RIP

In what could be a scene directly out of a horror movie ... Lahaina residents barely escape with their lives after diving into the ocean for relief from the city's deadly fires.

The terrifying clip shows residents -- many who appear to have grabbed whatever belongings they could last minute -- getting into the water for shelter. Some cling onto pieces of wood to stick together, while others appear to be solo.

The smoke and ash make it almost impossible for residents to see, let alone breathe ... and the diving into the water shows just how desperate the situation got on Maui.

As of Thursday night, the wildfires -- which spread at an unimaginable speed because of high winds -- were about 80% contained. However, there's still been a significant loss of life, with at least 55 people reported dead and more expected once rescue efforts conclude.

Lahaina has seemingly taken the worst hit of the towns in the area -- leaving it essentially flattened and thousands of residents without water, power and forms of communication.

Sean Dawkins -- who played nine seasons in the NFL, most notably for the Indianapolis Colts -- died earlier this week. He was 52 years old.

Details surrounding his death have not been announced.

Dawkins -- a first-round pick in 1993 -- tallied 25 touchdowns across his professional career ... setting a career-high of seven in a season with the Seattle Seahawks in 1999.

Colts owner Jim Irsay paid tribute to Dawkins on Thursday, saying ... "Rest in peace, Sean Dawkins. I am shocked and saddened."

"My prayers and condolences to Sean’s family."

Irsay's Colts drafted Dawkins after a standout collegiate career at Cal.

As a Golden Bear, Dawkins was a consensus All-American in 1992 and was subsequently inducted into the Cal Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005.

NBA great and current Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd -- who was a freshman on the Cal basketball team when Sean was tearing it up on the gridiron -- shared his grief following his fellow Golden Bear's death ... saying, "Heartbroken over the tragic loss of Sean Dawkins, a true legend of the @Cal Bear community."

"His remarkable talent brought joy to fans and inspired many. Our deepest condolences to his loved ones during this difficult time. Rest in peace, Sean. #ForeverACalBear #RIPSeanDawkins."

Sean was 52.

Floyd Mayweather is stepping up in a huge way for over 100 people displaced by the horrible wildfires in Maui … not only paying for almost 70 families to fly to safety, but also providing them with a place to stay, food to eat, and clothing to wear.

TMZ Sports has learned the 50-0 boxing legend personally paid for 68 families, impacted by the natural disaster, to fly from Maui to Honolulu over the last two days.

Mayweather is also providing the people with hotel rooms for several weeks, as well as food from local restaurants and clothing to wear while they’re away from their homes.

Our sources tell us Mayweather is working with H&M to get clothing for the men, women, and children he’s assisting.

Of course, Maui has been devastated by wildfires that ripped through the Hawaiian island, killing at least 53 people as of Thursday afternoon. on top of the tragic loss of life, over a thousand structures have burned down.

Many people have been forced to flee with just the clothing on their backs and nothing else.

Kevin Federline's family -- including his sons with ex-wife Britney Spears -- is safe in Hawaii amid the devastating Maui fires, but we're told the horrifying scenes in their new home state are upsetting the boys.

Sources close to Kevin tell TMZ ... he and Jayden James and Sean Preston -- along with Kevin's wife, Victoria -- aren't physically affected by the wildfires because they live on one of the neighboring islands, where they moved just 2 weeks ago.

The fam is settling into a new rental home, but we're told it's been traumatic for them to see all the death and devastation on Maui. As you'd expect, it's dominating all the news coverage on Hawaiian TV stations.

At least 36 people have died in Maui since the fires broke out Tuesday, making it the deadliest blaze in the U.S. since 2018 ... and all of the homes, schools and businesses in downtown Lahaina -- a tourism hot spot -- have been wiped off the map.

TMZ broke the story, Kevin and his sons packed their bags at the beginning of this month, flying to Hawaii with the boys, who opted to not say goodbye in-person to Britney.

Kobe Bryant's new sneaker, the Protro 8 is dropping in two weeks on what would've been Mamba's 45th birthday ... and now we're getting a look at the new Vanessa Bryant-designed Nike kick.

The footwear and apparel giant unveiled the "Halo" kicks on Thursday, just 24 hours after Vanessa teased fans with a silhouette of the sneakers on social media.

