RIP

Bobby Unser -- who won the Indianapolis 500 race THREE TIMES during his illustrious career -- died Sunday at his home in New Mexico.

He was 87.

Officials at Indianapolis Motor Speedway say Unser died of natural causes -- but did not get into specifics.

Unser -- brother of fellow Indy 500 champ Al Unser -- is survived by his wife, Lisa, along with 2 sons Bobby Jr. and Robby and 2 daughters Cindy and Jeri.

Bobby Unser was a titan of the sport -- winning The Greatest Spectacle in Racing in 3 consecutive decades ... first in 1968, again in 1975 and finally in 1981.

Unser retired from racing in 1983 but went on to become a pretty successful TV analyst -- working for NBC, ABC, ESPN and more.

In fact, Unser was part of the broadcast team that won a Sports Award Emmy in 1989 and 1990 for coverage of the Indy 500.

In 1990, Unser was inducted into both the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame and the International Motorsports HOF.

Unser was a proud military veteran who served 2 years in the U.S. Air Force in the 1950s.

The 2021 Indy 500 is set for May 30 -- and you can bet your ass there will be a massive tribute to Unser at the event.

Pro boxer Felix Verdejo -- who competed in the 2012 Olympics -- has been hit with multiple criminal charges connected to the killing of a 27-year-old pregnant woman and her unborn child.

Verdejo surrendered to authorities in Puerto Rico on Sunday evening -- roughly 24 hours after the body of Keishla Rodriguez was found in a lagoon.

Officials say her body was in such bad shape, they needed to use her dental records to verify her identity.

The allegations of her killing are extremely disturbing ...

Officials say the FBI has been working with a witness who claims to have "firsthand, personal knowledge” of the incident -- because the boxer had "requested his help to terminate the pregnancy."

The witness says he and Verdejo abducted Rodriguez on Thursday evening in a black SUV -- where the boxer proceeded to punch her in the face and inject her with a "syringe filled with substances."

After that, Verdejo allegedly bound the woman's hands and feet, tied a heavy block to her body and threw her off the Teodoro Moscoso Bridge, into the San Jose Lagoon.

That's not all ... the witness told officials Verdejo then pulled out a gun and began firing at her in what appears to be a final horrific effort to ensure her death.

Authorities say cell phone data appears to sync up with the witness account -- confirming the locations where Rodriguez had been traveling before her death.

Also, officials say they have surveillance video showing a dark SUV -- similar to the one Verdejo had been spotted with -- on the Teodoro Moscoso Bridge.

Verdejo is now facing multiple criminal charges including kidnapping resulting in death, carjacking resulting in death and killing an unborn child.

If convicted on all counts, Verdejo could face the death penalty.

Verdejo is 27-2 as a pro boxer and famously fought for Puerto Rico in the 2012 Olympic Games.

He had been signed with Top Rank Boxing which issued a statement on the situation on a Saturday.

"The thoughts and prayers of Top Rank are with the family and friends of Keishla Marlen Rodríguez Ortiz, and with the people of Puerto Rico in this moment of mourning."

"We are profoundly disturbed by the news and will continue to monitor the evolution of the case as it progresses."

Michael Alig -- one of the ringleaders of the Club Kids -- died from an overdose of several hard drugs ... TMZ has learned.

The Office of Chief Medical Examiner in NYC tells us ... Alig's cause of death was acute intoxication by fentanyl, acetylfentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine.

We broke the story ... Alig -- the notorious club promoter who was the subject of the 2003 Macaulay Culkin movie "Party Monster" and the 2015 documentary 'Glory Daze' -- was found dead in his NYC home on Christmas.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... a friend discovered Alig unconscious and unresponsive on his bed and called 911. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

We're told cops found 2 to 3 small bags of heroin and other empty bags near his body ... prompting their suspicion he'd died from an OD. The Medical Examiner says it was an accidental overdose.

Vanessa Bryant celebrated what would have been Gigi's 15th birthday by announcing a new clothing line in her name -- and Hollywood was quick to jump on board in support.

