RIP

The tributes are pouring in on what would have been Kobe Bryant's 45th birthday ... with the late Lakers legend's wife, Vanessa, sharing an emotional post.

"Happy birthday, baby. I love you always & forever. ❤️ #82378," Vanessa said on Instagram alongside several pics of the couple together.

Bryant's former teammates like Caron Butler and Carlos Boozer showed love in the comments ... as well as Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, who said, "A timeless and inspiring love story ❤️❤️❤️❤️."

Bryant has been the center of countless social media posts on Wednesday ... as many have been sharing their favorite memories.

Kobe and Vanessa first met on a music video set back in 1999 ... and were married 19 years before the five-time champion's death in 2020. They had four kids together -- Natalia, Gianna, Bianka and Capri.

TikToker VonViddy has taken his own life ... and his final video to fans is haunting, all about the ups and downs of his life -- talking about how he hopes to be remembered.

Von, whose real name is Joe Muchlinski, died Monday after "losing his long battle to mental illness" ... according to his sister, Martha.

In his final video, posted Sunday, Joe talks about the type of guy he wants to be remembered as, citing his music and comedy as a couple of strong points in his life. He also highlights some of his struggles -- saying he doesn't want folks to remember him "as an addict and an alcoholic who put his family through hell."

He ends his final TikTok by saying how thankful he is for the opportunities he's had over the years ... noting he has an abundance of peace and love for his fans.

Folks in both Joe and Martha's comment sections are sharing their grief for the loss of Joe after Martha's sad news -- one wrote, "Von Viddy we love you. Thank you for all of the laughs. Truly heartbreaking 💔."

Joe garnered over 170k followers and 8.7 million likes on TikTok, sharing his original music and comedy bits since 2020.

He was 32.

RIP.

Drake paid homage to LeBron James on Monday night, but on Tuesday, he tipped his cap to another Laker legend -- Kobe Bryant -- and the impromptu tribute to the Mamba was pretty cool.

Drizzy was performing yet another show at Crypto.com Arena as part of his "It's All A Blur" tour -- his sixth stop in the City of Angels this month -- and when someone threw a black, Bryant Lakers jersey on stage ... he paused his show to remember the Hall of Famer.

The 36-year-old rapper picked up the No. 24 uni and told the sold-out crowd at the venue where Bryant played almost all of his home games for his entire NBA career, "I'mma hold this up 'cause we got to show love to Kobe one time."

"Ya'll make some noise for Kobe at this time," he added.

The fans in attendance roared for several moments ... before Drake continued on with his performance.

It's the second time in as many days that Drake has urged his crowd to support the Lakers -- at Monday's show in Crypto, he featured James and the L.A. star's son, Bronny, a couple times during the concert.

Tuesday's tribute, though, was perhaps the most fitting ... considering this week is a special one for Bryant and his family.

A massive explosion at a North Carolina home belonging to NFL defensive back Caleb Farley has left one person dead ... and another injured.

The incident happened overnight Monday in Mooresville, N.C. -- leveling a multi-million dollar property that, according to multiple reports, Farley had just purchased recently.

Iredell County Fire Marshal's Office spokesperson Kent Greene tells TMZ Sports ... one person was recovered from the scene deceased -- while another was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Farley was not a victim, Greene added.

An investigation into the matter is ongoing, Greene tells us ... though the current focus of the probe is centering around the home's natural gas lines.

According to local media outlets on the scene, Farley -- a 24-year-old Tennessee Titans corner -- was seen at the site Tuesday morning cooperating with authorities.

Farley is currently on the Titans' physically-unable-to-perform list while dealing with a back injury. Since the team took him with the No. 22 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Farley's played sparingly, seeing action in just 12 total games.

Former Univ. of Houston basketball player Reggie Chaney -- a member of the Cougars team that made the Final Four in 2021 -- has tragically died at 23 years old.

Details surrounding the death have not yet been revealed ... though the school's president, Renu Khator, said in a statement Monday night "The news has left us with sad and heavy hearts."

He was a "giant among giants of Houston basketball," she added.

Chaney initially began his college career at the Univ. of Arkansas in 2018 -- playing in 34 games his freshman season. But, following his sophomore year with the Razorbacks, he transferred to Houston, where he became a key part of the 2020-21 squad that advanced all the way to the NCAA tournament's Final Four.

This past season with the Cougs, the last one of his college career, he played in 35 games and earned American Athletic Conference Sixth Man of the Year honors. In total, he logged time in 104 contests for the Cougars in his three years at the school.

