RIP

Kobe Bryant's daughter, Natalia, is gunning to follow in her dad's footsteps ... revealing the NBA legend inspired her to pursue a career in film -- and she's hoping to win an Oscar!!

The Black Mamba's 18-year-old daughter -- an aspiring filmmaker -- opened up about her favorite memories with her dad in a rare interview with IMG Models on Thursday ... saying they would spend countless hours watching movies together.

But, their time wouldn't end after the end credits -- the new USC student says the duo would take MONTHS dissecting storylines and comparing movies to their own experiences throughout the world.

Of course, Kobe was deeply invested in his off-court endeavors after retiring from the league in 2016 ... and won an Oscar for his animated short, "Dear Basketball" in 2018.

When asked where she saw herself in 10 years, Natalia said she's hoping to get the same recognition.

"I want to win an Oscar. I'm not sure for what, or for what Oscar category, but that's on my list," she said.

Keith McCants -- the 4th overall draft pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1990 NFL Draft -- has passed away. He was 53 years old.

McCants was found dead Thursday morning in St. Petersburg, Florida by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, according to The Athletic.

The former Alabama defensive end played in 88 games over his 6 year NFL career for the Bucs, Oilers and Cardinals ... and finished with 192 tackles and 13.5 sacks.

He also recorded one touchdown -- reaching the endzone off a 46-yard interception return.

McCants was an All-American at Alabama and was named CBS National Defensive Player of the Year in 1989. He was also selected as the Iron Bowl MVP.

After his playing days were over, McCants fell into financial troubles ... and opened up about his experiences on the ESPN "30 for 30" documentary, "Broke."

Unfortunately, Keith also shared his battles with drug abuse and painkillers ... telling Vice Sports back in 2015 he was taking more than 183 pills a week before the end of his NFL career ... and it took a toll on him mentally.

Former wrestler Daffney Unger -- who starred in the WCW from 1999 to 2001 -- has died after posting a very disturbing video to her social media page, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

She was 46 years old.

A spokesperson for the Gwinnett County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed the death to TMZ Sports, but did not reveal a cause or manner.

Daffney's friend, wrestler Lexie Fyfe, said the former WCW star -- real name Shannon Spruill -- was found dead Thursday morning.

"We are very sad to have to announce the passing of Shannon Spruill aka Daffney Unger," said Lexie, who told us she and Daffney were so close, they "called each other sisters."

"We are posting this at the request of her family. Please respect their privacy at this trying time. I will miss you my logical sister from another mister."

Daffney had gone on Instagram Live late Wednesday night and appeared to be in a suicidal state, saying in her video, "Do you guys not understand that I am all alone? Do you not understand that?"

She later could be heard in the footage saying, "Remember, my brain goes to Boston."

Fyfe tells us Daffney had been battling mental health issues in recent weeks ... and urged anyone who's going through similar struggles to reach out for help.

Fyfe also tells us cops initially had trouble finding Daffney following the posting of the video ... explaining Daffney had just moved into a different apartment just four days ago.

The wrestling world was rocked by the news ... with legend Mick Foley saying, "I'm so very sorry to learn of Daffney's passing. A terrible loss for her family, friends and wrestling. She was far ahead if her time in our business. #RIPDaffney."

Added wrestling star Frankie Kazarian, "RIP Daffney. Just, awful news. She was a guest at my wedding…This is so incredibly sad. Please, reach out. Always. Godspeed."

After her stint in the WCW, Daffney went on to have a big role with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling from '08-'11. She retired a short time later.

RIP.

Cardi B is getting applauded by the family of slain IG model Miss Mercedes Morr ... they're thankful Cardi is shining light on the tragedy and they invited her to the funeral.

The late model's mother, Jeanetta Grover, tells TMZ ... the family's grateful Cardi brought awareness to her daughter's tragic death, because Cardi took the attention away from her daughter's alleged murderer and put it back on Mercedes.

MMM was found dead last month at her home in Houston in what authorities are calling an apparent murder-suicide.

Cardi defended Mercedes online after some folks tried to blame Morr for her own death.