A score of stars posted selfies and photos over the weekend, showing them in Mambacita hoodies and other apparel being hawked by Dannijo ... the company Vanessa teamed up with for this launch.

Some of the famous faces who snapped up their gear include Eva Mendes, Kate Hudson, Jimmy Kimmel, Ciara, Lala Kent, Jennifer Garner, Kim Kardashian, Cindy Crawford, Lily Aldridge, Tia Mowry, Reese Witherspoon, Khloe Kardashian, Ellen Pompeo, Michelle Williams, Kelly Rowland ... with even more plugging the brand on their respective socials.

Oh and BTW, the sports world wasn't sleeping on this drop either -- pro athletes like Russel Wilson, Devin Booker, Kyrie Irving and the ENTIRE WARRIORS TEAM (including Steph Curry) were rocking Mambacita wear Saturday ... and Vanessa made sure to shout them all out.

Vanessa explained diving into the new venture by saying she wanted to find a way to celebrate Gigi -- who would've turned 15 on Saturday -- by capturing her spirit ... and she felt putting out an entire line in her memory was the best way to do that.

VB writes, "Gianna was kind, energetic, a leader, and had so much MAMBACITA swag.  When I thought about who would help me capture her laid back yet girly-edge, I thought of female-owned @DANNIJO. Two fun-loving sisters running a successful clothing line, they jumped on the opportunity to celebrate Gigi’s birthday with us, completely pro-bono."

She goes on to say that the details of the line -- even right down to putting #PlayGigisWay on the right arm of each hoodie (Gigi's shooting arm) -- are perfect in every way.

A boat carrying dozens of people capsized in San Diego, killing 2 and injuring several more -- but it's clear the vessel did more than just flip over ... it was utterly destroyed.

The wreckage happened Sunday off the shores of Point Loma, a peninsula jutting out from SD's mainland. It's unclear what caused the boat -- which was reportedly carrying 25 people total -- to tip ... but once it did, emergency crews were called out to assist.

According to local reports, two people were pronounced dead at the scene ... while the 23 others were transported to area hospitals, with some requiring CPR on the spot.

However, somebody posted footage of the aftermath ... and it appears the boat got torn to pieces in the accident, with people onboard being washed ashore -- not to mention all the debris floating in the water as well. In the video, you hear someone say the boat "blew up."

The severity of the injuries isn't entirely known at this point, but officials have said different people were taken to different hospitals.

A search and rescue mission is underway at the moment to see if there's anybody else still in the water -- and an investigation will ultimately be headed up by the feds, as this appears to have happened in their jurisdiction.

Anna Nicole Smith's 14-year-old daughter Dannielynn Birkhead is the spitting image of her late mom ... so much so, it's kinda shocking.

Dannielynn and her dad, Larry Birkhead, attended the Kentucky Derby as they have nearly every year, but this time heads turned, because of Larry's daughter's uncanny resemblance to her mom.

Larry made it clear ... his daughter is growing up ... "She said she wanted to wear something entirely different than she had in the past. I guess that means no more “little girl” dresses?? She cleaned out the chocolate brownies, ice cream and nachos while at the same time critiquing my outfit."

Olympia Dukakis -- the Oscar-winning actress best known for her role in 'Moonstruck' -- has died ... this according to her family.

Her brother, Apollo, broke the sad news Saturday ... taking to Facebook to update fans that his sister had passed in New York City. He adds, "After many months of failing health she is finally at peace and with her Louis." Her husband, Louis, died in 2018.

Dukakis is perhaps most remembered for her turn as Cher's mother in the 1987 rom-com -- in which she played a wise-cracking matriarch who dealt with her daughter's relationship woes ... and those of her own as well.

She'd starred in countless other movies and shows over the years too -- most notably, 'Steel Magnolias,' all of the 'Look Who's Talking' movies, 'Mr. Holland's Opus,' 'Working Girl,' 'Over the Hill,' 'Mafia!' 'In the Land of Women,' 'The Cemetery Club,' 'Charlie's War,' and countless others. Dukakis was known for her comedic chops ... but she could do drama just as well.

