RIP

For years, fans believed all 3 members of the Migos rap group were related, but Offset is laying out the truth ... saying he's not related to Quavo and Takeoff at all.

Offset recently sat down for a new interview with Variety, where he confirmed Quavo is in fact Takeoff's uncle ... but the long-believed notion Offset was Quavo's cousin just isn't true.

Still, Offset's got a strong bond with Quavo and Takeoff ... Offset was a classmate of Quavo's when they were growing up in Georgia, with Offset hanging out with Quavo and Takeoff when Offset was in the sixth grade. They all became thick as thieves and ultimately formed Migos.

The former bassist for The Beatles -- yes there was someone other than Paul McCartney -- has died.

Chas Newby died Tuesday in London. Most people don't know his contribution to the most famous band in the world, so here it goes.

In the early '60s, The Beatles started making a name for themselves in Hamburg, Germany,  and upon their return from their second Hamburg residency, they regularly played at The Cavern Club in Liverpool.

At the time, the group consisted of John Lennon, Paul, Pete Best on drums and Stuart Sutcliffe on bass guitar. Sutcliffe stayed in Hamburg to focus on his art career, so the band needed a bassist.

Enter Chas Newby, who played with John and Paul's prior group, The Quarrymen. The guys asked Chas to step in, and he obliged. This was a critical time in The Beatles' upward trajectory ... they were becoming a thing in both Germany and Liverpool, which ultimately got them a recording contract, and the rest is history.

Chas had other interests -- namely, he wanted to attend university majoring in chemistry -- so he left the band, When he graduated, he took a job at a company that made windshields for trains and airplanes.

For Beatles aficionados who are wondering why they needed a bass player when Paul played bass, at the time Paul played rhythm guitar and piano and after some cajoling when Chas left, he grudgingly played it, and played it brilliantly.

As for Chas, he said he had no regrets about leaving the famous group ... "Music was never going to be a living for me. I wanted to do chemistry," adding, "People sometimes don't believe me when I say I've no regrets, but I really haven't."

Chas was 81.

Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix's late friend, Ali Rafiq, collapsed in his parents' house before he was eventually found dead ... TMZ has learned.

Ali's sister, Rabia Rafiq, tells us her mother found Ali on the floor of their St. Louis home Friday afternoon, and she says it appears he had fallen and hit his head on a table.

We're told Ali was found dead on the floor around 4 PM Friday ... about 3 hours after they believe he passed. He had called his father from the house about 4 hours earlier.

Ali's sister says her brother had no known illnesses, other than asthma ... and the family didn't believe that was ever a serious issue for him. We're told there were no signs of foul play, and no indicators as to why he collapsed.

Ali was a big foodie who loved to post pictures of his meals, but his sister says he was not overweight or unhealthy.

The Rafiqs are Muslim and Ali's sister says their religion calls for bodies to be buried ASAP ... so the family buried Ali on Saturday, right after his body was released to the family.

Because Ali died Friday and was buried the next day, we're told Tom did not have a chance to fly out to St. Louis in time for the burial. We're told Tom got to his hometown Sunday and has been spending time with Ali's parents, and visiting the gravesite to say goodbye to his friend.

Ali's sister says Tom's parents attended Saturday's funeral and FaceTimed with Tom so he could feel like he was there ... and Ariana sent flowers.

As we reported ... Ariana looked somber Saturday when she got back into town from her trip to NYC, paying tribute to Ali with a social media post. Tom also shared a remembrance post.

Ali's sister says his death certificate cites "organ failure" as the cause of death, but the family is waiting for toxicology reports to learn what really happened.

Johnny Depp didn't leave London without paying tribute to his longtime pal and late guitarist, Jeff Beck ... performing on the same stage they did a year ago, all in his honor.

Johnny hit the stage Monday night at the Royal Albert Hall for a tribute concert for Beck, who died earlier this year. Depp was in the company of some rock legends for the show ... including Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood, Billy Gibbons, Joss Stone, Kirk Hammett and more.

The icon-heavy concert comes on the heels of some other big moments for Depp -- he was just celebrated at the Cannes Film Festival for his movie, "Jeanne du Barry" ... and he inked a $20 mil deal with Dior.

