RIP

Liam Payne's passion for music and impact on "Building the Band" will be felt on the new show ... this according to Backstreet Boys star AJ McLean.

The singer-songwriter -- who is hosting the show -- opened 'BtB' with a heartfelt tribute to the late One Direction star ... saying they never thought they'd be saying goodbye to him so soon.

LP appears as a guest judge in later episodes -- which will be released several at a time over the next few Wednesdays -- and, McLean says his love of music and commitment to helping contestants find their voices will be evident.

President Trump's famous — and surprisingly cordial — interaction with President Obama at President Jimmy Carter's funeral in January was a tantalizing mystery about what the two world leaders quietly talked about ... that is, until now!

According to Axios, citing a new book, “2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America,” Trump and Obama chatted about hitting the links at one of Trump's many golf courses as they sat side-by-side in a pew at Carter's funeral in D.C.'s Washington National Cathedral on January 9.

The exact passage in the book reads ... Trump "sat next to Barack Obama and invited him to play golf, enticing him with descriptions of Trump’s courses around the world."

Rihanna's father, Ronald Fenty, was laid to rest in Barbados on Tuesday after dying in May ... and Riri and A$AP Rocky were amongst the mourners paying their respects.

A glowing-and-pregnant Rihanna was photographed carrying their son, Riot, as Rocky trailed not too far behind as he hoisted up RZA as they entered the Garfield Sobers Gymnasium, where the celebration of life was held.

It was a march of the R's ... Rihanna, Rocky, RZA, Riot -- even Ronald's fiancée, Rosemary, was spotted in the crowd.

Tupac Shakur's protégé Young Noble died by suicide with a gunshot to the head on the morning of July 4 ... TMZ Hip Hop has confirmed. The Outlawz rapper's wife told police at the scene he had been battling significant depression.

According to police records, obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, Gwinnett County officers responded to a 911 call at 9 AM on Independence Day after someone claimed to have seen a man lying dead in the pool of a country club in Snellville, a distant suburb of Atlanta.

Police say they saw a man in tan cargo shorts and a black T-shirt sunken at the bottom of the pool with what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the right side of his head.

Gary Coleman’s ex-wife, Shannon Price, took a lie-detector test on TV over suspicions she had something to do with the 1980s TV star's death -- and the results? Buckle up.

Catch the clip ahead of Thursday’s two-hour premiere of A&E's "Lie Detector: Truth or Deception" ... where ex-FBI agent and polygraph pro George Olivo tells Shannon she flunked two of his key questions -- with the results indicating some level of deception.

Shannon, for her part, stays cool as a cucumber -- so much so that George repeats his findings, and asks if she has anything to say. Her response? Calmly calling his results "false."

A well-known Beverly Hills plastic surgeon has died after a neck surgery took a turn for the worse ... TMZ has learned.

According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner ... Ronald Moy died on June 23rd -- with the cause of death listed as "complications of neck surgery."

The death was ruled as accidental. Moy passed away at a hospital -- the exact circumstances surrounding the fatal surgery remain unclear.

Camp Mystic campers and counselors were having a blast in the hours and days leading up to the deadly Texas floods — and seemingly in the dark their lives were in grave danger, according to new video.

Camp Mystic survivor nurse Devon Paige uploaded the video to TikTok showing the campers and staff at the private Christian summer camp for girls posing for smiling pics, enjoying outdoor activities and eating together in the dining hall.

Paige filmed the footage — which also includes a snapshot of her birthday cake — from June 28 to July 3, just hours before the catastrophic floods hit Kerr County, Texas in the early morning hours.

Gracie Hunt is mourning her 9-year-old relative who was among the victims in the deadly Central Texas floods ... and she's getting religious.

The daughter of Chiefs owner Clark Hunt says she's praying for Texas and wonders why "the world can hold both so much beauty and so much pain."

Janie Hunt -- the great-granddaughter of William Herbert Hunt -- was attending Camp Mystic near the Guadalupe River in Kerr County on Saturday when a sudden rise in water took her life and many others.

Michael Madsen was making enormous strides in his recovery from alcoholism ... right up until just before his tragic death.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Madsen was sober in recent months, making a consistent and valiant effort to turn his life around. But, those close to him remain uncertain about his state of mind in the days leading up to his passing. Everyone around him was hoping and believed he was still working his program.

