it could've been them.

Jay believes that Stockton's decision-making did not come from a bad place... but he was just so passionate about his project that it clouded his judgment.

Now, here's the kicker ... Jay and Sean say their prospective Titanic exploration days are NOT behind them, despite everything that's unfolded. In fact, they're down to go down there ... but with the right person.

France was roiled by riots for a fourth night Friday after police killed a 17-year-old as the country's leader, Emmanuel Macron, blasted the protesters.

Mobs of people went on an evening rampage through the streets of a Paris suburb, where the teen, identified as Nahel M, was fatally shot by cops during a traffic stop Tuesday.

The crowds expressed their fury over Nahel's death by smashing windows and setting cars and buildings ablaze. They also violently clashed with cops in riot gear as more than 1,300 demonstrators were arrested and detained overnight all across France.

France's Interior Ministry said 2,560 fires were reported on public roads, 1,350 cars were burned, and there were 234 incidents involving damaged or charred buildings.

In addition, police were attacked 58 times by militants and 79 officers suffered injuries. A total of 45,000 cops were dispatched Friday to quell the chaos in the Paris suburb and other towns and cities like Marseille.

President Macron condemned the combatants, accusing them of justifying their anarchy by "unacceptable exploitation of the adolescent's death."

Caleb Willingham, best known as the husband of "1000-Lb. Sisters" star Tammy Slaton, has died.

His stepmom, Shirley Willingham, confirmed the sad news to TMZ ... but couldn’t provide further details or a cause of death.

As you might know, Caleb -- nicknamed "Killa K" or "Double K," was an infrequent, yet much-beloved character on the reality show alongside Tammy chronicling their constant battle with weight. In 2022, the two met at a rehab facility in Ohio, where they underwent treatment for obesity and they tied the knot that same year.

Weeks later, Slaton told People mag, "Our wedding day was perfect, there was so much love in the room. I literally married my best friend."

But The Sun reported the couple split in May because Caleb was not following his diet, and Tammy was reportedly getting set to file for divorce.

Caleb was 40.

RIP

Former WWE star Darren Drozdov -- who was tragically paralyzed after suffering an injury during a match in 1999 -- has died ... the wrestling org. announced Friday.

He was 54 years old.

"There are no words to convey the deep sense of loss and sadness we are feeling right now," Drozdov's family said in a statement. "We would like to extend our deepest appreciation to everyone. All of his fans, teammates, colleagues, and friends for all the love and support he received over the years."

"You all gave him meaning, purpose and something to live for," the Drozdov family continued. "He loved each and every one of you and cherished the conversations, notes and letters he received. His faith in humanity never faltered, so know that for all the love you've shown him, he loved you back."

Drozdov's family added that he passed away due to natural causes.

Drozdov was initially introduced to the sports world through football ... when he played noseguard in the NFL for three seasons.

But, following the end of his playing days, he found his true calling in wrestling ... first appearing in the ECW -- before debuting with the WWE in 1998.

Drozdov initially competed under the pseudonym "Puke" -- a nickname he had previously been given for his affinity for throwing up during football games -- but, he later wrestled as "Droz" ... gaining fame for the way he teamed up with the Road Warriors.

Sadly, in Oct. 1999 -- just as his wrestling career looked poised to take off -- he broke his neck in a match with D'Lo Brown ... and was paralyzed from the neck down.

He eventually gained movement in his arms and upper body -- but he would still require a wheelchair to get around for the rest of his life. He did, though, remain steadfast that Brown was not to blame for the incident -- and the two stayed friends over the years.

Following Drozdov's passing Friday ... Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson penned an emotional tribute to the wrestler, writing on his social media page, "We wrestled on a lot of cards together. Such an awesome dude."

"Great personality and great wrestling talent," he added. "We always talked about football and fishing. Sending love, strength, mana and light to his family. RIP brother."

Alan Arkin, the Oscar and Tony-winning actor, most famous for playing Edwin the grandfather in "Little Miss Sunshine, has died.

Alan's sons confirmed the actor died Friday morning at his home, telling People, “Our father was a uniquely talented force of nature, both as an artist and a man. A loving husband, father, grand and great grandfather, he was adored and will be deeply missed.”

The legendary actor started as a stage performer, joining Chicago's Second City comedy troupe as an early member before making his Broadway debut in 1961 in "From the Second City" ... picking up a Tony 2 years later for his work in "Enter Laughing."

Alan's worked consistently through the decades -- most notably in films like "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter," receiving an Oscar nomination for his performance ... as well as other projects like "The In-Laws," "Argo," and "Little Miss Sunshine," for which he won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

His lengthy list of credits also includes projects like "The Kominsky Method," "Inspector Clouseau," "Edward Scissorhands," "The Rocketeer," "Will & Grace," and "Glengarry Glen Ross."

TMZ broke the story, he suffered a stroke in 2015, although there was no major damage.

He was 89.