He was in rock star mode, though, in London ... rocking a pair of shades, a beret and a jacket with a photo of Beck on the back.

As we reported, Beck died at the age of 78 in January after contracting bacterial meningitis.

The show is the first of 2 tribute concerts, announced by Beck's wife Sandra and Eric Clapton back in March.

And, JD's performance was especially significant. Remember, Johnny and Jeff actually performed together at the exact same venue in May of last year.

You'll recall, they were touring together following Johnny's defamation trial against Amber Heard. In fact, Johnny wasn't in court for the verdict because he had a gig.

It's a REALLY bad time to be a bird at an MLB ballpark these days ... because for the second time in less than a week, one was killed in the field of play.

The latest fowl situation happened during the second inning of the Guardians' game against the White Sox in Cleveland on Monday night ... when Will Brennan was up at the plate.

You can see in video of his at-bat ... after he cracked a ball to the left side of the infield, the baseball accidentally landed right on top of a bird -- before it skidded into the outfield for a base hit.

Sadly, the bird died from the impact ... and it didn't take long for players around the diamond to realize what had just happened.

Check out the broadcast footage -- all of the guys had stunned looks on their faces ... as a member of Cleveland's grounds crew came out to scoop up the dead bird with a shovel.

Once the infield was cleared of the carcass, the game resumed ... and Cleveland ended up winning, 3-0.

But, Brennan's victory celebration was muted ... 'cause afterward, he took to Twitter to apologize for the play.

"I truly am sorry @peta and bird enthusiasts," the outfielder wrote. "An unfortunate sacrifice."

Unfortunately, this was the second time in five days that a bird lost its life on the field ... you'll recall, Arizona Diamondbacks star Zac Gallen killed one with a warmup pitch in Oakland on May 17.

Ray Stevenson, known for his work in 'Thor' and the "Star Wars" franchise, has died.

Ray's publicist confirms the news to TMZ, telling us he died Sunday -- they say they have no further details surrounding his death at this time.

Ray first broke into the world of acting in 1993, appearing in various episodes of TV before landing a role in the 1998 flick, "The Theory of Flight" ... where he played a gigolo tasked with helping Helena Bonham Carter's character lose her virginity.

He went on to appear in a bunch of projects like "The Book of Eli," "Rome," "The Other Guys," and "Kill the Irishman" -- all before landing the role of Volstagg in Marvel's "Thor" in 2011, returning to the series in 2 sequels as the years went on.

"Star Wars" fans remember Ray lending his voice to the character Gar Saxon -- appearing in "Rebels" & "The Clone Wars." He's also playing a separate character in the upcoming "Ahsoka" series, premiering later this year.

Apart from that, Ray's been featured in "Divergent," 9 episodes of "Dexter," "G.I. Joe: Retaliation," "Black Sails," and "Crossing Lines." He also played Scott Buxton in the recent Indian hit, "RRR."

Ray was 58.

Univ. of New Mexico tight end Jaden Hullaby, who started his collegiate football career at the Univ. of Texas, has tragically died at just 21 years old.

Hullaby's family said in a statement on social media on Sunday that they had feared for his safety ... after they hadn't been able to make contact with him since last Thursday. He was last seen on a freeway in Dallas, the family said.

In an update on Monday -- Hullaby's brother, Landon, announced the UNM athlete had sadly passed away.

"Forever living through you big brudda," Landon wrote. "I love you so much and I got you and the family forever I swear get your rest King 🕊💔 LLJAY"

No other details surrounding his death have been revealed.

UNM said in a statement following the news that it was praying for "Jaden’s family and all who knew him." UT head coach Steve Sarkisian added in a statement of his own that he and the Longhorns were heartbroken as well.

"He was a great person and someone we all enjoyed being around, coaching and spending time with," Sarkisian said. "All of our thoughts are with his family, friends and teammates, and we want to send our deepest condolences to them in such a difficult time."

Hullaby was a touted running back prospect in the Longhorns' 2020 class who switched to linebacker when he got to the Austin campus. He played in just two games in his two seasons for the school ... before he transferred to UNM prior to the 2022 season.

