RIP

Juice WRLD's movements had been under the microscope of federal agents since at least last month ... and TMZ has learned it started with another private jet search.

Juice's initial run-in with the feds went down on November 18 at LAX ... according to our law enforcement sources. The rapper and his entourage were boarding their flight bound for Sydney, Australia, when Customs Agents conducted the search.

We're told drug-sniffing dogs were all over Juice and co. and their luggage. It's unclear if agents found anything -- we do know the plane was eventually allowed to take off with Juice on board.

TMZ broke the story ... Homeland Security agents, operating under an FBI task force, searched Juice WRLD's private jet early Sunday morning when it landed at Chicago's Midway Airport.

As we reported, cops confiscated 70 lbs. of marijuana and 3 handguns after searching the plane. We're told Juice suffered his seizure -- which turned out to be fatal -- as agents were conducting their search. Our sources say someone in his entourage told cops he had taken several "unknown pills."

As for why the feds were so keyed in to his late-night flight to Chi-Town? It's possible it had something to do with the intel they'd gathered during the LAX search. Additionally, we're told the pilot had reported Juice's bodyguards for having handguns -- a no-no if they're not packed properly, or if the bodyguard doesn't have a permit.

We've reached out to the FBI for more detail on last month's search, but so far ... radio silence.

Marie Fredriksson -- lead singer for the pop-rock duo, Roxette -- has died after a 17-year battle with cancer ... TMZ has learned.

According to her management group ... the Swedish musician passed away Monday. After being diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2002, Marie received aggressive treatment that was ultimately successful, allowing Roxette to return after a long hiatus and release new music.

However, Marie was advised by doctors to stop touring and focus on her health in 2016.

Roxette formed in 1986 and became an international sensation with their breakout #1 hit in 1989 -- "The Look."

The duo's success continued the following year with the single "It Must Have Been Love," which was featured on the soundtrack of the iconic Julia Roberts/Richard Gere rom-com, "Pretty Woman."

The group's other big hits include "Listen to Your Heart" and "Joyride." All in all, Roxette put out 10 albums to go along with 10 major tours.

Marie's management says she "leaves us a grand musical legacy." It says, "Her amazing voice – both strong and sensitive – and her magical live performances will be remembered by all of us who was lucky enough to witness them," adding ... "But we also remember a wonderful person with a huge appetite for life, and woman with a very big heart who cared for everybody she met."

Her former bandmate, guitarist and singer Per Gessle, says ... "Thank you, Marie, thanks for everything. You were an outstanding musician, a master of the voice, an amazing performer. Thanks for painting my black and white songs in the most beautiful colours. You were the most wonderful friend for over 40 years."

Fredriksson's survived by her husband and 2 children.

She was 61.

Juice WRLD might've made a fatal decision as law enforcement searched his private jet -- swallowing a bunch of painkillers in an attempt to hide them from the feds.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the pilot who was flying Juice's private plane alerted authorities on the ground that the rapper's entourage had guns on them -- a big no-no in air travel. When they landed, FBI and FAA agents were waiting for Juice and company.

We're told at some point between the plane landing and the feds conducting their search ... Juice was seen swallowing several Percocet pills in what people believed was an attempt to hide them. Our sources say the pills might've contributed to his death in a possible OD.

An autopsy was performed on the rapper Monday, but additional testing, including toxicology, cardiac pathology and neuropathology is still needed before determining an official cause.

Ex-Boston College baseball player Pete Frates -- the man who inspired millions of people to participate in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge -- has passed away at 34 years old, the school announced Monday.

Frates -- who served as team captain in 2007 -- was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease in 2012 ... and 2 years later, became the face of the worldwide campaign that raised more than $220 million for ALS research.

Frates didn't create the Challenge but was one of the first to do it -- and he's credited with being one of the most important factors in the Challenge going mainstream.

Huge names from Bill Gates to Lady Gaga to Alex Rodriguez participated in the fundraiser, which required people to dump freezing-cold buckets of water on their heads.

"Pete was an inspiration to so many people around the world who drew strength from his courage and resiliency," his family said in a statement.

"A natural born leader and the ultimate teammate, Pete was a role model for all, especially young athletes, who looked up to him for his bravery and unwavering positive spirit in the face of adversity."

"He was a noble fighter who inspired us all to use our talents and strengths in the service of others."

Frates had a successful career as an outfielder for the Eagles -- he had 11 home runs and set a modern BC record with 8 RBI in one game.

He went on to become the team's director of baseball operations in 2012.

The family is accepting donations to the Peter Frates Family Foundation in his honor.

"The Frates family wishes to express its sincere gratitude for the abundant love, kindness, and support we have been the recipients of during the past eight years."

