RIP

Christopher Plummer -- who starred in "The Sound of Music" and so many other iconic films -- has died.

Plummer passed away peacefully at his home in Connecticut Friday, his family said in a statement. His wife of over 50 years, Elaine Taylor, was by his side. Lou Pitt, a longtime friend and manager of 46 years, said, "Chris was an extraordinary man who deeply loved and respected his profession with great old fashion manners, self-deprecating humor and the music of words."

Christopher, who started his acting career in the '50s, was featured in more than 100 films. His role as Captain Von Trapp in the 1965 classic, "The Sound of Music," cemented his status as one of the best actors in Hollywood.

He started his acting career at the Montreal Repertory Theatre. He landed his first leading role as Hal in "Henry V" at the 1956 Stratford Festival in Canada. He earned his first Tony nomination 3 years later for best actor in Archibald MacLeish's "J.B." He also landed roles with the Royal Shakespeare Company in the UK.

He won a Tony in 1973 for his title role in the musical "Cyrano" and then again in 1997 for the title role in "Barrymore." In total, he was nominated for 7 Tony Awards ... with his most recent nomination coming in 2007 for his lead role in "Inherit the Wind."

Among his other credits ... "The Thorn Birds," one of the biggest miniseries in TV history, which aired in 1983. He scored a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 2010 for "Beginners." At the time, it made him the oldest winner ever in the acting category.

Christopher -- born Arthur Plummer in 1929 in Toronto -- was also nominated for an Oscar for his work in Ridley Scott's "All the Money in the World." Remember ... he's the actor who replaced Kevin Spacey following Spacey's ouster from the film stemming from the #MeToo movement.

For his role as J. Paul Getty ... Christopher earned a Golden Globe and Academy Award nomination. He recently starred in "Knives Out" with Daniel Craig and Chris Evans.

His manager added, "He was a National Treasure who deeply relished his Canadian roots. Through his art and humanity, he touched all of our hearts and his legendary life will endure for all generations to come. He will forever be with us."

Interesting side note ... he was the great-grandson of John Abbott, Canada's third prime minister. He was appointed Companion of the Order of Canada in 1968.

Christopher was 91.

Dustin Diamond is going to be cremated as one of his final wishes ... and his ashes are staying with his loved ones.

Dustin's close friend, Dan Block tells TMZ ... once the "Saved By The Bell" star is cremated, his remains will be placed in 2 separate urns for his father and girlfriend. We're told there are no plans to spread Dustin's ashes.

TMZ broke the story ... Dustin died Monday morning after a battle with Stage 4 lung cancer, with his girlfriend by his side when he passed away.

A rep for Dustin tells us he didn't want to be buried under a tombstone because, as a public figure, he was scared people might go to his final resting place and deface it.

Dan says Dustin had two dying wishes ... taking his girlfriend to see the 'Star Wars' attractions at Disney World, and meeting Tool bassist Justin Chancellor ... neither of which came true.

Prince is having a reunion right now ... one of the original white doves that lived with him at Paisley Park has flown off to heaven.

The rock legend's dove, a female named Divinity, died peacefully Tuesday following a decline in health due to her old age ... Prince's Paisley Park Estate announced Wednesday.

The executive director of Prince's estate, Alan Seiffert, says ... "Divinity’s beautiful coo has welcomed visitors since Paisley Park first opened its gates to the public in October 2016."

He adds ... "She was one of the enduring links to Prince for thousands of fans. She will be missed."

According to the estate, Divinity surpassed the average lifespan of doves, and although she's the last of Prince's OG white doves ... a new generation will continue to grace his former home-turned-museum.

Divinity was 28.

Tragic news -- 3 backcountry skiers in Colorado were found dead following a huge avalanche this week ... after being buried in more than 20 feet of tumbling ice and snow.

A group of 7 skiers was traveling between Silverton and Ophir when they accidentally triggered an avalanche near a well-known area called "The Nose" on Feb. 1, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC).

