RIP

NFL star Sam Darnold was crushed to learn his former USC teammate Chris Brown died over the weekend ... saying Monday the 24-year-old O-lineman was the "greatest dude EVER."

Brown passed away Sunday, according to Trojans football head coach Clay Helton ... who said he was "heartbroken" to relay the news to the SC community.

Darnold -- who was teammates with Brown for his entire USC career -- spoke out on the tragedy on his social media page Monday ... sharing three photos, and clearly reeling from the news.

"Still can't believe this," Darnold said. "Rest easy brotha."

Brown arrived on SC's campus in 2014, 1 year before Darnold enrolled at the school. The O-lineman went on to block for the star QB for two seasons in 2016 and 2017, before Sam eventually bolted for the NFL.

The two were clearly close, Darnold's pictures showed the guys shared more than a few laughs together.

A cause of death for Brown has not yet been revealed.

Scottie Pippen has revealed his oldest son Antron Pippen passed away on Sunday. He was only 33.

"I'm heartbroken to share that yesterday, I said goodbye to my firstborn son Antron. The two of us shared a love for basketball and we had countless conversations about the game."

Scottie continued, "Antron suffered from chronic asthma and if he hadn’t had it, I truly believe he would've made it to the NBA. He never let that get him down, though -- Antron stayed positive and worked hard, and I am so proud of the man that he became."

Antron was born in 1987 to Karen McCollum -- who married Scottie in 1988 (they split in 1990).

Antron was a pretty solid basketball player who reportedly spent time hoopin' at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU). Clearly, Scottie believed he had real potential, if not for his medical condition.

Scottie did not reveal Antron's cause of death. However, he's asking fans to pray for his family.

"Please keep his mom, Karen, and all of his family and friends in your thoughts and prayers. A kind heart and beautiful soul gone way too soon. I love you, son, rest easy until we meet again."

Antron also spent time playin ball at South Georgia Technical College -- and moments ago, the school paid tribute to their former player.

The fiery Tesla crash that killed 2 people in Texas was most likely the result of the car's Autopilot feature failing, as cops tell TMZ ... neither man was behind the wheel.

Physical evidence after the Saturday night crash led authorities to believe the 2 men in the Tesla 2019 Model S were not driving it when it failed to navigate a turn, ran off the road and hit a tree ... then burst into flames.

According to Mark Herman, the Harris County Precinct 4 constable ... one of the men was in the front passenger seat, and the other was in the rear seat when it was traveling at a high rate of speed before the crash.

Law enforcement sources tell us they'll be issuing subpoenas for information on the car to determine if it was indeed on Autopilot ... though that's their working assumption. We're told law enforcement is also in contact with Tesla honchos to determine what went wrong.

The men, ages 59 and 69, were with their wives minutes before the fatal wreck telling them about taking the Tesla out for a drive and wanting to use the driver-assistance feature ... according to Herman.

Mike Mitchell -- one of the founders of The Kingsmen, the '60s rock band known for their recording of the massive hit, "Louie Louie" -- has died.

Mike, the band's guitar player, died Friday on his birthday. Kingsmen drummer Dick Peterson says ... "We are deeply saddened by Mike’s passing. He was the kindest and most generous man on the planet."

He adds ...  "For the past 57 years, we have been playing colleges, fairs, and festivals, vintage car shows and rock n’ roll shows throughout the USA. Mike is irreplaceable, and he will be greatly missed not only by us but the fans as well. Mike was a favorite for his comedic nature as well as his musicianship."

The Kingsmen formed in Portland, Oregon in 1959, but became garage rock icons 4 years later in 1963 with their famous cover of Richard Berry’s 1957 song "Louie Louie."

The song held the #2 spot on the Billboard charts for 6 non-consecutive weeks, and inspired rock bands for generations ... being subsequently covered by other groups like The Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, The Troggs, The Sonics, The Beatles, Mothers of Invention, Motörhead, Black Flag and Iggy Pop.

Though the other founding members of The Kingsmen split off, Mitchell -- who delivers the iconic guitar solo on "Louie Louie" -- remained for 62 years.

Another famous guitarist, Joe Walsh, offered his condolences to Mitchell's family, saying ... "I learned to play the guitar because of Mike Mitchell. I know every one of his solos, mistakes and all. We’re losing the good guys."

Mike is survived by his children, Samantha and Max.

He was 77.

Sunday Burquest -- a former contestant on "Survivor" -- has died after battling cancer.

The youth pastor's daughter, Kennedy, confirmed her mother's passing on Instagram ... posting a touching tribute that thanked Sunday for teaching her to be a Christian, and for being the best role model possible.

