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Denise Nickerson, who played Violet in "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory," is living out the last moments of her life, because her family tells us they have just taken her off life support.

Nickerson, who suffered a stroke last year, was at home Monday and, according to her family, she got into her meds at home and took as many as she could. Her family came to check on her shortly thereafter and rushed her to the ER.  

Once in the hospital, doctors diagnosed her with pneumonia. On Tuesday, she suffered a massive seizure and doctors put Denise on life support.  

Her condition continued to worsen and her family tells TMZ they have now taken her off the respirator, which facilitates breathing and removed her IVs and stopped giving her medicine.

The family says it's now just a matter of time before Denise passes. Her son, Josh, and his wife are at the hospital with Denise, and have started a GoFundMe to honor Denise's last wishes of being cremated, and her ashes turned into glass artwork.

In addition to 'Willy Wonka,' Denise played Allison on "The Electric Company." She also appeared on "Dark Shadows" and an episode of "The Brady Bunch."

Denise left acting behind in 1978 and eventually got a job working in a doctor's office.   

Denise, who is 62, has one son and daughter-in-law, who've been caring for her.

Rip Torn, Emmy-winning actor and comedian, is dead.

Rip, perhaps best known for his role as Artie on HBO's "The Larry Sanders Show," died Tuesday. No cause of death has been released yet. 

He won an Emmy for his 'Larry Sanders' role, and was nominated 6 more times for it. He was also an Oscar nominee in 1984 for "Cross Creek." 

Rip made his film debut in the 1956 film "Baby Doll." From there, he began a prolific and decades-long career on stage and screen.

Torn's work on "The Larry Sanders Show" garnered him a whole new generation of fans, who would go on to enjoy his character work as Zed in the first two 'Men in Black' films. He also had memorable roles on "Will & Grace" and "30 Rock."

His full name was Elmore Rual Torn Jr. ... but he started going by the nickname Rip when he was a kid. Fun fact ... his cousin is iconic actress Sissy Spacek.

He is survived by his wife Amy, his 6 kids, his sister Patricia, and his 4 grandchildren.

Rip was 88. 

Karlous Miller -- an OG cast member on Nick Cannon's "Wild 'N Out" -- says his triumphant return to the show came as a result of a heart-to-heart with its host. 

The comedian -- who got fired from the show last year after a reported falling-out with Nick -- told us his guest appearance on Sunday's episode happened after he and Nick hashed out some lingering issues. The tension between them was obvious during an October interview on "The Breakfast Club." 

ICYMI ... Karlous and his 85 South Show pals aired out some dirty laundry on how he got canned -- and suggested it was because he made a crack about going on a date with his ex, Mariah Carey, and her new beau. 

Karlous (half-jokingly?) implied Nick didn't like that, and things were never quite the same in their relationship. Eventually, he says the "white people" gave him the boot, but appeared to believe it was Nick's doing. In that same interview, Nick flat-out denied it.

Fast-forward to this weekend, when Nick brought out a masked MC known as Ski Mask the Bird God ... only to reveal it was actually Karlous, shocking the audience and the cast.

They battle-rapped and even made light of the situation ... with Nick joking about Karlous getting fired on his day off. In the end, though, it was clearly all love between 'em. 

The Starcourt Mall from "Stranger Things" is indeed a real place and might look like a fun spot to visit ... but fans who try will be very disappointed.

Yes, the main setting for much of season 3 of the hit Netflix series is Starcourt, which was shot at a real location -- the Gwinnett Place Mall in Duluth, Georgia -- from May to November in 2018.

The fun's all over now, though ... a publicist for the show tells TMZ the Starcourt scenes were all shot within one wing of the mall, and the set is currently being torn down. We're told security is on the scene turning people away if they try to get to the area where 'Stranger' was shot.

The mall was mostly vacant before production started, and the show was able to rent out an entire wing, including the food court, that wasn't being used.

That wing of Gwinnett Place was transformed into a late '80s-looking mall, complete with 40 stores like Sam Goody, Waldenbooks and the Scoops Ahoy ice cream parlor where Steve works.