The report says the incident happened at an elevation of approximately 11,500 feet ... and 4 members were caught up in the avalanche.

The CAIC states the group was able to find and dig out one of the missing members ... who suffered only minor injuries.

Authorities conducted search and rescue operations to find the remaining 3 skiers … but efforts were suspended after 2 days due to "considerable" avalanche danger for the safety of the search and rescue team.

Unfortunately, the 3 other skiers were found dead, according to San Juan County officials.

Eagle County and the town of Eagle released a joint statement Wednesday ... saying, "the families of Seth Bossung, Andy Jessen and Adam Palmer are allowing us to share their names, so we can all openly acknowledge their deaths and grieve together."

"The families are surrounded by loved ones, and we are asking everyone to respect their wishes as to when and how they wish to communicate with others."

A helicopter is now required to retrieve the 3 bodies due to the damage caused by the avalanche and rugged terrain ... and they will be taken to the San Juan County Coroner's office for positive identification.

Officials say the Ophir Pass has been suspended and people should continue to avoid the area.

The National Transportation Safety Board will formally announce Tuesday the probable cause of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and eight others.

Investigators have been working the case for more than a year ... but the NTSB says it will formally announce its findings at a virtual board meeting that will be live-streamed to the public on Feb. 9.

In the days following the crash, the NTSB said preliminary findings showed no outward evidence of engine failure.

Months later, NTSB officials said the pilot, Ara Zobayan, may have been disoriented when the aircraft was caught in deep fog.

The NTSB said in June it found evidence showing Zobayan thought he was ascending over the fog, when in reality, the helicopter was going downward.

Autopsy results showed Zobayan was NOT on alcohol or drugs at the time of the crash ... and NTSB investigators said Zobayan’s girlfriend told them he was in great shape before the accident.

Unclear if there's new evidence to refute the earlier theory, but it seems likely to us the NTSB will confirm its earlier findings.

Along with Kobe and Zobayan, seven others -- including Kobe's daughter, Gianna, and friends Alyssa Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, John Altobelli, Christina Mauser, Payton Chester and Sarah Chester -- perished in the Jan. 26, 2020 crash.

The Pennsylvania State Troopers who shot and killed a suicidal teenager are about to be sued ... and his heartbroken mother has a question for the cops who killed her only son.

Civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Devon Jacob are representing Christian Hall's family, and they just announced plans to file suit and are calling for an internal investigation into his death at the hands of law enforcement.

As we reported ... PA State Troopers responding to a call about a suicidal man on a highway overpass in Hamilton Township back in December ended up shooting him dead during a standoff that played out before horrified drivers watching from below.

Police say 19-year-old Hall was holding a handgun when troopers arrived and initially obeyed orders to place the weapon on the ground ... but cops say he later reached for the weapon, started walking toward troopers and pointed the gun at them, so they opened fire.

Crump says Hall was having a mental health crisis at the time and was crying out for help, but instead of de-escalating the situation, troopers settled it with a gun.

Dustin Diamond was working on a "Saved by the Bell" reboot of his own before he got sick and tragically passed ... bringing back Screech's sidekick for a series of insurance ads.

Dustin's friend, Dan Block of Insurance King, tells TMZ ... they've been working on building their very own Kevin -- Screech's A.I. creation on the original series -- over the past year.

We're told the plan was to shoot a series of commercials with Dustin and Kevin ... where he introduces the robot he built to help save money on car insurance.

Dustin did a bunch of ads for Insurance King already over the years, but this was going to be a new campaign. Sadly, he got sick and passed away before the robot was complete and filming was set to begin.

On the bright side ... Dan says the robot will be complete in the next week, and he wants to offer it to "Saved by the Bell" producers to use in the reboot.

As we've told you ... despite Dustin's desire to be included in the 'SBTB' reboot, he was never asked to join the cast for season 1. However, his rep tells us they were in talks with producers in November 2020 about possibly reviving some Screech storylines for future episodes.