The family tells us Mercedes was a huge fan of Cardi's, with a fiery spirit and a kind heart, and they reached out privately to Cardi to extend an invite to the memorial service.

We're told there's no pressure on Cardi to attend the celebration of life Saturday in Houston ... the family says they understand she's a busy woman and they're just thankful Cardi brought awareness to the case.

NeNe Leakes' husband, Gregg, has died ... this after an on-and-off battle with cancer.

The 'RHOA' star's hubby of over 20 years passed away Wednesday -- this according to a family rep. They say, "Today the Leakes family is in deep pain with a broken heart. After a long battle with cancer, Gregg Leakes has passed away peacefully in his home surrounded by all of his children, very close loved ones and wife Nene Leakes."

The rep adds, "We ask that you pray for peace and strength over their family & allow them to mourn in private during this very very difficult time."

Sources close to the family tell TMZ there won't be a funeral -- which is at Gregg's request. We're told he wanted to be cremated, and NeNe and co. are honoring that wish. Our sources do say, however, that there will be a celebration of life ceremony some point down the road.

Gregg was featured on pretty much all the season for 'Real Housewives' that NeNe appeared on before bowing out of the franchise entirely last year. His colon cancer diagnosis was covered at length on the series ... and it was incredibly emotional watching him battle.

Gregg and NeNe first got hitched in 1997 but divorced in 2011. However, a couple years later -- in 2013 -- they said "I do" once more ... and have been happily married ever since. The couple shares their son, Brent, who's in his 20s -- and also have kids from previous relationships. Despite that though ... they were quite the blended family, usually putting on a united front while cameras rolled.

The news of Gregg's passing was something NeNe alluded to just over the weekend -- a video of her at a lounge in Georgia went viral ... because she called out some clubgoer who gave her a hard time for not publicly wishing them a happy birthday over the microphone.

She ended up giving the birthday shout-out, but not before letting them know Gregg was on his death bed at home ... and that she and her fam were going through a very hard time.

RHOA honcho, Andy Cohen, also commented on Gregg's death, sending "love and strength" to NeNe -- who he has not always had the best relationship with.

Gregg was 66.

The family of Elijah McClain -- the unarmed Black man killed in Colorado 2 years ago during a run-in with cops -- feel they just got a measure of justice, because those involved in his death have just been indicted.

Colorado AG, Phil Weiser, announced the 32-charge indictment Wednesday against 5 people tied to McClain's 2019 detainment and subsequent medical transport -- slapping 3 Aurora PD cops (2 current, 1 former) and two Aurora Fire medics with two counts each ... manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide.

Two of those officers -- Randy Roedema and Jason Rosenblatt -- face additional charges ... 2nd-degree assault with the intent to cause bodily injury. The indictment comes after Weiser was tapped as a special prosecutor to investigate ... this following massive public outrage.

Weiser says he handed over his findings to a grand jury this past January -- and now, some 8 months later, it seems they've found sufficient evidence to bring these folks to trial.

You might recall ... McClain was walking home on August 24, 2019 when he was stopped by the three officers mentioned, who apparently accosted him because he seemed "suspicious" -- which one of the cops can be heard saying in since-released body cam footage.

Before long, things escalated ... and the cops had McClain in a carotid hold, among others for quite a while. He passed out during the struggle -- and the medics are alleged to have administered a lethal dose of ketamine, which prosecutors believe kill him.

The incident occurred well before George Floyd's case gripped the nation last year -- but was among the many high profile stories that led to mass protests for Black Lives Matter.

Hall of Fame wrestler Rikishi says his niece was tragically murdered in a shooting earlier this summer ... and now, he's pleading with the public for help in finding who did it.

Rikishi re-posted a flier Tuesday from the San Francisco Police Department ... which he says spells out the horrific details of his niece's death on July 30.

In the bulletin, cops say they responded to a report of a shooting at around 6:45 PM ... and learned a 45-year-old woman and a 16-year-old girl had been shot.

Police say the 45-year-old was treated for her injuries and is expected to survive ... though they say, tragically, the 16-year-old died from her wounds.

Rikishi says the 16-year-old is his niece, Jaedah Tofaeono, and he pleaded with the public to "PLEASE HELP FIND THESE MOTHERF*****S."