Her television career was perhaps just as prolific ... Dukakis has appeared on a number of hit shows over the years, including "Search for Tomorrow," "Tales of the City," "Touched By an Angel," "The Simpsons," "Center of the Universe," "Frasier," "Joan of Arc," "Bored to Death," "Law & Order," "Sex & Violence," "Forgive Me," "TripTank," "Switch" and more.

Dukakis had won and been nominated for Golden Globes and Emmys ... this on top of her Oscar win in '88. Even before her on-screen success, Dukakis was a decorated stage performer ... having performed in over 100 productions, including both Broadway and off-Broadway shows.

Of course, she's also former Presidential candidate Michael Dukakis' cousin -- so her family name is incredibly famous.

She's survived by her 3 children and siblings. Olympia was 89.

RIP

Anne Buydens, who married Kirk Douglas a year after meeting him in 1953 on a movie set, is dead.

Kirks' widow died peacefully Thursday at her Beverly Hills home, which she shared with her late husband ... according to reps for the family.

A longtime staple in Hollywood, Anne presided over the Douglas Foundation and The Bryna Company before she died ... but she got her start in Tinseltown as a location scout for director John Huston. Anne also worked as a publicist for the Cannes Film Festival back in the day.

Anne and Kirk married way back in 1954 ... they'd met the previous year while he was shooting his starring role in "Act of Love." Anne applied for a job as his assistant on the movie ... and the rest, as they say, was history.

Anne and Kirk had 2 sons together, Peter and Eric. The latter died in 2004. FYI, Michael Douglas is one of Kirk's sons from his first marriage.

One thing Kirk and Anne definitely had in common was longevity. You'll recall, he passed away in February 2020 at the age of 103. Anne was 102.

Ahmaud Arbery's mother is squashing her beef with an organization that's been raising funds in her son's name, but without her permission -- they've settled the dispute without going to court.

Wanda Cooper's lawyer, J. Carter, tells TMZ ... Ahmaud's mom settled her trademark dispute with the 2:23 Foundation last week, avoiding the hassle of a lawsuit.

As we first told you, Wanda claimed the 2:23 Foundation was using her son's name and likeness ... hauling in massive amounts of cash donations even though she hadn't given her blessing.

We're told the settlement terms call for the 2:23 Foundation to phase out their usage of the marks, for the org to be dissolved and for $345,306 in donations to be transferred to Wanda's newly established foundation, The Ahmaud Arbery Foundation.

Wanda's new foundation, we're told, is officially launching May 8 to coincide with Ahmaud's birthday.

Marvin Scott III -- a 26-year-old Black man who died last month in a Texas jail after being restrained to a bed for several hours -- died as a result of homicide, according to the medical examiner.

Scott was arrested for misdemeanor marijuana possession in a Dallas suburb on March 14, and though he was first taken to a local hospital for reportedly acting erratically ... he was later transported to the Collin County Jail in McKinney.

It was there Scott began "exhibiting some strange behavior" according to Collin County Sheriff Jim Skinner, and officials say he was subsequently restrained, pepper-sprayed and had a spit mask put on his face by detention officers.

According to reports, sometime during the several hours of being restrained to a bed, Scott became unresponsive and was later pronounced dead at a hospital. Skinner called it a "profound tragedy" at a news conference.

But, Collin County's chief medical examiner, Dr. William Rohr, is calling it a homicide. According to Rohr, his findings show Scott's cause of death was "fatal acute stress response in an individual with previously diagnosed schizophrenia during restraint struggle with law enforcement."

Scott's family says he had schizophrenia and was experiencing a mental health crisis while in police custody, and family attorney Lee Merritt claims Scott was using marijuana at the time of his arrest "to self-medicate after being two years diagnosed with schizophrenia."

