RIP

Mel Novak, the Hollywood actor best known for his starring role in Bruce Lee's classic "Game of Death," has died, his daughter Nikol Conant tells TMZ.

Novak died Wednesday morning at a SoCal board and care facility of natural causes, Nikol told us.

The iconic actor whose career spanned decades in Hollywood suffered numerous injures during his time in the biz ... 'cause he was known for doing all of his own stunts and fighting scenes. But, he was in pain daily -- especially the past few years -- from the beatings he took in front of the camera, Nikol says.

Prosecutors working the criminal case surrounding the deaths of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau are asking a judge to rule the brothers' BAC levels inadmissible as evidence.

Officials at the Salem County Prosecutor's Office in New Jersey filed court documents on Wednesday ... arguing the Gaudreau bros' intoxication measurements should not be presented to the jury -- stating they're "irrelevant" to the charges levied against the Gaudreau's alleged killer, Sean Higgins.

The authorities stated in the docs, obtained by TMZ Sports, "Multiple witness accounts show that it was the defendant's actions and his actions alone that caused the collision that led to Matthew and John Gaudreau’s deaths."

Liam Payne's friend Roger Nores -- who was with the One Direction singer in his final chaotic days in Buenos Aires -- is taking legal steps to drop a lawsuit he filed against Liam's dad.

Roger beelined it to court Wednesday and filed new legal docs to dismiss his defamation lawsuit against Geoff Payne.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Roger says he wants to dismiss the suit without prejudice ... meaning it could be refiled in the future.

Former MLB pitcher Octavio Dotel will be laid to rest on Thursday ... after he tragically died in the Dominican Republic on Tuesday.

The former World Series champion was of the 100-plus people who perished when a roof collapsed during a Santo Domingo nightclub concert ... and his family said they will now honor his memory throughout this week.

On Wednesday, Dotel's loved ones said they'll hold an event at a DR funeral home ... before the ex-Astros closer gets a Christian burial on Thursday.

The death toll from the nightclub rooftop collapse tragedy in the Dominican Republic is on the rise ... with more than 100 people now reported dead.

General Juan Manuel Méndez -- director of the D.R.'s emergency operations center -- says at least 113 people were killed and another 155 were injured when the roof collapsed at the Jet Set nightclub. Merengue musician Rubby Pérez was among the dead.

National police are still conducting a search-and-rescue operation at the venue, located in the country's capital city, Santo Domingo.

3:24 PM PT -- MLB commissioner Robert Manfred released a statement on the passing of Dotel, Nelson Cruz's sister, Nelsy, and former pro Tony Blanco ... saying, "We send our heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of all those who have been affected and to our colleague Nelson and his entire family."

"The connection between baseball and the Dominican Republic runs deep, and we are thinking of all the Dominican players and fans across the game today."

The New York Mets paid tribute to former player Octavio Dotel on Tuesday ... hours after a nightclub roof collapsed and killed the World Series champion in the Dominican Republic.

Prior to the team's game against the Miami Marlins, the Metropolitans held a moment of silence for Dotel, who made his Major League debut with the squad in June 1999.

Beyond the moment of silence, team manager Carlos Mendoza addressed the tragic event in his pre-game press conference.

"The Queen of Versailles" star Jackie Siegel just lost another family member ... her sister died from an accidental drug overdose, only days after Jackie's husband died.

Jackie tells TMZ ... her sister, Jessica Mallery, died Monday after using cocaine laced with fentanyl.

JS tells us her sister's death "is another stark reminder of the drug epidemic and fentanyl crisis plaguing our country – and the urgent need to address substance abuse in order to save lives."

10:39 AM PT -- MLB insider Héctor Gómez is now reporting Octavio Dotel has died.

The former pitcher, according to the reporter, passed away while he was being transported from the nightclub rubble to the hospital.

Dotel was just 51 years old.

7:23 AM PT -- Octavio Dotel has been rescued from the rubble ... MLB insider Héctor Gómez reported Tuesday morning.

Former MLB star relief pitcher Octavio Dotel was inside a Dominican Republic nightclub Monday night when its roof suddenly collapsed ... though, thankfully, he's reportedly still alive.

