RIP

Vanessa Bryant is suing the L.A. County Sheriff and his department, claiming they caused her severe emotional distress ... when deputies allegedly took personal cellphone photos of the bodies of Kobe and Gigi Bryant at the scene of the helicopter crash that took their lives.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, "no fewer than 8 sheriff's deputies at the crash site, pulled out their personal cell phones and snapped photos of the dead children, parents and coaches. The deputies took these photos for their own personal gratification."

The lawsuit goes onto allege the photos were the subject of conversation within the sheriff's dept ... with deputies showing their colleagues the pictures that had no investigative purpose.

The lawsuit notes how the photos were exposed ... when a deputy was at a bar and showed the photos to a woman he was trying to impress. The bartender heard the conversation, blew the whistle and called the sheriff's department.

Vanessa says in the suit ... that's when Sheriff Villanueva tried to cover it all up by going to the Sheriff's substation that responded to the crash and telling deputies if they deleted the photos they would not face discipline. The suit claims the purpose of his talk was destruction of evidence.  The lawsuit claims Villanueva did not tell the families about the photos and they only learned of it in the media when the story broke that deputies took the photos.

The lawsuit claims the Sheriff never gave the family straight answers and now Vanessa is in constant fear the photos will leak ... "Ms. Bryant feels ill at the thought of strangers gawking at images of her deceased husband and child, and she lives in fear that she or her children will one day confront horrific images of their loved ones online."

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages, including punitive damages.

We reached out to the Sheriff's Dept. ... so far, no word back.

Jackie Stallone, the famed celeb astrologer and Sly's mother, has died ... TMZ has learned.

Jackie recently passed away ... according to sources with direct knowledge. The exact circumstances surrounding her death are still unclear.

Mrs. Stallone was a renaissance woman, to say the least -- well-regarded as an astrologer, dancer and even women's wrestling promoter. Not to mention being the mother of 3 famous children ... Sylvester, singer Frank Stallone and late actress Toni D'Alto, whom she had with Anthony Filiti.

Jackie actually helped kick-start the original "GLOW" wrestling program back in the '80s ... serving as a manager and promoter for the league, which of course would later be portrayed in the hit Netflix show of the same name. Mama Stallone was one of several ring handles she had.

She was also a famous astrologer, making a number of TV appearances throughout the '90s, and, yes ... she had her own psychic hotline. Jackie is also credited with coining the phrase and practice of rumpology ... which is like reading someone's palm, but reading other parts of their body, like moles and whatnot.

Jackie was a reality TV star in her own right -- she appeared on at least a couple seasons of 'Celebrity Big Brother' in the UK, and her persona had been parodied throughout the years, including on "Saturday Night Live."

Ever the character, she was very much active in her later years ... posting a bunch of workout videos of herself doing cardio, plyometrics and even some dancing in studios.

Jackie is survived by her two sons, as well as several grandchildren.

Las Vegas Raiders star Josh Jacobs is paying homage to both his old and new homes on his feet for Monday Night Football ... by repping Oakland and Sin City on his cleats!!

The 22-year-old running back showed off the incredible work on Instagram earlier Monday ... which features several images in honor of LV and The Town.

Most notable is the phrase, "Thank You, Oakland" on the inside of his right cleat ... with a silhouette of Oakland Coliseum.

JJ also shows love for the late Al Davis with his image and signature phrase, "Just Win, Baby" ... as well as the torch that sits inside Allegiant Stadium in honor of the legendary owner.

The design -- put together by artist Luke Dangler -- also has the iconic Vegas "Welcome" sign ... and other notable buildings from the LV skyline.

Of course, with the Raiders being in Vegas, JJ had to add some playing cards -- 2 Jacks, a 2 and an 8 -- to symbolize his initials and jersey number.

We'll see if any of the Vegas tributes give Jacob some extra luck on MNF.

Oklahoma State University bull rider Rowdy Swanson has died from injuries he suffered during a rodeo last week ... the school announced. He was 20 years old.