Now that production's wrapped, we're told there is no plan to return to the location ... so it's business as usual inside the sleepy mall.

Sorry, die-hard fans ... you can still visit the mall, it just won't have that 'Stranger' feel. Almost as devastating as that season finale, right?

Shameik Moore's studying hard for his role in the upcoming TV series about Wu-Tang Clan ... but he's not yet prepared to win a trivia contest about the iconic hip-hop group.

The actor -- best known so far as the voice of Spider-Man in 'Into the Spider-Verse' -- admits he had a lot to learn when he landed the role of Raekwon in Hulu's "Wu-Tang: An American Saga" ... but it seems he's still got a way to go.

We quizzed Shameik at LAX to see if he can name all the members, and he comes up a few short of the full 10. Check out the video to see who he missed, and before ya laugh ... could you do better?

To be fair, Moore says he's yet to meet the members he forgot, and it's clear he's totally immersed in playing Raekwon ... working closely with the rapper to emulate him as closely as possible.

Shameik also tells us he's become like family to RZA, who's one of the executive producers of the new series.

Anwan Glover -- who starred in the "The Wire" and "12 Years a Slave" -- has been sitting in a jail cell for over a week now after getting busted on firearm charges.

The veteran TV and movie actor was arrested in Washington D.C. on June 26 and booked for unlawful possession of a firearm -- a misdemeanor -- after cops say they searched his car during a traffic stop and discovered an unregistered handgun in Glover's Jeep. 

According to docs, obtained by TMZ, police were notified to be on the lookout for a white Jeep with a driver who was allegedly brandishing a gun out the window. Cops say they pulled over Glover because his ride matched the description and was making multiple lane changes without signaling.

Officers say they asked Glover if he had any weapons, and he said no. He also said no when they asked if they could search the vehicle but cops did it anyway, claiming probable cause.

The officers say they found a loaded Smith & Wesson MP Shield 9mm tucked between the Jeep's roll bar and roof cover, and then immediately placed Anwan under arrest. 

His lawyers filed a motion to have him released on bail ASAP so he could continue working and supporting his family. They say he denied any knowledge of the gun in the vehicle, and also argued cops had no business targeting him in the first place.

While cops say Glover's Jeep matched the description they were given, his attorneys say that's BS, and his Jeep is totally different. 

Bill Cosby's days of eating Jell-O and Pudding Pops are over -- and not just because he's behind bars ... he's simply sworn off sweets and carb-loaded foods.

The disgraced TV dad's spokesperson, Andrew Wyatt, tells TMZ ... since the day he was sentenced for sexual assault, Cosby has sworn off unhealthy foods. We're told he hasn't touched bread, desserts or any of the prison menu items filled with starch and sugar.

He's also given up coffee.

Wyatt says Cosby's health kick means he mostly noshes on fruits and vegetables, and he trades his bread, coffee and junk food to other inmates for their healthy grub ... especially broccoli, apples and bananas.

As for what inspired Cosby's diet ... we're told he didn't want to become an overweight prisoner who ends up suffering from diabetes like many others. So, even in his 80s, he felt he's not too old to eat right.

On top of that, Bill's got an exercise regiment in place that includes riding a stationary bike and doing crunches.

Wyatt says Cosby's lost a considerable amount of weight since he got locked up -- he down from 220 lbs. to 187 lbs.

Beth Chapman's family is doing everything it can to make sure her memorial service in Colorado goes off without a hitch, and it's an enormous undertaking ... they're coordinating with local law enforcement and hotels to accommodate a HUGE crowd.

Sources close to Beth's family tell TMZ ... her relatives are determined to make the memorial fan-friendly, reaching out to hotels in Aurora to hammer out discounted rates for people attending the service, and working with police to plan security and crowd control.

We're told Beth wanted her send-off in her home state to be accessible for everyone ... so her family is putting together a live stream for those that can't make the trek to Colorado. 

TMZ broke the story ... Beth died June 26 at a Honolulu hospital, only days after doctors placed her in a medically-induced coma. The 51-year-old had been battling cancer for a long time.

