RIP

8:52 AM PT -- Kyle Busch's medical emergency has been partially revealed by 911 audio obtained by TMZ Sports ... with a caller saying the NASCAR superstar was struggling to breathe, overheating and coughing up blood before medics rushed to help.

NASCAR legend Kyle Busch tragically died at the age of 41 Thursday ... and we are starting to learn more about what happened prior to his shocking passing.

Before being hospitalized ... Busch was testing in a racing simulator in Concord on Wednesday when he became unresponsive -- and was rushed for medical care, the Associated Press reported via unnamed sources.

As TMZ reported ... Busch's family, racing team, Richard Childress Racing, and NASCAR announced the shocking news yesterday afternoon.

Tragedy in British TV ... actor Michael Keating -- best known for his work on "Doctor Who," "Blake’s 7" and "EastEnders" -- has died.

Michael’s agent, Dan Ireson, confirmed the news on Friday ... revealing the actor passed away peacefully at home on April 26. He also shared that Michael had been living with dementia before his death.

His exact cause of death has not been revealed.

Matthew Perry’s assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, is asking for some leniency at his upcoming sentencing ... telling the judge he could not "simply say no" when it came to feeding Perry's drug habit ... TMZ has learned.

In new court docs, obtained by TMZ, Kenneth, who is set to be scheduled on May 27, disagreed with prosecutors’ claim he could have told the "Friends" star “no” when he asked for ketamine.

As TMZ previously reported, Kenneth is facing years in prison for securing ketamine for Matthew and even injecting him with the drug on the day he died. Matthew died on October 28, 2023, from the acute effects of the drug.

Mackenzie Shirilla is "literal hell on wheels" -- at least that's how the judge felt about her role in the fatal car crash that killed Dominic Russo and Davion Flanagan in 2022 -- but who is she, exactly?

Whether you've been following Mackenzie's case for years or are just now hearing the hype over Netflix's new documentary, "The Crash," we've rounded up everything you need to know.

Mackenzie was driving her then-boyfriend Dominic, and her friend Davion home around 5 AM on July 31, 2022 when she crashed her car into the brick wall of a building in Strongsville, Ohio.

E.G. Daily is recalling her last moments with fellow "Powerpuff Girls" star Tom Kane before he died ... and they're even more powerful in hindsight, because she had no idea it would be their final goodbye.

The actress -- who voiced Buttercup in the beloved animated series -- sat down with TMZ's Charlie Neff to reflect on reconnecting with Tom before his death Monday as a result of complications related to the stroke he suffered in 2020.

Check out the interview ... E.G. said she was stunned by how far Tom had come since the stroke when the cast reunited at a fan convention in Lexington ... explaining, "I was so blown away by his recovery."

The brother of Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bobby Womack got into a car wreck in Arkansas that ended with his wife being killed, TMZ has learned.

Friendly Womack Jr. was driving with his wife, Elaine, in Little Rock last Friday when the accident occurred, according to Friendly's grandson, Martice. Martice tells us Friendly is just fine ... but Elaine unfortunately passed away.

The Pulsaski Sheriff's Office tells TMZ ... deputies responded to a three-vehicle accident at an intersection in Little Rock last Friday night.

Lil Poppa -- a popular rapper based out of Jacksonville, Florida -- died in February ... and now his official cause of death has been released.

According to documents from the Fulton County coroner, obtained by TMZ ... the rapper -- real name Janarious Mykel Wheeler -- died from a single self-inflicted gunshot wound to the left side of his head. He was in the passenger's seat. A toxicology report is pending.

Hapeville Chief of Police Bruce Hedley previously told TMZ ... Lil Poppa was in a single-car accident on Interstate 85 south of Hapeville, Georgia ... shortly after his manager came to meet him ... and that is when he shot himself.

Former LAPD detective Mark Fuhrman, who discovered the bloody glove in the O.J. Simpson murder case and later torpedoed the prosecution with his use of the n-word, is dead ... TMZ has learned.

Sources tell TMZ ... Mark died from an aggressive form of throat cancer, which he was diagnosed with last year. Mark had been hospitalized for about a week before he died. He had done some cancer treatment ... but made the final decision to stop. There won't be a funeral.

Mark had been living in Idaho and the Kootenai County Coroner Office tells us Mark died May 12.

Former LAPD detective Tom Lange is reacting to the death of Mark Fuhrman with respect and reflection ... despite the two famously butting heads over the years in the wake of the O.J. Simpson murder case.

