RIP

Billy Steinberg -- the legendary songwriter behind Madonna’s smash hit "Like a Virgin" -- has died at age 74 after a battle with cancer, TMZ has confirmed.

His death Monday was confirmed by his attorney, Laurie Soriano.

Steinberg’s career took off early with his bands Billy Thermal and i-Ten ... the latter was formed with songwriting partner Tom Kelly. But it was their collaboration on "Like a Virgin" that cemented Billy's place in music history, with the song spending six straight weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

An expatriate American hotel owner from a prominent surfing family in California was brutally killed in Costa Rica this weekend … and local police are on the hunt for suspects.

Kurt Van Dyke -- a 66-year-old Northern California native who owned a tourist hotel in Costa Rica -- was found stabbed and strangled in bed in an apartment in Hone Creek, Cahuita, Talamanca, according to local reports ... his girlfriend was found tied up but otherwise uninjured at the scene.

Police responded to a report of a break-in and attack at an apartment at 10:50 AM local time Saturday in Cahuita, on the Caribbean coast near the Panama border … about 10 miles from the hotel Van Dyke owned. They found Van Dyke with multiple stab wounds and signs of asphyxiation.

Former NFL star Tre Johnson -- an All-Pro offensive lineman -- suddenly passed away on Sunday while on vacation with his family, his wife confirmed ... leaving everyone in shock.

He was only 54.

Irene Johnson announced the devastating news on her Facebook page Sunday, saying Tre died earlier in the day while on a brief family trip. The cause of death was not revealed.

"His four children, Chloe, EJ, EZ, and Eden, extended family, friends, and I are devastated and in shock," Irene said.

Manchester Orchestra is reeling after the sudden death of their longtime drummer Timothy Very.

The Atlanta-based indie rock band broke the heartbreaking news Saturday, telling fans they're struggling to process the loss of the man they called the "foundation" of their universe. In their emotional statement, the group admitted they had been "dreading sharing this news" and are still in "absolute disbelief."

Very joined Manchester Orchestra back in 2011 and went on to become the longest serving drummer in the band's history. Over more than a decade, his thunderous playing powered some of the band's biggest records. Offstage, the band says he was pure heart.

James Van Der Beek's friends stepped up to help him secure a down payment on his family's Texas ranch before he passed away ... his rep revealed.

People spoke to the rep about the $4.7 million Texas Ranch, which, as we reported, he bought on January 9 ... and the rep told the outlet his family wanted to stop paying rent and start paying a mortgage, and some helpful friends made that dream a reality.

As we mentioned ... James and his family moved to the ranch in 2020 -- but, they were only renting the property for the first 5+ years.

Parker Sutherland -- a college football standout at the University of Northern Iowa -- has died ... the school announced Saturday.

The college freshman passed away Saturday morning -- just 10 days before his birthday -- the school announced ... declining to provide a cause of death out of respect for the family.

UNI head coach Todd Stepsis said his heart goes out to the Sutherlands ... adding the young man "embodied everything we look for in a UNI Football Panther." He highlighted Parker's character, humility, toughness, and love of others.

Wiz Khalifa's father, Laurence W. Thomaz, has died.

The rapper shared the sad news on social media Friday, noting ... "I will always love him, miss him and be [grateful] for the things he taught me."

He did not reveal a cause of death, but said it "was sudden." He added ... "Seeing how many people love and respected him" made him happy ... noting, "I know he’s proud that he left a positive impact on this earth. Literally all he ever wanted."

"Varsity Blues" actor Eliel Swinton says he messaged his co-star James Van Der Beek before he died, telling TMZ Sports he had a gut feeling the actor's health was failing.

Swinton -- who acted alongside Van Der Beek in the 1999 hit football film -- told us he reached out to James a few weeks ago after noticing they hadn't communicated in some time, which concerned him given his cancer battle.

"I sent him a little note about maybe three weeks ago, maybe a month ago, on Instagram to him personally to say, 'Hey, man, I know you're sick. If I don't hear from you, it's okay. I'm here to help your family anyway I can with sports and stuff, but if I don't see you, brother, I will see you again upstairs. Love you,' and I didn't hear from him, so I realized it really got bad," Swinton said.

James Van Der Beek helped his family lay down some serious roots in Texas before his death ... he bought the ranch they'd been renting for years and sealed the deal just one month before he died amid a cancer battle.

