RIP

Larry Flynt -- the famous and controversial publisher known for launching a porn empire -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Family sources tell us the mogul passed Wednesday morning in Los Angeles from heart failure.

For nearly 50 years, Flynt's been one of the biggest names in the adult entertainment industry. He launched "Hustler" magazine in 1974, which brought him fame and fortune as it skyrocketed in popularity ... and also brought countless legal issues.

Many of these First Amendment battles were chronicled in the Oscar-nominated 1996 film, "The People vs. Larry Flynt," starring Woody Harrelson.

Flynt's magazine and notoriety also led to him being shot in 1978 in a murder attempt by serial killer Joseph Paul Franklin. The shooting left Larry paralyzed from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair, and he suffered from constant pain and other medical issues as a result.

Along with being the name behind the Hustler brand, Flynt's the president of Larry Flynt Publications ... which produces other magazines like "Barely Legal," pornographic videos and Hustler TV.

He also opened the famous Hustler Casino near L.A. in 2000.

Flynt dabbled in politics, controversially of course, by attempting a brief presidential run in 1984 and running for Governor of California in the 2003 recall election. He also weighed in during Bill Clinton's impeachment trial by offering $1 million for evidence of sexual transgressions to publish his "The Flynt Report."

As for his personal life ... Flynt was married 5 times. He married his current wife, Elizabeth Berrios, in 1998. He has 5 daughters and a son, along with many grandchildren and great-grandkids.

Larry was 78.

Alex Trebek's polished "Jeopardy!" look is about to serve others needing professional attire as they try to turn their lives around -- another testament to Alex's unending spirit of giving.

A significant portion of Alex's on-set wardrobe from the game show is being donated to The Doe Fund -- a nonprofit that helps underserved individuals bouncing back from homelessness or incarceration get back on their feet, especially men.

A lot of those guys are looking for work, and need suits for job interviews. To that end, Alex's own suits will now be worn on their backs as they move forward. It's pretty incredible.

"Jeopardy!" honchos say all-in-all ... The Doe Fund is getting 14 full suits, 58 dress shirts, 300 neckties, 25 polos, 14 sweaters, 9 blazers, 9 pairs of dress shoes, 15 belts, 2 parkas and 3 pairs of slacks. That's quite a haul from Alex's closet and will help so many in need.

As for how they decided what to pick -- Alex's own son, Matthew, actually linked up with "Jeopardy!" costumer Steven Zimbelman to make the selections and pack them up for shipment. There are photos of them going through a coat rack of Alex's wardrobe, and pics of some of the men in need holding up suits after receiving them.

They look pretty stoked, and we would be too ... it's not every day you can slip into a suit worn by Alex himself. Based on what we see here, it appears the donation features a lot of his darker suits.

The federal agency tasked with investigating the helicopter crash that killed Kobe and Gianna Bryant, along with 7 others, will announce their findings in a Tuesday meeting -- including the probable cause of the accident.

National Transportation Safety Board will meet virtually Tuesday -- and it will be open to the public, so we'll live stream the whole thing here.

The NTSB has been working on the case ever since the aircraft -- a Sikorsky S-76 helicopter -- crashed in Calabasas on Jan 26, 2020.

As we previously reported, the NTSB initially said preliminary findings showed no outward evidence of engine failure -- and months into the investigation, officials said the pilot may have been disoriented when the aircraft was caught in deep fog.

Autopsy results showed the pilot, Ara Zobayan, was NOT on alcohol or drugs at the time of the crash ... and NTSB investigators said Zobayan’s girlfriend told them he was in great shape before the accident.

The NTSB said in June it found evidence showing Zobayan thought he was ascending over the fog, when in reality, the helicopter was going downward at a high rate of speed.

In addition to revealing the likely cause of the crash, the NTSB is also expected to make flight recommendations for similar aircraft in the hopes of preventing another tragedy.

