RIP

Wild bears are still VERY dangerous ... don't be fooled by recent cute videos of the furry beasts, because they still have an appetite for human flesh!!!

Here's the deal ... hikers in North Carolina's Great Smoky Mountains National Park came upon a grizzly scene this weekend when they discovered a black bear chowing down on human remains.

The hikers say they were passing by what they thought was an abandoned campsite around 7 PM Friday when they found human body parts scattered around the area, with a bear scavenging on the remains. Yikes!

Park officials say rangers arrived at campsite 82 shortly after midnight and found a dead adult man ... and a bear, presumably the same one the hikers spotted, was "actively scavenging on the remains."

The bear is dead now too ... park rangers euthanized the wild animal, but officials say they haven't determined if the bear actually killed the man, or just stumbled upon his remains.

It's a stark contrast to the black bear in Massachusetts, which gently woke up a man sleeping in his back yard. Despite plenty of images of bears getting cozy with humans lately ... the danger of wild animals is still very real.

Funeral plans are underway for ex-Temptations lead singer Bruce Williamson Jr. ... and TMZ's learned the event will include the last surviving original member of the legendary group.

A source close to the family tells TMZ ... Bruce's family plans to hold the funeral in Las Vegas on September 26. We're told exact details are still in the works but here's what we do know -- Temptations founder Otis Williams will attend ... as will current member Ron Tyson and other former singers with the group.

Our sources say longtime friend Bubba Knight -- the brother of Gladys Knight and one of the Pips -- will also be there. The funeral will be small and have an exclusive invite-only list. It'll also largely be limited to family and close friends due to Nevada's COVID-19 restrictions.

Fans who want to watch the funeral will be able to do so because we're told it'll be live streamed. But, on September 25th, a day before the funeral, there will be a public viewing at Giddens Memorial Chapel where fans can pay their respects. The public viewing -- which will adhere to social distancing guidelines and a mask mandate -- begins at 4 PM PT.

Our source also says they're putting together a tribute concert gala in Vegas as well ... which will be announced once they nail down a date.

Kobe Bryant's former teammate, Pau Gasol, just paid perhaps the greatest tribute to him and his late daughter, Gianna Bryant, by bestowing her name onto his own flesh and blood.

The former Laker announced the birth of his and his wife's first child -- a girl that they've named after Gigi. He also made sure to reference what Kobe has become known as in the wake of his death ... an awesome girl dad.

Pau broke the news in both Spanish and English, writing ... "Our little one has finally arrived!! The delivery went really well and we couldn’t be happier!! Elisabet Gianna Gasol 😍, a very meaningful name for our super beautiful daughter!! ❤️👨‍👩‍👧 #girldad."

He also posted a shot of him and Catherine McDonnell holding Elisabet's little hand, with the kid getting a firm grip on her mom's forefinger.

It's a great way to honor Kobe, who was Pau's teammate through some crucial championship runs in the late 2000s. He remained on the Lakers through 2014, so he knew KB and his family well.

Kobe and Gianna died, along with 7 others, in a helicopter crash in Calabasas last January -- devastating the NBA community and the world.

A woman battling Leukemia says her 2 French bulldogs -- one of which was her emotional support animal -- are dead after they were placed in an Emirates flight's cargo hold.

The passenger's name is Hannah and we're told she was flying from Dubai to Washington, DC for a cancer treatment -- but upon landing at Dulles International Airport she got the devastating news her comfort dog Panda, and Panda's companion Beluga, had died.

The incident went down on August 21 aboard Flight EK 231. We're told Hannah paid $2,600 to ship her pooches when she was told she couldn't bring them into the cabin because they weighed more than 8 pounds.

That means the dogs should be transported below the cabin in a hold designed for live animals ... separate from the luggage. Apparently, Panda and Beluga ended up in the luggage hold, and a necropsy shows they died from oxygen deprivation. Panda was also bloody, for some reason.

Hannah's attorney, Evan Oshan, tells TMZ ... the family wants justice for the dogs. He says, "Dogs are not luggage they are living breathing family members and in this case, provided tremendous emotional support for a cancer patient."

We're told Hannah had a doctor's letter from June 2018 classifying Panda as an emotional support animal -- and therefore, Panda should have been allowed in the cabin with Hannah ... Oshan believes.

He adds, "Emirates charged for the dogs' passage even though medical documentation was provided by this cancer patient. This is wrong!"

Oshan says other animals aboard the flight, presumably placed in the proper cargo hold, all survived the journey unscathed.

Toots Hibbert, the singer who helped popularize the name "reggae" with his 1968 hit song, "Do the Reggay," has died.

Toots was a pioneer of the music back in the '60s and beyond. He was a founding member of the band, the Maytals.

Hibbert was very close to Bob Marley. There was a time when the Maytals would perform on the same bill with Marley's group, The Wailers. They would alternate who would open and who would headline.

