RIP

Chuck Yeager, the pilot known as "the fastest man alive" for being first to break the sound barrier, has died.

Chuck's wife, Victoria, says he passed Monday night after "an incredible life well lived." She says he will be known as "America’s greatest Pilot, & a legacy of strength, adventure, & patriotism will be remembered forever."

According to John Nicoletti, Yeager's friend and ground crew chief, Chuck had several health challenges in recent years and had a fall that led to further complications. Nicoletti says he died at an L.A. hospital, though he lived in Northern Cal.

Yeager broke the sound barrier in October 1947 when he tested the X-1 jet ... though the public didn't know about it until the following year. His incredible feat came after he became a WWII hero as a fighter pilot stationed in England.

During the course of the war, he flew 64 missions and shot down 13 German planes ... and was shot down once himself over France in 1944, but evaded capture.

Yeager returned to America in 1945 and married his first wife, Glennis, for whom he named several of his planes ... including his famous sound-barrier-breaking X-1, Glamorous Glennis.

Yeager's spectacular achievement went down over Rogers Dry Lake in Southern California. The X-1 reached Mach 1.06 or 700 mph, making him the first man to travel faster than the speed of sound and earning him the title of "Fastest Man Alive."

Yeager would go on to continue breaking records and performing in airshows, and his legacy was captured in Tom Wolfe's book "The Right Stuff," which became the 1983 hit movie.

Chuck was also a valued adviser for the government and aerospace industry and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Ronald Reagan in 1985.

Twelve years later, at age 74, he commemorated the 50th anniversary of his historic X-1 flight by flying in an F-15 Eagle.

Yeager was 97.

Natalie Desselle-Reid -- a prolific actor known for roles in "Eve," a 'Madea' film and 'B*A*P*S' -- has died after a battle with cancer ... one she'd kept private.

The veteran comedic actor passed away Monday morning. A family member tells TMZ she died of colon cancer after having been diagnosed earlier this year. We're told she was in hospice care in her final days, and was surrounded by family when she went.

An official statement reads, "It is with extremely heavy hearts that we share the loss of our beautiful Natalie this morning. She was a bright light in this world. A queen. An extraordinary mother and wife."

Actress Holly Robinson Peete also shared the news, writing ... "Just absolutely decimated by this news... Actress Natalie Desselle, a bright shining star passed away this morning. I got to know her when my mom was managing her.  She will be so missed...sending out prayers to her children and husband." She added, "💔🙏🏽😢 Rest In Peace, Sweet Girl🙏🏽"

Natalie was perhaps best known for her sidekick role opposite Halle Berry in the 1997 comedy film "B*A*P*S" in which she played the hilarious role of Mickey. She also starred on the sitcom "Eve" for three years, playing Janie Egins -- as well as having starred in Tyler Perry's "Madea's Big Happy Family" as Tammy.

Her acting credits go well beyond that though -- NDR also played a prominent character on the TV shows "For Your Love," and "Built to Last."

Her other big-screen credits include "How to Be a Player," "Set It Off," "Divas," "Gas" and quite notably ... the made-for-TV movie "Cinderella," featuring Brandy ... in which Natalie played the evil step-sister, Minerva.

Natalie leaves behind her husband, Leonard, and 3 children. She was 53.

The mother of Daisy Coleman -- who was one of the teenage girls featured in "Audrie & Daisy," the Netflix documentary about her rape as a teenager -- has taken her own life just months after Daisy's suicide.

Melinda Coleman was found dead Sunday night ... according to SafeBAE, the sexual assault prevention and recovery organization co-founded by Daisy following her rape case.

The group says it's in "shock and disbelief" over her suicide, adding ... "The bottomless grief of losing her husband, Tristan and Daisy was more than she could face most days."

SafeBAE called Melinda a "gifted veterinarian, devoted mother and wife, and talented body builder," adding ... "More than anything, she loved and believed in her children."

We broke the story ... Daisy took her own life in August, which was discovered after her mom called the police to do a welfare check. Melinda wrote at the time, "She was my best friend and amazing daughter. I think she had to make it seem like I could live without her. I can’t. I wish I could have taken the pain from her!"