The private jet Juice WRLD flew on to Chicago was loaded down with 70 pounds of marijuana ... and cops say people on the plane told them the rapper had popped several pills prior to suffering seizures.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the FBI confiscated the huge stash of weed from several suitcases that were on board the flight. We obtained this photo of the marijuana and luggage in the private jet terminal at Midway.

According to law enforcement, several members of Juice's team aboard the flight -- which landed around 1 AM Sunday -- told them Juice had taken "several unknown pills" prior to the seizures which led to him getting rushed to a hospital.

Further, we're told one of Juice's associates told authorities the 21-year-old rapper has a Percocet problem. Our law enforcement sources also say a bottle of codeine cough syrup was found on the plane.

Juice has admitted abusing lean, or codeine cough syrup, in the past -- and taking prescription pills like Percocet. His cause of death hasn't been determined ... the Cook County Medical Examiner will conduct an autopsy on Monday.

Two men -- Chris Long and Henry Dean -- were arrested for possession of handguns. We're told cops recovered 3 guns in total. Dean was released without bail, and Long is out after posting a $1,500 bond.

Juice WRLD, the talented young rapper and singer whose career was just taking off, is dead after suffering a seizure in Chicago's Midway airport ... TMZ has learned.

Juice's flight from California landed early Sunday morning and, after deplaning ... witnesses tell us he suffered the seizure while walking through the airport. Law enforcement sources say he was bleeding from the mouth when paramedics got on scene.

We're told Juice -- real name Jarad Anthony Higgins -- was still conscious when he was transported by Chicago Fire. However, he was pronounced dead a short time later at the hospital. The cause of death was determined to be an accidental overdose.

Juice WRLD's major-label career was just starting after he almost climbed to the top of the charts in 2018. His first huge hit came in summer 2018 with "Lucid Dreams" ... which made it to #2.

His song, "All Girls Are the Same," also became a hit when Lil Yachty was featured on the remix.

In fact, it was that song's success that drew the attention of Interscope Records ... which signed him to a multi-million dollar contract. One month after releasing his first studio album, "Goodbye & Good Riddance" ... Juice released the 2-track EP, "Too Soon," as a tribute to Lil Peep and XXXTentacion.

Juice also had a feature on Travis Scott's enormous "AstroWorld" album, singing the hook on the track, "No Bystanders."

Higgins' stage name was reportedly inspired by Tupac Shakur's performance in the 1992 film, "Juice."

Juice WRLD just turned 21 last Monday.

RIP

Rene Auberjonois -- who starred in "Benson," "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and several other hit shows over the decades -- has died.

The veteran TV, movie and voice actor passed away Sunday at his L.A.-based home after a battle with metastatic lung cancer, according to his son, Remy, who spoke to the Associated Press.

Auberjonois is perhaps best known as Clayton Endicott III on "Benson" -- the snobbish chief of staff to Governor Eugene X Gatling in the hit '80s sitcom -- which itself was a spinoff of "Soap." He played the role for 6 seasons, acting in 135 episodes through 1986.

In the '90s, he went on to play Odo on 'Deep Space Nine' opposite Avery Brooks -- starring in all 173 episodes. His TV career was even more prolific beyond that though -- Auberjonois had supporting roles in hits like "NET Playhouse," "Rhoda," "Charlie's Angels," "Frasier," "Starsky and Hutch" "The Jeffersons," "L.A. Law," "Matlock," "Boston Legal," "Madam Secretary" and many, many more.

As far as movies are concerned, he might be best remembered as Father John Mulcahy in "M.A.S.H." ... and for voicing Chef Louis in "The Little Mermaid." He acted in plenty of others too -- 'Police Academy 5," "King Kong," "The Patriot," "Eyes of Laura Mars," "Batman Forever," etc.

The guy might've been an even busier voice actor, having lent his talents to animated series like "Jonny Quest," "Pound Puppies," "The Looney Tunes Show," "Scooby-Doo," "Archer," "Justice League" and a bunch of others. In short, he worked a lot ... and had an extensive resume.

Auberjonois is survived by his wife, Judith, his 2 children and three grandchildren. He was 79.

Caroll Spinney -- the guy who manned Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on "Sesame Street" for nearly half a century -- has died.

Spinney passed away Sunday at his Connecticut home after living with Dystonia for a while, according to Sesame Workshop ... the nonprofit org behind the hit children's television show. Dystonia is a movement disorder in which a person's muscles contract uncontrollably.

Incredibly, the longtime puppeteer worked on the show for 49 years ... and retired from 'Sesame' just last year. He had been on the show since its early days in 1969. Besides being the man behind Big Bird, Spinney also handled and voiced Oscar the Grouch.