Along with Kobe and Zobayan, seven others -- including Kobe's daughter, Gianna, and friends Alyssa Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, John Altobelli, Christina Mauser, Payton Chester and Sarah Chester -- perished in the Jan. 26, 2020 crash.

#RIP

Mary Wilson, a founding member of The Supremes, the group that not only racked up one of the most impressive string of hits in music history but also helped break the color barrier, has died.

Mary's longtime publicist, Jay Schwartz, said she passed suddenly at her home in Henderson, Nevada. We're told she was fine just days ago.  The cause of death is unknown.

It's impossible to overstate the impact and popularity of The Supremes. They hit like a nuclear bomb in the '60s with a string of chart-topping songs, beginning with "Where Did Our Love Go," and then "Baby Love," "Stop! In the Name of Love," "You Can't Hurry Love," "Reflections," "I Hear a Symphony," "Love Child," "Someday We'll Be Together" and on and on and on.

The Supremes were Motown's most successful act in the '60s, with 12 singles that hit #1. They still remain the #1 female recording group of all time.

Mary, along with Diana Ross and Florence Ballard, grew up in Detroit's Brewster Project. They formed the group in high school and hung around Motown Records, lobbying Berry Gordy for a break. He told them to finish high school and come back, and they did.

They actually started out as The Primettes ... a counterpoint to another group -- The Primes. FYI ... The Primes ultimately changed their name to The Temptations.

Berry Gordy saw something in The Supremes and decided they would be the group to take Motown to clubs that did not traditionally cater to white audiences, like New York's Copacabana. The Supremes did just that and they are widely credited for helping move the ball in the '60s civil rights movement. They were prized TV guests on programs like "American Bandstand," "The Ed Sullivan Show" and their own TV specials.

The group eventually became Diana Ross and The Supremes and friction developed between Mary and Diana. Diana Ross left the group in 1970 and she was replaced by Jean Terrell. Lots of people in the music biz assumed that would be the end of The Supremes, but far from it.

The newly-configured Supremes racked up yet another string of hits ... "Up the Ladder to the Roof," "Stoned Love," "Nathan Jones," "Everybody's Got the Right to Love," "Floy Joy," and more.

There were more changes in the group and eventually they disbanded in 1977. There was talk of a reunion from time to time, but Diana Ross was never open to it. Nevertheless, Ross tweeted, "My condolences to you Mary's family ... I have so many wonderful memories of our time together. "The Supremes" will love on, in our hearts."

Mary continued to perform as a solo act and became an author and motivational speaker.

Just 2 days ago Mary posted a video on YouTube, excitedly talking about Black History Month, The Supremes 60th anniversary and the upcoming release of her own recordings.

Berry Gordy said of Mary's passing, "The Supremes were always known as the 'sweethearts of Motown' ... I was always proud of Mary. She was quite a star in her own right and over the years continued to work hard to boost the legacy of The Supremes. Mary Wilson was extremely special to me. She was a trailblazer, a diva and will be deeply missed."

Mary leaves behind a daughter, Turkessa, and a son, Pedro Antonio, Jr., and many grandchildren.

She was 76.

RIP, Mary.

Marty Schottenheimer -- one of the NFL's all-time greatest head coaches -- died on Monday after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer's ... his family announced Tuesday.

He was 77 years old.

The coach had fought Alzheimer's since 2014 ... but was moved to a North Carolina hospice facility last month after his family said he was suffering from "complications from his disease."

Schottenheimer's wife, Pat, said at the time, "As a family we are surrounding him with love and are soaking up the prayers and support from all those he impacted through his incredible life."

"In the way he taught us all, we are putting one foot in front of the other ... one play at a time."

Pat and the rest of the Schottenheimer family told ESPN's Chris Mortensen Marty passed on Monday ... adding the former coach will have a private family service soon with a public memorial service at a later date.

Schottenheimer was a head man in the NFL for 21 years ... and is 1 of just 8 men to win at least 200 games in the league as a head coach.

