RIP

"Sweet" Lou Johnson -- a key member of the L.A. Dodgers 1965 World Series team -- has died, the team announced. He was 86.

The former outfielder famously smacked a home run off Jim Kaat in Game 7 of the '65 World Series, giving the Dodgers what ended up being an insurmountable lead over the Minnesota Twins.

FYI, Sandy Koufax was pitching for the Dodgers that day.

Johnson only played with the Dodgers from '65 to '67 -- he also played with the Cubs, Angels, Braves and Indians during his 17 seasons in the big leagues.

But, after his playing career, he was a staple at Dodger Stadium -- doing PR work for the team. Super nice guy.

"Lou Johnson was such a positive inspiration at Dodger Stadium with our employees and our fans as well as throughout the community in the appearances he made on behalf of the organization," Dodgers President & CEO Stan Kasten said in a statement.

"Dodger fans will always remember his important home run in Game 7 of the 1965 World Series, when he was clapping his hands running around the bases.”

According to the Dodgers, Johnson got the nickname "Sweet Lou" back in '65 because "of his infectious smile and because he was always clapping his hands."

In total, Sweet Lou racked up 48 HRs and 232 RBIs in 677 games -- with a .248 batting average.

He also famously had the only Dodgers hit -- and scored the only Dodgers run -- in Sandy Koufax’s perfect game on Sept. 9, 1965 against the Chicago Cubs.

No word on cause of death. He's survived by his wife, Sarah, and their 3 children.

Steve Barnes -- co-founder of the personal injury law firm, Cellino & Barnes -- has reportedly died after a plane he was piloting crashed in upstate NY.

Barnes and a female passenger were reportedly killed Friday when the single-engine, propeller-powered Socata TBM 700 6-seater plane crashed in a wooded area in Genesee County. Barnes and the woman were the only ones on board.

Officials have not yet identified the victims, but The Buffalo News is reporting that a lawyer at Barnes' law firm confirmed Steve was piloting that plane.

A Buffalo TV station also reported the plane is registered to an address matching that of Cellino & Barnes' offices. While the name Steve Barnes may not be universally known, his firm's jingle definitely is. That toll-free number, 800-888-8888, at the end of the commercials really does stick in your head.

Barnes and his former partner, Ross Cellino, worked together for almost three decades before splitting back in June.

The Grand Jury audio in the Breonna Taylor case reveals important information about the central issue in the case -- whether the Grand Jurors were adequately informed about whether cops identified themselves before breaching the door to Breonna's apartment.

According to the audio, a police lieutenant testified one of the neighbors did NOT hear police identify themselves. It's unclear why the neighbor didn't testify in person before the grand jury. We know there were 12 neighbors in all who said they did NOT hear the cops ID themselves.

Another cop testified one neighbor DID hear the cops announce who they were before entering the apartment. The key -- what about the 12 who didn't hear it?

This is critical because if police did not identify themselves, then Breonna's boyfriend had every right to fire a shot, and cops couldn't use self-defense as a justification for shooting in the apartment.

Cops say they announced themselves as law enforcement before entering Breonna's apartment, according to the testimony we've heard so far. It's about 20 hours of audio, and we're continuing to going through it.

Police Lt. Shawn Hoover said in an interview, recorded the same day Breonna was shot, cops knocked on the door and announced themselves as police before waiting another 10 or 15 seconds to repeat the announcement.

Hoover said cops waited another 45 to 60 seconds before approaching again and breaching the door -- and, as you've heard, cops had a "no-knock" warrant, but Cameron later said police did ID themselves.

Taylor family attorney Ben Crump says his team has spoken to the 12 witnesses who claim cops did not announce before the raid.

As we reported ... Cameron announced earlier this week he would release the recording after an anonymous grand juror filed a motion asking a judge to allow the grand jurors to go public.

The juror who filed the unusual request blasted Cameron for hanging the grand jury out to dry when he announced the indictment of ex-cop Brett Hankison.

Cameron insisted a grand jury is meant to be a secretive body, but relented it's "apparent that the public interest in this case isn't going to allow that to happen."

He added ... "Once the public listens to the recording, they will see that over the course of two-and-a-half days, our team presented a thorough and complete case to the Grand Jury."