She writes ... "It breaks my heart to know you will never get to see me on my wedding day, or be there when I have my first kid. But I know you’re watching over me." Kennedy went on to say that she's happy her mom will be with Jesus, and that she doesn't have to be in pain anymore, adding ... "I know one day we will meet again. Until then, I’ll spend every minute missing you, and trying to make you proud. Rest easy mom, I’ll see you soon 🤍."

Sunday had previously disclosed that she'd been diagnosed with esophageal and ovarian cancer -- with a new iteration of the disease re-infecting her last summer ... when, at the time, doctors had told her she only had months to live.

Prior to the latest diagnosis, she'd fought breast cancer in 2012 ... and came out the other side after several surgeries and treatments.

Sunday competed on the 33rd season of "Survivor" ... dubbed 'Millennials vs. Gen X,' which aired in 2016. She made it pretty far, as she was the 14th person voted out, coming in at 7th place. She ended up going from being on a tribe with people mostly her age to the other tribe, full of 20 and 30-somethings, with whom she didn't appear to gel that well.

Before coming on to compete, she'd been cleared medically after beating her breast cancer -- and was one of the feel-good stories of the season. She's survived by her husband and four children.

Sunday was 50.

Black Rob -- a rapper who was once part of Diddy's Bad Boy roster -- has died ... this according to his former labelmates.

Rob reportedly passed away Saturday while hospitalized in Atlanta -- this after he was apparently battling kidney failure for quite some time ... so says NYC radio personality DJ Self, who posted a video of Rob from his hospital bed speaking on DMX's death.

Of BR's passing, Self says ... "Lord knows i tried to get help ...... I’m sad to say RIP to Black Rob." Self had been with Rob in his final days, posting different clips of the former MC as his health was clearly deteriorating. In one such video, Rob himself explained that he'd been battling health issues for five years ... including several strokes and other ailments. It also sounds like Rob might have been homeless too ... going on to say he needed "rest."

It's pretty heartbreaking to watch ... especially since Rob didn't appear to have reps of his own toward the end. DJ Self made clear he wasn't representing Rob either, but simply getting his message out.

Another former Bad Boy MC, Mark Curry, also confirmed the sad news of Rob's passing ... posting a teary-eyed video Saturday saying he'd just gotten word, thanking everyone who donated to a GFM campaign in Rob's name -- while publicly asking Rob's children to get in touch with him ... presumably to make funeral arrangements.

Both Mark and Rob were featured on Diddy's famous track "Bad Boy 4 Life" ... with each contributing verses in the memorable music video, which showed Diddy and co. moving into a suburban neighborhood and drawing the ire of Ben Stiller. Rob had performed with several other Bad Boy affiliated acts ... like 112, Faith Evans, Mase and even Biggie himself.

Of course, Rob broke through with his own hit in 2000 ... the critically-acclaimed "Whoa!" which ended up making it on several music charts, including the Billboard Hot 100 and others ... and ended up getting remixed several times over.

"Whoa!" stands as Rob's biggest hit to date -- but the man went on to churn out several albums ... even after leaving Bad Boy in the mid-2000s. He was reunited with his Bad Boy counterparts in 2016 when Diddy put together the Bad Boy Family Reunion Tour.

Diddy doesn't appear to have commented on Rob's passing just yet. He was 51.

RIP

Alma Wahlberg -- the matriarch of the family and mother to Mark, Donnie and 7 other children -- has died.

Mark shared the news ... posting a photo of his mother, writing, "My angel. Rest in peace."

Back in July, 2020 ... Donnie had posted a message addressing his mother's health issues. He wrote, "I know that so many of you have asked how my mom Alma is doing. During my visit, she didn’t remember much, and was often confused, but somehow she was still Alma."

Donnie added, "She still lights up a room. She still made me smile. She’s still stubborn. And she still loves her baby Donnie. I thank you all, for your well wishes. Sending my heartfelt love, and sincerest wishes, to all those away from their loved ones."

Mama Wahlberg was heavily featured in the A&E series "Wahlburgers" ... which aired for 10 seasons as it followed Mark and Donnie's older brother's ambitions to create a burger joint that eventually became famous and expanded throughout the New England area.

Alma had 9 children ... Mark, Donnie, Paul, Robert, Jim, Arthur, Tracey, Michelle and Debbie. According to her A&E bio ... Alma was a hostess and greeter at her sons' burger joints but she had previously worked as a bank clerk and nurse's aid to help her family make ends meet. The entire family lived in a tight space while growing up in Dorchester.

Paul honored his mother when he opened an upscale Italian joint in Hingham, MA and dubbed it Alma Nove ... an homage to Alma and her 9 children.

Alma was 78.

Some Bakersfield cops had issues with a makeshift memorial for Daunte Wright and Adam Toledo, because they dismantled it, much to the dismay of some residents.