Swanson was competing at the Palo Pinto County Livestock Association's PRCA Rodeo in Mineral Wells, Texas on Thursday ... when he was bucked off a bull.

OSU rodeo team coach Cody Hollingsworth spoke on the tragedy ... saying, "With a heavy and aching heart, I am saddened to announce that the OSU Rodeo Team has lost one of our own, Rowdy Swanson."

"He was a big part of our rodeo family and he will be missed immensely. Our thoughts are with the Swanson family at this time."

PPCLA Rodeo Chairman Scott Fenner added, "We are deeply saddened by the passing of Rowdy Swanson following injuries sustained at the Palo Pinto County Livestock Association’s PRCA Pro Rodeo."

President Trump's suggesting Ruth Bader Ginsburg's dying wish to not be replaced until after the election isn't real, but rather a political ploy whipped up by Democrats.

Trump made a routine pit stop on "Fox & Friends" Monday morning, and was asked about RBG telling her granddaughter -- reportedly while on her death bed -- that her wish is for the next elected President to choose her successor on the Supreme Court.

Trump says he doubts if Ginsburg -- who died Friday due to complications of metastatic pancreatic cancer -- actually said those words, and instead speculates the "dying wish" was written by either Rep. Adam Schiff, Sen. Chuck Schumer or Rep. Nancy Pelosi.

Ultimately, "maybe she did, and maybe she didn't," is the best Trump can offer as proof that RBG's dying wish is illegitimate ... and moved on to telling the Fox News crew he plans to move quickly in replacing her.

As we reported ... Judge Amy Coney Barrett has emerged as a frontrunner to fill RBG's vacant seat, which would give conservatives a 6-3 majority on the High Court.

Pamela Hutchinson -- one of the singers of the iconic family music group, The Emotions -- has died.

The official Facebook page for the R&B group -- comprised of three Hutchinson sisters -- made the announcement Sunday, saying Pam passed away Friday ... going on to explain she succumbed to health issues she'd been battling for years.

They add, "Now our beautiful sister will sing amongst the angels in heaven in perfect peace. During this time, the family kindly asks for fans and friends to respect our privacy. We appreciate all kind words, photos, and videos you may want to post for our beloved Pamela and of course your loving prayers."

Of Pam, the group also says ... "A life so beautifully lived deserves to be beautifully remembered. We love you, Pamela!"

Pam was the youngest of the famous trio -- her older sister, Wanda and Sheila are a good 5 to 7 years older than her ... which might have to do with the fact that Pam actually replaced the other original sister, Jeanette. Despite their age differences, The Emotions left their mark in music history ... of course, with a major contribution of Pamela as one their key singers.

The group got its start in the '60s, but skyrocketed to mainstream fame in the 1970s with a string of hits that landed on the Billboard charts. They're perhaps best known for their single "Best of My Love," but they also have a legendary collab with Earth, Wind and Fire.

The girls served as the backup singers for "Boogie Wonderland" -- a gig that landed them a Grammy nomination in 1979 ... this after they'd already won one a couple years prior. Over the span of their multi-decade career, they cranked out 9 albums ... 2 of which achieved were certified gold, and one platinum. The Emotions pumped out countless singles too.

The United States Supreme Court is temporarily the backdrop for a stunning memorial to the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Flowers, American flags and messages of condolence filled the area around the Courthouse steps as a steady stream of people came to pay their respects. Some folks wept as other sat silently or prayed.

Senator Elizabeth Warren spoke Saturday night on High Court steps, leading the crowd in a chant honoring RBG ... "I will fight!"

That fight is quickly becoming the centerpiece of the 2020 election. Trump says he will nominate someone -- he says probably a woman -- sometime this coming week. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has already vowed to ramrod it through the Senate, much to the outrage of Democrats and some Republicans. As you know, McConnell and co. blocked President Obama's nomination 11 months before his term ended, saying it was appropriate to wait for the next President. One thing's clear ... politics reigns over consistency.

If Trump gets his nominee confirmed, the Court would tilt right by a 6-3 margin, affecting everything from abortion to immigration, from health care to all issues of equality.