The legendary Jim Henson brought Spinney on-board, and by most accounts ... he struggled bringing Big Bird to life at first and having him resonate with the audience. Eventually, Spinney said he turned BB into a "big kid" character -- and the rest was history.

He starred in thousands of "Sesame Street" episodes -- more than any other cast member -- and it was certainly no walk in the park controlling the 8-foot bird costume. Spinney said he would have to hold the 5-pound head up with his right hand and work the mouth and eyebrows on that end ... while controlling both arms with just his own left one.

There was a fishing wire that connected both extremities inside the suit, and Spinney would operate both by using just his left side. Oscar, no doubt, was much easier to work.

He's survived by his wife, Debra, and his three children. Spinney was 85.

A Nipsey Hussle mural got damaged by a couple of rowdy kids who need to learn a lesson about respect and vandalism ... one that really sticks.

Sources at Sneakertopia Los Angeles -- where the Nipsey homage is on display -- tell TMZ ... a group of 6 adults and 9 children were checking out the street art exhibit earlier this week, and the young'uns were NOT on their best behavior.

Security footage shows one kid hopping up on a ledge in front of the painting of the rapper, and then jumping up to place a "Frugal" sticker on one of Nipsey's eyes. He gives it a few extra jump-slaps to really plaster it on there too.

A little while later, another tiny vandal -- equipped with his own sticker -- does the same thing to Nip's other eye and then runs off. Even more brazen ... the crew poses for pics in front of the mural with stickers in plain view.

As you can see, removing the stickers took some of the paint with it, leaving behind 2 large blemishes on Nipsey's face.

Ron Liebman, the award-winning actor who starred in 'Norma Rae,' has died in New York City ... according to his family.

Ron passed away from pneumonia on Friday in his hometown after a long and illustrious career on stage, film and TV.

He costarred with Sally Field as Reuben, the union rep who inspires the title character in 1979's "Norma Rae." He also had important roles in "Slaughterhouse-Five," "Night Falls on Manhattan" and "Garden State."

Younger audiences will recognize Ron as Rachel's often-disappointed dad on "Friends."

He won an Emmy in 1979 for his starring role in "Kaz" ... a short-lived drama he co-created and wrote -- and also won a Tony for "Angels in America: Millennium Approaches" in 1993.

Most recently, Ron was the voice of Walter, Malory Archer's husband, on the FX hit animated comedy, "Archer."

He's survived by his wife, actress Jessica Walter, whom he married in 1983.

Country singer Kylie Rae Harris was wasted and going over 100 MPH during a fatal car crash that killed her and another person ... this according to law enforcement.

Kylie died in a car crash on a New Mexico highway back in September, and the Taos County Sheriff says its investigation determined she was driving 102 MPH when her car struck the rear of another vehicle in the three-car collision.

According to cops ... Kylie's car was still going 95 MPH when it crashed head-on into a second car traveling the opposite direction, killing a 16-year-old girl.

As for the toxicology report, Kylie had a BAC of .28 at the time of the crash -- more than three times the legal limit.

The autopsy report reveals Kylie suffered several fractures, including broken skull bones, and cuts to her face and legs. The docs say her breastbone, pelvis, and multiple ribs were also broken.

Harris was reportedly convicted of driving while intoxicated back in 2017 and had been ordered to install an ignition interlock device in her car.

Lil Bub's remains will soon be orbiting the Earth in a satellite ... at least, that's what the late celebrity cat's owner envisions for her final resting place.

Lil Bub's caretaker, Mike Bridavsky, tells TMZ ... he's planning to load the feline's cremated remains into a satellite and launch it into orbit so Bub can watch over the planet, and he's working with Purdue University to get his spacey idea off the ground.

As we reported ... Lil Bub died in her sleep earlier this week, leaving behind a lasting legacy which includes raising over $700,000 for animals and pets in need.

Bub's human says he wants to link her satellite to a website so people can track the cat's location over Earth, and he even hopes to install a live feed on the craft so people can see Bub watching over them. Yes, it's hard to let go.

The cat's caretaker also wants to keep Bub's fundraising efforts alive ... by allowing people to sign up to have a designated amount of money withdrawn from their bank accounts every time Lil Bub completes a rotation around the Earth, with the funds benefiting homeless pets and veterinary research.

Lil Bub's owner tells us he realizes this is a wild idea, but he says he's been talking with Purdue about partnering on the project. The university's Small Animal Hospital was Bub's clinic for emergency care, and Purdue has an aerospace program.

FYI, the aerospace program is already involved in commercial satellite programs and with the International Space Station ... so Bub would be piggybacking off of those.

Of course, blasting a cat's remains into orbit ain't gonna be cheap ... and Lil Bub's owner says he's trying to work something out with Purdue for funding, or he's just gonna start a GoFundMe.