Bakersfield residents held a vigil Saturday night, and various memorials were created to make the moment. The video shows an officer removing parts of the memorial ... folding up cardboard signs. A woman walks up to the cop to express her disapproval ... this as the officer takes the signs and starts walking toward his cruiser. The woman repeatedly asks for his badge number, and he obliges.

She then asks the cop for the signs back, but he's not having it. The PD tells TMZ the cardboard and candles were yanked because they were a fire hazard, adding, "This would not be the first time a vigil went up in flames so things have to be removed to avoid a fire."

DMX's fiancee just told the world ... the late rapper was her everything, and she's grateful for the time they had.

Desiree Lindstrom just posted, "The first night we met and you held me close. I knew I would never let go. I was lost in you and nothing else mattered. My best friend, my baby, my love...truly my everything. Thank you for us. Thank you for Exodus. Thank you God for Earl Simmons...forever X."

Desiree also got a tattoo as an homage to her late fiance, which says, "Dog Love" which sits over a large "X."

DMX and Desiree had a 4-year-old son, Exodus. As we reported, she was devastated by the passing of X.

One of the sweetest videos we've seen was when DMX proposed to Desiree back in 2019. What made it especially interesting ... he proposed the same day they had broken up, but she said "yes!"  The proposal went down at Exodus' 3rd birthday party at Sky Zone.

TMZ broke the story ... DMX died earlier this month at age 50 after OD'ing at home and suffering a heart attack. He was hospitalized for a week and ultimately his body functions failed.

DMX fans who were looking forward to him performing at a Texas bar next month will still get to enjoy his music ... because the venue's turning the rapper's scheduled concert into a tribute show.

Justin -- the owner of the Wildcatter Saloon in Katy -- tells TMZ ... he and his team took DMX's death really hard because they grew up loving his music, and booking him was a long time in the making.

X was set to play at the venue on May 29, but Justin says the Wildcatter's now going to make the event a memorial concert to honor him.

We're told the tribute show will feature the same opening acts who were booked for DMX -- Tone Royal, a hip-hop artist who's a huge DMX fan ... and hip-hop/rock band Coozablack & Sin City.

Justin says both openers have a few DMX cover songs ready to go on their setlists to kick off the show ... but he's still in need of a headliner.

The bar owner tells us he wants it to be someone who was close with DMX to make the night more personal and special for fans, and some potential names are Busta Rhymes, Trae the Truth, and a long shot ... Snoop Dogg.

As we reported ... DMX died on April 9 at age 50 after suffering an overdose the week prior, which resulted in him losing oxygen to his brain for nearly 30 minutes.

Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and late husband of Queen Elizabeth II, is being laid to rest in an emotional farewell, with clear signs of Royal Family tension.

The ceremony was held against the backdrop of a bright and early Saturday morning across the pond at Windsor Castle ... where Philip's life, service and loyalty to the Queen is being celebrated. As expected, Harry and William were separated as they walked into the church.

QE2's husband of 73 years has been lying in repose at the castle's private chapel -- and today his coffin will be transported to St. George’s Chapel, where he'll be laid to rest in the Royal Vault.

The coffin was flanked by 9 members of the Royal family, including his grandsons Prince William and Prince Harry.

Of course, all eyes were on Harry to see how he interacted with his brother, his father, Prince Charles, and others because this is their first public interaction since Harry and Meghan Markle's Oprah interview ... where they accused members of the Royal family of racism.

After the ceremony, the brothers were spotted chatting and walking around the grounds of Windsor Castle.

While Harry flew in from California for the ceremony, Meghan did not get medical clearance to travel as she's pregnant with their second child.

As for Prince Philip, his coffin will be loaded into the back of a Land Rover he himself customized into a hearse, and the procession will pass by roads lined with military personnel saluting his naval service.

Felix Silla, who famously played the mysterious and hairy Cousin Itt on "The Addams Family," is dead after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

Felix died Friday afternoon in Las Vegas ... according to Gil Gerard, Felix's co-star on the old NBC series "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century."

Gil says he's sad to see his friend lose his cancer battle, but says he's glad Felix is no longer suffering.

Although we never saw his face on the show ... Felix was extremely well known for playing the mumbling Cousin Itt on the 1960s sitcom. For the young 'uns... he dressed in sunglasses, a bowler hat and a hairpiece covering his entire body. The audience never understood what he was saying, but members of the Addams Family did.

Silla also didn't get any face time as Buck Rogers' robot sidekick Twiki, or as a hang-gliding Ewok in "Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi" ... but folks knew him because he stood barely 4 feet tall and weighed about 70 pounds.

Felix did have at least one famous role where he actually showed his mug ... in 1975 he shaved his head to play the villainous Litvak in "The Maltese Falcon" sequel "The Black Bird."