The late "Dawson's Creek" star bought the sprawling Spicewood ranch back on January 9 for $4.76 million ... according to a new report from Realtor.com.

James moved to the ranch in 2020 with his wife and six children ... they were renting it, fell in love with the place, and one of his last acts was buying it.

"90 Day Fiancé" star Elizabeth Castravet’s father, Chuck Potthast, died from blunt force injuries after falling in a bathtub, TMZ has learned.

TMZ has obtained docs from the Hillsborough County, Florida Medical Examiner ... and Chuck’s cause of death in November was listed as blunt impact injuries to the face and neck, including facial lacerations and a fractured C6 vertebra. The report also notes positional asphyxia as a factor.

The medical examiner listed chronic alcohol use, liver cirrhosis, and acute alcohol intoxication as contributing causes ... meaning he had consumed a significant amount of alcohol before the fall.

The GoFundMe set up for James Van Der Beek's widow and his family is surging towards the $2 million mark ... and Steven Spielberg just gave it a serious boost.

The legendary director and wife Kate Capshaw dropped a massive $25,000 donation ... quickly landing the coveted "top donation" spot on the page set up to help James' family cover crushing cancer treatment costs.

Spielberg’s connection to James runs deep ... he was famously the filmmaking idol of James’ character Dawson Leery on "Dawson's Creek," and even showed up to the show's reunion last September while James battled his illness.

Katie Holmes honored her "Dawson's Creek" costar James Van Der Beek in a moving handwritten letter following his death Wednesday.

Check out the note she shared on Instagram -- she recalls feeling safe to express herself on set with him ... and adds they have so many memories filled with "laughter, conversations about life, James Taylor songs" and "adventures of a unique youth."

She also commends his "compassion, bravery, selflessness and strength" before turning the note toward his widow, Kimberly, and their 6 children. She writes ... "We are here for you always. And will always be there to shower you with love and compassion."

"Dancing With the Stars" pro Emma Slater saw her 'DWTS' partner James Van Der Beek just days before his death ... and she expressed her gratitude for their final meeting in an emotional tribute to the late actor.

Emma was paired with Van Der Beek in Season 28 of the dancing competition show in 2019, and she posted her favorite pic from their season to Instagram on Wednesday, calling him her "big brother."

She wrote ... "All those who had the pleasure of having you in their lives are blessed. Forever changed by your brilliance. We got to have these beautiful years sharing life together. It started with being dance partners and I was beyond excited to be dancing with you, and it continued into the deepest of friendships."

Reese Witherspoon is honoring James Van Der Beek's life as she mourns his death, saying she's heartbroken over the loss of the talented actor.

Witherspoon paid tribute to Van Der Beek on her Instagram Story after he passed away Wednesday in Austin, Texas. While an official cause of death has not been released, Van Der Beek had been battling stage 3 colorectal cancer since August 2023.

Reese writes she's "devastated" about Van Der Beek's passing, calling him an "extraordinary, talented man who also showed great kindness and grace in every action.” Witherspoon went on to say she's praying for Van Der Beek's family.

Van Der Beek's final acting role will come in the upcoming TV series, "Elle," based on Reese's iconic character, Elle Woods, from the 2001 flick "Legally Blonde." Witherspoon is an executive producer on the show, which is set to premiere on July 1. In the series, Van Der Beek portrays Dean Wilson -- a school superintendent and mayoral candidate.

James Van Der Beek's GoFundMe has raised more than a million bucks less than 24 hours after his death was announced ... and it's still growing.

As of Thursday morning, the crowdfunding page has $1.2 million in donations, from fans and big-name friends alike. "Dancing with the Stars" pro Derek Hough dropped $1,000, Oscar-winner Zoe Saldana -- using her married name of Zoe Saldaña-Perego -- donated $2,500, the Marla Maples Foundation sent in $5,000, and Lyn Lear, the late Norman Lear’s wife, and YouTuber Codie Sanchez even each donated $5,000 on a monthly basis!

Notably, TMZ has not verified the donations -- but it's clear Van Der Beek's death hit people in the heartstrings, as more than 24,000 donations have poured in.

James Van Der Beek has died ... TMZ has learned.

A rep for the Travis County Medical Examiner's Office in Texas says ... it was reported to them at 6:44 AM. No cause of death was given.

James' wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, posted about his passing shortly after we broke the news ... writing in a shared Instagram post her husband "met his final days with courage, faith, and grace." She asked for privacy for their family at this time.