RIP

Gene Hackman will be honored during The Oscars on Sunday night ... and it seems an old friend will be speaking about the legend.

A Hackman relative tells TMZ ... the family has been told that Morgan Freeman will speak about Gene -- which will be an extension of the in memoriam segment.

Gene and Morgan of course starred together in the Clint Eastwood classic "Unforgiven" ... for which Gene scored his second Oscar. Morgan wasn't nominated for the flick, but took home his own Academy Award in 2005 for "Million Dollar Baby."

David Johansen, the frontman for proto-punk band New York Dolls and actor known for his work in the Bill Murray classic "Scrooged," has died.

Johansen died Friday at his New York home ... his death was confirmed by his stepdaughter, Leah Hennessey to multiple outlets.

The iconic rocker with a deep, gravelly voice announced last month he was suffering from stage four cancer, a brain tumor and a broken back -- although his official cause of death has not been announced.

Gene Hackman shockingly does not have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for fans to grieve their loss ... but there is a restaurant in New Mexico where some are paying their respects to the legend.

Doug Lanham, a close friend and former business partner, tells TMZ ... fans have begun dropping off notes and flowers to his Santa Fe restaurant Jinja Bar & Bistro ... which was co-owned by Hackman for several years after he walked away from Hollywood a two-time Oscar winner and film icon.

In addition to being regarded as one of the best actors to ever grace the silver screen ... Hackman was also a prolific painter -- and did nearly all the amazing work that hangs from Jinja's walls.

Several of the late Gene Hackman's items were taken during a search after the bodies of him and his wife were found in their New Mexico home ... and TMZ has obtained the full list.

According to police documents ... deputies who conducted the search at the home took a thyroid medication, Tylenol and Diltiazem -- a calcium-blocker used to treat high blood pressure and other heart-related issues.

Cops also took records from MyQuest -- a healthcare website used to check test results, schedule appointments and keep track of one's health history. A 2025 calendar and two cell phones were also taken.

Michelle Trachtenberg's death shocked many in the film industry ... and, clearly she wasn't expecting it either -- 'cause she had plans for a major appearance in the coming weeks.

Jennifer Hutchins -- a producer on the film "Spyral," Michelle's final credit -- tells TMZ ... Trachtenberg was supposed to appear at a private benefit screening of the movie in Austin during SXSW on March 12 to support mental health nonprofits.

Hutchins says the "Spyral" team knew she was struggling with health issues ... but, if she was well enough, she planned to attend either in person or via Zoom.

The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Department held a news conference to give an update on the investigation into the deaths of legendary actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, this afternoon -- and, it sounds like Gene was dead in the New Mexico home for a week and a half before he was found.

Sheriff Adan Mendoza led the news conference as deputies continue to look into the deaths they labeled "suspicious" in a department application for a search warrant this week.

During the press conference, Mendoza says Hackman's pacemaker shows its last event on February 17 -- indicating that's when it stopped and when he died. Mendoza said autopsies and toxicology reports were pending, but he said both individuals tested negative for carbon monoxide, according to the medical examiner.

Kylie Jenner's clearly having a difficult time ever since her pal and hairstylist Jesus Guerrero passed away ... admitting she isn't sleeping much and sharing a video of the two together.

The reality star turned mogul made a couple posts to her Instagram Story Friday ... starting with a screengrab of a seven-hour phone call she had with Ariel -- a makeup artist who was also pals with Jesus.

KJ admits she's not sleeping well these days ... but adds she loves and appreciates her friend Ariel.

Sad news in the snowboarding community ... Australian star Luke "The Dingo" Trembath has tragically passed away at the age of 38.

His cause of death is not known at this time.

Word of the loss spread on social media Thursday night ... with countless friends and loved ones sharing heartbreaking reactions.

Gene Hackman’s New Mexico home is so huge, it took a while to find his body after his wife Betsy’s was found, a local fire official tells TMZ ... giving us a detailed rundown of what went down when they arrived on the scene.