He began his head coaching career with the Cleveland Browns in 1984 -- and later went on to coach Joe Montana and Marcus Allen in Kansas City starting in 1989.

Schottenheimer went on to spend 10 total years with the Chiefs -- piling up a 101-58-1 regular-season record. He took the team to 7 playoff appearances -- and even brought them to the AFC Championship game in 1993, where they lost to the Buffalo Bills.

Marty continued his coaching career with Washington before moving to the San Diego Chargers. He was named Coach of the Year there in 2004, when the team went 12-4 and won the AFC West.

Billy Brown -- the Brown family patriarch featured in 12 seasons of the hit series "Alaskan Bush People" -- has died.

Billy died Sunday following a seizure. His son, Bear, wrote on Instagram the family is "heartbroken to announce that our beloved patriarch Billy Brown passed away last night after suffering from a seizure."

Bear added, "He was our best friend - a wonderful and loving dad, granddad and husband and he will be dearly missed. He lived his life on his terms, off the grid and off the land and taught us to live like that as well."

A spokesperson for Discovery tells TMZ ... everyone at the network is devastated and said Billy's been "part of the Discovery family for years - a trailblazer, a lovely man and most definitely one of a kind. Our heart is with his family and those that knew him and loved him as they deal with this devastating loss."

Billy was an avid hunter and a pretty brilliant commercial fisherman in the North Pacific. He grew up in Texas and when he was 16 he suffered a tragedy -- his mother, father and sister died in a plane crash.

After meeting his wife, Ami, in Texas, they decided to move to Alaska where they raised their family of 5 sons and 2 daughters.

Billy was 68.

Robinhood's got blood on its hands, according to the parents of a young trader who took his life ... falsely thinking he was $730,000 in the red, and now they're suing.

The parents of 20-year-old Alex Kearns filed suit Monday against Robinhood, accusing the stock-trading app of wrongful death in the college student's June suicide.

In the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Alex's parents claim he killed himself one day after Robinhood posted a notice restricting his account showing he was in the hole a whopping $730k and told him he needed to come up with around $170k ASAP.

Alex's parents claim the initial notice was misleading and inaccurate, and they say Alex was shocked at what he owed and tried to contact Robinhood for clarification, but all he got was a boilerplate email response.

Alex killed himself by stepping in front of an oncoming train, and his parents claim he left a suicide note wondering ... "How was a 20-year-old with no income able to get assigned almost a million dollars' worth of leverage? There was no intention to be assigned this much and take this much risk, and I only thought I was risking the money I actually owned."

His parents claim the note ended with, "A painful lesson. F**k Robinhood."

The saddest part ... Robinhood allegedly emailed Alex the day after his suicide, suggesting he didn't actually owe 6 figures.

In addition to wrongful death, Alex's parents are also suing Robinhood for unfair business practices.

A Robinhood spokesperson tells us, “We were devastated by Alex Kearns’ death. Since June, we’ve made improvements to our options offering. These include adding the ability to exercise contracts in the app, guidance to help customers through early assignment, updates to how we display buying power, more educational materials on options, and new financial criteria and revised experience requirements for new customers seeking to trade Level 3 options. "

We're also told the app's added live voice support for customers and changed protocols to get faster help for customers who email questions.

The teenage son of Dr. Laura Berman -- the famous sex therapist on Oprah Winfrey's TV network -- has died after what sounds like an accidental drug overdose.

Dr. Berman made the announcement Sunday, saying her 16-year-old Samuel had recently passed away after what she describes as a shady drug deal on Snapchat ... which apparently led to her boy getting fentanyl-laced Xanax pills.

She writes, "Sheltering at home. A drug dealer connected with him on Snapchat and gave him fentinyl laced Xanax and he overdosed in his room." Dr. Berman says dealers lace their stuff with fentanyl because it hooks their buyers, but it can obviously kill people too if too much is taken ... as we've come to realize in recent years.

