RIP

22-year-old Bharti Shahani has died ... making her the 9th casualty from Travis Scott's Astroworld Festival.

Shahani, who was a senior at Texas A&M University passed away Thursday after injuries sustained at the event Friday night in Houston ... according to a family attorney.

As we had reported, Shahani had previously been declared brain dead, and was on a ventilator. She had gone to Astroworld with her sister and cousin, but the two got separated during a crowd surge. Bharti had reportedly suffered several heart attacks after the crowd crush and was rushed to a local hospital.

In an emotional press conference Thursday, a rep for Bharti's family confirmed she was the woman in a video -- obtained by TMZ -- that was dropped on her head as she was carried out by first responders. The rep says they want justice for Bharti and her family ... and for whoever put profits over safety to be held accountable.

Bharti marks the latest victim in the tragedy, and it's possible more could come. As we reported, 9-year-old Ezra Blount is still hospitalized and fighting for his life. His family, with the help of civil rights attorney Ben Crump, sued Travis and Live Nation for injuries they say were caused when Ezra was trampled.

Travis has vowed to pay for the funeral costs of the show's victims and to provide mental health services to those impacted by the events.

A rep for Travis tells us, "Over the last week, Travis Scott and his team have been actively exploring routes of connection with each and every family affected by the tragedy through the appropriate liaisons. He is distraught by the situation and desperately wishes to share his condolences and provide aid to them as soon as possible, but wants to remain respectful of each family’s wishes on how they'd best like to be connected."

Gene Simmons is going scorched earth on anyone who's still not vaccinated against COVID-19, and says he's sick of people using politics -- on the left AND the right -- as their rationale for remaining unvaccinated.

The KISS icon went on Talkshoplive's Rock 'N' Roll Channel Wednesday and went off about the lingering pandemic. Keep in mind, both Gene and KISS frontman Paul Stanley caught COVID earlier this year ... and one of the band's touring crew members died from it.

That's most likely why Gene has no patience for non-believers. He directly targeted folks who think "people died because they were fat or died because they smoked. No bitch, they died because they got COVID!!!"

And, in case anyone thought Simmons was getting political, he added, "The far left and the far right, they are both evil. They both spread all kinds of nonsense. Politics are the enemy."

Gene lamented the fact a lot of their European fans were unable to join the band for a recent KISS cruise vacation, but said those are the breaks when people don't wanna get the shot.

Soap actor Jerry Douglas, famous for his decades of work in "The Young and the Restless," has died ... TMZ has learned.

Jerry died Tuesday after a brief illness ... according to his family.

JD logged nearly 900 episodes on 'Young & Restless' dating back decades ... he was the third actor to play John Abbott, presiding over the Abbott Mansion and Jabot Cosmetics for 25 years until the fan-favorite character was killed off in 2006.

He appeared in tons of other big TV shows over the years, including ... "Cold Case," "Melrose Place," "Arrested Development," "Mission: Impossible," "The Incredible Hulk" and "The F.B.I."  ... just to name a few.

Jerry also worked on the big screen, with roles in movies like "JFK, "Good Guys Wear Black," "Avalanche," "Mommie Dearest," "Head Over Spurs in Love" and "The Godson."

He also acted in theater productions and sang.

Douglas was 88 and recently celebrated his birthday early with a bunch of his former castmates from 'Young & Restless.'

He's survived by his wife of 36 years, Kym Douglas, his sons, Jod and Hunter, and his daughter, Avra.

TMZ Sports has obtained multiple 911 calls made moments after Henry Ruggs allegedly caused a fatal car crash ... with one witness telling an operator she believed a person was trapped in the burning truck.

A female caller who said she lives near the scene of the accident claimed she was in bed when she heard the crash, and when she looked at the crash site, all she saw were flames.

"It's almost all gone," she said of the fire-engulfed vehicle, continuing, "and I think someone is in it."

The woman is clearly panicked ... and pleading with the 911 operator to get help to the scene.

The woman also said she heard what she described as "kids just yelling for help."

But, she said the flames were so high "you can't get near it."