Merritt tells TMZ ... he got the news about Marvin's death being ruled a homicide around the same time he learned the suspects in Ahmaud Arbery's killing were being charged with federal hate crimes, so it was a bittersweet day.

Lee, who represents Arbery's family as well, adds ... "I now have another uphill battle, having to fight the system for justice. Again, the cycle continues."

Worth noting -- the Collin County sheriff announced earlier this month that 7 detention officers who were allegedly involved in Scott's death have been fired for violating department policies and procedures.

Video evidence isn't required to see there's a problem with the policing of Black people -- that's activist Tamika Mallory's take on a judge blocking the release of body cams in the fatal cop shooting of Andrew Brown Jr.

We got Tamika in Bev Hills, and she went in on the judge's decision to withhold the Pasquotank Sheriff's Dept footage from the public ... at least for now. She says the judge's ruling only adds to the distrust of the entire criminal justice system and perpetuates the idea that the authorities would rather protect each other ... than protect citizens from police brutality.

Tamika's also not buying the judge's intent to let the situation cool down a bit before releasing the video ... because she says the nationwide temperature is up to stay as a result of the long list of Black people killed by cops.

Regardless, Tamika tells us it shouldn't matter what happens with the body cam footage because she believes the basic facts in the case show Brown was shot in the back of the head by police as he was trying to flee ... and that's just wrong.

As we reported ... the judge in Brown's case ruled the fatal encounter with cops in North Carolina can be viewed, but only by his family and NOT the media. The judge will reevaluate making it available to more eyes in 30-45 days.

The Boston Celtics held a touching tribute and a moment of silence for Terrence Clarke on Tuesday -- honoring the Boston-born NBA prospect less than a week after he was killed in a car crash.

Right before the Celtics took the floor against the OKC Thunder at TD Garden, the P.A. announcer took a moment to reflect on the 19-year-old's life and what he meant to the city.

FYI, Clarke grew up in Boston, where he developed into one of the best high school players in the country -- ultimately leading the Brewster Academy to the 2019 National Prep championship.

In fact, he brought the school back to the Finals in 2020 -- but the COVID pandemic forced the tourney to shut down.

As the P.A. announcer points out, Clarke went to the University of Kentucky where he "quickly became a favorite of teammates and fans alike."

"His work ethic, commitment and talent had him on the path to achieving his dream of playing in the NBA."

Sadly, Clarke was involved in a bad car crash on April 22 during a trip to Los Angeles. He was raced to a nearby hospital but succumbed to his injuries.

During the on-court tribute, the Celtics displayed photos of Clarke with stars like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

"His larger-than-life personality always lit up a room and made him loved by everyone he touched," the Celtics P.A. announcer said.

"His goal was to inspire and be a role model for a generation of youth basketball players across Boston. Quite simply, Terrence was the pride of the entire city."

Shock G will be laid to rest not far from where he died ... his funeral plans are set, and we're told his group Digital Underground will be well represented at the service.

The late rapper's manager, Atron Gregory, tells TMZ ... Shock's funeral is scheduled for Saturday in Tampa and a large Digital Underground contingent will be front and center, including founding member Money B and DJ Fuze.

Money B's manager says ... MB's been working with Shock's family to help prep for the funeral, but it won't be a Digital Underground reunion. We're told members have seen each other recently and they regularly stay in touch.

As you know, Shock was famous for his work with Tupac Shakur, and a rep for the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation tells us Pac's stepbrother, Mopreme Shakur, will also attend the funeral, as well as rapper Ray Luv, a close friend of both Shock G and 2Pac.

As we first told you ... Shock G was found dead last week in a Tampa hotel room, and his father said there were no signs of trauma.

We've also learned new details surrounding Shock's death ... the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner tells us Shock was last seen the day before he died, when a hotel manager noticed him outside the building.

We're told the manager grew concerned when Shock missed his scheduled check-out time -- so he went to his room, opening the door to find Shock unresponsive laying in bed. The manager immediately called 911.

