RIP

An Atlanta man has been arrested and charged with murder of Thomas Jefferson Byrd ... the popular actor known for several roles in Spike Lee joints.

The Atlanta PD says they followed evidence and tips that led them to identify the suspect, Antonio Demetrice Rhynes. An arrest warrant was issued for Rhynes Wednesday and he was arrested Friday morning.

He's facing a felony murder charge for the shooting, which occurred near Byrd's Atlanta home. It's still unclear what led to the killing.

As we reported ... 70-year-old Byrd died on October 3 from multiple gunshot wounds to the back, and Spike broke the news himself on social media after learning of his murder.

Byrd had notable roles in several of Spike's films, such as "Clockers," "Get on the Bus," "Bamboozled," "He Got Game," "Red Hook Summer," "Chi-Raq" and more.

John Legend and Chrissy Teigen are returning to the daily grind, slowly but surely ... venturing out together and running some errands, two weeks after their family tragedy.

The couple went on a grocery run Thursday at a Bristol Farms in L.A., the latest indication they are getting back to some semblance of a normal life.

As you know, Chrissy and John's son, Jack, passed away moments after his premature birth, due to complications with the pregnancy ... including severe bleeding from the placenta.

John poured his heart out Wednesday night during the Billboard Music Awards with a moving performance of his song "Never Break" ... which he dedicated to Chrissy.

Great to see the couple's feeling well enough to head out for groceries. They were both wearing face masks, as required in stores.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Fred Dean -- a 2-time Super Bowl champ with the SF 49ers and a 4-time Pro Bowler -- has died after a lengthy battle with coronavirus.

He was 68 years old.

Dean's good friend and former teammate, Dwight Hicks, reportedly made the announcement on social media Thursday ... writing in a statement, "I'm sorry to say that he succumbed to complications of Covid-19."

"May peace be with his wife Pam and their families."

Dean -- 6'3", 230 lbs -- is considered one of the best defensive ends of all-time ... and was known as one of the coolest dudes to ever play the game as well.

"James Dean wasn’t cooler than Fred Dean," 49ers Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott famously said of his ex-teammate.

Sacks weren't logged as an official stat until late in Dean's career ... but in the 1983 season (the year after the NFL started keeping track), Dean recorded an epic 17.5 QB takedowns.

Arguably the greatest offensive lineman of all-time, Anthony Munoz, once called Dean "the strongest opponent I ever faced."

Hall of Fame president and CEO David Baker added in a statement Thursday, "[Dean] exemplified many of the values learned from this great game -- commitment, integrity, courage -- over the course of his life."

Dean was selected in the 2nd-round of the 1975 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers after a Hall of Fame career at Louisiana Tech. He was traded to the 49ers in 1981 and played there until he retired in 1985.

Kottonmouth Kings rapper Saint Dog has died ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... Saint -- whose real name is Steven Thronson -- was found dead early Wednesday morning at a friend's house in Victorville, CA. We're told SD's buddy found him struggling to breathe in one of the home's bedrooms, and called 911.

Our sources say once authorities arrived ... Saint Dog was pronounced dead at the scene. We're told there were no obvious signs of foul play -- a cause of death will be determined pending an autopsy and toxicology report.

Saint was one of the founding members of the Southern California hip-hop group, which was formed in Orange County. He was one of three MCs in the trio, alongside D-Loc and Johnny Richter. Like their band name indicates, the guys loved to rap about weed in all capacities.

He was only with the group for its initial years -- having appeared on 4 of their early projects, including ... "Stoners Reeking Havoc," "Royal Highness," "Stash Box" and "Hidden Stash." After that, he went solo ... but would eventually return to collab with KMK.

He's most known for their early hits like "Suburban Life," "Bump," "Dog's Life," "Play On," among others.