In the second call, a man, who heard, but didn't see the crash, told authorities, "I want to say the [Corvette] was probably speeding. I mean, I heard loud revving, loud noises, and then a big collision."

The man horrifyingly said he also thought he heard yelping coming from a dog inside of the burning vehicle.

Of course, in addition to 23-year-old Tina Tintor dying in the wreck, her golden retriever, Max, also perished.

The second caller also speculated that he suspected Ruggs and his GF were under the influence ... though he didn't elaborate why he suspected they were impaired.

As we previously reported, 22-year-old Ruggs was hit with 5 charges including 4 felonies for his role in the crash.

A victim in the Astroworld calamity has been declared brain dead.

22-year-old Bharti Shahani has been hospitalized since Friday's concert, clinging to life on a ventilator, but it appears Shahani will become the 9th fatality in the tragedy.

The Texas A&M senior, her sister and her cousin were at the concert but got separated during the surge. Namrata, her sister, was okay, but Bharti was in dire shape. She was rushed to a nearby hospital by ambulance and received CPR on the ride there. She reportedly suffered multiple heart attacks during and after the crush.

The family is meeting with doctors to determine next steps. It's unclear if Shahani is still on a ventilator.

8 people have already been confirmed dead, and many others are still in the hospital suffering serious, and life-threatening, injuries. As we reported, 9-year-old Ezra Blount is currently in a medically-induced coma after becoming a victim of the stampede.

As we reported, new lawsuits are being filed by the day. With 8 dead and counting, along with hundreds of injured, the amount of damages on the line is staggering.

Kobe Bryant's legacy could be entering the wine industry -- Vanessa Bryant just filed four new trademark applications for a wine named after the late NBA Hall of Famer.

TMZ Sports has confirmed ... Vanessa submitted docs on Nov. 5 to secure trademarks that indicate her aspirations to enter the wine business ... with "Mamba Vino," "Mamba Vino 2024," "Mamba Vino 8," and "Mamba Vino 24" among the phrases listed, as first reported by Josh Gerben.

Kobe Bryant, LLC -- which is run by Vanessa -- is listed as the applicant on the filing ... with Bryant signing off on all the paperwork.

This move is the latest in a series of business moves by Vanessa ... as we previously reported, last month she filed a trademark for digital collectible items, websites, training camps, broadcasting platforms, podcasts, TV shows, movies, documentaries and music ... as well as sports cards, food/drink containers and t-shirts.

All four new trademark names include one of Kobe's many nicknames, "vino" ... 'cause many people thought his game got better with age.

The names also pay tribute to the numbers Kobe wore -- 8 and 24 -- of course, both numbers are retired by the Lakers and hang in the rafters at the Staples Center.

The key gaffer on "Rust" is now taking legal action against Alec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and Dave Halls ... suing them over the fatal shooting that killed Halyna Hutchins.

Serge Svetnoy just filed suit against the above-mentioned individuals -- as well as others -- claiming the defendants' alleged negligence caused him severe emotional distress in the aftermath of it all.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Svetnoy claims the bullet that struck both Hutchins and director Joel Souza actually zoomed by and nearly hit him too. Not just that, but the gaffer claims he was one of the first people on hand to tend to Halyna while she was profusely bleeding ... attempting to comfort her and keep her conscious.

As for why he's suing Baldwin, the suit claims he "owed a duty to the Plaintiff and other crew members and actors on the 'Rust' set to handle the Colt Revolver provided to him by defendant Halls with reasonable care and diligence for the safety of 'Rust' cast and crew." It goes on to say, "This duty called for Defendant Baldwin to double-check the Colt Revolver with Halls upon being handled to ensure that it did not contain live ammunition."

And, it goes on ... "This duty further called for him [Baldwin] to handle the Colt Revolver as if it was loaded and to refrain from pointing it at anyone." In other words, the suit claims negligence on Baldwin's part.