Her post goes on ... "My heart is completely shattered and I am not sure how to keep breathing. I post this now only so that not one more kid dies." Dr. Berman explains that, yes, she and her family watched Samuel closely, and that he was a straight-A student.

Still, one experiment with prescription pills went wrong ... and cost him his life. Sounds like this happened right under his parents' noses too -- she says the drugs were delivered to their house while they were quarantining ... and warns parents to monitor Snapchat heavily.

Dr. Berman's had her own program on OWN for almost a decade now -- not to mention a number of books she's written, and a radio show she hosts as well. She has 2 other boys, who are close in age to Samuel.

Jesus Christ has no place in the George Floyd murder case ... at least that's what Derek Chauvin’s defense lawyers are asking the judge to make sure of in his upcoming trial.

Lawyers representing Chauvin -- the ex-cop accused of murdering Floyd -- filed a motion asking the judge to keep a bunch of things out of his trial, including one seeking to stop the other side from drawing any comparisons between George and Jesus.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Chauvin's defense asks the judge for an order precluding any expert from likening Floyd's death to the crucifixion of Christ. The defense claims such analogies would be prejudicial.

According to the docs, the defense also wants to stop Floyd from being referred to as a "victim" and they don't want anyone labeling Chauvin as a "defendant."

The defense doesn't want police officers taking the stand to talk about how they would've handled the case differently, either, and they don't want paramedics testifying about the cause and manner of death.

U.S. Congressman Ron Wright has died from COVID-19 -- the first such sitting member of Congress to succumb to the lethal virus since the pandemic began.

The Texas Representative's staff made the announcement Monday, saying he'd passed Sunday while hospitalized in Dallas -- with his wife, Susan, by his side in her own bed ... as she too had been admitted after they both came down with COVID in January.

At the time his diagnosis was announced, on Jan. 21, Wright said in a statement that he was experiencing minor symptoms ... but more or less felt fine and was determined to keep working on behalf of his district. Clearly, his health took a toll for the worst.

His staff also notes ... he'd been battling and getting treatment for cancer in recent years.

He'd been serving in Congress since 2019, and was in his second term at the time of his hospitalization. A lifelong Republican, Wright had been involved in local politics down in Tarrant County, TX -- which covers a majority of the Fort Worth area. He served as an at-large member on Arlington's City Council, and at one point filled in as mayor pro tempore.

While Wright is the first active member of Congress to have died from coronavirus, another incoming congressman from Louisiana, Representative-elect Luke Letlow, died from COVID in December before being able to be sworn in and serve with his freshman class.

Wright was 67.

Pedro Gomez -- longtime ESPN reporter -- has died suddenly at the age of 58, the network announced.

ESPN has not revealed the cause of death -- only noting he died "unexpectedly at his home" on Sunday afternoon.

Gomez joined ESPN in April 2003 and was one of the most respected Major League Baseball reporters in the country ... covering over 25 World Series throughout his impressive career.

During Barry Bonds chase of Hank Aaron's all-time home run record in the mid-2000's, Gomez famously covered the Giants slugger for several seasons.

ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro released a statement on Gomez's passing, saying ... “We are shocked and saddened to learn that our friend and colleague Pedro Gomez has passed away.”

“Pedro was an elite journalist at the highest level and his professional accomplishments are universally recognized. More importantly, Pedro was a kind, dear friend to us all. Our hearts are with Pedro’s family and all who love him at this extraordinarily difficult time.”

Prior to joining ESPN, Gomez worked for several newspapers in the '80s and '90s -- including the Sacramento Bee -- where he was a beat reporter for the Oakland Athletics.

The entire sports world -- and especially MLB -- is mourning Gomez's death.

The Dodgers tweeted, saying they're "stunned and saddened to hear about the passing of Pedro Gomez. We are thinking of his family, friends and colleagues and offer our condolences during this difficult time."

The Red Sox also issued a statement on social media, saying ... "Our hearts go out to the Gomez family, including Pedro Gomez’s son, Rio, a pitcher in our minor league system."