Dog Chapman and Beth lived in Hawaii and Colorado, and her Aurora memorial will be her second public service ... following a beautiful ceremony in Honolulu.

As we first reported ... Dog and his children snuck away to spread some of Beth's ashes in the Waikiki waters during her Hawaiian send-off. They didn't spread all the ashes, we're told they will spread her remaining ashes in Colorado. 

The services in Hawaii and on the mainland are part of Beth's final wishes. 

Chloe Grace Moretz and her family aren't taking any chances on her obsessed fan who keeps hopping her fence and getting arrested for trespassing -- her fam just asked a judge for extra protection and got it for now ... TMZ has learned. 

Chloe's brother, Brandon Moretz, filed for a restraining order Wednesday in L.A. County against Justin Alexander Behr -- the man who has twice been busted outside the actress' home. 

TMZ broke the story ... Chloe's obsessed fan is now facing felony stalking charges after getting arrested outside her house Monday for the second time in two days. 

According to the restraining order, Chloe's brother says the alleged stalker climbed over their private gate Sunday night and started banging on the doors and windows trying to gain access to her residence.

'Teen Mom' star Amber Portwood has been arrested for domestic battery ... TMZ has learned.

She was arrested in Indianapolis Friday just before 6:00 AM. Cops are not saying who the alleged victim is ... per protocol.

Portwood was still in custody at the time of this post.

The 29-year-old and boyfriend Andrew Glennon just had a pregnancy scare on the "Teen Mom OG" show. She also hinted they might soon get married. 

She has 2 kids -- 1-year-old James, whose father is Andrew, and 10-year-old Leah, whose father is her ex-boyfriend Gary Shirley.

Portwood went to prison for 17 months back in 2012 for violation her probation in a drug possession case. She actually had a choice of prison vs. rehab ... she chose prison. 

A daredevil attempting to jump a motorcycle farther than anyone severely injured both his ankles in a super scary crash during a practice jump for HISTORY's live TV special ... and the video is gnarly. 

The rider, Axell Hodges, crashed hard while attempting to beat Robbie Maddison's world-record distance for a motorcycle jump -- 378 feet and 9 inches -- tumbling off his bike while trying to stick the landing. 

Ya gotta see the video ... Axell is flying through the air on his dirt bike, but when he finally comes down on the other side of the jump, he loses control of the bike and his body goes skidding down the pavement. 

You'll see more footage of Alex's crash Sunday night during HISTORY's live TV special, "Evel Live 2," when female rider and four-time X Games medalist Vicki Golden attempts to set a new world record in an epic live motorcycle firewall stunt.

Here's the best pitch Michael Kopech's ever made ... the Chicago White Sox prized prospect proposed to "Riverdale" star Vanessa Morgan -- AND SHE SAID YES!!!

23-year-old Kopech -- who's rehabbin' after a Tommy John surgery last year -- was vacationing with his GF near the Grand Canyon on Wednesday ... when he got on a knee and proposed.

Morgan said yes, calling the stud pitcher afterward, "My Forever."

Kopech and Morgan have been dating for over a year now -- and the two have all the makings of a huge A-list couple.

Kopech, who was previously in a high profile relationship with reality star Brielle Biermann, is the White Sox's top prospect ... and is expected to be a future ace when his right arm heals up.

As for Morgan, she appeared on a couple episodes of Degrassi: The Next Generation back in 2013 ... and she's been blowing up as "Toni" on "Riverdale" the past couple years.

Kopech said of her after the proposal, "I'll never have enough words to tell you how much I love you, but I promise to always you show you."

HBO's smash hit series "Big Little Lies" has got a lot of kiddos featured in the program -- and one of them is getting paid BANK to run it back for the second season.

12-year-old Ivy George -- who starred as Laura Dern's daughter, Amabella, in season 1, and was brought back for #2 -- is making quite the bundle for her second go-round in Monterey.