President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden are among the dignitaries paying respects to Capitol PD Officer Brian Sicknick ... who was killed during the Jan. 6 insurrection.

The Bidens arrived, unannounced, Tuesday night at the Capitol and walked up to the table where Sicknick's remains were placed in the Capitol Rotunda -- the hallowed ground the officer was defending when he was killed.

The President's somber visit stands in stark contrast to his predecessor -- as former President Trump is about to stand trial in the Senate for inciting the very riot that cost Sicknick his life.

Several members of Congress -- including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer -- also paid their respects. Sicknick died in a hospital on January 7 from the injuries he'd suffered during the failed coup.

He is just the fifth private citizen to lie in honor at the Capitol. Two other Capitol cops -- killed in the line of duty in 1998 -- along with Rosa Parks in 2005 and Billy Graham in 2018 also got the honor.

Hal Holbrook -- the longtime, award-winning actor known for playing Mark Twain for more than 60 years -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Hal's son, David, tells us ... his father passed away of old age at his Beverly Hills home on January 23. We're told he had a number of medical conditions and was having trouble swallowing, but he did not have COVID-19 ... it was simply his time.

Holbrook's career began in the '50s when he developed and starred in the one-man stage show, "Mark Twain Tonight!" which earned him critical acclaim. He would go on to win the Tony for Best Actor in 1966, get his first Emmy nom in 1967, and played the famous American novelist for more than 6 decades ... and in over 2,200 shows.

Playing historical figures on stage -- along with TV and movies -- was a staple for Hal. Throughout his career, he also performed as Abraham Lincoln -- which won him an Emmy in 1976 for the miniseries, "Lincoln" -- and John Adams in the 1984 miniseries, "George Washington."

Most famously though ... Hal gained international stardom for playing Deep Throat in the 1976 classic, "All the President's Men," in which he uttered the famous phrase, "Just follow the money."

Holbrook more recently played Republican congressman Francis Preston Blair in Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" as well.

Along with all his historical roles, Hal also racked up 12 Emmy nominations and 5 wins. He was married to Dixie Carter until her death in 2010, and had a recurring role on her hit show, "Designing Women." He also directed a handful of episodes.

Hal also appeared in popular TV shows "Evening Shade," and "The West Wing" and starred on both "The Event" and "Sons of Anarchy" when he was in his 80s.

Then, in 2008 at age 82, he became the oldest person ever nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor at the time ... for his role in 2008's "Into the Wild."

Holbrook's other notable credits over the years include the miniseries "North and South," and films such as "Julia," "The Fog," "Wall Street," "The Firm," "Hercules" and "Men of Honor."

Hal was 95.

Famed P.I. Jack Palladino has died from the grave injuries he suffered during an attempted robbery in his San Francisco neighborhood.

Palladino never regained consciousness after being attacked by 2 would-be robbers Friday and falling and hitting his head on the pavement. His attorney, Mel Honowitz, says Jack died Monday around noon after being taken off life support the day before.

As we reported ... Jack's family says he went outside Friday evening to snap photos of people he believed were making trouble in his neighborhood, and they attacked him and tried to steal his camera.

Palladino's family says he refused to let go, but fell in the process. However, his photographs may have helped police track down the 2 suspects it arrested Sunday for his attack -- 23-year-old Tyjone Flournoy and 24-year-old Lawrence Thomas.

Flournoy and Thomas were booked for attempted robbery and assault with a deadly weapon, but now that Palladino has died ... they may be facing a felony murder charge.

Jack started his career as a P.I. in the '70s, but became one of the premier names in the biz in the '80s ... and worked a bunch of high-profile cases in the '90s.

Those included investigating the extra-marital affair allegations against Bill Clinton in 1992, the cause of death of Kurt Cobain in 1994, and repping a 14-year-old boy in his civil, molestation lawsuit against Michael Jackson.

Jack was 76.