News of his death has rocked the hoops community ... with his former coach at Arkansas, Eric Musselman, saying in a statement Monday evening that he and his program are "devastated."

"He was a relentless worker and loved by his teammates," Musselman said. "His family is in our thoughts and prayers."

Justin Gorham, Chaney's former teammate at UH, added on X that Chaney was "always dependable."

"Glad I got the chance to lace em up with him, without Reg we don’t accomplish half the things we did. Rest easy brother LOVE."

Chaney had been slated to play professionally later this year in Greece.

More details surrounding the senseless killing of a shop owner and mother of 9 ... as her close friend says a man ripped down the shop's pride flag before shooting and killing the woman.

Director Paul Feig, known for projects like "Bridesmaids," "The Office," and 2016's "Ghostbusters," expressed his pain online for the loss of his pal, Lauri Carleton -- owner of Lake Arrowhead's Mag,Pi, where she was killed Friday night.

Paul writes about the man who cops say shot her over the flag she had hanging outside her store ... adding, "He ripped it down and when she confronted him about it he shot and killed her."

He goes on to sing her praises as a fashion designer and a friend, saying she was a true ally of the LGBTQ+ community and asking folks to "keep moving forward with tolerance and love."

As we reported, The San Bernardino County Sheriff said cops arrived at her shop to find her suffering from a gunshot wound, with paramedics later pronouncing her dead at the scene. The flag is visibly hanging off the pole after Friday's shooting.

The man who allegedly killed Carleton was shot dead by police after the fateful incident, and it's unclear if it'll be investigated as a hate crime, but San Bernardino County Supervisor Dawn Rowe called what went down a "senseless act of hate and violence."

The person who buried the bodies of sex workers on Gilgo Beach in Long Island did not stop killing during the 12 years the case was mishandled ... this according to numerous experts.

TMZ's latest documentary --- "TMZ Investigates: Gilgo Beach Serial Murders: Missed Warning Signs" -- puts the spotlight on a former police chief who went to great lengths to derail the investigation, in no small part because he himself was hiring prostitutes and didn't want a spotlight put on him.

Numerous law enforcement people, criminologists, and psychologists appear in the doc, and they say during the 12 years the case lay dormant, despite clues that would have led them to Rex Heuermann's doorstep, more women were probably murdered.

These people say serial killers don't stop killing ... maybe some do for a while, but they ultimately give in to their impulses.

Authorities are now looking at Las Vegas and South Carolina, where Heuermann owned properties, to determine if there are other victims. Some authorities believe there are other burial grounds out there.

In fact, cops arrested Heuermann earlier than they planned because he was allegedly getting close with another sex worker.

He's currently charged with murdering 3 women whose bodies were found on Gilgo Beach, and he's the prime suspect in a 4th. Police found 11 bodies on Gilgo Beach, at least 8 of which were sex workers.

A woman who owns two clothing stores in California was shot and killed by a man who made derogatory comments about the pride flag hanging outside her business.

The fatal shooting happened Friday night in Lake Arrowhead, CA ... with law enforcement saying the suspect shot the shop owner, Lauri Carleton, because he didn't like the rainbow flag outside her clothing store.

Lauri owns the Mag.Pi store in Lake Arrowhead and another in Studio City ... and she's been a top fashion designer in Los Angeles for decades.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff says deputies arrived at the scene of Friday's shooting to find Lauri suffering from a gunshot wound ... and paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene.

The sheriff says the killer, armed with a handgun, fled on foot and he was tracked down about a mile away from the store ... with deputies shooting and killing him.

It's unclear if the fatal shooting will be investigated as a possible hate crime, though San Bernardino County Supervisor Dawn Rowe called the incident a "senseless act of hate and violence."

Rowe said in a statement ... "Everyone deserves to live free of hate and discrimination and practice their constitutional right of freedom of speech. Lauri was a remarkable member of the community and I send my deepest condolences to her family in this time of grief."

Lauri is survived by her husband of 28 years and their 9 children.

She was 66.

Cheems, one of the most famous dogs on the internet, is dead after a battle with cancer.

The viral meme dog died Friday during a surgical procedure ... according to his owners, who say he fell asleep during surgery and never woke up.

Cheems shot to fame way back in 2017 when an awkward photo of him went viral ... sparking a meme that is still shared to this day.