And, there's this ... according to the lawsuit, the scene Baldwin was rehearsing did not call for him to pull the trigger. According to the lawsuit, the scene called for Baldwin to draw the gun and point it in the general direction of the camera, but, "the scene did not call for Defendant Baldwin to shoot the Colt Revolver."

The suit also claims Baldwin was negligent as a producer on "Rust," saying, "... they attempted to save money by hiring an insufficient number of crew members to safely handle the props and firearms ..." It goes on to claim there were other lapses on the set, including violating industry norms, declining requests for weapons training days, failing to allow proper time to allow for gunfire, failing to send out safety bulletins and spreading the staff too thin.

The suit also claims the target practice that was going on shortly before the tragedy was "outrageous."

Svetnoy says he'd known Halyna for 5 years and considered her a good friend.

The ordeal was absolutely traumatic, so says Svetnoy, and has since left him in utter mental anguish ... to the point he feels he might not ever be able to get over it.

A staffer at Houston's NRG Park -- which hosts Astroworld Fest -- made a very specific plea to Houston city officials to establish a wide perimeter ... in anticipation of unruly behavior.

TMZ obtained permit and planning documents and correspondence between NRG and the City of Houston, and in them ... the guy in charge of the facility's parking emailed people at the mayor's office just days before the 2-day festival was set to start.

The message -- sent by parking rep Sandeep Prasad -- is pretty detailed on what NRG was going to need from the City before Astroworld, due to what he described as past "transgressions."

Specifically, Prasad wanted to see if Houston could accommodate having a couple main road lanes entirely blocked off just outside NRG Park ... as he felt it would allow for safer entry into the premises, especially considering what had happened in 2018 and 2019.

Prasad's email reads, "During the Festivals in 2018 and 2019, there were a lot of transgressions on the Main Street side of the Yellow Lot. Those included destroying property and various acts of violence."

He goes on to say due to those issues, NRG is requesting to have the City close the two outside lanes going northbound on Main Street starting November 3. Main is a road that borders NRG and a section of its lot.

Prasad also mentions this request isn't coming out of thin air ... but on the heels of many public safety meetings in conjunction with Houston PD, which apparently thought this would be in the public's best interest.

No word on whether NRG got what it wanted, but it's telling the request was made at all. We don't know for certain if Prasad was specifically referring to the massive stampeding that took place in 2019 -- which was well-documented -- as the park opened.

You might recall, folks were trampled in 2019 -- the last time Trav held an Astroworld Fest at NRG -- with many climbing over barricades and breaking through security gates. Three people were seriously injured back then, and the email makes it seem like NRG honchos had that on their minds ahead of this year's concert.

And, that's what makes this document so important ... it shows NRG was aware of the risk for more violence and rowdiness, and attempted to take steps to curb it -- although, the tragedy still went down on the premises.

Drake is speaking out for the first time since joining Travis Scott on stage at Astroworld the same night 8 concertgoers lost their lives ... saying he's devastated and vowing to be of service in any way he can.

Drake posted a lengthy statement Monday, saying, I've spent the past few days trying to wrap my mind around this devastating tragedy. I hate resorting to this platform to express an emotion as delicate as grief but this is where I find myself."

He continues, "My heart is broken for the families and friends of those who lost their lives and for anyone who is suffering. I will continue to pray for all of them, and will be of service in any way I can. May God be with you all."

Drake was a surprise performer at Friday's festival in Houston, jumping on stage to perform "Sicko Mode" and other hits with Travis.

Sources close to both Drake and Travis tell us neither had any idea of the severity of what was happening in the crowd ... with waves of fans pushing forward, and suffocating others.

While it wasn't his event, Drake has still been named a defendant in injury lawsuits from those claiming the concert left them in serious physical and emotional stress.

TMZ broke the story ... Travis will cover the funeral expenses of the 8 people who died at the show -- without question -- and is teaming up with BetterHelp to offer mental health services to anyone who may need them.

Dean Stockwell, who starred alongside Scott Bakula in "Quantum Leap," has died ... TMZ has learned.

The longtime actor -- his Hollywood career spanned 70 years -- died early Sunday morning at home, peacefully and of natural causes ... according to a rep.