Of course, the very next day the Kentucky AG admitted he never recommended the grand jury indict either of the 2 officers for shooting and killing Breonna Taylor. Instead, he said the case he presented to the grand jury is that the officers were justified in firing their weapons because Breonna's boyfriend had fired first at them.

Chrissy Teigen's mom is sharing her agony over Chrissy and John Legend losing their son, Jack ... with a series of deeply moving pictures and videos honoring him.

Vilailuck Teigen posted these pictures and video Thursday night, including one of her holding Jack ... and looking absolutely shattered at losing her grandson. Her caption read, "My heart aches love you so much baby Jack."

In the video, you can see the doctor holding Jack while Vilailuck shares a moment with him. As we reported ... Chrissy and John revealed Wednesday night that Jack couldn't survive the pregnancy complications.

Chrissy had been hospitalized last weekend for severe bleeding from her placenta. She described that time as the "danger zone," but seemed hopeful they could pull through.

"I beat the ever-living f*** out of him."

Those were the words reportedly spoken by a Louisiana State trooper implicated in a Black man's death ... according to a recording that's just surfaced.

The audio -- captured by a police body cam mic -- is a 27-second clip featuring Master Trooper Chris Hollingsworth recalling the May 2019 arrest of Ronald Greene in Louisiana.

The Associated Press, which first obtained the audio, says that's Hollingsworth saying he choked Greene, and at least 3 cops were wrestling with Greene while he was handcuffed and bleeding ... until "all of a sudden he just went limp."

Greene's death, which Louisiana troopers initially said was caused by a car crash at the end of a pursuit, is now the subject of a federal civil rights investigation.

The audio was part of a phone conversation between Hollingsworth and a colleague, according to the AP. Hollingsworth died last week in a car accident.

Lee Merritt, an attorney for Greene's family, is now calling on authorities to release the full body cam footage of Greene's interaction with state troopers.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards told reporters last week footage of Greene’s arrest would be released to the public at the conclusion of federal and state investigations.

Bonni Lou Kern -- one of the original 'Mickey Mouse Club' Mouseketeers in the '50s -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Bonni died Monday in Wooster, Ohio ... according to the Wayne County Health Dept. We're told she died of natural causes.

As a Mouseketeer, the very first episode of "The Wonder Mouseketeers!" was named after her -- titled, "Save Bonni Lou Kern!" -- in which the other Mouseketeers help her out because she's caught in a fishing net.

Bonni appeared alongside famous Mouseketeers like Annette Funicello, Judy Harriet and Eileen Diamond, and was also seen in the film, "Save the Wonder Mouseketeers!"

According to her family ... Bonni was given the Mousecar Award, the highest award Disney gives out, as well as the key to Fantasy Land.

She went on to be known as Bonni Carr after marrying Harold "Bud" Carr in the late ’60s in Hawaii -- and is survived by 3 daughters, 6 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

Bonni was 79.

"Tarzan" star Ron Ely is blaming the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department for his wife and son's deaths ... claiming deputies didn't attempt to save their lives and neglected his wife after she was stabbed and he was shot.

The Ely family deaths occurred in a bizarre and violent manner on October 15, 2019 -- Ron's son, Cameron, stabbed Ron's wife, Valerie, in the family's home. Deputies responded, but in a new lawsuit, Ron claims deputies on scene did not call for medical personnel to help Valerie.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, Ron claims he requested emergency services after Valerie suffered stab wounds to her chest and lung. He claims several deputies showed up to the scene around 8:15 PM, but failed to check if Valerie was still alive.

Ron also claims deputies obstructed fire department medical personnel from entering the home to provide treatment. In all, he claims Valerie went without treatment for 30 minutes ... and was pronounced dead at 8:42 PM.

As for Cameron's death ... Ron claims his son was unarmed on their property later that night when deputies found him. According to the suit, Cameron was unarmed and had his hands up when the cops opened fire, hitting Cameron 22 times. Ron claims Cameron also went without medical assistance for at least 13 minutes, and was left to die in the driveway.

As we reported ... cops had said Cameron posed a threat when they found him, and as a result, 4 deputies opened fire. Ron insists Cameron didn't pose any threat.