Also known as Pup Balltze or just Balltze, the shiba inu was famous for his love of cheeseburgers ... and he's got his own meme character, Cheemsburger.

The pup's owners say ... "Don't be sad, please remember the joy that Balltze brought to the world. A Shiba Inu with a round smiling face connecting you and me, he has helped many people during the pandemic and brought a lot of joy to many of you, but now his mission has completed."

Cheem's family believes he's in a better place now ... "running freely in the sky and having a lot of delicious food with his new friends."

Naturally, Cheems is getting a grand send-off on social media ... with the meme getting posted all over the place.

Cheems was 12.

More than 4 years after the bodies of at least 8 sex workers were found on Long Island's Gilgo Beach, a former escort and current stylist says she had dinner with accused killer Rex Heuermann, and she says she knew he was the serial killer.

TMZ interviewed Nikki Brass for Sunday's Fox documentary, "TMZ Investigates: Gilgo Beach Serial Murders: Missed Warning Signs," and she describes in great detail how she spent an evening with Heuermann at a Long Island restaurant, 45 miles from where the bodies were buried.

She says during their dinner in 2015, he asked if she was a fan of true crime, which she was. He then asked if she was familiar with the Gilgo Beach murders, and she said of course she was.

Then things turned ... according to Nikki, Heuermann was not so much talking about the murders as he was bragging about them. She was so creeped out, she called a friend to pick her up.

When dinner was over, Heuermann asked her to come home with him, and she declined. Nikki says he got angry and she left.

Nikki, who is now a stylist, says the way he spoke about the murders, she was convinced Heuermann was the Gilgo Beach serial killer and told many of her friends for years.

She didn't go to cops because she was on probation for a drug offense.

A man died a gruesome death after jumping roughly 750 feet to his death in NYC ... and he reportedly ended up split in 2 on the pavement.

The man made his fatal jump from the top of the Deutsche Bank Center Thursday night in Manhattan, located on what many call "Billionaire's Row" in Columbus Circle. Creating even more of a spectacle is the fact he ended up slamming into the glass marquee above the entrance to the ritzy Mandarin Oriental Hotel, which is part of the same building.

His body was reportedly split in half by the impact with the marquee -- parts of his body were found across the street on construction scaffolding which was dripping with blood.

The 55-story building houses the hotel, several companies and super expensive luxury apartments where celebs like Jay-Z and Gisele Bündchen have once lived.

It's unclear if the man, who was in pajamas when found dead, worked or lived in the building at the time ... but some reports claim he might have taken a service elevator to the top before meeting his demise.

Quavo's mourning of Takeoff hit its apex Thursday evening with a high-powered listening session for his album, "Rocket Power" ... which he's dedicated to the late Migos rapper.

TMZ Hip Hop obtained video from inside the Hayden Planetarium in NYC, where Quavo previewed the album for some lucky fans, and spoke openly about his pain.

He told the crowd he's been floating through life since Takeoff's death -- comparing it to an out-of-body experience -- and thanked fans for still rocking with him.

Takeoff was shot and killed back in November, just as he and Quavo were revving up the promotion for their joint album.

Luckily, he left behind material Quavo was able to use for this solo project, and Takeoff actually helps kick off the album with the song "Patty Cake."

The alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer, Rex Heuermann, could have been nabbed in 2010 -- 13 years before his arrest -- if only cops had taken a guy named Dave Schaller seriously.

Schaller, who appears in our latest documentary -- "TMZ Investigates: Gilgo Beach Serial Murders: Missed Warning Signs" -- was roommates with Amber Costello, one of the "Gilgo 4."

In 2010, Amber, a sex worker, had an encounter with a man at her home ... he was paying for a lap dance. Shortly after he arrived, Amber called Dave, telling him the man was trying to rape her.

Dave quickly returned home, walked in the door, and says he saw a giant of a man -- around 6'5" -- standing ominously in the living room. Dave told him to leave, and the guy refused. Dave ended up grabbing the guy, trying to get him out, and a fight ensued.

Eventually, the guy left in what Dave says was either a green or black Chevy Avalanche.

A month later, Amber had an appointment with a man and never returned home. The second she went missing, Dave knew it was the same man who was there a month earlier. Dave says Amber needed the money so she took a fatal chance.

After Amber's body was found, Dave was interviewed by police and told them the story, describing the man in great detail, "right down to his beady-ass eyes." He followed up 2 more times with cops, but they never chased down the lead.