"Need your help," Rikishi added. "They murdered my niece In the BAY AREA 16yrs old ... Check it .. Spread the word."

The SFPD says it's offering a $50K reward for "information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the suspect(s) responsible for the murder."

Jayson Tatum has become the latest NBA superstar to honor Kobe Bryant with a tribute tattoo ... and the Boston Celtics superstar's new artwork is AWESOME.

The 23-year-old revealed the ink this week ... showing off two black mamba snakes on the inside of his knee that form the shape of a "24" -- Kobe's old jersey number.

The tattoo artist who did the piece, Steve Wiebe, tells TMZ Sports ... Tatum got the work done in Los Angeles this month -- sitting for an hour and a half to get it all completed.

Of course, Tatum is a HUGE fan of Kobe's ... he's said often Bryant was his favorite player growing up -- and he's talked glowingly of the time the two spent together.

In fact, Tatum and Kobe would work out together from time to time in offseasons ... and Tatum has said the drills with the Lakers legend helped mold his game.

As we previously reported, plenty of NBA players have gotten Kobe ink on their bodies after the Hall of Famer died in a helicopter crash in January 2020.

LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Matt Barnes all got tats after the tragedy. Vanessa Bryant and celebs like The Game and Snoop Dogg also famously got tribute ink as well.

Amadeu Campos Silva -- a promising young bull rider -- died after a "terrible accident" at an event in California on Sunday, the Professional Bull Riders announced. He was 22 years old.

Campos was riding a bull named Classic Man during the championship round of the PBR Velocity Tour in Fresno ... when he was bucked off after about 5 seconds.

As he went down, Campos' spur got stuck in his rope, which led to Classic Man stepping on his chest. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he sadly passed away.

Campos was born in Brazil ... and came to the U.S. after competing in PBR Brazil in 2017 and 2018 to pursue a World Championship.

He also competed in the PBR World Finals in 2020.

"Amadeu Campos Silva was a son, a brother, a soccer teammate, and a smiling presence in the locker room, here in the U.S. pursuing his bull-riding dream," Sean Gleason, PBR's CEO, said on Twitter.

"Amadeu was a rising star in our sport; a cowboy with so much potential on and off the dirt," Gleason added.

"The entire PBR and western sports family extend our thoughts, prayers, and heartfelt condolences to Amadeu's family and friends."

"Please say a prayer tonight for them, and may Amadeu's soul eternally rest in peace."

Matthew Mindler's mom says he struggled with severe anxiety issues for years, and yet ... prior to his suicide, she says he seemed to be enjoying his 1st week of college.

The late child actor's mother, Monica Mindler, tells TMZ ... Matthew moved into Millersville University on Aug. 19, and things seemed to be going very well, until he disappeared.

Matthew's mom says he kept in constant contact with her during his first few days on the Pennsylvania campus, and he was busy. Monica says her son told her he met with an advisor about starting a campus computer/programming club, had an upcoming job interview with the IT department and was making friends.

As we reported ... Matthew, who starred in "Our Idiot Brother," never returned to his dorm room Tuesday night, was reported missing Wednesday, and found dead Saturday near campus. The coroner says he died by suicide.

Matthew's mom says their last text message exchange was Tuesday night, when she told him she was planning to pick him up Friday to spend the weekend at home. She wanted him to come home and relax for a few days, knowing he struggles with "crippling anxiety."

Monica tells us she texted him Wednesday morning, but didn't get a response -- her messages went through as texts instead of iMessages, suggesting his phone was off or in a bad service area.

Monica says she later contacted Matthew's dorm at MU for a wellness check, and got in touch with his roommate Wednesday evening, but she was told no one had seen her son and people at school were concerned.

By Thursday, Matthew's mom still hadn't heard from him and she drove to campus and got the police involved.

Matthew Mindler, the child actor known for his role in "Our Idiot Brother," died by suicide ... according to officials.

The Lancaster County Coroner’s Office tells TMZ ... Mindler's manner of death has been ruled suicide, but the cause of death is still pending toxicology results.