He's suing the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department and the city of Santa Barbara for wrongful death and unspecified damages.

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron now admits he never recommended the grand jury indict either of the 2 officers for shooting and killing Breonna Taylor.

Instead, Cameron says the case he presented to the grand jury is that the officers were fully justified in firing their weapons because Breonna's boyfriend had fired first at them. Cameron revealed some of his strategy in an interview with WDRB in Louisville ... saying, "Our recommendation is that [officers] Jonathan Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove were justified in their acts and their conduct."

Cameron also said he told the grand jury that the single witness who says he heard the police announce themselves before the raid ... changed his story. WDRB did not ask Cameron if he also told the grand jury that 12 other witnesses said they did NOT hear the police announce themselves -- and that's a huge point.

If the police didn't identify themselves ... Kenneth Walker, Breonna's boyfriend, would be justified in firing his legally owned firearm at people he believed to be intruders in her apartment.

One other thing ... Cameron said nothing about recommending a manslaughter charge to the grand jury. He says wanton endangerment was the only thing he felt he could prove beyond a reasonable doubt. However, police allegedly didn't provide medical assistance to Breonna for 20 minutes ... which would seem to put manslaughter -- legally defined as reckless disregard for human life -- on the table.

Ryan Dorsey's struggling to help his son adjust to life without his mother, Naya Rivera ... and 2 months after her death the stress and some hateful rumors are taking a toll on him.

He says he can't sleep, has lost 20 pounds and wakes up immensely sad at the thought of his son growing up without a mother in his life ... all while dealing with hatred and death wishes upon them.

Ryan poured his heart out in a 12-minute video about Naya's death ... and about people on social media sending "terrible messages wishing death upon strangers they truly know next to zero about."

He says explaining the loss of Naya to Josey is the hardest part -- "You tell him she's an angel now and she’s with God and she’s in heaven, and he says 'I wanna go there. How do I get there?' I wouldn’t wish that upon any of your ears to have to hear that. To hear those words come out of the sweetest soul you know."

Ryan also addressed "ill-advised, illogical, misinformed tabloid" rumors that he and Naya's sister, Nickayla, are in a relationship ... explaining she's been a rock for Josey, who calls her Titi. He says Josey wants his Titi "to live with us forever" because she's now the closest thing he has to a mom."

Ryan says he was at Target with Nickayla looking to buy some items for Josey's birthday party when 2 girls followed them taking pictures. He called out the girls and several tabloids for "creating a false narrative based on an angle of a photo of 2 people grieving who have been living their life out of suitcases, and just trying to get settled into a new place."

Nickayla also took to Instagram to clear the air about the nature of her relationship with her ex-brother-in-law ... saying she's not concerned with the way things look "because no one can see each agonizing moment we all endure." She added, "What matters most I've learned is to show compassion, not to judge others, & never take a moment of life for granted."

Mac Davis -- best known as a '70s country music sensation and for writing hits for Elvis Presley -- has died following heart surgery ... TMZ has confirmed.

Davis died Tuesday at a hospital in Nashville ... according to his manager, Jim Morey. Earlier this week, the singer became critically ill after undergoing surgery and sadly was unable to recover. "He was surrounded by the love of his life and wife of 38 years, Lise, and his sons Scott, Noah and Cody," Morey wrote on Facebook.

After news of Mac's health broke, he received an outpouring of love from country stars like Dolly Parton and others asking for prayers and support.

The Texas native got his big break in the late '60s as a songwriter when Elvis recorded his works, "Memories," "Don't Cry Daddy," "In the Ghetto" and "A Little Less Conversation" ... all of which became hits for The King.

Mac also wrote for a handful of other acts -- like Kenny Rogers & the First Edition -- before launching a solo career in the '70s ... kicked off with his Grammy-nominated hit "Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me."

Though the song was a success on both the country and pop charts, Mac made a name for himself as a country singer when he was crowned the Academy of Country Music's Entertainer of the Year in 1974.

His other hits include "Stop and Smell the Roses," "One Hell of a Woman" and the 1980 novelty song, "It's Hard to be Humble."

On top of his music career, Davis also starred on his own TV variety show from 1974-76 and made his big-screen debut in the 1979 football film, "North Dallas Forty," alongside Nick Nolte.