In fact, Vanessa reportedly helped design the sneakers to honor Kobe on his bday ... August 23.

FYI, the kicks are an updated edition of Kobe's eighth signature shoe, which originally dropped in 2012. It marks the second release from Kobe's line (the Kobe 4 Protro "Mamabacitas" were released in May) since the family reconciled their relationship with the Swoosh last year.

Of course, the previous contract between Kobe and Nike expired in April 2021 ... after the sides were unable to reach a new, long-term deal. But, Vanessa and Nike execs ultimately struck a deal, and that's great news for Kobe's millions of fans.

"This will be one of many Kobe 8 'Halo' styles coming soon," Vanessa wrote this week.

Social media personality Lil Tay is very much still alive -- claiming her Instagram account was compromised -- and used to spread "jarring misinformation" about her and her brother's death.

In a statement provided to TMZ from Tay's family, she tells TMZ, "I want to make it clear that my brother and I are safe and alive, but I’m completely heartbroken, and struggling to even find the right words to say. It’s been a very traumatizing 24 hours. All day yesterday, I was bombarded with endless heartbreaking and tearful phone calls from loved ones all while trying to sort out this mess."

She also says, "My Instagram account was compromised by a 3rd party and used to spread jarring misinformation and rumors regarding me, to the point that even my name was wrong. My legal name is Tay Tian, not "Claire Hope"."

Tay thanks Meta for helping to get her Instagram account back, and the phony death statement has been removed.

What's still unclear is why it took Tay 24 hours to get word out she's alive, especially because she says she was aware her account was hacked ... and was getting phone calls about her "death."

On Wednesday, TMZ contacted police in the Vancouver area as well as family members who were totally in the dark, and knew nothing of her passing. Now we know why.

Tay's fake death was announced Wednesday morning on her Instagram ... the statement said her "sudden and tragic passing" is an "unbearable loss," adding her family is in complete shock.

The statement also claimed her brother died, "Her brother's passing adds an even more unimaginable depth to our grief."

Lil Tay got her fame as the "World's Youngest Flexer" that rapped and showed off a lavish lifestyle across social media. She's garnered 3.2 million followers on Instagram, but hadn't posted on the account since 2018.

You'll recall, Tay was caught in the middle of a nasty custody battle between her parents, Angela Tian and Christopher Hope -- one we were told had been going on in court since 2018, around the same time the influencer went radio silent online.

Johnny Hardwick, known for playing Dale Gribble on "King of the Hill," has died.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ they were called to Hardwick's Texas home Tuesday for a welfare check and discovered his body. We're told Hardwick was pronounced dead at the scene ... and no foul play is suspected. We don't yet know the cause of death.

Johnny started performing stand-up comedy in 1990 in Texas, eventually landing his first stand-up appearance on "The Jon Stewart Show" a few years later.

Most remember Johnny from his work on the long-running animated sitcom, "King of the Hill" ... playing Dale, the conspiracy theory-obsessed friend of the show's lead, Hank Hill.

Dale took on just about every job imaginable -- tackling gigs like exterminator, camp counselor, bounty hunter, and, of course, propane salesman.

Johnny lent his voice to a whopping 258 episodes of the series. FYI, "King of the Hill" aired 259 episodes in total.

Johnny was with the show from the beginning, portraying Dale on the first episode that aired in January 1997 ... and stuck with the series until its final episode in 2010. He was also listed as returning for a revival of the show, although it's unclear if he ever recorded for it.

Apart from the show, Johnny would cover songs on his YouTube channel ... donning his character's signature orange hat and shades, performing just like Dale would on the show -- and making references to the character's "pocket sand" attack move.

Johnny was 64.

RIP

Zendaya still has her late "Euphoria" costar Angus Cloud on her mind ... sharing a photo of the mural his friends painted in his honor.

The actress posted a photo of the Oakland mural on social media Wednesday ... and her IG story also featured what appears to be another nod to Angus.

Zendaya is seemingly referencing Angus' death with another post showing a street sign painted to read "NO LOVE FADES" ... it's posted on her story before the Oakland mural honoring Angus, and it appears to be from a nearby location.

While it's unclear if Zendaya visited the mural or his Oakland stomping grounds in person, the painting has become a central gathering place for folks wanting to pay their respects to Angus.