The beloved actor spent years in and out of rehabilitation programs as he battled alcohol addiction ... while also struggling with depression and grappling with personal hardships, like a troubled marriage -- and his son's untimely death. We are told he was constantly in and out of phases of trying to get his alcoholism under control.

The mother of the man who fatally overdosed after allegedly being supplied drugs by "16 and Pregnant" star Whitney Purvis says she’s relieved the former reality star has been arrested and is now off the street.

Lisa Harris, mother of John Mark Harris -- who authorities say was given deadly drugs by Purvis prior to his death -- tells TMZ ... she's glad Whitney is off the street so this kind of tragedy can’t happen to another family because of her alleged actions.

Lisa didn’t hold back while speaking about the tragedy that took her son’s life, saying, "She did this, and as a result, my son is dead." John's mom says his family never knew Whitney, and don't understand the nature of her connection to her son.

The family of Kaylee Goncalves collected $85K in donations for trial travel prior to the highly controversial Bryan Kohberger plea deal ... and now they're trying to give it all back, since they say keeping the dough would be as low as what prosecutors did to them.

Steve Goncalves tells TMZ ... after the family was recently robbed of a trial, they're trying to get GoFundMe cash back to all those who donated -- but most people are telling them to keep it ... 'cause they're also super pissed over the shocking turn of events.

Although it's a hassle during an already difficult time -- the crowdfunding campaign closed before the plea deal, which means the family has to handle the returns -- Steve told us he refuses to "bait and switch these beautiful people like [lead prosecutor] Bill Thompson did to our family.”

"16 and Pregnant" star Whitney Purvis left a lengthy and emotional message on the online obituary page of a man who fatally overdosed on drugs she allegedly supplied ... TMZ has learned.

The heartfelt comment, posted on March 3, was written weeks after the February death of John Mark Harris -- who authorities say was given deadly drugs by Purvis prior to his death.

Purvis wrote ... "John mark, I hate that I found out what happened today and missed your funeral. I wish I could've found out sooner and attended your celebration of life. thank you for being such a great friend to me and always making me feel beautiful and cared for."

A 9-year-old relative of Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt was one of the dozens who tragically passed away in the Texas floods over the weekend.

Janie Hunt -- the great-granddaughter of William Herbert Hunt -- was attending Camp Mystic near the Guadalupe River in Kerr County on Saturday when the sudden rise in water took her life, her grandmother told the New York Times on Sunday.

Janie was at the camp with several of her cousins, who were able to make it out safe, her grandmother added.

Police are investigating speed as a possible factor in the deadly crash that claimed the life of Caitlyn Jenner’s longtime friend and manager, Sophia Hutchins, according to law enforcement.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department told Daily Mail, Hutchins was most likely traveling over the speed limit in her all-terrain vehicle on a winding Malibu road on Wednesday when heading up a steep incline, along with a Mazda sedan when she attempted to pass the Mazda.

In the process, she clipped the rear of the Mazda, lost control, and veered off the road -- plunging 350 feet down a cliff. There were two people inside the Mazda, but neither were injured.

Amid catastrophic flooding sweeping across Texas, a young father’s final, heartbreaking words have come to define both the devastation and the heroism from the storms.

"I’m sorry, I’m not going to make it. I love y’all," 27-year-old Julian Ryan told his family as he bled out inside their flooding trailer -- after punching through a window to help his fiancée, two small children, and mother escape the rising waters of the Guadalupe River.

The family was jolted awake around 4 AM Friday in their home as the floodwaters crashed in. Ryan and fiancée Christinia quickly placed their children -- ages 6 and 13 months -- on a floating mattress and tried to hold back the incoming surge.

Adult film star Kylie Page struggled with substance abuse in the years leading up to her shocking death -- but had celebrated a sobriety milestone days before she took her last breath.

Kylie's struggle with addiction was no secret, as family sources tell TMZ she had dabbled in drug use since she was a teen. However, she went to rehab a few years back and subsequently lived in a sober living house ... and we're told the combination of both did wonders for her mindset and life trajectory.

Our sources say she even completed 60 days of sobriety on the Friday before her passing, which made her extremely proud ... along with all the work she was doing with her AA meetings -- including leading them by herself.