RIP

Sean Connery, the first and widely-regarded best James Bond ever ... has died.

Sean's wife says he died peacefully in his sleep surrounded by his family. No cause of death was disclosed.

Connery became an enormous star in 1962 with the release of "Dr. No," but not without difficulty. James Bond creator Ian Fleming felt he was unrefined and wanted someone suave like Cary Grant. Fleming relented and ultimately said it was a great choice.

Sean starred in 7 Bond films between '62 and '83. Among the films -- "From Russia with Love," "Goldfinger," "Thunderball," "You Only Live Twice," "Diamonds are Forever," and "Never Say Never Again."

Connery had a hard time shaking the Bond character, but was ultimately successful .... branching out and ultimately winning an Oscar playing an Irish cop in "The Untouchables." He also won 2 Bafta awards and 3 Golden Globes. He was knighted by the Queen in 2000.

When Sean was shooting "Never Say Never Again," he took martial arts classes and got into it with the instructor who then broke his wrist. Sean didn't get it treated for years ... not knowing it was really broken. The instructor -- Steven Seagal.

Among Sean's other films ... "The Hunt for Red October," "Indiana Jones" "The Last Crusade" and "The Rock."

Most fans give Sean the title of best 007 ever ... at least in the polls. And, speaking of polls, he also holds a Sexiest Man Alive crown. He also once finished third in the Mr. Universe contest back in 1953.

Fun fact ... Sean wore a toupee in "Goldfinger" because his hair had started to thin.

Sean's survived by his second wife, Micheline Roquebrune, and his son, Jason Connery. There will be a private funeral, followed by a memorial once COVID ends.

Jonathan Mattingly -- one of the officers involved in the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor -- is suing her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, for shooting him in the leg during the raid.

The Louisville officer claims Walker's actions were "outrageous, intolerable, and offends all accepted standards of decency and morality." Mattingly says since March 13 -- the night he and 2 other officers busted into Taylor's apartment and killed her -- he has experienced "severe trauma, mental anguish, and emotional distress" due to what Walker did to him.

As we've reported ... Walker claims he fired a shot because the cops didn't ID themselves and he thought they were home intruders. Mattingly says they did announce themselves several times as cops. He says when they broke in, he was shot with a 9mm.

The cops were at Taylor's home as part of a failed narcotics raid. No drugs were found, and Breonna had no criminal history.

Walker was initially arrested for attempted murder, but those charges were later dropped. Walker sued the Louisville Metro PD for misconduct, and also sought immunity based on Kentucky's "Stand Your Ground" law.

Mattingly's now countersuing, which Walker's lawyer calls a "baseless attempt to further victimize and harass Kenny" and insists he was acting in self-defense.

Patriots star James White says his mom is "doing better" weeks after she was involved in a horrific car crash ... but the running back explained it's still "a tough situation."

White's dad was killed and his mom was seriously injured in a horrible wreck in Florida back on Sept. 20 ... and there was some very real concern White's mother wouldn't recover.

But, James told reporters Wednesday she's doing well ... though wrapping her head around her injuries and the loss of her husband has been far from easy.

"She’s progressing physically," White said. "Obviously, a lot going on in her mind and things of that nature, but she’s continued to progress. I’m just trying to be there for her.”

White says even though he can't physically be close to her because of the Patriots' season ... he says he keeps in touch with her often and makes sure he's FaceTiming her as much as possible.

As we previously reported, White missed New England's Week 2 and Week 3 games this season grieving over the car crash ... but he's since returned to be a key player for the Pats.

Leanza Cornett, who was crowned Miss America in 1993, has died after suffering a traumatic brain injury earlier this month.

Cornett died Wednesday, according to a family spokesperson. Though no cause of death was given, Cornett was severely injured during a fall at home on October 12 ... which required her undergoing a decompressive craniectomy to treat swelling and bleeding on her brain.

The Miss America Organization confirmed her passing, saying it's devastated for this sudden loss and deeply sorry for her loved ones. It adds ... "Leanza had a bright and beautiful spirit and her laugh was infectious."

Leanza was a familiar face on TV in the mid and late '90s -- she hosted several shows, including "Entertainment Tonight" in 1994.

The Jacksonville native was first crowned Miss Florida in 1992 before winning her Miss America crown the next year. She also sang in a Christian music group called Area Code and performed as Ariel from "The Little Mermaid" at Walt Disney World MGM Studios.

Once she was Miss America, Leanza used her platform in the '90s to be a leading activist for AIDS awareness ... and was often seen wearing a reds AIDS ribbon to support the cause.

She was 49.

No one's laughing about the rising COVID death toll, which is why this is a total WTF moment -- a senior health official announcing grim numbers ... while rocking a clown costume.

Try not to be distracted by the full clown makeup, red tie, polka dot shirt and yellow pants the official was wearing as she somberly rattled off the tally for COVID cases and deaths in Oregon.