He also hosted an episode of "The Muppet Show" and starred in "The Sting II" in the '80s, and went to appear in numerous TV and film projects over the next 3 decades.

He's been inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Mac is survived by his wife, Lise Gerard, and 3 children.

He was 78.

Helen Reddy, the woman who sang the song that became the anthem of the women's rights movement has died.

Reddy's family said the Australian singer died Tuesday, though they did not disclose the cause.

Ready's song, "I Am Woman" ... not only shot to the top of the charts in the 70's, but with its lyrics -- "I am woman, hear me roar ..." -- became an inspiration to this day. It has been used in marches, on TV and, frankly, just by ordinary folk who love the song. Reddy won a grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

She had another #1 hit with "Delta Dawn." She followed that up with yet another hit, "Angie Baby."

It's kind of remarkable that Reddy and Ruth Bader Ginsburg died within days of each other. RBG was a leader in the women's movement, and Reddy contributed the vocals.

By the way, "I am Woman" was not an instant anthem, but gained popularity over time and eventually charted at #1. When Reddy accepted the Grammy, she thanked "God because she makes everything possible."

Reddy went on to appear in various TV shows and movies. She even starred in her own TV show, "The Helen Reddy Show."

Reddy was diagnosed with dementia in 2015.

Her family said, "It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved mother, Helen Reddy, on the afternoon of September 29th, 2020 in Los Angeles. She was a wonderful Mother, Grandmother and a truly formidable woman. Our hearts are broken. But we take comfort in the knowledge her voice will live on forever."

The governor of California has signed a new "Kobe Bryant Law" -- which makes it a crime for first responders to take unauthorized pictures of a dead person at an accident scene.

The measure -- which takes effect on January 1st -- was triggered by the aftermath of the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash ... when 8 local deputies were accused of taking or sharing death pics for unofficial business.

In fact, at least one deputy was accused of using a Kobe death photo to try and pick up a woman at a bar.

But, on Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill which will make it a misdemeanor for a first responder to take or share pics from an accident or crime scene for any purpose outside official law enforcement or genuine public interest.

Kobe's widow, Vanessa Bryant, has already filed a lawsuit against the L.A. County Sheriff's Office over the alleged accident photo scandal. She's suing for negligence, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron has at least one pissed off grand juror on his hands in the Breonna Taylor case ... and that person is demanding the right to talk about the proceedings.

The anonymous grand juror filed a motion Monday with the Jefferson County Circuit Court asking a judge to lift the gag order for any grand jurors who want to go public -- because this juror feels like Cameron hung them out to dry when he announced the indictment of ex-cop Brett Hankison.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, the grand juror says Cameron repeatedly told the media "the grand jury alone made the decision on who and what to charge based solely on the evidence presented to them." As you know Hankison and the 2 other cops involved were not charged with shooting and killing Breonna. Instead, Hankison was the only indicted for firing his weapon into an apartment neighboring Breonna's.

That decision has sparked days of protest across the country, and it's clear this grand juror feels Cameron is ducking his responsibility. As he or she says in the docs, "It is patently unjust for the jurors to be subjected to the level of accountability the Attorney General campaigned for simply because they received a summons to serve their community."

Translation: You ran for this Office, Daniel Cameron, so you should feel the heat.

Although the grand juror was not specific, it sure appears they have some gripes over the way the proceedings went down. It would be really interesting to know if the grand jury heard from all 12 apartment residents who said the police did NOT identify themselves before breaking down Breonna's door. If the grand jury didn't hear from them, it would be interesting to know if that information would have prompted this grand juror to vote to indict the cops who shot Breonna.

Grand jury proceedings are always kept under wraps, so this juror's request is highly unusual.

But, as they say in the docs ... "Using the grand jurors as a shield to deflect accountability and responsibility for these decisions only sows more seeds of doubt in the process while leaving a cold chill down the spines of future grand jurors."

A Texas Sheriff featured on "Live PD" is now facing charges of evidence tampering -- he's accused of deleting video of cops chasing a Black man who died in custody.

Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody was indicted Monday by a grand jury ... and turned himself in to the county jail, which he also oversees.