In his one year with the Lobos, he played tight end, and piled up 44 receiving yards and 59 rushing yards in eight games.

Bryan Kohberger has officially pled not guilty in his quadruple murder case in which he’s accused of killing 4 University of Idaho students last year ... a plea that was entered by default as he chose to "stand silent" to the murder charges.

Kohberger was in court Monday morning in an Idaho courtroom where he was arraigned on 4 counts of first-degree murder.

Kohberger answered "yes" to the judge as he read statements about rights and identity, but when it came time to officially enter a plea, Kohberger's attorney said they'd "stand silent" -- so the judge entered a default "not guilty" plea.

Last week, a grand jury indicted Kohberger for the murders as well as 1 count of burglary. If convicted, he could face the death penalty ... although, prosecutors have not announced whether they will be seeking it.

After his arrest, the judge ordered Kohberger held without bail ahead of his trial.

As we've reported, Kohberger's being accused of sneaking into the off-campus home of the University of Idaho students ... and killing Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, and Xana Kernodle.

A search for the killer went on for weeks before Kohberger was eventually arrested in December at his parents' home near Scranton, PA. Police had asked the public to be on the lookout for a white Hyundai Elantra that belonged to him.

Investigators later revealed they were hot on Kohberger's tail for several weeks, saying they had a description of him from one of the surviving victims -- not to mention cell phone records that showed him on the move the night of the killings.

They also say they found some of his DNA on a leather sheath found at the crime scene.

According to a search warrant, Kohberger had knives, a gun, masks, and gloves in his family's Pennsylvania home when the FBI searched the place. Authorities also say they found another knife and a shovel in his car.

Paris Hilton is sharing some sad news ... her Chihuahua, Harajuku Bitch, has died.

The reality star/entrepreneur revealed the loss Monday morning, saying ... "Today, my heart breaks as I say goodbye to my precious chihuahua, Harajuku Bitch.💔🐶"

Harajuku got a pretty complete eulogy, as Paris added, "For an incredible 23 years, she filled my life with so much love, loyalty, and unforgettable moments.🥰 She lived a long, beautiful and iconic life, surrounded by love until her final peaceful slumber."

Paris says HB was "more than just a pet; she was family to me, a loyal friend who was always by my side through every twist and turn life brought my way."

She ended her post by thanking HB for blessing her life with unconditional love -- "You will forever be my little angel, forever missed, and forever loved. 😇 You may be physically gone, but the imprint of your pawprints on my life will never fade.🐾"

It's been a tough year for Paris as a dog mama.

You'll recall, her dog Diamond Baby went missing last year ... and still has not been found, despite PH offering a "big reward" for her return.

Kurt Cobain smashed his Fender Stratocaster back in the '90s, but the move only jacked up the price of the guitar ... going for a whopping 10 times the estimated amount at auction.

The late Nirvana frontman destroyed the electric guitar while recording the group's iconic 1991 album, "Nevermind," but the pieces were put back together and sold at Julien's Auctions this weekend in NYC.

The instrument was supposed to fetch between $60,000 and $80,000, but, as it turned out, it went for an earth-shattering $595,900. It was signed by Cobain and the other two band members, drummer Dave Grohl and bassist Krist Novoselic.

According to Julien's, Cobain gifted the guitar to Screaming Trees singer Mark Lanegan (also deceased) while Nirvana was touring in '92 ... but it's not clear who made the purchase at auction.

Ariana Madix looked exhausted Saturday leaving LAX ... emotionally drained after losing her close friend Ali Rafiq.

The Vanderpump Rules star kept her shades on as she made her way through the terminal in a brown sweatshirt and matching pants.

She arrived back in L.A. the same day she paid tribute to Rafiq, sharing a photo of them on Instagram.

"I keep wanting to text you. It feels like this can't even be real. We were just planning your trip to LA. Talking about our futures and all the things we were looking forward to,' she wrote, before ticking off the things she missed about her late friend.