Born and raised in Italy, Felix moved to the United States way back in 1955 and toured around with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, working for several years as a tumbler and trapeze artist before landing in Hollywood in 1962 as a stuntman.

Felix did stunt work on "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," "Batman Returns," and "Poltergeist," among other films ... and also appeared in the OG "Planet of the Apes" and "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom."

Silla was 84, and is survived by his wife of more than 55 years, Sue, and their children, Bonnie and Michael.

DMX will be honored by his family, friends, loved ones and fans in one of the premier entertainment venues in the country -- the Barclays Center, TMZ has learned.

X's public memorial will be held on Saturday, April 24 at the arena in Brooklyn ... X's former manager, Steve Rifkind, tells TMZ. We're told the event's final logistics are still being figured out -- including how many people will be allowed inside and how ticketing will work -- limited capacity will obviously be in effect because of COVID.

DMX's family and more direct contacts will then attend a more private funeral service at a church in the NYC area on Sunday, April 25.

TMZ broke the story, Yonkers' Mayor, Mike Spano, welcomed the idea of the family using Yonkers Raceway for the service ... X grew up in the city. Nonetheless, there are still plans for DMX to be remembered there, Spano told us they've considered possible plans for a statue or street name.

DMX hit the Barclays Center stage in June 2019 in what would be one of his final big shows during the Masters of Ceremony event.

Tragic news out of the North Texas basketball program -- assistant coach Nelson Haggerty has passed away after a single-car crash Friday morning. He was 47 years old.

Haggerty was part of the coaching staff that helped lead the Mean Green to their first-ever NCAA tournament win last month ... when #13 North Texas beat #4 Purdue 78-69 in the first round on March 19.

Law enforcement officials in Texas say Haggerty was driving on Highway 380 near the city of Decatur in Wise County around 2:30 AM Friday ... when his car went off the right side of the road and hit a culvert, according to local reports.

Cops say Haggerty's vehicle flipped and hit a fence before coming to a halt. Emergency responders rushed to the scene, where Haggerty was pronounced dead.

Haggerty is a Texas hoops legend -- he was a high school star out of Houston ... and played 4 seasons at Baylor University, leading the NCAA in assists during his senior year.

NH went on to coach from 1997-2019 ... including 8 seasons with Midwestern State, where he became one of the most successful coaches in program history. He was named National Association of Basketball Coaches regional coach of the year in 2012.

Haggerty joined North Texas in 2019 ... and head coach Grant McCasland immediately praised his positive presence on the team.

The North Texas athletic department honored Haggerty Friday morning ... saying "Father, Husband, Friend, and Coach."

Cariol Horne -- the Buffalo police officer who was fired for trying to stop a chokehold employed by a fellow cop -- says George Floyd's death demonstrates how fearful police are of crossing the thin blue line ... even when they know it's the right thing to do.

Cariol joined "TMZ Live" Friday on the heels of winning a ruling this week to get her pension and back pay reinstated, after she was fired for the 2006 incident in which she intervened during the arrest of Neal Mack ... stopping a white officer from choking him.

Horne tells us she cried for 2 days after Floyd's death because it didn't have to happen, but the case brought to light what she dealt with 15 years ago. She adds that it shows there needs to be systemic change in how police behave when they witness brutality among their peers.

She's already done her part to make it happen, not just with the 2006 incident, but by writing legislation that's been passed into law in Buffalo which obligates officers to stop police brutality, and legally protects those who do.

It's called Cariol's Law, and she's pushing for it to become the norm in the U.S. ... so police can actually play their part in ending police brutality.

As for her legal victory this week, Horne believes the current climate factored in ... as she says people are finally recognizing that police brutality is simply a progression from the days of slavery and segregation.

Helen McCrory -- best known for playing Aunt Polly on "Peaky Blinders" -- has died of cancer ... according to her husband, "Billions" star Damian Lewis.

Lewis announced his wife's death on Twitter, saying ... "I'm heartbroken to announce that after an heroic battle with cancer, the beautiful and mighty woman that is Helen McCrory has died peacefully at home, surrounded by a wave of love from family and friends."

He adds ... "She died as she lived. Fearlessly. God we love her and we know how lucky we are to have had her in our lives. She blazed so brightly. Go now, Little One, into the air, and thank you."

Along with starring as the matriarch of the gangster Shelby family on 'Blinders,' McCrory played Narcissa Malfoy in 3 "Harry Potter" films.

She also had roles in the HBO series "His Dark Materials" and the Showtime horror show, "Penny Dreadful."

Helen also appeared in several popular movies since her acting career began in the early '90s, such as "Skyfall," "The Queen" and "The Count of Monte Cristo."

McCrory and Lewis wed in 2007 and have a daughter and son together, both teenagers.

She was 52.