RIP

Dustin Diamond -- best known for playing the lovable Samuel "Screech" Powers on the hit NBC sitcom, "Saved by the Bell" -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

A rep for Dustin tells us he died Monday morning. His condition had greatly declined since last week, and he was taken off of breathing machines in an attempt to get him to hospice care. His GF was by his side when he passed away, and we're told he did not suffer.

Dustin's death comes just a couple weeks after completing his first round of chemo after he was diagnosed with stage 4 small cell carcinoma ... which is commonly referred to as lung cancer. We were told the cancer started somewhere in Dustin's body and metastasized in his lungs.

He was initially hospitalized in Florida in January after feeling pain all over his body and a general sense of unease. Unfortunately for the kid star ... it turned out to be cancer.

Dustin, of course, is famous for playing Screech on four seasons of "Saved by the Bell" as Zack Morris' (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) nerdy sidekick who struggled to get any of Lisa Turtle's (Lark Voorhies) love and affection.

After the kids graduated from Bayside HS ... the show got a short-lived spinoff with "Saved by the Bell: The College Years." There was also "Saved by the Bell: The New Class" ... in which Dustin appeared as Screech from season 2 to 7 as Mr. Belding's assistant.

Dustin wasn't recast for the reboot of the show on Peacock. Back in January 2020, we talked to him about why he wasn't signed on for the new project. The short answer ... he didn't know why but argued for Screech's reprisal.

Dustin would appear in tons of other roles ... including as the groom in 98 Degrees' music video for their 1999 hit track, "I Do (Cherish You)." He also appeared in 2 episodes of "The Wonder Years." He became infamous for directing his own sex tape in 2006 but later admitted to Oprah Winfrey it wasn't him ... but a stunt double.

He also appeared in tons of reality shows ... including "Celebrity Boxing 2" and "Celebrity Fit Club" where he didn't make too many friends after becoming confrontational with numerous cast members.

There were other stunts too that pivoted his career from a beloved child actor to a controversial celebrity. Like when Dustin was supposed to fight the so-called angry bagel guy, Chris Morgan, before CM pulled out of the fight.

But, through it all ... Dustin got tons of love from fans and friends alike, including Insurance King president and CEO Dan Block, who wrapped NASCAR driver Josh Bilicki's car in Dustin's honor.

Dustin's team says they're aware his name is not necessarily the most reputable due to his history of mishaps, but they want the public to understand "he was not intentionally malevolent."

His team adds that he went through a great deal of turmoil in his life, but he was always "a humorous and high-spirited individual whose greatest passion was to make others laugh."

Dustin was 44.

Gordon Hayward is carrying the wise words of Kobe Bryant with him on the court ... with the Charlotte Hornets star honoring the late legend with a touching tribute on his game shoes.

Hayward has been spotted playing in a custom edition of his signature Anta Hayward 2s over the past week -- which feature #24 on the heel & “Remember” across the midfoot.

The laces also include the last two sentences from Kobe’s inspirational message to Hayward after his horrific 2017 leg injury ... which say, "You see the belief within you grow with each mini milestone, and you will come back a better player for it. Best of luck to you on this journey my brother #mambamentality always.”

Kobe and Hayward have been tied together for years -- they even faced off against each other in Bryant's last NBA game, when he dropped 60 points on the then-Utah Jazz star.

In fact, there was even speculation Hayward "let" Bryant reach the feat by intentionally making a lane violation to get his 60th point ... which he's since denied.

"Kobe would have lost respect for me if I gave him something free," Hayward previously said. "That’s what made him so very special!"

Other NBAers have paid homage to the legend to commemorate the 1-year anniversary of his death ... from Joel Embiid to Steph Curry and more.

Sophie, one of the most important forces in electronic pop music, has tragically died.

Her reps say ... "Tragically our beautiful Sophie passed away this morning after a terrible accident," explaining, "True to her spirituality she had climbed up to watch the full moon and accidentally slipped and fell."