We broke the story ... Matthew's college, Millersville University in Pennsylvania, confirmed his death with an announcement to the student body Saturday. It said he was found deceased that morning in Manor Township near the campus.

The first-year student had not been seen since Tuesday night after failing to return to his dorm room, and was reported missing late Wednesday.

Along with his role in "Our Idiot Brother" alongside Paul Rudd, Mindler also appeared in a sketch on "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" in 2015 and had a few other acting credits to his name.

He was 19.

Dozens of Jimmy Hayes' fans paid their respects to the ex-NHL player at his funeral on Monday ... emotionally saluting the former hockey player with their sticks at the procession.

New Jersey Devils star P.K. Subban was in attendance at St. Ann's Church in Massachusetts for the ceremonies ... and captured the amazing tribute.

You can see in Subban's footage, people lined up on both sides of the street -- with Dorchester Youth Hockey players wearing their jerseys and holding their sticks to pay homage to the former pro.

Subban also shared some photos of kids holding custom-made Hayes jerseys at the salute.

As we previously reported, Hayes tragically died in Milton, Mass. last week at just 31 years old. A cause of death has not yet been publicly revealed.

Jimmy's wife, Kristen, and his brother, Philadelphia Flyers star Kevin Hayes, gave emotional speeches at the funeral Monday ... with Kristen saying, "You were simply the best. There's no other way to put it."

"The boys and I were your whole world," she added. "Every morning you would wake me up with, 'Hi, big momma' or, 'Big momma looking hot.' You said you felt bad that the boys will have the hot mom in the pickup line at school."

Kristen continued, "I will try my best to fill your shoes, but I know it's nearly impossible."

Jimmy played winger for 7 seasons ... logging ice time with the Blackhawks, Panthers, Bruins and Devils. He retired in 2019.

Sharon Stone has lost someone near and dear to her -- her baby nephew, River, has died ... just days after she announced his organs had given out on him.

The actress provided a tragic update Monday, saying the 11-month-old had passed away ... and posting a video tribute in his honor. She lists his DOB as Sept. 8, 2020, and his death as Aug. 30 ... so the kid was just a week or so shy of his first birthday.

It's unclear what led to River's organ failure to begin with -- but it was quite clear he was in dire need of immediate life-saving measures just last week ... when Sharon posted a photo of him hooked up to a ton of tubes in the hospital and asking for prayers.

All she wrote at the time about the circumstances was, "My nephew and godson River Stone was found in his crib w total organ failure today. Please pray for him. We need a miracle."

River is the son of Sharon's brother, Patrick, and his wife, Tasha. Sharon was a proud auntie -- posting pics of the newborn when he came into the world. It's been a rough year for the Stone family all around ... Sharon also lost her grandmother and godmother in the pandemic.

Ed Asner -- one the most prolific actors to ever have done it -- has died.

His reps confirm to TMZ that EA passed away Sunday surrounded by family. No other details about the circumstances of his death have emerged.

The family issued a statement saying, "We are sorry to say that our beloved patriarch passed away this morning peacefully. Words cannot express the sadness we feel. With a kiss on your head- Goodnight dad. We love you."

Ed was a veteran actor, having gotten his start in showbiz way back in the '50s, and finding critical success in a recurring role with "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" by playing Lou Grant ... Mary's TV station boss. He starred in 166 episodes of the series, for 7 long years.

He even got his own spinoff out of it ... with a show called "Lou Grant" which ran for nearly as long -- and of course, Ed took on the lead role there for over a hundred episodes. He's the most decorated male actor when it comes to Primetime Emmys ... the guy won 5 alone for his portrayal of Lou Grant, and two others for different roles in other TV shows.

"Lou Grant" was a decorated series in and of itself -- racking up 13 Emmys and Golden Globes too along the way. It was actually the third spinoff off of 'TMTMS' ... and perhaps the most successful.

Other notable TV series he was involved in with recurring appearances -- "The Bronx Zoo," "The Trials of Rosie O'Neill," "Hearts Afire," "Thunder Alley," "The Closer," "Center of the Universe" and others. His voice acting career is actually even more impressive ... taking off in the '90s and beyond.

Of course, Ed is also quite famous for his role in "Roots" ... for which he won an award as well.