Donald Trump has thrown down the gauntlet -- less than a day after the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg -- making it clear he will try and ramrod her replacement through the Senate ... which will almost certainly make abortion rights the centerpiece of the Presidential race.

Trump made his position clear Saturday on Twitter, saying, "We were put in this position of power and importance to make decisions for the people who so proudly elected us," adding the most important decision a President can make is nominating Supreme Court justices. He said, "We have this obligation, without delay!"

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made it clear Friday night, he'll facilitate what Trump wants by making sure his nominee gets a vote by the full Senate ... a Senate currently controlled by Republicans.

This is objectively the most important vacancy in many, many decades. Trump vowed earlier this month to appoint an anti-abortion justice to the High Court. If he gets his way, it would be 6-3 against abortion rights. Even if conservatives lose a vote, they'd still have a majority, and many legal experts think that could spell the end of Roe vs. Wade.

Remember ... it was Mitch McConnell who denied an Obama nominee a Senate confirmation vote, because he said it was more appropriate for the next President to choose. Obama's nomination came 11 months before he left office. Trump's expected nominee would be sent to the Senate 4 months before he leaves office ... were he to lose. McConnell hasn't explained the obvious inconsistency, but it all boils down to politics.

Democrats are furious and are planning a full-court press to block any such nomination. As you know by now, RBG dictated a note days before she passed, saying her dying wish was that her replacement be selected by the person who wins the election. She made it clear in 2016, she was not a fan of Donald Trump.

Democrats are now talking about expanding the Court if Trump gets his nominee confirmed. They can do that, and the talk is expanding the court to as many as 15 justices.

As for the politics of it all ... coronavirus may not be the biggest issue on the ballot anymore. That's a boost from Trump, whom the majority of Americans think royally screwed up and actually did damage in his pandemic response.

And, the RBG vacancy will almost certainly become the overriding issue in many of the Senate races. The Democrats believe they have a shot at taking over the Senate, but everything must now be recalculated if abortion becomes the litmus test for voters. McConnell and Lindsey Graham are in tight races, and now it could all boil down to a referendum on abortion.

The open question ... if the nomination is not confirmed by election day, who's more motivated to vote -- the pro-choice voters, or the anti-abortion voters? That could be the deciding factor in who occupies 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. on January 20, and which party controls the Senate.

Ozzy Osbourne and Uriah Heep drummer Lee Kerslake has died after a long battle with cancer.

One of Lee's bandmates from Uriah Heep broke the news Saturday, saying, "It's with the heaviest of hearts that I share with you that Lee Kerslake, my friend of 55 years and the best drummer I ever played with, lost his battle with cancer at 03:30 this morning."

Lee played with Ozzy's band in 1980 and '81. He played on Ozzy's first 2 solo albums -- "Blizzard of Ozz" and "Diary of a Madman." He also appeared in the 1987 Tribute Live album.

Kerslake's struggle with illness was long and hard. He dropped out of Uriah Heep in 2018 ... 4 years after getting a prostate cancer diagnosis back. His last performance was in London, when he appeared to join the group for "Lady In Black."

After Kerslake revealed 2 years ago his prostate cancer was terminal and had spread to various organs, Ozzy sent him platinum records for "Blizzard of Ozz" and "Diary of a Madman." Kerslake had said he wanted them, and Ozzy fulfilled his wish.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the backbone and soul of the liberal wing of the Supreme Court and an iconic American figure has died.

Ruth died Friday from complications from cancer ... according to multiple reports.

RBG was known for her fiery dissents and intense work ethic. Ruth didn't miss a single day of work until this January, a striking fact considering she's battled 3 kinds of cancer since being appointed to SCOTUS by President Clinton in 1993.

Ruth was the first female Jewish Justice, and the second of four women to ever sit on our nation's highest court. She filled the seat vacated by retiring Justice Byron White.

A pop culture icon, RBG is the subject of the biopic, "On The Basis of Sex," which stars Felicity Jones as a young Ginsburg and Armie Hammer as her husband. Ruth has a cameo in the film.