According to MLB insider Héctor Gómez, Dotel -- who logged 36 saves for the Astros and A's in 2004 -- was partying at Jet Set in Santo Domingo, when its roof caved in.

Tragedy hit hard in the Dominican Republic when a nightclub roof came crashing down on partygoers -- leaving 18 dead and more than 120 injured in the chaos.

The terrifying moment was caught on camera -- one minute, fans were vibing to merengue star Rubby Pérez onstage at the popular Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo ... the next, the roof dramatically collapsed, plunging the place into darkness and panic.

Pérez was pulled from the rubble, and his manager, Enrique Paulino -- who reportedly had blood on his chest -- said it all happened so fast, he thought it was an earthquake ... but he managed to throw himself into a corner just in time.

Former Louisville linebacker P.J. Blue -- who was teammates with Lamar Jackson on the Cardinals -- has died at 27 years old, the school announced Tuesday.

"We are saddened by the passing of Cardinal Forever P.J. Blue," university officials said in a statement. "Our thoughts are with his loved ones."

The cause of death was not made immediately available.

Emotions ran high as a funeral for rapper Young Scooter was held today -- just over a week after his tragic death on his 39th birthday.

The funeral went down Monday at Atlanta’s Saint Philip AME Church ... with photos and clips showing Scooter’s casket carried out by heartbroken loved ones -- all while other family and friends looked visibly shaken, saying their final goodbyes. He'll be buried in his hometown of Walterboro, South Carolina.

Monday's service was marked as a celebration of his life -- white doves were released into the sky after the ceremony, symbolizing peace, hope, and freedom.

5:30 PM PST -- Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman just announced that Mario Edgardo Garcia-Aquino faces a possible maximum sentence of death or life in prison without the possibility of parole.

He was also charged in a separate case with one felony count of assault with the intent to commit a sexual offense. Garcia-Aquino is accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old boy in February 2024. If convicted as charged, he faces a possible maximum sentence of six years in state prison on that case.

A soccer coach who a Los Angeles family says was the last person who had contact with their dead son is being charged with the boy's murder ... TMZ has learned.

The missing 13-year-old boy Oscar Omar Hernandez was found dead in a ditch last week in Oxnard and his family says he was last seen with his soccer coach, 43-year-old Mario Edgardo Garcia Aquino.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Aquino is being charged with Oscar's murder.

UConn is a national champion once again, and perhaps nobody was more proud of the new title than Vanessa Bryant -- whose daughter, Gianna, absolutely adored the Huskies.

Kobe's wife took to her Instagram page to congratulate Geno Auriemma and Co. after they destroyed South Carolina, 82-59, on Sunday in Tampa ... and wrote that Gigi would've been so happy with the way the women's basketball team hoisted yet another NCAA tournament.

"Gigi would've loved being there with you," she said ... before adding a quote from Gianna that read, "When you think you can't, UCONN."

Jay North -- a veteran actor who played the eponymous character in the 1960s sitcom "Dennis the Menace" -- has died ... TMZ has confirmed.

Laurie Jacobson -- a longtime friend of North and wife to "Lassie" actor Jon Provost -- tells TMZ ... Jay passed away Sunday at his home in Lake Butler, Florida after a battle with colorectal cancer.

We're told his health started to deteriorate over the past month, and he was surrounded by family -- his wife Cindy and her daughters from a previous marriage, which we're told he "adored" -- when he passed.

The rare hantavirus -- that few had heard of before it killed Gene Hackman's wife -- has killed more people ... this time in California.

Three victims in the town of Mammoth Lakes succumbed to hantavirus ... which is what killed the actor's wife, Betsy Arakawa.

The Mono County Health and Human Services Public Health Division announced this week the third death due to HPS in the town about 330 miles east of San Francisco.

Lil Yachty was not having it when a fan at his show this week interrupted a moment of silence for Juice WRLD ... and LY went ballistic.

In a video that has since gone viral ... Lil Yachty unloaded on someone at his show in Washington, D.C. -- the latest stop for Tyler, The Creator's "Chromakopia" tour -- during a moment of silence for Juice WRLD.

Someone shouted from the crowd in the moment -- and LY snapped "SHUT THE F*** UP!" ... before getting help from the crowd to figure out who said it.