Santa Fe Fire Chief Brian Moya tells TMZ paramedics responded to a "man down" call from Gene's address Wednesday with a fire engine and an ambulance, and rushed in through the unlocked front door -- with sheriff's deputies arriving later.

Moya tells us they found Betsy right away, on the floor of a bathroom near the front door. Their team is trained to spot obvious signs of death, and it was clear Betsy had passed -- so no resuscitation efforts were made.

Gene Hackman, his wife Betsy Arakawa, and their dog's mysterious deaths have authorities searching for answers ... and they’ve confirmed they're not ruling out carbon monoxide poisoning.

Santa Fe fire officials spoke on "TODAY" Friday, stating that while their meters didn’t detect anything amiss during searches, that doesn’t mean carbon monoxide poisoning is off the table -- especially since the bodies may have been there for days or even weeks.

They pointed out Gene and Betsy’s New Mexico home had natural gas ... and a leak could have dissipated by the time their bodies were discovered.

LSU pole vaulter Dillon Reidenauer tragically lost her life in a car accident Wednesday night, the school announced. She was only 18.

The fatal crash happened near Tiger Stadium on the Baton Rouge campus ... when a motorcyclist struck Reidenauer's car.

According to local outlets, her vehicle was T-boned as she was turning left onto South Quad Drive ... and as a result of the collision, both vehicles burst into flames.

Gene Hackman's two dogs that were found alive when authorities searched his home are safe and in the care of local officials.

According to a sheriff's press release, Santa Fe County Animal Control is reportedly working with Hackman’s family to “ensure the safety of the two dogs.”

Gene and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, had three dogs -- one of which was found dead by deputies inside a bathroom closet. The German Shepherd was lying 10-15 feet away from Arakawa, who was also found deceased on the bathroom floor -- with prescription pills scattered nearby.

Qatar Airways is defending its crew after they deposited a deceased passenger next to a couple for the final four hours of a flight from Melbourne, Australia to Doha, Qatar earlier this week.

As you know, the couple -- Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin -- claimed they were not offered new seats after a woman's corpse was covered with a blanket and was placed in their row. Ring said he was simply asked to move over so the woman -- who dropped dead near them -- could occupy his seat.

In a statement obtained by TMZ, Qatar Airways says cabin crew "acted quickly, appropriately and professionally at all times in line with training and industry standard practice."

Gene Hackman seemingly had no health-related issues prior to his mysterious death ... this according to the late actor's daughter.

Speaking with the Daily Mail, Leslie Anne Hackman says, "there was no indication that there was any problem," leading up to his tragic death. She also notes Gene did not recently undergo any significant surgeries.

While Gene was 95 years old, his daughter claims he was in very good physical condition, participating in activities like Pilates and yoga several times a week -- with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, playing an imperative role in his healthy lifestyle. As we reported, a close friend of Gene's tells us Betsy made sure GH stuck to a strict diet.

Coach Norman Dale was one of Gene Hackman's most iconic roles -- in "Hoosiers," one of his most memorable movies -- and now the late actor's costar is speaking out in the wake of the beloved 95-year-old's death.

TMZ Sports spoke to Brad Long just hours after the tragic news broke of Hackman's passing ... where the actor shared his experience working alongside the Academy Award winner in what was Long's first movie role.

Despite having no experience, Brad, who played Buddy in the 1986 hit, says Gene was super down-to-earth and "made us feel comfortable," adding he never made anyone "feel self-conscious."

Gene Hackman's wife was very serious about the star's health, putting him on a strict diet years ago ... so says his longtime friend and former business partner.

Doug Lanham, a close friend and former business partner, tells TMZ ... Betsy Arakawa made sure Gene was eating right -- demanding he stick to a strict diet.

In fact, Betsy took it so seriously, Doug says Gene was only able to sneak a cheat meal when they were out golfing ... this despite owning a bar and bistro for years.