Suburban Noize Records exec Kevin Zinger tells us ... "Anyone that knew Steve saw what a big heart he had. Some of my fondest memories was watching Steve stop the music in the middle of a Kottonmouth Kings show to bring a handicapped fan in a wheelchair on stage so that he could have a better view of the show and even join in singing a few songs. That was just the kind of person Steve was and he touched so many people in a positive way."

He adds, "His legacy will live on in his music and our hearts go out to his Son Max and his entire family, friends and fans worldwide."

He was 44.

George Floyd would have been 47 today, so people are remembering him by flocking to the Minneapolis block where he was killed to leave tributes.

The makeshift memorial site for Floyd -- at the corner of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue -- is visited by hundreds weekly who grieve and protest his death ... but on Wednesday they also adorned the area with flowers and balloons in honor of his birthday.

Memorials are pouring in online as well, including from Sen. Kamala Harris, who says ... "He should still be alive today celebrating another year with his family and friends."

Along with the extra balloons and flowers, there's also a gathering planned Wednesday night at the location ... to honor Floyd's memory and the movement his death sparked in America and around the world.

As we reported ... a beautiful new mural of Floyd was also unveiled days ago in his hometown of Houston, which encourages people to "Be the Change" and "Vote."

Kenneth Walker says he and Breonna Taylor were watching a movie when they heard a loud bang at the door, and despite asking who it was they never got an answer ... until the door blasted open and bullets started flying.

Breonna's boyfriend gave his firsthand account of her fatal shooting by police on "CBS This Morning," telling Gayle King he's "a million percent sure" cops didn't announce themselves ... and insisting he and Breonna would have opened up if they would have, because they had nothing to hide.

Instead, Walker says they were scared and he thought it was a break-in, so he grabbed his gun and claims he fired one warning shot to scare off a possible burglar.

As we know, the cops responded by firing more than 30 bullets into the apartment -- 5 of which hit Breonna. Walker says he's never heard so much gunfire and compared it to war, and says he tried to pull Breonna down but she was scared ... and he knew she was hit when he heard her scream.

Walker says after the shooting stopped, cops didn't enter the apartment and he still didn't know who it was. He claims he called his mom, who told him to call 911. He tells King, "If I knew who it was, I would have said the police. I wouldn't have called the police on the police."

Walker says when he went outside he told one officer he was not hit by the gunshots, and he claims the officer replied ... "that's unfortunate."

He also says the way cops were treating him changed drastically from the time he was arrested to a few hours later -- when they were being nice to him and tried to explain to him a "little bit of miscommunication" that resulted in the raid at Breonna's apartment.

Despite all that ... Walker claims nobody told him directly that Breonna died, and he had to find out on the news.

Eddie Van Halen's musical genius is unquestioned -- turns out the guy was a bit of a design wiz too, and the nuts and bolts of his iconic inventions could soon be yours to own.

Memorabilia collector Eric Kuck tells TMZ ... he owns an original U.S. patent Eddie submitted in 1985. It includes a mockup Eddie submitted for his "musical instrument support" device, which is really just a guitar body rest that allowed him to free up both hands.

Kuck says he's got the OG drawings -- which are very detailed and totally rad -- plus the certificate of authenticity with Eddie's John Hancock ... so folks know it's legit.

Kuck's planning to sell it in a silent auction at his brother's Tampa-area business, Carrollwood Fine Wine and Spirits -- bidding goes from Oct. 15 to Nov. 15.

Ideally, Kuck wants someone from Eddie's own family to score his treasure. He would be willing to work with the Van Halen family on an agreement if they were interested.

As for how much the patent docs could fetch, Kuck tells us the sky's the limit ... especially since Eddie passed away just last week after a long battle with cancer. FWIW, Kuck says he paid $800 for the paperwork about 15 years ago through an auction ... obviously, it'd be worth a lot more now.

Vanessa Bryant added another Kobe Bryant tattoo tribute on her body -- inking his name on her foot, along with the rest of their family.

Vanessa went public with the body art on her IG page on Tuesday -- showing the names Kobe, Vanessa, Natalia, Gianna, Bianka and Capri tatted along the outside of her right foot.