April the Giraffe is gone, but not forgotten at the park where she captivated millions -- not only is there a new statue of her, but April's ashes will also be spread around the memorial.

A rep for the Animal Adventure Park in upstate NY tells TMZ ... they're celebrating Opening Day Wednesday by unveiling bronze statues in memory of the giraffes that passed -- April and her youngest son, Azizi who was born in March 2019 but unexpectedly died last year.

We're told the bronze statues are displayed just off of the park's giraffe yard and feeding deck. And April's ashes are in the memorial too.

As we reported ... April died earlier this year after her arthritis became much too painful, prompting park officials to do the humane thing and euthanize her. She captivated the world in 2017 and racked up millions of YouTube views on the park's live stream as fans waited weeks for her to give birth.

Ex-NFL linebacker Geno Hayes died Monday night while in hospice at his parents' home in Georgia. He was only 33.

Hayes -- was drafted in 2008 and played 7 seasons in the NFL -- had been diagnosed with chronic liver disease in 2019.

The former Florida State linebacker believed the condition was brought on by a combination of nonprescription pain medications and a family history of liver disease.

Hayes' health had been declining in recent weeks so he was moved to hospice care -- where he spent his final days being visited by family members and close friends.

After his passing, Florida State head football coach Mike Norvell issued a statement saying, "Thoughts and prayer for the family and friends of Geno Hayes."

"He lived his life as a tremendous Seminole who impacted so many throughout his journey on and off the field. His legacy will live on. #RIP #NoleFamily."

Hayes was a football star since his high school days -- when he was personally recruited by Florida State legend Bobby Bowden.

Geno lived up to his potential at FSU -- earning 1st Team All-ACC honors in 2007.

He went on to have a 7-year run in the NFL -- which started when he was selected by the Tampa Bay Bucs in the 6th-round of the 2008 Draft.

Hayes went on to play with the Chicago Bears and the Jacksonville Jaguars before his pro career came to an end following the 2014 season.

Andrew Brown Jr.'s family has finally seen the police body cam video of his fatal shooting at the hands of deputies in North Carolina ... and they're outraged by what they describe as an "execution."

Family members and their attorneys were enraged after the meeting with the Pasquotank County Sheriff and the County Attorney -- not only because of the content of the video, but because they were only shown a "snippet" ... 20 seconds of one deputy's body cam.

The family had demanded to see all of the full, raw video available to the Sheriff's Office, but instead, they saw the brief clip, which they say had blurred the faces of deputies.

Adding to their anger is the fact they were only shown a single deputy's body cam. Their attorneys say the 20-second clip made it clear there were 7 to 8 other deputies on the scene ... whose body cam's presumably show more of the deadly incident.

Bakari Sellers, one of the family's attorneys, says the County Attorney disrespected him and the family before the viewing by saying he "was not going to be f**king bullied."

As brief as the video was ... the Browns say it showed a lot. For instance, one family attorney says the clip begins with Andrew Brown sitting in his car in his driveway -- blocked in by cops -- with his hands on his steering wheel as several different deputies demand to see his hands.

The family says Andrew was getting shot at by multiple cops -- and they couldn't keep track of how many shots rang out. They say Andrew tried backing out of the driveway to escape the gunfire, but slammed into a tree. The Browns describe seeing Glocks and assault rifles on the scene ... and even some evidence shots were fired before the video started. They say they weren't shown anything that led up to the chaos.

The lawyers and the family are emphatic ... they believe the County is trying to hide something, and that the officers involved need to be arrested immediately.

Brown's family retained several attorneys, including Sellers, Ben Crump and Harry Daniels. They've all been very vocal about demanding transparency ... something they feel, more than ever, they're not getting after viewing the brief clip.

Brown was gunned down last Wednesday when the sheriff's office was executing a search warrant.

The mayor there, Bettie Parker, has declared a state of emergency ahead of expected unrest and demonstrations ... which will presumably give them access to state and federal resources. Folks have already taken to the streets over the past several days.