TMZ broke the story ... some of Angus' friends in Oakland came together in the wake of his death to paint the mural, and it's since been the site of a candlelight vigil.

As we first reported ... Angus died last Monday at his family's home in Oakland, CA, where his mom called 911 to report a potential overdose.

In a heartfelt IG post the day after Angus' death, Zendaya said she would cherish every moment they shared.

Robbie Robertson, songwriter and lead guitarist for legendary rock group The Band, is dead ... TMZ has confirmed.

Sources close to Robbie tell us he died Wednesday in Los Angeles after battling prostate cancer for about a year. We're told he'd been doing ok, recently, but on Tuesday he told his wife he wasn't feeling well, and she took him to a hospital.

We're told his wife got a call from the hospital in the early hours of Wednesday informing her Robbie had passed.

Robbie's group first formed in Canada in the late '50s as The Hawks -- including the late Levon Helm and Rick Danko -- but they gained wide notoriety when they backed Bob Dylan on his 1966 tour ... and after that launched their own career as The Band.

Robbie wrote some of The Band's most iconic hits like "The Weight," and "Up On Cripple Creek."

He also had a solo career that included the 1987 hit song, "Somewhere Down the Crazy River."

The Band was the subject of Martin Scorsese's classic 1978 film, "The Last Waltz" ... documenting their final show. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

Robbie was 80.

Sandra Bullock's heartbreaking loss of her longtime partner is raising awareness for all ALS patients ... and spurring huge donations for an ALS organization.

Honchos at the ALS Association tell TMZ ... the group's seen a significant funding spike in the 24 hours since Bryan Randall died following a 3-year battle with ALS. We're told donations are up 500% over the same time last year.

Remember, Sandra's sister praised the actress for taking care of Bryan as he secretly fought ALS to the very end, and the family's asking for folks to donate to the ALS Association instead of sending flowers.

Sandra's fans are definitely heeding that call, and the ALS Association tells us it's "grateful for the amazing outpouring of support in honor of Bryan."

The org says the money pouring in will "help our urgent work to make ALS a livable disease through local care, national advocacy, and global ALS research."

Robert De Niro's grandson died from a lethal combination of illicit drugs, including fentanyl ... TMZ has learned.

According to New York City's chief medical examiner, Leandro De Niro Rodriguez died from the toxic effects of fentanyl, bromazolam, alprazolam, 7-aminoclonazepam, ketamine, and cocaine.

The Medical Examiner is ruling Leandro's death an accidental overdose.

As we reported ... Robert's 19-year-old grandson was found dead of a suspected overdose last month ... with cops saying investigators found one bag of cocaine, one straw with residue, two blue pills and seven rectangular tablets believed to be Xanax.

Police said Leandro bought counterfeit oxycodone and Xanax just days before his death ... and the fake oxycodone pills were laced with fentanyl.

The official cause of death also lines up with what Leandro's mother, Drena De Niro, has said on social media, "Someone sold him fentanyl-laced pills that they knew were laced yet still sold them to him."

Former child star Austin Majors died as a result of a fentanyl overdose ... in a trend that's become all too common.

The ex-"NYPD Blue" actor's autopsy results were released Tuesday by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office -- and his cause of death is attributed to fentanyl toxicity. The manner is listed as accidental, and the place of his death reads ... "residence."

Remember, Majors passed away while staying at a homeless housing facility in L.A. back in February -- and we were told at the time that fentanyl was suspected to be in play.

It's a tragic end to Majors' story ... who was a successful actor in the early years of his life. He famously played Theo Sipowicz on the famed ABC drama series, starring in 48 episodes.

In addition to "NYPD Blue," Majors had worked on other big shows like "Providence," "How I Met Your Mother," "ER," "Hercules," "Threshold," "According to Jim," 'NCIS,' "American Dad!," "Desperate Housewives" and others. He'd also been in a handful of memorable movies.

His acting career appears to have slowed down in the late 2000s ... Majors doesn't have credit post-2009. The family released an emotional statement at the time of his death, remembering the best parts of his life.

The statement read, in part ... "Austin was the kind of son, brother, grandson, and nephew that made us proud and we will miss him deeply forever."

Majors was just 27.