The answer to your question -- who's this clown? She's reportedly Claire Poche from the Oregon Health Authority. We know it's Halloween and all, but Claire never addresses her attire in the video.

Officials are reportedly dismissing it as just a costume, but that doesn't square with the fact the video was recorded Oct. 14, making it 2 weeks old now and pretty early for a Halloween. Plus, the sign language interpreter isn't in a costume ... so, Claire really stands out.

A police officer was killed during a raid on an illegal cockfighting event in the Philippines ... when a rooster with a blade on it's leg slashed the cop, causing a fatal wound.

It all went down on Tuesday when cops descended on an illegal cockfight in Northern Samar -- where the "sport" has been outlawed due to the COVID pandemic.

FYI, before COVID times, cockfighting was allowed in the Philippines (at licensed venues) on Sundays and on certain holidays.

Officials say Lieutenant Christian Bolok had picked up a rooster while collecting evidence during Tuesday's raid, when he was sliced by a steel razor blade attached to the bird's leg.

Bolok was hit in the left thigh -- with the blade reportedly slicing through his femoral artery, which ultimately caused him bleed out.

The officer was rushed to a nearby hospital but it was too late -- he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The local police chief, Colonel Arnel Apud, commented to the AFP news agency -- describing the incident as "a piece of bad luck that I cannot explain."

"I could not believe it when it was first reported to me. This is the first time in my 25 years as a policeman that I lost a man due to a fighting cock's spur."

One of the homes that became a bloody murder site at the hands of the Manson Family is looking for a new owner ... Zak Bagans just put it up for sale.

The Los Feliz house is famous for its dark past ... it's where former owners Leno and Rosemary LaBianca were brutally murdered by Manson Family members way back in August 1969, sending shock waves throughout Los Angeles.

Rosemary was stabbed 41 times ... and Leno was stabbed 12 times. The murders came the day after Manson Family members slaughtered Sharon Tate and 4 others.

The house itself is 1,600 square feet and has 2 bedrooms and 2 baths. It's got a pool and has explosive city views.

As we first told you ... Zak bought the home last July, when it was up for sale for $1.98 million, but now he's selling.

Zak tells TMZ ... he originally purchased the property for a film production, but changed course after spending time there. He says he started to feel those tragic events should rest and ultimately canceled the project out of respect for the LaBianca family.

Chrissy Teigen says she's trying her best to move on from the death of her son, Jack ... but, understandably, she needs to pour out her heart first.

Chrissy's opening up about the devastating loss she and her husband, John Legend, suffered last month. She says she's been taking the time to read all of the messages of love and support ... and truly appreciates everyone's kindness.

It's no secret Chrissy was going through a rough pregnancy, but she reveals just how serious and dire things got before she knew her baby boy wasn't going to make it.

In her open letter on Medium, Chrissy says ... "After a couple nights at the hospital, my doctor told me exactly what I knew was coming -- it was time to say goodbye. He just wouldn’t survive this, and if it went on any longer, I might not either."

She says they tried everything, but she was finally told she would have to let go the following morning ... which she says brought on "utter and complete sadness."

Chrissy detailed the heartbreaking process of delivering Jack and saying goodbye, and how she asked John and her mother to take pictures -- no matter how tragic or uncomfortable.

She says, "I needed to know of this moment forever, the same way I needed to remember us kissing at the end of the aisle, the same way I needed to remember our tears of joy after Luna and Miles. And I absolutely knew I needed to share this story."

After Jack was delivered, she says, "I asked the nurses to show me his hands and feet and I kissed them over and over and over again."

Chrissy says she is recovering, and the horrific experience has just made her happier to have "two insanely wonderful little toddlers" she showers with love.

And, though she says the loss of Jack created a hole in her heart ... "it was filled with the love of something I loved so much. It doesn’t feel empty, this space. It feels full."

NASCAR driver Josh Bilicki turned his #7 car into a replica of a police cruiser for Sunday's Cup Series race -- all to honor more than 200 cops killed in the line of duty.

Bilicki will roll out his new paint job at the Martinsville Speedway in Virginia on Nov. 1st ... and it looks pretty incredible.

It's got painted on police lights, a black and white base scene -- and the iconic "Protect & Serve" slogan across the side.

There are also more than 200 stars painted on the hood -- to represent more than 200 officers who have reportedly been killed in the line of duty in 2020.

25-year-old Bilicki -- along with his sponsor Insurance King -- have been working with The Wounded Blue organization, which helps officers who have been wounded or injured on the job ... and wanted to do something special for Martinsville.

"We came up with the idea to make the car look like a cop car because NASCAR began with bootleggers outrunning the police," Insurance King president Dan Block said

"However, when we partnered with The Wounded Blue, we ended up going one step further with this paint scheme and are dedicating this design to each police officer that lost their life in 2020."