Sophie became famous in 2013, with the release of "Bipp." She followed that up in 2015 with a number of super-popular singles on Product.

She got a Grammy nom for best dance/electronic album with "Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides." One reviewer called the album a combination of "terror, sadness and pleasure."

Sophie was transgender and talked about her journey in 2018, saying, "Transness is taking control to bring your body more in line with your soul and spirit so the two aren't fighting against each other and struggling to survive." She went on to say, "It means you're not a mother or a father -- you're an individual who's looking at the world and feeling the world."

Sophie also co-wrote Madonna's, "Bitch I'm Madonna" in 2015. She also collabed with A.G. Cook, Charli XCX and Vince Staples.

Sophie was 34.

We've learned the cause of death for the 'Wipeout' contestant who collapsed shortly after completing the obstacle course, and it underscores the hidden dangers of extreme sport game shows.

The contestant, 38-year-old Michael Paredes, died from a heart attack which was brought on by coronary artery disease ... according to the Los Angeles County Coroner.

The autopsy report, obtained by TMZ, notes Paredes was running an obstacle course built over a body of water when he fell down into the depths. He swam to the edge of the water but was unable to pull himself out, and when he was eventually pulled out he was placed in a wheelchair.

Paredes leaned side-to-side in the wheelchair and went into cardiopulmonary arrest. He was resuscitated before being rushed to a hospital, the report says.

The contestant died about 24 hours after being hospitalized. The autopsy reveals extensive blockage in his coronary arteries. The right coronary artery had up to 90% stenosis -- narrowing or restriction -- and the other coronary arteries had issues as well. An acute case of pneumonia is also mentioned as a secondary factor.

When we broke the story back in November, production sources told us 'Wipeout' contestants underwent medical exams before participating ... and the autopsy notes Paredes had no reported medical history.

Hall of Fame basketball coach John Chaney -- the first African-American coach in college hoops history with 700 wins -- has died, according to multiple reports. He was 89 years old.

Details surrounding his death have not been released.

Chaney was an icon in the game -- especially at Temple University -- and known for his tough coaching approach and willingness to teach his players life lessons outside of the court.

Chaney coached at Temple for 24 years and led the Owls to 17 NCAA tournament appearances, reaching the Elite Eight five times. At one point, Temple made it to the tournament 12 straight times with Chaney leading the bench.

He was awarded the USBWA National Coach of the year twice (1987, and 1988) ... and finished his astounding career with a 516-253 record as the coach for the Owls.

Chaney coached several players who went on to play in the NBA -- including Eddie Jones and Aaron McKie.

Chaney was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001.

Cicely Tyson, who forged a path for scores of Black actors on Broadway and in Hollywood, has died.

Tyson was a force in entertainment for decades, but in her early years she had few role models because there were few people of color who were at the top of the Hollywood game.

She won 2 Emmys for Lead Actress in 1974, for "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman." The year before she was nominated for the Best Actress Oscar for the movie "Sounder."

Tyson started her career as a model in NYC. She was on the covers of Ebony, Jet, Harper's Bazaar and Vogue. Still, her mom was none too pleased, telling her she couldn't live in the family house if she pursued entertainment. Her mom didn't speak to her for several years.

Younger audiences would know Cicely from "The Help" and "Fried Green Tomatoes."

She also made her mark on Broadway and won a Tony for Best Actress in a Play in 2013's "The Trip to Bountiful." That made her the oldest recipient ever of a Best Actress Tony.

President Obama bestowed a Presidential Medal of Freedom award to Tyson in 2016, saying, "Cicely made a conscious decision not just to say lines, but to speak out. Cicely's convictions and grace have helped for us to see the dignity of every beautiful member of the American family -- and she's just gorgeous."

Earlier in her career, Cicely starred in a play called "The Blacks." It was an off-Broadway play in the '60s and some of her co-stars were Maya Angelou, James Earl Jones and Louis Gossett Jr.

Cicely was 96.