Hibbert and Marley were so close, they would record the same songs and both have great success. In particular, they both recorded "Redemption Song."

Toots also had a presence in film. He appeared in "The Harder They Come" back in '72. One of his songs, "Pressure Drop" was part of the film's soundtrack. When the song was covered by The Clash in '78 and became a hit, Toots scored legions of new, young fans.

He was a staple on the road, even appearing on stage with the Red Hot Chili Peppers to perform "Louie Louie" during a wild, 2011 New Year's Eve bash in St. Barts.

Toots was also featured on Willie Nelson's album, "Countryman."

Toots was injured in 2013 when someone in the audience threw a bottle at his head. The man was arrested, and when it came time for sentencing, Toots asked for leniency, saying, "He is a young man, and I have heard what happens to young men in jail." The guy got 6 months in jail.

His family broke the sad news, saying, "It is with the heaviest of hearts to announce that Frederick Nathaniel 'Toots' Hibbert passed away peacefully tonight, surrounded by his family at the University Hospital of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica."

The cause of death was not revealed.

Toots is survived by his wife, Miss D ... they were married 39 years. He's also survived by 7 children.

Aaron Grissom -- best known for competing on Season 12 of 'Top Chef' -- is dead after an apparent motorcycle crash in Washington state.

Grissom died Tuesday after suffering "multiple blunt force injuries" in a traffic accident, according to the Pierce County medical examiner ... who ruled his death an accident.

According to a friend and former coworker, the wreck happened in the area of Chambers Bay.

Grissom was one of 16 contestants on "Top Chef: Boston" in 2014, though he wasn't much of a fan favorite, and got eliminated pretty early. While appearing on the show, he was actually a resident of L.A. and worked as a chef at North Hollywood's Bow & Truss.

Before that, he appeared in an episode of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" when the show covered Dirty Oscar's Annex in Tacoma ... where Aaron made a name for himself.

According to reports, he had been working as a restaurant chef in the Tacoma area recently again, and was also cooking for touring singers, including Billie Eilish, before the pandemic shut things down.

Aaron was 34.

The 4 accused ex-cops involved in George Floyd's death appeared in court ... triggering hundreds to take the streets outside the courthouse to protest.

Derek Chauvin, Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and Alexander Kueng arrived in court Friday in Hennepin County, Minnesota for a hearing covering a number of things ... including motions about change of venue to jury sequestering. Floyd's family also attended the hearing.

Thao, Lane and Kueng appeared to have entered the courtroom undetected ... as hundreds marched outside the Hennepin County Family Justice Center.

Derek Chauvin, who pressed his knee on George's neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, has been in custody since his arrest in May. Thao, Lane and Kueng all posted bail. That trio has been charged with aiding and abetting murder. Chauvin's been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, as well as an additional count of second-degree murder.

As we reported ... new body cam footage was released back in August showing Thao's point of view. He was the one who was doing crowd control during George's arrest. The new video showed that as Chauvin pressed his knee on George's neck, Thao had walked to the curb where a handful of onlookers could immediately tell George was in life-threatening distress.

The new angle also showed the crowd's worry increase with every minute that passed. It had been painfully obvious to them a man was dying, and they got more and more agitated as the clock ticked through the 8 minutes and 46 seconds.

The Minnesota Attorney General has said he would seek a harsh sentence for Chauvin.

The Minnesota Vikings will pay tribute to George Floyd's family prior to their season opener on Sunday ... announcing plans to host them for a powerful moment before the game.

Vikings players have been outspoken following Floyd's death in Minneapolis back in May ... with stars like Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks demanding justice.

The team laid out its plan to bring more awareness to social justice on Friday ... revealing Floyd's family will be in attendance for a tribute following the rendition of the Black national anthem, "Lift Every Voice And Sing."

On top of the league-wide gestures -- helmet decals, end zone messages and pre-game t-shirts -- the Vikings will host music group "Sounds of Blackness" to perform the national anthem ... as well as honor community leaders who have fought for equality.

Dame Diana Rigg -- the legendary actress with epic roles in "Game of Thrones" and the UK's 'Avengers' TV series -- has died.

The British actress rose to prominence in the 1961 TV series, "The Avengers," and became a worldwide phenomenon as a Bond girl in the 1969 Bond film, "On Her Majesty's Secret Service."

For the younger generation ... Dame Diana, of course, earned critical acclaim for her role as Lady Olenna Tyrell in the HBO hit show, "Game of Thrones." Sad to say ... she admitted in 2019 she never watched the show, but that's neither here nor there. Rigg earned an Emmy nomination for her role in 2018.

BTW ... her Bond role was pretty historic. She played Tracey Bond ... James Bond's wife. She was the only Bond girl to ever get him to the altar, never mind the character was killed shortly after the wedding.