The artwork lists their children in the order of their birth.

Vanessa shouted out the artist, Mr. Cartoon (the same guy who tatted a Kobe tribute on Snoop this week) ... thanking him for the work.

"First tatt in @misterctoons new Santa Monica shop. Thank you! #throwback l.a. love #tattooplacement check #KobeVanessaNataliaGiannaBiankaCapri Together Forever."

Vanessa had some Kobe tributes tatted on her body back in February -- but she didn't reveal the specifics of that work.

All she would say is that the work on her wrist was a special message from Gianna -- and there was also a "sweet message" from Kobe on her neck.

She thanked another tattoo artist, Nikki Hurtado, for doing that work.

Conchata Ferrell -- best known for playing Charlie Sheen's quick-witted housekeeper on "Two and a Half Men" -- has died.

The beloved actress reportedly died Tuesday around 12:30 PM, from complications following cardiac arrest. Conchata reportedly died peacefully surrounded by her family at Sherman Oaks Hospital.

We broke the story ... Conchata's husband, Arnie, told TMZ back in July she had been recently transferred to a long-term care facility after more than 4 weeks in ICU. She had initially landed in the hospital in May with an illness we were told was related to a near-fatal ailment she'd started battling in December 2019.

Conchata had gone into cardiac arrest in July, after checking herself in the hospital. She was on a respirator and dialysis and, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Arnie couldn't visit her.

Besides becoming a staple on the hit CBS sitcom -- in which she appeared in every season -- Conchata also had tons of movie roles ... including in "Edward Scissorhands," "The Mask," "Mr. Deeds" and "Erin Brockovich" as Brenda, who worked inside Julia Roberts' office.

She was 77.#RIPBerta💔

A new mural of George Floyd just got a public showing right in the nick of time -- days before his 47th birthday, and perhaps more importantly ... three weeks before the election.

The mural -- which has been worked on under the steady hand of local artist Ange Hillz -- was unveiled Monday in Houston ... George's hometown. It's even more personal that, though ... the artwork is featured on a wall outside of a corner store George used to frequent.

As you can see, the final product is pretty exquisite -- it's George painted in a multicolor display, with 2 doves by him carrying signs that read "Be the Change" and "Go Vote."

Like we first told you ... that lines up with his birthday wish expressed by his family members, who plan to hit the streets of Minneapolis and St. Paul on Wednesday -- the day he would've turned 47 -- and trying to sign up as many people as possible and get 'em registered.

As for Monday's ceremony -- we're told George's immediate kin were in attendance, as was U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee ... who made public remarks reflecting the message the mural is pushing -- namely, getting out the vote and being the change.

There were a few other community members in the crowd too, but it was relatively small ... we're told George's fam wanted to keep COVID-friendly and not make it super packed. BTW, civil rights attorney Ben Crump -- who's repping the Floyds -- called in and spoke as well.

Cincinnati Reds legend Joe Morgan -- one of the best 2nd basemen ever who went on to become an MLB broadcasting star -- passed away on Sunday. He was 77.

The Hall of Famer passed away Sunday at his home in Danville, CA. A family spokesperson says Morgan had been diagnosed with polyneuropathy -- a disease that affects the nerves.

Despite only standing 5'7" tall, Morgan was a force on the field -- racking up more than 2,500 hits during his 22 seasons in the big leagues.

Morgan made his MLB debut in 1963 and played until 1984 -- playing for 5 teams during his run including the Houston Colt .45s/Astros, SF Giants, Philadelphia Phillies and Oakland Athletics.

He's most famously known for winning 2 World Series titles with the "Big Red Machine" in Cincinnati in 1975 and 1976.

On top of the world titles, Morgan had a trophy case full of personal accolades -- 2-time National League MVP, 10 All-Star appearances, 5 Gold Gloves and 1 Silver Slugger.

His #8 was retired in Cincinnati in 1987. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown in 1990.