Daisy was 14 years old in January 2012 when she was allegedly raped at a Missouri house party after being plied with alcohol. Nobody was ever convicted for it, and the 2016 Netflix doc followed Daisy and her family as they dealt with the trauma of her alleged assault, and the hostile reaction of their community.

"Audrie & Daisy" also focused on the sexual assault of Audrie Pott in September 2012 in California and her subsequent suicide.

Melinda is survived by her 2 sons, Logan and Charlie.

She was 58.

Naya Rivera's ex-husband, Ryan Dorsey, is sending holiday greetings to anyone and everyone this year -- except to 2020 itself ... which claimed Naya's life.

Ryan posted a photo this weekend showing him and the son he shares with Naya, Josey, decorating a Christmas tree. Young Josey is reaching up to place the star on top while his dad hoists him up high with a Santa hat.

His caption ... "#HappyHolidays to all. You, you, and even you, all of ya. Hope you get nothing but happiness✨💫🎅Except you. I'm talking to you, 2020. #f***2020."

It's both cheeky -- because of how hard this year's been on everyone -- but also deeply personal. Ryan and the rest of the Rivera family have been devastated by the death of Naya this summer.

You'll recall ... she took Josey out to Lake Piru in Ventura County, where the two of them boarded a boat and went out on the water. After several hours, a search crew was sent out after the boat never returned -- and they only found Josey, with no sign of Naya.

It was later discovered she drowned -- this after several days of rescue teams and professional divers scouring the lake.

Naya's own family -- including Ryan -- made multiple trips out during the rescue effort ... and it's clearly still weighing on her ex. An especially tough 2020 for Ryan, no doubt.

Amazing gesture from Dak Prescott ... the Dallas Cowboys QB gifted his older bro with an incredible diamond moose pendant to remember their late brother -- and TMZ Sports has learned it was all super emotional.

We're told in mid-November, Dak hit up Paul Mazza at Mazza New York to try to get a birthday gift made for Tad Prescott -- Dak's older bro -- in time for his Nov. 25 celebration.

Mazza tells us he and Dak got to talking about possible jewelry pieces for the occasion ... when the 27-year-old NFL star had the idea to commission a diamond moose pendant.

Dak and Tad's other brother, Jace Prescott, was nicknamed "Moose" before he tragically died by suicide last April -- so the QB felt it would be special for Tad.

Knowing the importance of such a gift for the Prescotts ... Mazza says he got to work on crafting a masterpiece ASAP -- and was able to deliver an unbelievable pendant in less than 2 weeks.

Mazza tells us the bling features 65 grams of 14k white gold and 9.5 carats of VVS E through D diamonds that were all hand-set on the antlers in a flower setting.

Mazza says the whole thing was also hand-painted in a jewelry enamel ... and features the words "In Memory of Jace 'Moose' Prescott" on the back.

And, when the Prescotts received the gift ... Mazza tells us Tad was so moved by the creation -- he broke down in tears.

"Dak sent me a personal video thanking me," Mazza said. "He said, 'You made somebody's birthday.'"

David Lander, the actor who played Squiggy on "Laverne & Shirley" has died, TMZ has learned.

David's wife, Kathy, tells us he died Friday at around 6:30 PM at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A. ... as a result of complications from multiple sclerosis, which he battled for 37 years. Kathy, their daughter Natalie and her husband were at David's bedside when he passed.

David had his sights set on acting at age 10. He studied at the High School for the Performing Arts, Carnegie Tech and NYU.

He had a great career, but the pinnacle was absolutely "Squiggy," which he played during the show's run from 1976 to 1983. The yang to his yin was Lenny, played by Michael McKean.

The 2 guys actually met at Carnegie University in Pittsburgh ... that's where they developed the 2 characters.

They both appeared in Steven Spielberg's "1941," and in Robert Zemeckis's, "Used Cars."

They also voiced an animated TV series, "Oswald," which ran for 2 years beginning in 2001. Their voices brought the penguin cousins Henry and Louie to life.

Operation Warp Speed is a misnomer, according to a Johns Hopkins doctor ... the frustrated doc says it's more like Operation Turtle Speed.