Lange tells TMZ he was "shocked" and "very sorry" to hear about Fuhrman's passing ... calling the news "terrible." He also gave Fuhrman credit for the role he played during one of the most infamous murder investigations in American history.

"Mark was a cop, he was there, he did his job ... got to give him credit for that," Lange told us.

Anna Kepner should’ve been walking across the stage with her classmates this weekend ... instead, her grieving father accepted her diploma through tears as the crowd rose to its feet.

Christopher Kepner attended Temple Christian School’s commencement ceremony in Titusville, Florida ... six months after Anna was killed aboard a Carnival cruise ship.

Watch the video, obtained by "Good Morning America," that shows him wiping away tears as he walked onstage to collect Anna’s diploma following a standing ovation from the packed auditorium.

The heartbreaking moment became a tribute to Anna throughout the night ... with Christopher, his wife Shauntel and other relatives wearing blue butterflies -- Anna's favorite -- while Shauntel also created a senior table covered in photos of Anna and her friends over the years.

The search for four missing Italian tourists in the Maldives has come to a devastating end ... because rescue divers have recovered their bodies from a notorious underwater cave following the country's deadliest diving disaster ever.

Officials say an elite team of Finnish rescue divers located the bodies Monday deep inside the "Shark Cave" -- nearly 500 feet below the surface -- days after the group vanished during an exploration dive.

The victims were identified as 52-year-old Monica Montefalcone; her 20-year-old daughter Giorgia Sommacal; Muriel Oddenino, 31; and Federico Gualtieri, 31. The body of dive instructor Gianluca Benedetti, 44, had already been recovered Friday.

Sam Houston State University is mourning the loss of defensive back William Davis, who has died at the age of 22, TMZ has confirmed.

A spokesperson for Sam Houston State University tells TMZ … "We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of SHSU student-athlete Will Davis."

The school's Head Football Coach Phil Longo released a statement saying ... "It is with heavy hearts that we mourn the loss of Will Davis. Will was a beloved member of our Bearkat football family here at Sam Houston who touched the lives of everyone he knew."

Bob Saget's wife Kelly Rizzo honored him on what would’ve been his 70th birthday ... sharing an emotional tribute alongside a sweet throwback clip of him smiling blowing out birthday candles.

In the emotional IG post from Sunday, Kelly reflected on how Bob would still be "going full steam ahead" if he were alive today -- saying retirement was never in his vocabulary and he’d still be making people laugh nonstop.

The post was a lengthy one ... admitting she often wonders what Bob would be doing today ... adding that while she feels lucky to have shared six years with him, she wishes the world got to see more of him.

Brandon Clarke's fiancée Amber Lorraine is mourning his heartbreaking loss ... revealing the two were preparing to get married before his sudden death last week.

Amber shared an emotional tribute to Instagram Sunday alongside a series of photos and a clip including Brandon getting down on one knee -- admitting that the day he proposed was the happiest day of her life ... and she has no idea how to move forward without him.

In the lengthy caption, Amber called Brandon her soulmate and opened up about the life they were building together ... saying they were supposed to marry soon, start a family, and eventually live somewhere where they could be surrounded by animals and a garden.

Dennis Locorriere -- the unmistakable voice and longtime front man tied to the global success of Dr. Hook -- has died, TMZ has learned.

In a statement released by his management, they confirmed he passed away peacefully on May 16, 2026, surrounded by loved ones after what they described as a “long and courageous battle” with kidney disease.

They added that Locorriere faced his illness with “remarkable strength, dignity, and resilience,” and remained deeply loved by those closest to him. “He will be remembered for his warmth, love, and the lasting impact he had on those around him,” the statement continued, while asking for privacy for his family and loved ones during this time.

The Alabama man charged with manslaughter in the shooting death of a 22-year-old woman, who was dating his son, is NOT innocent ... at least according to the attorney for the victim's family.

Jeffrey Scott Towers is charged in the shooting death of Whitney Harlow Robeson, who graduated last year from Auburn University. His attorneys say he's an "upstanding" man who is not guilty of a crime ... but the lawyer for Whitney's family begs to differ.

Andrew J. Moak tells TMZ ... "The Jefferson County District Attorney's Office determined that Mr. Towers acted with criminal recklessness. Given that determination, efforts to portray Mr. Towers as 'innocent' are not supported by the evidence in this case."