Before she became the Notorious RBG ... Ruth was a high school twirler who also played for her school orchestra at James Madison HS in southeast Brooklyn, graduating in 1950.

Ruth earned her bachelor's degree from Cornell University. She got married and became a mother before starting law school at Harvard. RBG transferred to Columbia Law School, where she graduated at the top of her class.

RBG turned to academia after law school. She was a professor at Rutgers and Columbia, teaching civil procedure as one of the few women in her field.

She became one of the leaders of the women's equality movement ... arguing many landmark cases before the Supreme Court and winning almost all of them. When she began practicing, SCOTUS never rejected a sex-based law, but that all changed when Ginsburg mounted challenge after challenge.

She famously represented a female soldier who was denied housing, medical and dental benefits because the law required if a woman was applying for benefits her husband had to be substantially financially dependent on her. The Court saw it Ruth's way, ruling the law unconstitutional by an 8 - 1 margin.

In one gripping moment during oral argument, she quoted famed abolitionist Sarah Grimke telling the justices, "I ask no favor for my sex: All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks."

President Jimmy Carter appointed Ruth to the U.S. Court of Appeals in 1980, where she served until her appointment to SCOTUS.

She was adored by all ... from her fellow Justices, to her law clerks to her staff. One of her closes friends was her intellectual rival -- Justice Antonin Scalia.

Ruth did not get one wish. She dictated a statement to her granddaughter a few days back ... "My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed."

Trump could nominate someone to fill Ginsburg's seat before the election. It's unclear if he could push it through, although he does have a slim majority in the Senate, which must confirm the nomination.

Ruth is survived by her daughter, Jane, and her son, James. Her husband of 56 years, Martin, died in 2010.

Ruth was 87.

Awesome Chadwick Boseman tribute from NFL star Jarvis Landry ... the Cleveland Browns receiver rocked a pair of custom "Black Panther" cleats with the late actor's face on them.

Landry donned the pieces for the Browns' game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday ... and they were clearly good luck, 'cause Landry's squad earned a much-needed win.

The cleats were pretty amazing ... they were all-black Nikes with no laces that featured spikes and an image of Boseman in his Black Panther costume.

"Chadwick Boseman 1976-2020" was also inscribed on the left shoe near Boseman's face.

Landry commented on the footwear just before he took the field in them Thursday night ... writing, "Rest easy" and adding an emoji of the "Wakanda Forever" arm sign.

Jarvis is just the latest sports star to pay tribute to the actor -- who died last month at 43 years old after a battle with colon cancer.

Patriots QB Cam Newton threw up the "Wakanda Forever" sign after a TD last week ... and in the MLB, several players -- including Braves star Marcell Ozuna -- did the same after home runs.

Sad news ... Bill Belichick's mother, Jeannette, died Tuesday of natural causes -- multiple media outlets confirmed. She was 98 years old.

The Patriots legend was close with his mom ... and in an NFL Films documentary back in 2017, she famously said she knew Bill would get into coaching when he was just 2 years old.

Jeannette met Bill's father, Steve Belichick, in the 1940s when the two worked together at Hiram College in Ohio. They married in 1950 ... and had Bill in 1952.

The New England coach, who was raised by Jeannette and Steve in Annapolis, MD, has often credited his parents for his success -- which includes 6 Super Bowl titles with the Pats.

Bill has helped carry on his parents' legacy over the years ... he made a donation to Hiram College in 2015, 10 years after his father's passing -- which led to the school renaming parts of the campus after Jeannette and Steve.

Two of the couple's grandkids, Bill's sons Steve and Brian, now work with Bill on his New England staff.

RIP

Christopher Scott Ellis -- a fan favorite on Discovery's "Street Outlaws" known by his nickname "Kentucky" -- has died in Oklahoma City ... TMZ has learned.

The OKC Medical Examiner tells us Chris died on September 9 and the initial autopsy was inconclusive. We're told a toxicology report is pending. According to his obituary, he passed away at his home.

Chris, who hails from -- you guessed it -- Kentucky, was a cast member on the inaugural season of "Street Outlaws" in 2013 but continued to make appearances as a mechanic over the years. He last appeared on a 2018 episode.