The police killing of a 27-year-old black man wielding a knife in West Philadelphia set off severe unrest in the city ... and escalated to extreme violence and chaos.

At least 30 Philly police officers were injured overnight and 33 people were arrested for rioting, vandalism and looting. A 56-year-old female sergeant suffered a broken leg and other injuries when she was struck by a pickup truck.

Philadelphia PD says she's hospitalized in stable condition, and the other 29 officers suffered non-life-threatening injuries from being hit by bricks or rocks thrown at them. Cops say multiple businesses were looted and damaged, and 5 police vehicles -- along with one fire vehicle -- were vandalized.

Protesters first clashed with cops outside a police precinct as tensions rose over the fatal shooting of Walter Wallace. Around 2:45 PM Monday, cops responded to a call of a man with a weapon.

The officers discovered Wallace brandishing a knife and acting erratically, according to Philadelphia Police Chief Eric Gripp. Footage of the incident shows Wallace walking around a parked car as the officers back away with their guns pointed at him.

Wallace appeared to move toward them and they opened fire, taking him down instantly. He was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead.

Gripp says the officers ordered Wallace to drop his weapon multiple times to no avail ... which you can hear on the video. One witness, Maurice Holoway, says several people were yelling for him to drop the knife, but Holoway told reporters he also thinks cops could have shot him in the leg instead of shooting to kill.

Wallace's father, Walter Wallace Sr., says his son was shot at least 10 times. He told reporters his son had mental health issues and was on medication, and questioned why he had to be gunned down instead of police using non-lethal force.

Jamie Foxx says his heart's been shattered into a million pieces after his younger sister, DeOndra Dixon, died.

The actor/singer penned a touching tribute Monday, saying her passing has "left a hole in my heart." They were super close, which was obvious in the series of photos he shared of DeOndra and himself.

In a moving post, Jamie wrote, "Anyone who knew my sis... knew that she was a bright light... I can’t tell you how many times we have had parties at the house where she has got on the dance floor and stolen the show... even gave her boyfriend @chrisbrownofficial a run for his money."

He added, "well I know she is in heaven now dancing with her wings on...tho my pain is unbelievable I smile when I think of all of the great memories that she left me... my family... and her friends."

Back in 2018, Jamie credited DeOndra for always reminding him of what's really important in life -- "You see this girl over here, 'I just want to live. I want to dance. I want to love.' So, she brings you back down to what life is."

He said some of the fondest memories of his sister included DeOndra being named Ambassador for the Global Down Syndrome Foundation in 2011 and her dancing in his "Blame It" music video.

DeOndra was 36.

The late Chadwick Boseman put his John Hancock on a copy of the first "Black Panther" comic -- which has skyrocketed in value, and is primed to fetch a pretty penny at auction.

Nate D. Sanders Auctions is putting the rare autographed book up for grabs on Oct. 29, with the opening bid starting at $8,000 -- but it's expected, we're told, to reach anywhere in the ballpark of $25k when it's all said and done.

The reason ... other than Chadwick's signature, Stan Lee himself signed this variant of 'BP' #1, not to mention 'Black Panther' director Ryan Coogler. So, yeah, there's a trifecta thing happening here -- and with Chadwick's recent passing, and Stan's in 2018 ... the comic is worth even more now.

You might notice the cover is different from the OG cover of the first stand-alone "Black Panther" comic from 1976 -- from which this iteration is derived, but with a modern cover. It's also vastly changed from Black Panther's first appearance ever in Fantastic Four #52 ('66).

The one for sale is the Middle East Comic-Con variant -- which got its own art whipped up and featured Stan next to T'Challa. For those of you in the know ... It's been certified a 9.8 rating with the CGC Signature Series rating system. That means it's REALLY valuable.

Legendary country singer/songwriter Jerry Jeff Walker, famous for writing one of the most iconic country/folk/pop songs ever has died.

Jerry had a storied career, but his crowning achievement came when he got inspired after meeting a New Orleans street performer in a drunk tank. That interaction led to the song, "Mr. Bojangles," which he recorded in 1968. The song didn't hit big until 2 years later, when the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band recorded it and it became a huge hit.

"Mr. Bojangles" became a staple for numerous singers who covered it ... Bob Dylan, Sammy Davis Jr., Neil Diamond, Harry Belafonte, King Curtis, Dolly Parton, Nina Simone and more.

Jerry was born in New York back in 1942 and spent a lot of time as a young adult in Greenwich Village in the folk scene back in the '60s. He migrated in the '70s to Austin, and is considered a founding father of the City's vibrant music scene.

He had famous pals, including Willie Nelson, who hit it big, but Jerry didn't seem to crave the spotlight and was better known for his songwriting and his efforts to make Texas a musical force, which he did. He did, however, record 36 albums, including the awesome, "Up Against the Wall Redneck Mother." He's considered one of the founding fathers of Texas country music.