Dean's most famous for his role as Admiral Al Calavicci on 'Quantum' ... he starred in all 97 episodes of the hit sci-fi TV show from 1989 to 1993. The cult classic series earned Stockwell multiple Emmy nominations, and the 1990 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor.

Stockwell started out a child actor for MGM Studios back in the 1940s, starring in films like "Anchors Aweigh" and "Gentleman's Agreement" -- and he had a steady string of roles right into the 1980s, when he not only landed the 'Quantum' role ... but had major turns in movies.

Dean got a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for 1988's "Married to the Mob," and also co-starred in big films like the original "Dune," "Blue Velvet" and "Paris, Texas."

He found even more TV popularity when he joined the "Battlestar Galactica" cast in 2006. Thanks to that role, and his 'Quantum' stardom, Dean became a fixture at sci-fi conventions all over the country.

Dean is survived by his wife, Joy Stockwell and their 2 children, Austin and Sophie.

He was 85 years old.

The family of Tina Tintor -- the woman who was killed in the Henry Ruggs car crash last week -- received over $94k in donations after setting up a GoFundMe to help pay for costs associated with the 23-year-old's death.

The fundraiser was created over the weekend ... with the Tintor family receiving thousands of donations totaling over $94k, as of late Monday morning.

The initial goal was only $7,000.

Several kind-hearted people donated over $1k ... and one person even gave $5k.

The family is clearly grateful for the love and support. Her mom wrote, "Our lives were changed forever when Tina passed away alongside Max on the morning of November 2, 2021."

"Those who knew Tina know that she was a beautiful loving soul that always put everyone before herself."

"From our hearts to yours, we thank you for thinking of Tina and Max, and we really appreciate your support."

As we reported, the former Las Vegas Raiders' receiver Ruggs was driving his Corvette at 157 MPH just 2.5 seconds before smashing into Tintor's Toyota from behind early Tuesday morning.

Authorities say Ruggs struck her at 127 MPH causing the Toyota to burst into flames ... killing her and her Golden Retriever Max before help could arrive.

Ruggs -- who was released by the Raiders shortly after the deadly crash -- was arrested and hit with five charges, four of them felonies ... including DUI resulting in death, DUI resulting in substantial bodily harm and two reckless driving charges.

Ex-MLB player Pedro Feliciano -- who pitched for the New York Mets for 9 seasons -- died on Sunday night, baseball analyst Eduardo Perez reported.

He was just 45 years old.

Perez did not reveal a cause of death for Feliciano ... but the ESPN broadcaster did say the former reliever passed away in his sleep.

"He was a really good [baseball player] but a better person off the field," Perez said. "He will be missed."

Perez added Feliciano had been out jet skiing with his family earlier Sunday.

Feliciano was drafted by the Dodgers in 1995 and ultimately made his MLB debut for the Mets at 25 years old in 2002.

He went on to throw for the Mets until 2010 -- and then signed a two-year deal with the Yankees, though he didn't play for the Pinstripes in either 2011 or 2012 while battling injuries.

He eventually re-signed with the Mets in 2013, but didn't log any more time in the Big Leagues following that season.

Feliciano revealed in '13 he had been diagnosed with a rare medical condition -- one in which he said doctors found he had a "little hole" in his heart. It's unclear if that played any role in his death Sunday.

RIP

Houston Texans quarterback Tyrod Taylor said his team is sending their thoughts and prayers to those affected by the chaos at Travis Scott's Astroworld Festival on Friday ... saying the incident is "bigger than football."

8 people are dead and hundreds of others are injured as a result of the tragedy ... and after the Texans fell 17-9 to the Miami Dolphins, Taylor opened his postgame press conference by addressing what went down back home.

"I know something bigger than football happened back in our Houston community this past Friday at the festival," Taylor said. "Just wanted to let the city of Houston know that our organization, our team, our prayers are definitely with y’all."

"Never want to see loss of life. We'll continue to keep praying for y’all."