But, even for brief roles ... the dude literally touched just about every major television series that was out at the time -- including shows like "The Fugitive," "Iron Horse," "Mission: Impossible," "The F.B.I.," "Ironside," "Mod Squad," "Rich Man, Poor Man," "Hawaii Five-O," "Police Story," "Insight," "Tender is the Night," "American Playhouse," "Fish Police" "Roseanne," "Mad About You," "Ask Harriet," "The Closer," "Hercules," "The X-Files," "ER," "CSI: NY" and more.

He's lent his talents to shows like "Batman: The Animated Series," "Superman: The Animated Series," "Animaniacs," "Freakazoid!," "Captain Planet," "Max Steel," "Zorro," "Jumanji," "Spider-Man: The Animated Series," "Gargoyles," "The Simpsons," "The Cleveland Show" and several more over the years. He even played the lead voice of Carl Fredricksen in Disney's classic Pixar flick "Up" ... so that just an idea of how far and wide his work is known.

Ed's movie work was just as impressive -- he's been in flicks like John Wayne's "El Dorado," "Elf," "The Gathering," "JFK," "O'Hara's Wife," "Hard Rain," "The Christmas Star," "Gus," "The Fanatics," "Basil," "The Bachelor," "The Animal," "Gigantic," "Saving Christmas," "Faith, Hope & Love," "Too Big to Fail," "Let Go" ... and dozens and dozens more.

Ed's been a part of so many iconic shows and movies ... it's difficult to even attempt to list all of them. All in all, the guy has 416 acting credits to his name ... including stuff that's still being worked on right now for future release.

The last time we saw Ed in person, he was as jovial and nice as ever ... happily signing autographs and chatting it up with us while being pushed in a chair. That's just the kind of guy he was!

He was 91.

Ron Bushy -- the longtime drummer of rock band Iron Butterfly -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Bushy passed away Sunday morning at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles -- this according to his family members ... several of whom were by his side, including his wife and daughters. We're told he'd been battling some form of cancer.

The guy was the only member of IB to have appeared on all six of their albums, and is perhaps best known for his iconic drum solo on their 1968 hit, "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida."

The track is legendary for a number of reasons -- not the least of which because it's more than 17 minutes long ... and Bushy completely shreds on the drums for a good 2-3 minutes.

RB went on to help record their second, third and fourth albums into the '70s -- and then took a break until the gang got back together in '74 for albums no. 5 and 6. They continued jamming into the '80s -- when a second breakup occurred -- but they rekindled once more.

There were an infamous amount of lineup changes for IB through the '70s and '80s -- but the one constant mostly throughout was Bushy ... who was usually around to keep the tempo and the beat going, through studio sessions or on tour.

He played with other bands too during his tenure with Iron Butterfly -- including groups like Magic and Gold. Ron hung up full-time playing in the mid-2010s due to health concerns, but word is ... he'd make guest appearances with the new iteration of the band in the years after.

He's survived by his wife, Nancy, their three daughters and six grandchildren. Ron was 79.

Matthew Mindler, the child actor who went missing earlier this week, has died ... law enforcement tells TMZ.

The college he attended confirmed his death with an announcement to the student body ... "It is with a grieving heart that I let you know of the death of 19-year-old Matthew Mindler from Hellertown, Pennsylvania, a first-year student at Millersville University. A search had been underway for Matthew since Thursday, after he was reported missing. Matthew was found deceased this morning, Saturday, August 28, in Manor Township near campus."

The official did not disclose the cause of death or whether foul play is suspected.

Matthew starred opposite Paul Rudd in "Our Idiot Brother."

Matthew had not been seen since Tuesday night after failing to return to his dorm room. He was reported missing late Wednesday.

Police say Matthew was last seen walking away from his dorm at 8:11 PM Tuesday, wearing a white Millersville University hoodie with black stripes on the arm, a black backpack, jeans and white sneakers.

Cops say Matthew went to classes Monday and Tuesday but hadn't returned on Wednesday.

Matthew's credits include an episode of "As the World Turns" and "Frequency." He also appeared in the 2016 TV movie, "Chad: An American Boy."

Matthew was 19.