Pedro -- who passed away suddenly -- tweeted about the Super Bowl only several hours ago.

Gomez -- a south Florida native who attended the University of Miami -- is survived by his wife, Sandra, and their 3 children.

George Shultz -- President Reagan's Secretary of State and one of the most prolific statesmen in American history -- has died.

Stanford University's Hoover Institution broke the news Sunday, saying Shultz had died at his home in California ... no cause of death was revealed. Another S.O.S. and current Director of the Institution, Condoleezza Rice, remembered Shultz as a man of great accomplishment.

She says, "Our colleague was a great American statesman and a true patriot in every sense of the word. He will be remembered in history as a man who made the world a better place."

Shultz is perhaps best remembered as a major player in Reagan's administration, especially as it pertained to keeping the temperature down with then-Soviet Russia ... with whom the U.S. was in the midst of a Cold War that threatened to boil over at a moment's notice.

When Gorbachev became the Russian president in the mid-'80s, Shultz convinced Reagan to play nice and actually talk to the guy ... seeing how U.S.-Russia relations at that point were pretty much broken and non-existent. That advice proved crucial to America and Russia eventually signing the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty, which got rid of a ton of nukes in Europe ... a huge step in achieving peace.

Shultz also served in President Nixon's administration, in a number of posts -- first, Secretary of Labor, later the first director of the Office of Management and Budget, and eventually Nixon's Secretary of Treasury ... where he headed up domestic and international financial policy.

When he finally left public service for good, Shultz went on to consult on a number of political causes, including President Bush's 2000 presidential campaign ... and also sat on a bunch of corporate boards, both economic and otherwise. One of his most famous ventures post-politics was with one-time Silicon Valley wiz Elizabeth Holmes -- who founded the biotech company Theranos, and tapped Shultz as a board member between 2011-2015.

He wasn't in on the scam, but did seem to be mesmerized by what Holmes was selling at the time ... state-of-the-art blood testing that was exposed as phony. Funny enough, his own grandson, Tyler, ended up being the whistleblower that blew up Theranos for good.

Shultz is survived by his five children and several grandchildren. He was 100.

Frank Shankwitz, the Arizona Highway Patrol officer who helped a terminally ill boy realize his dream of becoming a motorcycle cop and then co-created the Make-a-Wish Foundation, has died.

Shankwitz passed at his home in Prescott, Arizona ... succumbing to esophageal cancer.  Frank passed on January 24. His wife of 38 years, Kitty, was at his bedside.

Frank heard about a boy named Chris Greicius back in 1980 ... the child had end-stage leukemia and wanted to be a motorcycle cop when he grew up, just like Ponch and Jon from the TV show, "CHiPs."

Frank wanted to make Chris' dream come true but thought the boy might not be physically up for the adventure, saying, “Figuring he’d be brought out in a wheelchair, I was surprised when the door opened and a pair of sneakers emerged.”

Shankwitz explained, “Out stepped Chris, an excited 7-year-old boy who seemed so full of life it was hard to believe he was sick.” So, Frank gave him a badge and a uniform and even had him take a driving test in his front yard to become a real motor cop. Chris was beyond thrilled.

"CHiPs" stars Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox later autographed a photo for Chris, but by the time Shankwitz went to give it to him ... Chris had fallen into a light coma.

Chris had hung his uniform by the bed, and when Frank pinned the badge on his shirt, he woke up and asked, “Am I an official motorcycle cop now?” “You sure are,” Frank replied.

Chris died later that day.

A few months later Frank created the Make-a-Wish Foundation. More than 315,000 children in the United States have had their dreams come true as a result of Frank's efforts.

Today the org has 64 chapters in the U.S. and 36 chapters internationally.

Frank was 77.

Leon Spinks -- former undisputed heavyweight boxing champ -- who defeated Muhammad Ali in 1978 ... has died after a 5 year battle with cancer.