"Kentucky" was featured as part of the team at the Midwest Street Cars Automotive in Oklahoma City and coworkers remember him for his hard work and sense of humor.

His family says, "Chris was a dearly-loved brother, son, and friend who will be deeply missed by all who knew him."

Chris is survived by his mother, 3 brothers and 3 sisters.

He was 39.

The Notorious B.I.G.'s famed King of NY crown just got passed on to another for an absurd price -- over half a million bucks, which is juuust a bit north of the OG street value.

It's true, the headpiece Biggie wore in his iconic final photoshoot from 1997 -- that's been duplicated in prints thousands of times over -- just got sold off in a Sotheby's auction ... ultimately going to a bidder who was willing to spend a whopping $594,750 for the thing.

Pretty badass, right?!? Well, maybe ... keep in mind, the crown is actually made of plastic -- and ended up costing the photog who first used it with Biggie a mere $6 off the street.

Do the math ... and that's just about a 10,000,000% markup in value. And, all because the crown was worn by B.I.G. -- plus, the fact it's gone on to become a fixture in pop culture.

And, get this -- the photog, Barron Claiborne, says the crown concept almost didn't happen ... and it's apparently because Diddy wasn't feeling it at the time, allegedly saying it was gonna make Biggie look like "Burger King." Big Poppa didn't care though ... he wore it anyway.

As they say, heavy is the head that wears the crown. And, even heavier is the price tag.

Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren is not letting retiring Police Chief La'Ron Singletary stick around for the rest of the month ... she just gave him the boot as the fallout from Daniel Prude's death in custody continues.

Warren announced Monday she fired Singletary, getting ahead of his plan to retire at the end of September, and suspended her communications director and top lawyer.

As we reported ... Chief Singletary announced his retirement last week in the wake of his department's deadly arrest of Prude, but planned to stick around a few more weeks.

Singletary won't get the chance to retire ... instead, Warren announced she axed him and suspended communication director Justin Roy and corporation counsel Tim Curtin for 30 days without pay after reviewing the city's role in Prude's death.

Warren says her initial review shows a "pervasive problem" in the Rochester Police Department, which she described as "one that views everything through the eyes of the badge and not the citizens we serve."

The Mayor says her review shows Prude's death "was not taken as seriously as it should have been by those who reviewed the case throughout city government at every level."

As you know ... graphic video of Prude's March 23 arrest shows the 41-year-old with a hood placed over his head by police. Cops are then seen pressing his face into the ground for 2 minutes until he stops breathing ... leading to his death a week later.

Two men suspected of murdering Floyd Mayweather boxing prodigy Danny Gonzalez have been arrested, TMZ Sports has confirmed ... and cops say they're still on the hunt for a 3rd suspect.

Both 27-year-old Andre Richee and 32-year-old Lee Mooring were arrested Thursday for 1st-degree murder stemming from the Sept. 7 incident.

The Riverside County Sheriff's Office also says it's issued an arrest warrant for 28-year-old Joseph Goldsmith over his alleged involvement in the shooting as well.

As we previously reported ... 22-year-old Gonzalez -- who signed with Mayweather's The Money Team in 2016 -- was shot on Labor Day in Moreno Valley, Calif., just before 9 PM.

Cops say when they responded to the scene ... Gonzalez succumbed to his bullet wound injuries. They say two other men were also injured by gunfire in the incident.

What's still unclear ... why Gonzalez was killed? Officials have not revealed a possible motive.

Investigators say they not only spoke with multiple witnesses but also have evidence and surveillance footage pointing to Richee and Mooring as the killers.

If convicted of 1st-degree murder, both could face the death penalty.

The RCSO is now asking for help in finding Goldsmith.

Floyd was convinced Gonzalez was going to be a star after he signed with TMT Promotions when he was only 18 years old ... with Mayweather saying, "There are certain times when you know you've just struck gold and this is one of them."

Danny took 3 pro fights after signing with Floyd ... but eventually left the sport in 2017.