Sinéad O'Connor is being laid to rest in Ireland, and droves of fans are flocking to the streets to say their final goodbyes during the funeral procession through her hometown.

Sinéad's coffin was driven Tuesday through the town of Bray, just outside of Dublin, and it looks like thousands of her adoring fans turned out to honor her ... tossing flowers onto the hearse as it slowly rolled past.

Mourners applauded the late singer as Bob Marley's "Natural Mystic" blared from a vehicle driving just ahead of the hearse.

The procession stopped in front of Sinéad's former home for a few minutes before continuing to her burial site.

Some of Sinéad's fellow music legends attended the funeral ... including U2's Bono, Edge, and Adam Clayton, as did The Boomtown Rats' Bob Geldof and Ireland's President Michael D. Higgins.

As we reported, Sinéad was found dead inside her London home last month, and her unexpected passing shook the world.

Artists around the world performed touching tributes, including a rendition of her hit, "Nothing Compares 2 U," from Pink and Brandi Carlile.

Sandra Bullock is getting major props for taking good care of her longtime boyfriend, Bryan Randall, as he battled ALS to the very end.

Sandra's sister, Gesine Bullock-Prado, posted an emotional message on Instagram, praising the actress for being there during Bryan's private, 3-year battle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis -- a nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.

Gesine started off by saying she's convinced Bryan is already casting his lure at the best fishing spot in heaven, teaming with salmon.

She then addressed Bryan's ALS fight, pointing out it's a "cruel disease," but "there is some comfort in knowing he had the best of caretakers in my amazing sister (Sandra) and the band of nurses she assembled who helped her look after him in their home."

Bryan died Saturday at 57. His family announced his passing Monday, thanking all the doctors who treated Bryan's health issues.

The model-turned-shutterbug first crossed paths with Sandra in 2015 when she hired him to photograph her son Louis' birthday party. The two soon began dating and came out as a couple later that year.

DJ Casper, the creator of the internationally famous "Cha Cha Slide," has died after a battle with cancer.

The artist passed away Monday, according to his family. He'd been diagnosed with liver and kidney cancer in 2016 -- something spotlighted in a Chicago interview that chronicled his health challenges, as well as his contribution to music.

Casper is most famous for his catchy dance song, which he first cooked up in the studio back in 1998, and which he tweaked and re-released in 2000. The "Cha Cha Slide" has gone on to become a go-to favorite and staple at weddings and parties all over the world.

The making of the track is well-chronicled ... DJ Casper said he first made it with the intention of it being used for his nephew's aerobics class, but upon seeing how well-received it was -- and how much play it got in local fitness clubs -- he thought it had potential as a single, and made a second version for wide release.

The track got some radio play in Chicago and then blew up in the years to come. The infectious line dance, similar to the 'Electric Slide', literally gives you step-by-step instructions throughout the dance ... which is partly what's made it such a party staple.

Millions have danced to it over the years -- in addition to your cousin's wedding, the song's also been featured in tons of movies and TV shows ... like "SNL."

"Cha Cha Slide" had done well on several worldwide music charts, and is certified platinum in the UK. It's easily DJ Casper's main claim to fame.

Casper was 58.

RIP ... and cha cha real smooth.

Sandra Bullock's boyfriend, Bryan Randall, has died, after a private battle with ALS ... TMZ has confirmed.

Bryan's family tells us, "It is with great sadness that we share that on August 5th Bryan Randall passed away peacefully after a 3 year battle with ALS."

They say Bryan decided to keep his struggle with ALS a private matter, adding, "Those of us who cared for him did our best to honor his request."

They add, "We are immensely grateful to the tireless doctors who navigated the landscape of this illness with us and to the astounding nurses who became our roommates, often sacrificing their own families to be with ours."

People was first to report the news.

Sandra and Bryan first met back in 2015 when he photographed a birthday party for her son, Louis -- they went public later that year. Despite keeping things between them mostly under wraps, she called him the "love of my life" in 2021 during her time on "Red Table Talk."

She even said at the time that they shared her 2 kids together -- 13-year-old Louis and 10-year-old Laila, both of whom she adopted.

There were reports that the couple was on the rocks and were allegedly living separately last year ... although his battle with ALS could've contributed to living apart.

Bryan was 57.