After his playing career, Morgan became a successful broadcaster -- calling MLB games for ABC Sports, NBC Sports and ESPN.

He was so popular, they used this voice in the MLB 2K video games.

Reds CEO Bob Castellini released a statement on Morgan's passing, saying, "The Reds family is heartbroken. Joe was a giant in the game an was adored by fans in this city."

"He had a lifelong loyalty and dedication to this organization that extended to our current team and front office staff."

"As a cornerstone on one of the greatest teams in baseball history, his contributions to this franchise will live forever."

The baseball world has lost several legends in recent months -- including Tom Seaver, Lou Brock, Bob Gibson, Whitey Ford.

Margaret Nolan -- who served as the iconic golden-plated babe portrayed in the opening sequence of "Goldfinger" -- has died.

The legendary British artist and glamour model passed away last week, according to her son, Oscar Deeks. The news wasn't broken, however, until Sunday when director Edgar Wright -- who'd cast Margaret in a film of his set to be released next year -- posted on Twitter.

He writes, "It's my sad duty to report that actress and artist, the magnificent Margaret Nolan has passed away. She was the middle of Venn diagram of everything cool in the 60's; having appeared with the Beatles, been beyond iconic in Bond and been part of the Carry On cast too." Edgar went on to attach several photos of Margaret from her different gigs, and detailed different on-camera projects she'd been a part of over her six-decade-plus career.

Margaret led a pretty storied life ... besides being the model featured in the opening to 'Goldfinger' -- not to mention all the merch from the film that followed -- she was actually in the movie as one of the Bond girls, albeit in a smaller (but still memorable) capacity.

She played Bond's poolside masseuse, Dink, who was rubbing him up before Sean Connery introduced her to a colleague and then quickly shooed her away with a nice swat on the tush ... telling it was time for "man talk." Pretty sexist when you look back, but it is what it is.

Margaret also starred in another mega '60s-era flick -- the Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night" ... which they made after their hit song of the same name. She played an unnamed woman at a casino, and while her time on camera was relatively brief ... it too was everlasting.

She has a long list of acting credits ... having made appearances in shows like "Crossroads," "Secret Agent," "199 Park Lane," "Hugh and I," "Take a Pair of Private Eyes," "The Newcomers," "The World of Beachcomber," "Brian Rix Presents ...," "Budgie," "Fox," "Crown Court" and countless others. Margaret also starred in several films throughout her career, including recurring and also alternating roles in the 1970's 'Carry On' comedy franchise.

Her modeling career was second to none, and she even tried her hand as a graphic visual artist -- to which she sometimes received criticism for her photo montages and displays. Nonetheless, the woman was a dynamo in showbiz and entertainment.

Margaret is survived by her two sons. She was 76.

Tom Kennedy -- one of America's most recognizable game show hosts ... known for a slew of shows including "Name That Tune" -- has died, according to his friend, Steve Beverly.

The cause of death is not known but Tom had been ill for several months.

The guy was a titan of television, having served as host of a number of hit game shows including "Split Second," "You Don't Say!" and of course ... 'NTT,' which he hosted for a number of years in the '70s and '80s. Might we say ... "Name That Tune" could be the best game show ever. Tom also hosted a syndicated version of "The Price Is Right' ... with Bob Barker handling daytime duties and Tom heading up the night shift.

There's a lot more to his game show credits ... Kennedy appeared on "Doctor I.Q.," "Match Game," "It Takes Two," "It's Your Bet," "Password," "Break the Bank," "Hollywood Squares," "To Say the Least," "Whew!,' "Password Plus," "Wheel of Fortune," "Body Language," "Family Feud," "Wordplay," "Card Sharks," "Oh My Word," "The Big Game" and many others.

He also served as an announcer for a bunch of projects, including Betty White's early comedy series, "Date with Angels," as well as variety shows like "The Polka Parade," "Going, Going, Gone!" and "About Faces." Kennedy tried his hand at traditional acting too -- he starred in a bunch of one-off guest spots on shows like "That Girl," "Cannon," and "Hardcastle and McCormick."