TMZ Sports has confirmed Spinks passed away Friday evening at the age of 67 ... surrounded by his wife Brenda and several other close friends and family.

Leon's health had been in decline recently ... the former boxing champ courageously battled prostate cancer for 5 years.

Spinks was the victor in one of the biggest upsets in sports history ... when he shocked the world by defeating Ali in a 15-round, split decision win in Las Vegas in February 1978.

In defeating Ali, Spinks -- the new heavyweight champ -- became the only fighter to ever take a belt from The Greatest.

The Ali fight was the most memorable moment of Leon's career ... but definitely not the only highlight.

In 1976, Spinks won a gold medal as a light heavyweight fighter in the Summer Olympics in Montreal.

Spinks -- born in St. Louis in 1953 -- developed a passion for boxing while in the U.S. Marines.

Pugilism ran deep in the Spinks family ... Leon was the older brother of boxer Michael Spinks -- a former 2-weight class world champion, and Olympic gold medalist (both brothers won gold in '76).

Leon was inducted into the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame in 2017.

Christopher Plummer -- who starred in "The Sound of Music" and so many other iconic films -- has died.

Plummer passed away peacefully at his home in Connecticut Friday, his family said in a statement. His wife of over 50 years, Elaine Taylor, was by his side. Lou Pitt, a longtime friend and manager of 46 years, said, "Chris was an extraordinary man who deeply loved and respected his profession with great old fashion manners, self-deprecating humor and the music of words."

Christopher, who started his acting career in the '50s, was featured in more than 100 films. His role as Captain Von Trapp in the 1965 classic, "The Sound of Music," cemented his status as one of the best actors in Hollywood.

He started his acting career at the Montreal Repertory Theatre. He landed his first leading role as Hal in "Henry V" at the 1956 Stratford Festival in Canada. He earned his first Tony nomination 3 years later for best actor in Archibald MacLeish's "J.B." He also landed roles with the Royal Shakespeare Company in the UK.

He won a Tony in 1973 for his title role in the musical "Cyrano" and then again in 1997 for the title role in "Barrymore." In total, he was nominated for 7 Tony Awards ... with his most recent nomination coming in 2007 for his lead role in "Inherit the Wind."

Among his other credits ... "The Thorn Birds," one of the biggest miniseries in TV history, which aired in 1983. He scored a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 2010 for "Beginners." At the time, it made him the oldest winner ever in the acting category.

Christopher -- born Arthur Plummer in 1929 in Toronto -- was also nominated for an Oscar for his work in Ridley Scott's "All the Money in the World." Remember ... he's the actor who replaced Kevin Spacey following Spacey's ouster from the film stemming from the #MeToo movement.

For his role as J. Paul Getty ... Christopher earned a Golden Globe and Academy Award nomination. He recently starred in "Knives Out" with Daniel Craig and Chris Evans.

His manager added, "He was a National Treasure who deeply relished his Canadian roots. Through his art and humanity, he touched all of our hearts and his legendary life will endure for all generations to come. He will forever be with us."

Interesting side note ... he was the great-grandson of John Abbott, Canada's third prime minister. He was appointed Companion of the Order of Canada in 1968.

Christopher was 91.

Dustin Diamond is going to be cremated as one of his final wishes ... and his ashes are staying with his loved ones.

Dustin's close friend, Dan Block tells TMZ ... once the "Saved By The Bell" star is cremated, his remains will be placed in 2 separate urns for his father and girlfriend. We're told there are no plans to spread Dustin's ashes.

TMZ broke the story ... Dustin died Monday morning after a battle with Stage 4 lung cancer, with his girlfriend by his side when he passed away.

A rep for Dustin tells us he didn't want to be buried under a tombstone because, as a public figure, he was scared people might go to his final resting place and deface it.

Dan says Dustin had two dying wishes ... taking his girlfriend to see the 'Star Wars' attractions at Disney World, and meeting Tool bassist Justin Chancellor ... neither of which came true.