Jerry helped form a couple of bands years ago, including the Lost Gonzo Band and a record company, Tried & True. He experimented with outlaw rock, blues, and Mexican-influenced music.

Jerry was a hard-living guy and made no secret of his penchant for alcohol and drugs.

Jerry revealed in 2017 he had throat cancer and pneumonia, and it was so bad it looked like he might not make it, but he was able to recover. His former publicist tells TMZ, Jerry's wife told him 2 months ago to prepare an obituary. The publicist says Jerry died from cancer and related ailments.

He released his last album a year later ... "It's About Time."

Jerry married his manager, Susan, in 1974. He's survived by Susan, his daughter Jessie Jane and son, musician Django.

Jerry was 78.

It's starting to make more sense why Khabib Nurmagomedov so badly wants to fight Georges St-Pierre -- it was his father's plan.

Khabib's dad, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, passed away back in July after battling COVID. Khabib and his dad were extremely close. Abdulmanap trained him since he was a little kid back in Dagestan.

Khabib will step back in the Octagon for the first time since his father's death on Saturday to take on Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 ... but he's talked publicly about wanting GSP as his next opponent.

We spoke with Khabib's trainer Javier Mendez who tells us he was with Khabib and his father in Dagestan back in 2019, when Abdulmanap talked about his dream for Khabib to fight St-Pierre.

"I was present when they had that conversation," Mendez says ... "That was the one he talked about as the fight his father would want to see … him fight GSP at 155 pounds."

"His father respected GSP probably more than anybody out of all the people he admired ... and therefore he wanted his son to fight GSP at some point."

In other words, it seems Khabib is calling out GSP in the hopes of honoring his father's wishes.

In the meantime, Javier tells us he's been incorporating Abdulmanap's training techniques for the Gaethje fight -- reminding Khabib to follow "Father's Plan."

Eddie Van Halen's sadly gone, but this one-of-a-kind piece of rock 'n' roll history helps his legend live on ... and it's going up for grabs soon.

The iconic guitarist had the red, white and black Charvel guitar -- similar to his famed Frankenstrat, AKA "Frankenstein," he played for decades -- custom-built for Van Halen's 2007-2008 North American Tour.

The tour's known for reuniting original lead singer, David Lee Roth, with the band -- along with the debut of Eddie's son, Wolfgang, on the bass -- and for being their most profitable tour ever.

We're told this particular guitar was the only one personally crafted by EVH for the tour, making it truly unique, and was played by the rocker during Van Halen's concert at Seattle's KeyArena on December 3, 2007.

After the show, Eddie signed and dated the body of the guitar with a thick silver marker, so a protective clear strip's been added to protect his John Hancock and inscription.

The piece comes with a custom EVH case, a signed certificate of authenticity and a great photo of the legend doing what he did best ... shredding on stage.

According to Heritage Auctions, it's expected to go for more than $20,000, but we're thinking it could go a lot higher given he was one of the greatest guitarists in music history. Bidding opens next week for its Nov. 14-15 Entertainment Auction, so if you want it ... might as well jump.

The officer who was shot on the night cops busted into Breonna Taylor's apartment and fatally shot her says he and his fellow cops were just doing their job ... and he's frustrated the case has been compared to the killings of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery.

Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly was shot in the leg during the raid on March 13, and he's giving his account to Michael Strahan on "Good Morning America" of what went down before Taylor was killed ... claiming he wants to clear up all the disinformation out there.

For starters, Mattingly describes how he banged on the door and insists that he -- along with several other officers -- announced their presence before entering. This is the key to the case, because if the police didn't announce themselves, they would not be entitled to use self-defense once inside. Mattingly insists they repeatedly said "Police, search warrant, open the door." He says they banged 6 times and repeated their announcement.

This, of course, contradicts what Breonna's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, claims ... as well as several neighbors. Mattingly says the neighbors have to be discounted, because they said they didn't even hear banging on the door, and Walker acknowledges he heard it.

Though Mattingly concedes Walker and Taylor may not have heard them, he refutes that Walker only fired a warning shot at the cops after they busted the door open. He says Walker had a gun pointed right at him ... and fired 4 times, hitting him once.

When Strahan presses Mattingly on whether things would have been different if the cops involved had body cams, Mattingly says yes ... because it would have shown they did nothing wrong ... and nobody would even know about Breonna Taylor.

The sergeant does suggest they could have done something different to avoid the tragedy, though -- bust in right away next time, thus preventing the people inside from grabbing a gun.

Finally ... Mattingly insists Breonna's death did not involve race, adding the case is nothing like what happened to George Floyd or Ahmaud Arbery. He clearly feels he and his fellow officers have received unfair treatment from the public at large ... and says he's a victim too.