BTW, Kennedy was there to help give Kathie Lee Gifford (then Johnson) her first big break in TV -- she was the "Name That Tune" singer.

The legendary host is survived by several children, whom he shared with his late wife, Betty Gevedon. He was 93.

A protester was killed by a security guard Saturday and now the guard has been arrested.

It went down in Denver, where there were 2 rallies going on at the same time ... a patriots rally and a Black Lives Matter rally. A guy wearing a "Black Guns Matter" t-shirt began arguing with several men, including the man in the camo bucket hat who ended up getting shot.

You see the argument get heated as the man in the camo hat walks out of frame. He encounters a security guard and according to reports, the guy may have maced the guard. That's when you hear a shot and see the man in the hat go down. He later died at a hospital.

It appears the victim was part of the Patriot's group. His t-shirt read, "BLM You're f***ing Right Bikers Lives Matter."

Turns out the guard works for a company that was hired by a local TV station that had been using security to protect its reporters who were covering the various protests.

Tupac's fam says the Trump campaign using the rapper as a prop to mock Kamala Harris was uncool and uncalled-for, and though he wants an apology ... he's not holding his breath.

Mopreme Shakur, Tupac's stepbrother, tells TMZ ... it was "clearly disrespectful" to his family for the President's campaign to leave a ticket for Tupac at the Vice Presidential debate.

If ya missed it -- Trump's camp confirmed it invited Tupac Wednesday night as a jab at Sen. Harris, who recently claimed Tupac was the "best rapper alive" during an interview. She quickly caught her mistake, and laughed it off ... but Mopreme's not laughing at the Trump team's troll job.

He says it's not surprising though, because "We should know Trump's lack of respect for the Black and brown community."

Mopreme adds, he knows POTUS won't say he's sorry, so instead, he's aiming high -- saying Trump can make it up to the family by releasing his father, Tupac's stepfather, from prison.

His dad, Mutulu, was sentenced to 60 years in 1988 for RICO conspiracy, armed bank robbery and bank robbery killings. Mopreme says his father's taken full responsibility for his crimes and served as a force for good and anti-violence while incarcerated ... yet he's been denied parole 8 times.

Seems unlikely Trump would get involved, but Mopreme's taking a shot.

As for Kamala ... Mopreme says her snafu just shows she has excellent taste in music, and it's no surprise Tupac's her fave because she's from Oakland. He added, it's all California love for Sen. Harris, and strongly encourages everyone to vote.

Kyle Rittenhouse appeared in court as his lawyers continue fighting efforts to extradite him to Wisconsin to stand trial as an adult.

The 17-year-old arrested in the killing of 2 people during the protests over the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, WI was briefly back in court Friday morning, where his lawyers are fighting to keep him in his home state of Illinois ... as opposed to sending him back to Wisconsin.

Rittenhouse's legal team stated this case is a "very unique, extraordinary situation," and argued there are issues with the extradition paperwork by prosecutors that suggest "this is a political prosecution."

The defense lawyers have also argued extradition would violate Rittenhouse's constitutional rights and "turn him over to the mob" ... and claim his life would be in danger if he's jailed with adults in Wisconsin.

Prosecutors accused the defense of intentionally delaying the case, but the judge did grant Rittenhouse's attorneys more time before a decision is made on extradition. There will be another hearing later this month.

The Antioch, IL teenager is accused of killing 2 people and wounding a third on August 25. He's been charged with first-degree intentional homicide and first-degree reckless homicide. If convicted, he's looking at a mandatory life sentence.

As we reported ... Rittenhouse traveled roughly 21 miles from Antioch to Kenosha -- armed with a semi-automatic rifle -- to join armed vigilantes taking on rioters. Video showed him running on the street with his gun while witnesses told cops he shot someone.

After falling to the ground and appearing to be accosted by others, cops say he opened fire ... killing two people and injuring another.