Professor Marty Makary is angry the FDA hasn't gone the route of Great Britain by approving the COVID vaccine and injecting its citizens.

Dr. Makary says he can't believe the FDA is still reviewing the efficacy and safety of the 2 promising vaccines -- courtesy of Pfizer and Moderna.

He says, "FDA regulators are wasting precious time in greenlighting a COVID vaccine as more than 2,000 Americans are dying each day and the pandemic continues to starve American society."

Dr. Anthony Fauci said Friday, most Americans who are not in high-risk groups will probably have the vaccine available to them by April. Fauci had said he believed England cut corners in approving the vaccine and that the FDA was the gold standard and would be more thorough. He apologized for his comment the next day, presumably because it undermined confidence in the vaccines.

Fauci's feelings don't sit well with Dr. Makary, who shot back ... the FDA could have approved the vaccine within 24 to 48 hours without cutting any corners. He does not explain why he thinks the FDA process could be accelerated without rolling the dice on safety.

The sad reality is this ... there are now models suggesting more than half a million Americans will be dead from COVID by late April. The country is now in the grip of the virus ... more than 100,000 people are in the hospital and on Friday more than 2,600 died.

Whitney Collings -- one of the early members of TV's "Bad Girls Club" -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Whitney's mom revealed the sad news on Facebook, writing ... "I am completely broken and will never get over this. Life is so unfair. She was kind with a big heart."

We don't yet know what caused Whitney's death, but we're told she passed Thursday morning in a hospital near Boston ... her hometown. The medical examiner currently has Whtiney's case and will determine the cause and manner of her death.

Being from Boston was a big part of her persona on 'BGC' back in 2008-09 when she appeared on Season 3 of the show ... as you can see.

She was only 21 when she was on the reality series, and was known as a straight-shooter with a temper ... but also for her sense of humor.

However, her time as a "bad girl" was cut short after she was kicked out of the house due to a physical altercation.

We're told Whitney was 33.

The Queen is down to just one dog after the passing of her dorgi named Vulcan.

Queen Elizabeth's dog died at Windsor Castle -- according to Buckingham Palace -- where she and Prince Philip have been staying amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The 94-year-old British monarch is known for her love of dogs, and Vulcan was one of the 4 that appeared with her in a set of portraits shot for her 90th birthday by famed photog Annie Leibovitz.

Vulcan's death leaves her with just Candy, another dorgi, after a lifetime of owning multiple corgis and dorgis since she was gifted a corgi named Susan for her 18th birthday.

Though her last purebred corgi that was a descendant of Susan died in 2018, the Queen reportedly engineered the dorgi mix -- corgi and dachshund -- years ago by breeding her corgis with her late sister Princess Margaret's dachshunds.

Bottom line -- the lady loves her pups and has been photographed enjoying their company for decades. However, in 2015 she stated she didn't want to get any more dogs for fear of leaving a young pooch behind ... so Candy might be her last pet.

Sadly, news of Vulcan's death comes just weeks after Prince William and Kate lost their family dog too ... a cocker spaniel named Lupo.

Tragic news from Washington Nationals catcher Tres Barrera and his wife, Lindsey ... the couple just announced their baby boy passed away during delivery last week.

"2020 has been a tough year for many, but it has definitely beaten us more than anything before," Tres said on Instagram on Friday.

"On Sunday November 29,2020 my wife delivered our son at 7:12 am. Unfortunately our God decided he needed him in heaven before he was able to take his first breath."

He continued ... "The emotion, the pain, are all things that one can not describe. As we mourn the loss of our baby boy, our faith remains strong and we will continue to take strides one day at a time in His name."

Tres and Lindsey -- who tied the knot back in January 2018 -- shared the news of the pregnancy back in September ... saying they couldn't wait to meet the "little man."

Tres praised Lindsey's strength through the challenging time ... saying, "I am most proud to call my myself the husband of my wife Lindsey. She is the strongest person I know and she will forever be my hero."

"Forever our angel ... Kaius Lee Barrera"

Goodbye, Stadio San Paolo ... hello, Diego Maradona Stadium!!