While the two were obviously close, Madix actually met Rafiq through her ex, Tom Sandoval. The duo were childhood besties, and Tom also shared a post in remembrance.

Madix's life has been full of change recently, starting with the end of her nine-year relationship with Sandoval after discovering he cheated on her with her close friend, Raquel Leviss.

She's dealt with the fallout from the breakup for the last two months and even seemed to be putting the drama in her rearview by firing up a new relationship with fitness coach Daniel Wai.

Johnny Depp knows this is a pivotal moment in his career, and a real chance to get back his A-list Hollywood status ... so, that's exactly why he's focusing on the important stuff to get his mind right.

Sources connected to the actor tell us his recent stop at the Cannes Film Festival -- where he premiered his movie "Jeanne du Barry" -- was different from years before. We're told, back in the day, Johnny would've attended every after-party and stayed up late.

Our sources say after Tuesday's premiere, he made the decision to head back to his room early to make sure he got enough rest and to prepare for another day of media interviews.

We're told Johnny's experienced "an evolution in terms of prioritizing his health and rest" while also really picking things up with his work.

After Cannes, Depp flew to London to do Jeff Beck's tribute show with Eric Clapton and several other guitar greats -- and then he's hitting the road with his band Hollywood Vampires.

From there, he'll jump right into directing duties on "Modi," starring Al Pacino.

Depp's certainly been welcomed back by his adoring fans, and even corporations -- remember that new $20 million deal with Dior -- so it's no surprise he wants to strike while the iron's hot and capitalize on all the positive attention.

As for Amber Heard, she's hightailed it to Spain where she lives a much more quiet life with her kiddo.

A spine-chilling new report says Bryan Kohberger broke into a woman's home before the Idaho murders went down ... acting as some sort of creepy crawler, moving her stuff around in an attempt to make her fear for her life.

The bizarre claims came out in the latest episode of NBC's "Dateline," saying Kohberger became friends with a girl at Washington State University, where he was enrolled, just months before the fatal Univ. of Idaho stabbings -- and allegedly snuck into her place and moved her belongings in order to make her feel uneasy in her own home.

The terrifying tactic allegedly worked, because "Dateline" says she asked him to help set up security cameras as a result ... something he could have later checked on remotely after learning her WiFi password.

Former FBI profiler Greg Cooper says this wasn't a friend helping another friend with security detail -- saying he "orchestrated it so that she would come to him and that he would be able to help her. It is another level of power and domination and control over another person.”

For those unaware, the new report comes on the heels of Kohberger's recent indictment regarding the November deaths of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, and Xana Kernodle.

New body cam footage showed Kohberger at WSU about a month before the murders ... but he appeared cool-headed and respectful as he talked his way out of a ticket.

Jim Brown, arguably the greatest football player of all time, has died at the age of 87, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

"It is with profound sadness that I announce the passing of my husband, Jim Brown," Monique Brown tells us. "He passed away peacefully last night at our L.A. home. To the world he was an activist, actor and football star."

"To our family, he was a loving and wonderful husband, father and grandfather. Our hearts are broken."

We're told Jim hadn't been doing well ... and was recently visited by several of his close friends including Marshall Faulk, Eric Dickerson and Flavor Flav.

Brown, a first-round pick in 1957 (6th overall), went on to win 3 NFL MVP awards. Jim was named to 8 First Team All-Pro teams over the course of his incredible career. He led the NFL in rushing 8 times, and rushing touchdowns, 5. He won a championship in 1964.

Aside from his prowess on the football field, Brown was also a legendary lacrosse player at Syracuse, where he earned All-American honors.

After his athletic career, Jim went on to star as a Hollywood actor ... in films like "The Dirty Dozen" and "Any Given Sunday."

In addition to his incredible athleticism and talent on the big screen, Jim was also one of the most prominent voices on the civil rights scene.

Brown held the Cleveland Summit in June 1967, in support of Muhammad Ali, who refused to serve in the Vietnam War.

Brown was joined by Bill Russell and Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), and others.

The Cleveland Browns released a statement on Friday ... saying, "Legend. Leader. Activist. Visionary."