The Houston Police Chief was so concerned about crowd control at the Astroworld Festival, he went to Travis Scott's trailer to express concern over the "energy in the crowd."

Police Chief Troy Finner said the "energy" in anticipation of the festival had been escalating for months ... this according to the NY Times. The Chief attributed the energy to the pandemic, the fact that tickets went for hundreds of dollars and the event itself had a history of crowds that were difficult to control.

The Chief knew Travis personally and admired him for all the good work he did in Houston.

That said, it's clear the Chief was concerned about the swelling and anxious crowd.

The Chief may have gone to the trailer because some people who wanted to get in before the concert started knocking down barricades.

Sources connected to Travis tell TMZ ... the Chief never told Travis to pull the plug on the show. Furthermore, the sources say Travis was never told the stop the show prior to 10:10 PM -- more than an hour after the show began -- via his in-ear device. The sources go on to say the fire marshal was also mum.

Although Travis says because of the pyrotechnics, strobe lights and all, he couldn't see the scope of the calamity.

And, there's this ... our sources say at one point officers working the show near the stage were filming the concert on their cell phones ... in other words, not doing their jobs.

There was also this ominous sign ahead of the concert ... there was only 47 security personnel on-hand at the 2019 festival ... by contrast there was 528 security members at this event, underscoring the fear things could get out of control.

As we reported, 8 people died during the chaos, and hundreds were injured.

The fatalities from the event ranged from teens to young adults: a 14-year-old, a 16-year-old, two 21-year-olds, two 23-year-olds, a 27-year-old and a male whose age was unknown.

Travis Scott took to Instagram to share his sadness and condolences surrounding the event and that he was working with Houston PD. He's also vowed to refund festival tickets and has canceled an upcoming show in Vegas.

In addition to crowd control, Chief Finner said a security guard working the event felt a prick in his neck by an unknown assailant while he was trying to restrain a citizen -- and he quickly fell unconscious.

Finner says the guard was revived by use of NARCAN ... and that medical personnel did, indeed, see something on his neck that indicated he'd been stabbed with a syringe.

"Sons of Anarchy" star William Lucking's years as a Hollywood tough guy and stuntman took a toll on the actor's body, and his wife says those injuries made his final years very painful.

Lucking, who played Piney Winston on the popular show, died October 18 at his home in Vegas surrounded by family. His wife, Sigrid, tells us Lucking had a myriad of injuries over his career -- which started in the '70s -- including one motorcycle accident where he fell 80 feet off a bridge during filming for "Harold and Maude" ... landing him in a body cast for weeks.

Not only that, Lucking fell off a lot of horses and broke a lot of other bones throughout the many action roles he took up ... 2 knee replacements, back surgery, shoulder surgery and more.

Sigrid tells us Lucking spent the last year of his life in a wheelchair, was having breathing problems and his heart was failing ... "He just gave up. He was tired and in a lot of pain."

Lucking's 'SOA' character in some ways reflected his real-life, Piney Winston -- who was the most senior member of the bike club -- slowed down physically and was on oxygen as the series progressed.

Lucking was 80 when he died ... he leaves behind Sigrid, two daughters, grandkids and a sister.

A 14-year-old named John Hilgert is the youngest victim to lose his life at the Astroworld Festival.

John's family shared the photo of the boy who was apparently crushed in the stampede Friday night.

He was a 9th grader at Memorial High School in Houston.

The Houston Medical Examiner also released a photo of someone they have been unable to identify. The victim is a male in his 20s, stood 6'2" and weighed 498 lbs.

They obviously have released the photo so someone can claim the body.

Among the other victims ... 27-year-old Danish Baig, who was crushed to death while trying to save a relative, 21-year-old Franco Patino, a senior at the Univ. of Dayton in Ohio, 16-year-old Brianna Rodriguez, a junior high school student who loved dance, and 23-year-old Rudy Pena, a model who wanted to become a U.S. Border Patrol Agent.

In all, 8 people died and hundreds were injured. Astroworld and Travis Scott have been severely criticized for not stopping the concert when the tragedy unfolded. He stayed on performing for 40 minutes.