The City of Naples has announced it will officially change the name its soccer stadium to honor legend Diego Maradona, who spent 7 years playing there.

Maradona -- who passed away at age 60 on Nov. 25 -- led the Napoli team to 2 Serie A titles during his run with The Blues from 1984 to 1991.

(Watch some of the highlights below, just NASTY stuff).

Despite the fact he's from Argentina, Maradona clearly made an impression on the locals -- who fell in love with the guy.

In fact, just HOURS after Diego's death ... Naples mayor Luigi de Magistris proposed the resolution to rename the stadium after Maradona.

The resolution went to the Naples City Council, which ultimately voted to approve the name change ... which should now officially happen soon.

The death of ex-Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh was tragic enough, but now his family is shocked because they believe he might not have written a will for his reported $840 million net worth.

Tony's father, Richard, and brother, Andrew, are asking a Clark County, Nevada judge to appoint them special administrators of Tony's estate. No shocker there, but in the docs, obtained by TMZ, they claim he didn't have a will in place when he died the day after Thanksgiving.

Tony's fam says they're "unaware of the existence of a fully executed estate plan" and "have a good faith belief" that Tony, who was unmarried and had no kids, died without leaving a will. The family's asking for access to Tony's accounts and safe deposit box to see if there are any estate planning docs in them.

The family also says a special administrator is needed to tend to Tony's "business obligations and commitments that require funding from assets that are presently frozen."

Forbes estimated Tony had a net worth of $840 million before he retired as Zappos' CEO earlier this summer. Tony, who made his initial fortune after selling his internet advertising company to Microsoft in 1998, died last week after sustaining injuries suffered during a house fire in Connecticut.

Hugh Keays-Byrne -- the actor who impressively played the bad guy in both the original "Mad Max" and "Mad Max: Fury Road" 36 years later -- has died.

Filmmaker Ted Geoghegan announced the Australian actor's passing and hailed him as "an unsung hero of Aussie cinema" -- adding he's "continually floored" Hugh played the main villain in both 'Mad Max' movies.

It's true -- Hugh became famous for starring opposite Mel Gibson in the 1979 film as the central antagonist, Toecutter ... then returned to face off against Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy as Immortan Joe in 2015.

As you'd imagine ... he's the only actor to appear in both flicks, and he and director George Miller had a very good working relationship over the decades. Miller also cast Hugh in the scrapped DC movie, "Justice League: Mortal."

That's not all he's known for though -- Keays-Byrne also starred in several British and Australian projects, including "Stone," "The Chain Reaction" and "Resistance."

He had more than 50 acting credits to his name spanning nearly 5 decades.

So far, Hugh's cause of death is unknown. He was 73.

Rafer Johnson -- a decorated Olympian and American hero -- has died, TMZ Sports has confirmed. He was 86.

Johnson passed away Wednesday morning at his home in Sherman Oaks, CA surrounded by his family.

Johnson lived such an amazing life as an athlete, actor, philanthropist and hero -- it's hard to pick where to start when telling his story ...

How about this ... he was one of the brave men who tackled and subdued gunman Sirhan Sirhan seconds after Robert Kennedy was assassinated back in 1968 at the Ambassador Hotel in L.A.

In fact, Johnson ripped the gun away from Sirhan and hid it in his own pocket to prevent any more violence.

As an athlete, Rafer won a gold medal in the decathlon at the 1960 Olympics in Rome ... four years after he won silver in the same event at the 1956 Olympic Games.

He was a 2-sport athlete at UCLA -- running track and playing basketball.

And get this ... he was such an insane athlete, the L.A. Rams selected him in the 28th round of the 1959 NFL Draft as a running back despite never playing a single down of college football!

After his storied career as an athlete, Johnson became an actor -- appearing in a bunch of movies including "Wild in the Country" with Elvis Presley, "Pirates of Tortuga" and even the 1989 James Bond flick, "A License to Kill."

Rafer was also a key figure in launching the Special Olympics in 1968 -- and co-founded the California Special Olympics in 1969.

Johnson served on the CSO board of directors for 2 decades before joining the Board of Governors.

Oh, and he also worked for the Peace Corps!