"It's impossible to describe the profound love and gratitude we feel for having the opportunity to be a small piece of Jim’s incredible life and legacy. We mourn his passing, but celebrate the indelible light he brought to the world."

"Our hearts are with Jim’s family, loved ones, and all those he impacted along the way."

Brown, whose #32 was retired by the Browns, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971 ... and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1995. He's also a member of the Lacrosse HOF.

Pro Football Hall of Fame president Jim Porter also spoke on Brown's passing ... saying, "When Jim Brown’s name was announced in a room, other Hall of Famers stood and applauded him."

"His persona has stood the test of time -- a fearless and dominant football player. Jim will always be remembered as one of pro football’s greatest individuals."

Brown was last seen out in public during Super Bowl weekend ... appearing at the NFL Honors ceremony, where Emmitt Smith and Barry Sanders announced the league's annual rushing trophy would be named in his honor.

Flav shared a picture with Brown from that night in his tribute to the legend ... saying, "Today, I lost my mentor and hero. RIP Jim Brown. My deepest sympathies to your wife, Monique and your entire family."

LeBron James also shared a touching post in Brown's honor ... saying, "We lost a hero today. Rest in Paradise to the legend Jim Brown."

"I hope every Black athlete takes the time to educate themselves about this incredible man and what he did to change all of our lives. We all stand on your shoulders Jim Brown."

Brown's life off the field was not without controversy -- he was arrested over numerous allegations of violence against women spanning several decades. He was charged with rape, sexual battery and assault in 1985, although the case was later dismissed.

Brown was also busted for smashing the windows of his wife's car in 1999 ... and served three months behind bars after skipping mandatory domestic violence counseling.

R.I.P.

We discussed Jim Brown's legacy in a recent episode of the Last Days Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Tragic news ... Micky Geller -- a waterskiing star who helped the Univ. of Louisiana-Lafayette win a national championship last year -- has died at just 18 years old.

A cause of death was not revealed ... but according to Geller's loved ones, the Ragin Cajuns athlete passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on May 6.

"With his full throttle approach to life, Micky experienced more in his 18 years than many ever will," his family and friends wrote in Geller's obituary. "However, he was just cracking the surface of the possibilities that lay ahead."

Geller began his athletics career at a young age in gymnastics ... before he moved onto rock climbing and then waterskiing -- where he excelled.

According to ULL, which mourned his death in a social media post on Thursday, Geller was ranked sixth in the world in the U21 jump as a junior water skier.

"His friends and family remain in the thoughts, hearts and prayers of many at the University," the school said.

Geller also participated for Canada's junior national waterski team .... and in a Facebook post earlier this week, Water Ski Canada said it will remember him for "his amazing work ethic, unending passion, humour, athleticism, and charisma."

ULL flew its flags at half mast on Thursday to honor Micky. A funeral service was held for him on Thursday in Ottawa as well.

"Our boy will be remembered for his empathy, passion, strength, fearlessness, drive, discipline and limitless potential," his family wrote in his obituary.

Andy Rourke, the bass guitarist for the iconic British rock band, The Smiths, has died.

His bandmate, Johnny Marr, made the announcement Friday on Twitter, revealing that Rourke had been fighting pancreatic cancer before his passing.

Marr said, "Andy will be remembered as a kind and beautiful soul by those who knew him and as a supremely gifted musician by music fans."

After joining The Smiths in the '80s, Rourke was featured on the group's four studio records, including "Meat Is Murder" and "Strangeways, Here We Come."

With Rourke on bass, Marr on lead guitar, Mike Joyce on drums and Morrissey on vocals, the foursome created a pioneering sound that still has an influence on music today. Some of their most classic tunes were "This Charming Man" and "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out."

During his time with The Smiths, Rourke struggled with heroin addiction and was arrested for possessing the drug in 1986. He even got kicked out of the band at one point, but he returned two weeks later.

In 1987, The Smiths broke up, but Rourke went on to produce several singles with Morrissey and to record music with Sinéad O’Connor and The Pretenders. He also sued Morrissey and Marr for an equal share of The Smith's earnings and royalties, but later settled for just over $103,000.

Rourke was 59.