As for saying goodbye to Lil Bub back on solid ground ... we're told there are no plans yet for a memorial.

The legal battle between Casey Kasem's children and his widow, Jean Kasem, is finally over -- they've reached a settlement, but not everyone in the family's happy.

Casey's children filed docs requesting dismissal of their wrongful death suit against Jean. The court's signed off on the dismissal this week -- and a source connected to Casey's daughter, Kerri Kasem, tells us both sides agreed on a settlement.

However, we're told Kerri's upset about how it all came to an end. We're told she's "distraught and heartbroken" because she feels her sister and brother and 2 attorneys forced the settlement on her.

You'll recall ... Kerri, Julie and Mike Kasem sued Jean back in 2015, claiming she'd caused their father's death as a result of allegedly blocking him from seeing his kids before he passed. They also claimed she'd been abusing him while he suffered from dementia.

The children were accused of conspiring to kill him, but they were ultimately cleared of that ... with authorities calling BS.

Jean herself also dodged criminal charges for the same allegation, but the kids went after her in civil court ... and the case had dragged on for the past 4 years.

Casey -- the legendary radio DJ -- died in June 2014 from a combination of sepsis, UTI and a staph infection ... something the children claimed was exacerbated by an unattended bedsore Jean allegedly neglected.

Ex-Notre Dame RB George Atkinson III -- son of former Super Bowl champ George Atkinson II -- died on Monday ... less than 1 year after his twin brother committed suicide.

It's unclear how the 27-year-old passed ... but the former NFL player said losing his brother, Josh, last December took a serious toll on him.

In a letter penned by Atkinson III in October ... he said Josh's death put him "on an emotional roller coaster and in a real dark place."

Atkinson III admitted he attempted to "harm himself" shortly after the death and had to be institutionalized ... but said his 2-year-old daughter was keeping him going.

"Without my daughter," Atkinson III wrote, "I don’t know where I would be right now. She gave me that second wind of motivation."

Atkinson III was a top recruit in the country coming out of high school in 2011 ... and was a stud for Notre Dame from '11 to '13 -- scoring 10 career TDs.

He went on to play two seasons in the NFL, one for the Raiders and one for the Browns ... and scored a memorable preseason TD in 2016.

Atkinson III's father was a star returner and defensive back for the Raiders, making two Pro Bowls and helping Oakland win Super Bowl XI over the Minnesota Vikings.

RIP

Officials say Aniah Blanchard was killed by a gunshot ... and now, they're seeking the death penalty for her alleged killer.

Blanchard's body was recovered in a wooded area in Macon County, Alabama on Nov. 25 after she had gone missing for weeks.

The medical examiner conducted an autopsy and determined Blanchard -- the stepdaughter of UFC fighter Walt Harris -- was killed by a gunshot ... but didn't specify to which part of her body.

Now, prosecutors say the man accused of pulling the trigger -- Ibraheem Yazeed -- is being charged with capital murder, and they're seeking the death penalty.

"This case has shaken our community to its core," Lee County District Attorney Brandon Hughes said Monday ... "It is my intention that the response to this horrific crime serve as a warning to anyone who believes they want to come to Lee County and engage in violent criminal behavior."

Hughes added, "You will be dealt with and the consequences will be severe."

So far, three men have been arrested in connection with Blanchard's abduction ... but Hughes said Monday Yazeed is now believed to be the "lone person responsible" for Blanchard's death.

Hughes says Yazeed abducted Blanchard from an Auburn gas station on Oct. 23 ... and his first-degree kidnapping charge has now been upgraded to capital murder.

Yazeed is still being held in jail without bond.

The world is a little less bubbly ... because the famous cat with a sparkling personality and super cute looks has sadly taken her last breath.

Internet sensation Lil Bub -- a kitten-size cat with 2.3 million Instagram followers, an album, a book, a stage production and a talk show -- died Sunday, according to her owners, Mike and Stacy Bridavsky, who say Lil Bub "unexpectedly passed away peacefully in her sleep."

Lil Bub had been battling health problems ... including what her humans say was a persistent and aggressive bone infection. Still, they weren't expecting her to die so suddenly and without warning.

LB was a major influencer with people and pets. The cat with an extra toe on each of her paws and osteopetrosis started the first national fund for special needs pets, and was the subject of groundbreaking biological and genetic research, helping raise over $700,000 for animals in need.

Not that she did it for fame, but Lil Bub did rub elbows with human celebs from time to time -- such as Robert DeNiro at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival.

She even had a famous bloodline ... scientists say she was related to Ernest Hemingway's six-toed cats.

Fun-ish feline fact: The first 2 cat years are roughly equivalent to 25 human years, after which each year equates to 4 human years. So, by our standards, Lil Bub lived to become a middle-aged woman of 49.

RIP