Had cops run registrations for anyone in Long Island who had a green or black Avalanche, they could have then looked at the driver's licenses of the registered owners and they would have found a 6'5" man who fit Dave's description to a tee. That man was Rex Heuermann, and the Avalance was routinely parked in his driveway.

Authorities and others we spoke with say ... it's likely the serial killer killed other women after his encounter with Amber Costello.

Max Holloway is crushed by what's happening on Maui, and the UFC star, born and raised in Hawaii, believes matters have been made worse by the government's response to the disaster.

TMZ Sports talked to a very emotional Holloway, 31, as he finished preparation for his UFC Fight Night scrap against The Korean Zombie on August 26. Although the fight is going down in Singapore, it was Maui that was very much on Blessed's mind.

"It's tough man. Everything that's going on in Lahaina now is heartbreaking."

As bad as things are, Max says he's seen incredible strength in the community.

"The amazing thing is how Hawaii can come together and pull through. The people of Hawaii are coming strong together."

Of course, Maui is in crisis. The death count is currently at 111, including children, but is expected to rise sharply, as over 1,000 people are still missing. Aside from the tragic loss of life, the area has been ravaged, with hundreds, if not thousands of structures -- homes, businesses -- burned to the ground.

Much of the affected area still hasn't been searched ... and Max says he's not satisfied with the government's response.

"Here, the state, the government at so many levels, I'm straight up going to say it, they failed the people of Lahaina and it's kind of heartbreaking," Holloway said.

"When it felt like they were lollygagging, too, after everything happened, the people, the Hawaiian people, the locals there are the ones that stood up, that took on the responsibility, and are helping, and are still helping as we speak. Man, it's just super heartbreaking."

Because it's clearly having such an effect on Max, we asked him if he considered backing out of the fight. But that wasn't going to happen, because Holloway believes this can be a distraction for the people.

"If I can take their minds off of it for a second, a minute, five minutes, whatever it is, I always go in there thinking Hawaii is on my back. I'm going in there a little bit heavier right now."

As for those people impacted, Max had a message.

"My main message to the families that are directly impacted, stay strong. We're all here for you guys. We're gonna keep this going for you guys. We're in for the long haul on this fight."

"This is just the beginning, and we know. The recovery is going to take a long time. Everything is gone, and we know this, and we're here for the long ride."

The home where Aaron Carter died has officially sold ... and the bathroom where the singer's body was found has been completely remodeled.

Christie Limpus of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices held the listing, and tells TMZ … Aaron's Lancaster house closed Wednesday for $765,000. You'll recall, it was put on the market in April for just under $850k.

We're told the bathroom got a big facelift, although no photos are being shared of the remodel. The purchase was a probate sale because Aaron died without a will ... and Christie says the keys are being handed over to a happy family.

TMZ broke the story, the money made from the sale was going directly to Aaron's estate, and into a trust for his 1-year-old son, Prince. Remember, Aaron bought the place in 2019 for $430k, and actually put it on the market about a month before he died.

WWE legend Tammy Sytch just pleaded no contest to a felony charge of DUI causing death ... and she's now facing a prison sentence of up to a quarter of a century, TMZ Sports has learned.

The 50-year-old wrestling Hall of Famer was first hit with the count -- and seven others -- back in May 2022 ... after officials alleged she killed a 75-year-old man during a drunken car crash just two months prior.

Sytch had initially pleaded not guilty to all of the charges ... but changed her pleas in a Volusia County courtroom on Wednesday afternoon -- days before the case was slated to go to trial.

According to court documents, in addition to the plea to felony DUI causing death, she also pleaded no contest to one felony charge of driving with license suspended causing death, four misdemeanor counts of DUI with damage to a person, and two misdemeanor charges of DUI with damage to property.

A sentencing hearing for Sytch has not yet been put on the docket ... though, according to court docs, she's facing a maximum sentence of 25 years behind bars whenever it comes up.

Sytch has been in jail since May 2022 in the case ... after prosecutors claimed she crashed her car into the back of another vehicle on a Florida road in March 2022 while it was stopped at a traffic light. The officials alleged at the time of the accident she had a blood alcohol content of .08 or higher.

Sytch had at first received bond in the case, but days later, she was thrown back in jail after prosecutors called her a danger to the community.

The case was not the first time Sytch had been accused of drinking and driving -- she had also been arrested at least six times for impaired driving before, including back in 2019 in New Jersey.