In "The Avengers," she played the incredibly desirable Emma Peel and earned an Emmy nomination in 1967 and 1968.

Rigg, who grew up in India after her father accepted a job there, trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and made her acting debut in "The Caucasian Chalk Circle" at the 1957 York Festival. She'd later join the Royal Shakespeare Company and earned several roles but perhaps none more important than as Cordelia in the touring production of "King Lear."

Dame Diana was a highly-respected stage actress ... earning a Tony Award nomination for her role in "Abelard and Heloise." She'd later join the National Theatre Company ... earning a second Tony nomination for her role as Celimene in "The Misanthrope."

She finally won a Tony Award in 1994 for Best Actress for her role in "Medea." That same year, she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for her work in drama at the 1994 Birthday Honours.

Rigg had already been made a Commander of the order of the British Empire at the 1988 New Year Honours.

Michael Strahan is finally speaking out about the death of his father, Gene -- saying he's still in shock roughly a week after his passing.

"It’s been a little over a week since I lost my hero and it’s still hard to believe my dad is no longer with us physically," Strahan said ... "but I know his spirit lives on thru me and the rest of the family."

Gene Willie Strahan Sr. passed away earlier this month. He was 83.

No cause of death has been released. Michael and his family laid him to rest on Friday.

Michael and Gene were particularly close.

"The biggest goal in everything I’ve ever done was to make him proud," Michael said.

"Knowing that I did that gives me peace but also pushes me to continue because I know he’s watching from above."

The NFL Hall of Famer says he doesn't know where he'd be in life without his father -- crediting him for fueling his personal and professional success.

"Without him I’m not sure where I’d be but I know I wouldn’t have anything close to the life I have now. Love you Dad and I’m honored to be your son!!"

Strahan concluded his statement with advice to his fans.

"Take time to hug your parents, spouse and kids. Let them know how you feel and don’t take it for granted that they automatically know that you love them."

Gene was a U.S. Army veteran who enlisted in 1955 and went on to serve with the 82nd Airborne division.

He married his wife, Louise, in 1957 and they had 6 kids together.

Last week, Strahan's coworkers on "Good Morning America" paid tribute to Gene and the rest of the Strahan family.

"See you when I get there coach..."

That's Allen Iverson's emotional message to John Thompson ... after the Hall of Famer served as a pallbearer at the funeral for his legendary college coach.

Thompson -- one of the greatest college basketball coaches of all-time -- passed away Monday morning at the age of 78.

The list of NBA legends JT coached at Georgetown University is long ... and former players -- including A.I., Dikembe Mutombo, Alonzo Mourning and Patrick Ewing -- took part in service at St. Augustine Church in D.C. ... carrying Thompson's casket during the touching ceremony.

Iverson and John had a special relationship ... and A.I. even credited JT with "saving his life" after The Answer was accused of injuring people in a bowling alley brawl.

It's not only GU hoopers who have sent love in the wake of Thompson's passing ... the NBA had a moment of silence for Big John before playoff games this week.

Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith also celebrated Thompson's life on "Inside The NBA."

Dak Prescott just revealed his older brother took his own life this past spring ... and the Dallas Cowboys QB says he's still having a hard time coping with it all.

"I'll never get another hug in my life like the ones he gave," Prescott said of his big brother, Jace. "He was my best friend."

Jace tragically died at 31 years old in April ... but the family hadn't disclosed the cause of death until Dak and his other brother, Tad, sat down for a recent interview with Graham Bensinger.

The two Prescott brothers were extremely emotional talking about Jace's death ... with Dak saying he believes their mom's 2013 fatal battle with colon cancer took an indescribable toll on Jace.

"Jace at the time was finishing with school and was home, was with her and watched it," said 27-year-old Dak, who was away from home playing at Mississippi State at the time.

"She couldn't necessarily hide it from Jace because he was there every day. He saw the times where she would have to spend probably 10-plus hours throwing up, this and that, and saw the medicine she had to take."

"And, almost, you can't even put into the words the burden," Dak continued. "It's something only Jace knew. And he didn't necessarily share that. And Jace was never really much of a talker so when something like that was a huge burden on him, he didn't know how to share it. He didn't know how to be vulnerable about it."

Dak says he was asleep when Jace died by suicide ... saying his father had to wake him up and deliver "some of the worst news that I'll ever get."

Dak says he cried for about 30 minutes with his dad and his friends ... and added, "I wanted to ask 'Why?' for so many reasons."

The NFL star says he's now imploring others to open up about their struggles ... adding, "It showed me how vulnerable we have to be as humans."

"How open we have to be because our adversity, our struggles, what we go through is always going to be too much for ourselves and maybe too much for even one or two people."

"But never too much for a community or never too much for the people and the family that you love. So we have to share those things."