Johnson married his wife Betsy in 1971 and they had 2 children together -- daughter Jennifer Ann Johnson and son Joshua Ray Johnson.

Both kids were also star athletes at UCLA!

For those interested in making a donation in Rafer's honor, the family asks to go through The Special Olympics Southern California Rafer Johnson Tribute Fund -- which can be accessed here.

Lionel Messi was just hit with a fine for his in-game tribute to late soccer legend Diego Maradona -- but it only amounts to $725.

... which is NOTHING to a rich guy like Messi.

The 33-year-old captain paid homage to his fellow Argentinian after scoring the final goal in Barca's 4-0 win over Osasuna on Sunday ... by ripping off his shirt to reveal a Maradona #10 jersey from his Newell’s Old Boys days.

It was an emotional moment for Messi ... who blew a kiss to the sky and hugged his teammates following the goal.

The tribute drew a yellow card due to Messi removing his shirt ... which resulted in a 600 euro fine handed down Wednesday. Messi can appeal ... and given the circumstances, he may have a shot at getting the decision overturned.

Messi was close pals with Maradona ... and grieved the loss after his passing on Nov. 25.

"A very sad day for all Argentines and for football," Messi said at the time. "He leaves us but does not leave, because Diego is eternal."

"I keep all the beautiful moments lived with him and I wanted to take the opportunity to send my condolences to all his family and friends. RIP."

WWE legend Pat Patterson -- the man who created the "Royal Rumble" -- has died, the organization confirmed. He was 79.

"WWE extends its condolences to Patterson’s family and friends," the company said Wednesday in a statement.

Patterson -- who considered himself wrestling's "first gay superstar" -- was a key part of WWE for decades, widely known as Vince McMahon's right-hand man.

He began wrestling in the 1950s -- and finally joined up with WWE in the late '70s, where he famously engaged in a series of awesome matches with Sgt. Slaughter. Pat became the company's first Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion in 1979.

Patterson later became a color commentator for WWE -- and continued to work in the ring and in the booth until he retired in 1984.

At that point, Patterson joined McMahon as a WWE exec -- and in 1988, he pitched the idea for the Royal Rumble.

In his book -- "Accepted: How the First Gay Superstar Changed WWE" -- Patterson explained how the Rumble came to be.

"The first Royal Rumble was on January 24, 1988, in Hamilton, Ontario. The difference between WWE’s Royal Rumble and a traditional over-the-top rope battle royal is that the participants come into the match at two-minute intervals -- not all at the same time at the beginning of the match. I wanted to create something special."

Pat famously came out as gay during a 2014 episode of "WWE Legends House" ... opening up in front of guys like Roddy Piper and Jimmy Hart. It was a powerful moment.

Patterson was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1996.

RIP

The tributes are already pouring in ...

Vince McMahon -- "Pat Patterson was more than the first Intercontinental Champion & father of the Royal Rumble Match. He helped lay the foundation for WWE as we know it. His mentorship shaped careers, his creativity sparked innovation and his friendship lifted spirits. Love you, Pat. We miss you."

The Rock -- "Rough phone calls to get this morning to tell me, our dear family member, Pat Patterson who was my pro wrestling mentor and father figure has passed away."

"He was also responsible for calling Vince McMahon when I was training to become a pro wrestler (my $7 bucks days) and said, 'Vince you gotta see this kid work in the ring.'"

"Vince flew me to RAW a few weeks later and I had my first match EVER in Corpus Christie, Texas. The rest is history and years later, here I am writing this post."

Triple H -- "No words can describe what he gave to us. His body as an in-ring performer, his mind as a storyteller, and his spirit as a beloved member of our large WWE family. I will miss him for so many reasons ... it’s never goodbye, it’s see ya down the road. Love you, Pat. Abooze."

Shane McMahon -- "I can not express how crushed I feel right now with the loss of Pat Patterson. A true member of my family, mentor and dear friend. I love you Pat. God speed."

Jim Ross -- Just heard of the passing this morning if the great, Pat Patterson. True legend of the pro wrestling business.  A wonderful mentor who taught me so much. RIP old friend."