Williamson County D.A. Shawn Dick and Travis County D.A. Margaret Moore launched a joint investigation back in June after body cam footage, obtained by KVUE-TV, showed Javier Ambler's fatal interaction with police. "Live PD" reportedly destroyed footage of the deadly chase.

Jason Nassour, the former Williamson County general counsel who was also at the scene of Ambler's March 2019 death, was also indicted on a felony charge of evidence tampering.

The indictments came down after weeks of grand jury investigation, including testimony from sheriff's deputies who were at the scene when Ambler died.

Prosecutors say they can't share what they've learned about Sheriff Chody's role in destroying footage -- it's an ongoing case.

Ambler died after Sheriff's deputies Zach Camden and J.J. Johnson pursued him for 22 minutes in a chase that started when Ambler didn't dim his headlights.

During the pursuit, Ambler's car crashed multiple times before coming to a stop in a North Austin neighborhood. Cops used tasers 4 times on him as he struggled for air, screaming about a heart condition and saying he couldn't breathe. Minutes later he died.

"Live PD" crews followed the deputies and cameras were rolling during the encounter, and there's police body camera footage. Prosecutors say the "Live PD" video likely showed the clearest perspective of the deadly incident.

The A&E reality show was scrapped just days after the Austin Statesman reported the Ambler footage was destroyed. That decision came during the height of nationwide protests against police brutality in the wake of George Floyd's death.

The contract between "Live PD" and Williamson County reportedly allowed the show to destroy unaired footage within 30 days, unless it was required to be retained by a court order or other state or federal law.

Former "Live PD" host Dan Abrams claimed on his website, sheriff's officials asked producers to save the video initially. Abrams says 2 months after Ambler's death, Sheriff Chody told producers the investigation was over and producers destroyed the footage.

Brett Hankison -- the lone Louisville cop charged in connection with the Breonna Taylor case -- has just entered his plea in court ... not guilty.

Hankison appeared by audio conference call Monday to enter his plea during his arraignment for wanton endangerment. Remember, the grand jury did not indict him for shooting and killing Breonna ... the charges are for shooting into her neighbor's apartment.

The now-fired officer -- indicted on 3 counts of wanton endangerment in the first degree -- was later booked and released from the Shelby County Detention Center after paying $15k bail. Wanton endangerment carries a maximum penalty of 5 years if convicted.

As part of his bond conditions ... Hankison must surrender his weapons. His lawyer argued for him to keep them for self-defense since he's an ex-cop who lives outside the city and claimed he has gotten threats ... but the judge denied the request.

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said Hankison fired 10 rounds from outside, which went everywhere ... including into the neighboring unit.

Remember ... Cameron said after the officers received no response at the door on the night of the raid, they entered. Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly was the first one in, and apparently saw Breonna and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, standing at the end of the hall. He claims Walker was in a shooting stance with a gun in hand, and that he fired at Mattingly first, who was struck in the thigh.

Cameron says Mattingly returned fire -- shooting six times -- while another officer behind him, Myles Cosgrove, also returned fire ... unloading 16 rounds. Cameron stressed there wasn't conclusive evidence that any of Hankison's bullets hit Breonna -- it was only Mattingly and Cosgrove's ammo, and because of that, he couldn't look into any criminality around her death. He says Mattingly and Cosgrove were authorized and justified in their use of force, under Kentucky law.

The family of Coliesa McMillian -- who appeared on Season 8 of "My 600-lb. Life" -- was thankfully allowed to see her in the hospital before she died ... something they feared would not be possible due to COVID restrictions.

Coliesa passed away Tuesday at a hospital in Louisiana, but her mother, Sadie Courville, tells TMZ she'd been at the Baton Rouge facility for quite a while ... and they hadn't been able to visit her due to pandemic rules.

She says the hospital made an exception when it was clear Coliesa was on her deathbed, allowing her and Coliesa's 2 teenage daughters in to say their final goodbyes.

Sadie says she patted Coliesa's arm while her girls cried and held her hand.

According to Coliesa's mom ... the family doesn't know the exact cause of death, but she says her health went downhill after she underwent weight loss surgery and sadly, she never recovered.

A rep for the East Baton Rouge Coroner's Office tells us ... a review of Coliesa's medical records shows she died of natural causes due to complications from that surgery months ago.