According to Ivy's minors contract -- obtained by TMZ -- she's raking a cool $20,000 per episode ... and with the season expected to run 7 deep, IG's looking at a hefty $140k. On top of filming episodes, Ivy's expected to be available for press junkets, photo shoots and pretty much anything else needed from her or likeness to promote the show -- including up to 10 personal appearances for media and the like. 

While she isn't entitled to any profits HBO might make from 'BLL,' Ivy did get free airfare (first and/or business class), lodging and per diem during production. Season 2 is already airing, BTW -- but good to know Ivy got treated better than her character did in season 1.

In case you're unfamiliar, Amabella was part of a key story line that involved her getting bullied at school ... which got her mom, Laura's character, freaking out in epic fashion. 

The kid has kinda taken a back seat for season 2 -- so far, anyway (yeah, we're watching) -- but hey, at least Ivy's getting paid well to show face in second grade ... without much dialogue.

Jenelle Evans is no longer an empty-nester ... TMZ has learned her children are coming home. 

Sources connected to the case tell us, the judge in her custody trial has just ruled 2-year-old Ensley and 5-year-old Kaiser will be returned to their mom. We're told Kaiser's dad, Nathan Griffith, must turn his son over to Jenelle, Thursday at 10 AM.

The judge finished hearing testimony Wednesday and hardly waited to hand down the ruling. The testimony lasted over a period of weeks.  

Jenelle's mom, Barbara, still has custody of 9-year-old Jace. 

As we've reported ... Jenelle and her husband David Eason had been fighting to regain custody of her kids, trekking back and forth to a courthouse in North Carolina. 

Jenelle and David lost custody of Jace, Kaiser and Ensley earlier this year after Eason shot and killed the family dog, a French bulldog named Nugget. 

Jenelle and David have been beefing with her mom ... and as we first reported, Jenelle believed her kids were at risk living with Barbara because of Jenelle's erratic uncle, Colin, who has a long history with cops.

Jon Stewart paid his final respects to Ground Zero first responder Luis Alvarez, who just days before his death, sitting side-by-side with Stewart, pled with Congress to extend compensation funds for 9/11 victims.

Detective Alvarez's funeral was held Wednesday in NYC. He died Saturday from complications resulting from the cancer linked to months he spent combing through the rubble at Ground Zero.

Alvarez, a retired NYPD bomb squad detective, delivered a heart-wrenching testimony on Capitol Hill last month about his 9/11-related health issues and called for Congress to replenish the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund ... which is set to expire next year.

Alvarez said it was his goal and legacy to make sure lawmakers do the right thing for all 9/11 responders.

Stewart also spoke in front of the committee and made a passionate plea for Congress to approve the extension of the fund, while also chastising members for not making it a priority.

The former 'Daily Show' host attended Alvarez's funeral along with Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney and countless members of law enforcement.

Alvarez was 53.

Sherri Shepherd's ex is nuclear over her scathing radio interview targeting him ... and he's accusing her of being vindictive and bitter.

Lamar Sally is clapping back days after Sherri hopped on D.L. Hughley's radio show and eviscerated Lamar ... saying she married the "sorry-ass dude" because she was lonely in the early days of her career on "The View."

Lamar tells TMZ ... Sherri's got it twisted, saying, "I will not have you lie that the only reason you married me and brought our son into the world was because you were lonely or horny. We had a good marriage and our son was conceived out of love from both parents."

Sherri confessed during the interview that just about everyone -- from Whoopi Goldberg to Steve Harvey -- told her to give Lamar the boot. Sherri said the red flags seemed obvious to all, including to Whoopi who decided NOT to attend Lamar and Sherri's wedding in 2011. It took less than 3 years for Sherri to file for divorce ... and then things got really nasty.

As we reported ... Sherri claimed Lamar defrauded her into getting a surrogate to carry a baby, just so he could get child support. She ended up shelling out $4,100 per month but she's disavowed their 5-year-old son, Lamar Jr. ever since.

On that note ... Lamar says Sherri abandoning their son is between her and her God. Lamar adds he's been put through hell over the last few years ... claiming Sherri's lied about his character and sabotaged his career. He says she effectively blackballed him from getting TV writing gigs, but he doesn't get specific.