Jamain Stephens -- a 20-year-old defensive lineman for California University of Pennsylvania -- died Tuesday from complications of COVID-19, according to his high school.

Stephens -- listed at 6'3", 255 pounds -- played the past 3 seasons for the Cal Vulcans. Additionally, he made the University's AD Honor Roll in Fall 2019.

Cal had canceled its 2020 football season because of the COVID pandemic, but apparently, Stephens contracted the virus anyway.

The University confirmed his passing but didn't mention a cause of death. Jamain's high school, Central Catholic, issued a statement saying "Jamain went to his eternal reward after suffering from complications of COVID-19."

Here's more from Central Catholic ...

"Known more commonly by his nickname, 'Juice,' Jamain was a defensive lineman for the Vikings, winning two WPIAL championships and a state championship in 2015. Jamain went on to continue his football career at California University of Pennsylvania, majoring in Business Administration."

Cal U athletic director Karen Hjerpe also issued a statement on Jamain's death -- calling him a "wonderful student with a smile on his face every time you saw him."

"His personality was contagious and he made such a positive impact on everyone he met."

Jamain's father -- Jamain Stephens -- was an offensive lineman in the NFL from 1997 to 2001 ... playing for the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers.

RIP

Boxing prodigy Danny Gonzalez -- who signed with Floyd Mayweather's The Money Team in 2016 -- was shot and killed on Labor Day, officials confirm.

The 22-year-old was hanging out in Moreno Valley, CA on Sept. 7 around 9 PM when someone approached the fighter and opened fire.

The Riverside County Sheriff's Dept. says deputies and paramedics responded to the scene where Gonzalez was pronounced dead.

Two other people who were with Danny (both teenagers) were transported to a nearby hospital where they were treated for non-life-threatening injuries, officials say.

An investigation is underway ... so far, no suspects have been identified and cops say they have not determined a motive.

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman confirmed the tragic news Tuesday ... saying, "We are very sad to report the tragic death of boxer and top prospect, Danny González."

"We send our deepest condolences and prayers to the Gonzalez family at this hard time. May Danny rest in eternal peace."

Gonzalez signed with Floyd Mayweather's TMT Promotions when he was only 18 years old ... and at the time, Floyd raved about the kid.

"There are certain times when you know you've just struck gold and this is one of them," Floyd said in 2016.

Floyd praised Danny's "incredible amateur record" of 96-13 ... and called him a "force to be reckoned with!"

Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren just shockingly announced the city's entire police department's command staff -- including the Chief -- are retiring on the heels of Daniel Prude's death in custody.

Warren made the announcement Tuesday during a virtual city council meeting ... adding there may be a number of others that will decide to leave as well. The Mayor -- who did NOT ask for chief La'Ron Singletary's resignation following Daniel Prude's death -- said she doesn't know who will take over the embattled department on the interim basis ... considering since this all happened just moments ago.

What's more ... Warren said Singletary felt his career and integrity had been challenged after a graphic video of the March 23 arrest surfaced showing the 41-year-old Black man having a hood placed over his head by police. They are then seen pressing his face into the ground for 2 minutes until Prude stops breathing ... leading to his death days later.

Remember ... Warren admonished Singletary last week for failing to fully and accurately inform her about what transpired during the arrest. For his part, Singletary said "As a man of integrity, I will not sit idly by while outside entities attempt to destroy my character. The events over the past week are an attempt to destroy my character and integrity."

He added, "The members of the Rochester Police Department and the Greater Rochester Community know my reputation and know what I stand for."

Deputy Chief Joseph Morabito, a 34-year veteran at the department, also retired and said, "It has been my extreme honor to serve with and lead the most dedicated law enforcement professionals in the country. It has also been my honor to serve this community through these many years; a community I was born and raised in, and deeply love."

We reached out to the Rochester PD and are told the only officials retiring are Singletary and Morabito ... but as Warren said, more announcements could be coming soon.

Tragic news in the motorcycle racing world ... veteran rider Ralph Hudson died Sunday from injuries he suffered after crashing his bike at 252 MPH.

The 69-year-old was hurt on Aug. 14 at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah ... where he was attempting to break a speed record.

Officials said at the time he wiped out and was rushed to the hospital in serious condition ... but stabilized to the point where his family was hopeful he could pull through.

Sadly, Hudson's family and friends said in a statement this week the racer succumbed to injuries ... announcing he passed away Sunday night surrounded by his son and best friends.

"We sincerely thank everyone for their kind words, prayers and support during this very difficult time," the statement read. "Ralph would want everyone to stay strong and keep going fast."

Hudson was known as one of the best in the motorcycle racing community ... he reportedly held multiple speed records and even once topped 300 MPH on his bike.

In fact, the vice president of the Southern California Timing Association, Pat McDowell, called Hudson "one of the legends of our sport" to the Deseret News.