"Dancing With the Stars" pro Emma Slater saw her 'DWTS' partner James Van Der Beek just days before his death ... and she expressed her gratitude for their final meeting in an emotional tribute to the late actor.
Emma was paired with Van Der Beek in Season 28 of the dancing competition show in 2019, and she posted her favorite pic from their season to Instagram on Wednesday, calling him her "big brother."
She wrote ... "All those who had the pleasure of having you in their lives are blessed. Forever changed by your brilliance. We got to have these beautiful years sharing life together. It started with being dance partners and I was beyond excited to be dancing with you, and it continued into the deepest of friendships."
Reese Witherspoon is honoring James Van Der Beek's life as she mourns his death, saying she's heartbroken over the loss of the talented actor.
Witherspoon paid tribute to Van Der Beek on her Instagram Story after he passed away Wednesday in Austin, Texas. While an official cause of death has not been released, Van Der Beek had been battling stage 3 colorectal cancer since August 2023.
Reese writes she's "devastated" about Van Der Beek's passing, calling him an "extraordinary, talented man who also showed great kindness and grace in every action.” Witherspoon went on to say she's praying for Van Der Beek's family.
Van Der Beek's final acting role will come in the upcoming TV series, "Elle," based on Reese's iconic character, Elle Woods, from the 2001 flick "Legally Blonde." Witherspoon is an executive producer on the show, which is set to premiere on July 1. In the series, Van Der Beek portrays Dean Wilson -- a school superintendent and mayoral candidate.
James Van Der Beek's GoFundMe has raised more than a million bucks less than 24 hours after his death was announced ... and it's still growing.
As of Thursday morning, the crowdfunding page has $1.2 million in donations, from fans and big-name friends alike. "Dancing with the Stars" pro Derek Houghdropped $1,000, Oscar-winner Zoe Saldana -- using her married name of Zoe Saldaña-Perego -- donated $2,500, the Marla Maples Foundation sent in $5,000, and Lyn Lear, the late Norman Lear’s wife, and YouTuber Codie Sanchez even each donated $5,000 on a monthly basis!
Notably, TMZ has not verified the donations -- but it's clear Van Der Beek's death hit people in the heartstrings, as more than 24,000 donations have poured in.
Rapper Chanel West Coast has gone country, but she's not leaving her hip-hop roots behind ... she told us her new song "Giddy Up" is a perfect blend of both genres -- and her best track yet!
We caught up with the former "Ridiculousness" star last night outside of Andys in West Hollywood, California, where she called the song "honestly, a little mix of everything I like, which is all music."
Chanel was so excited, she shared a snippet of the new tune on socials yesterday before its Friday release ... and it is a banger!
James Van Der Beek's friend Stacy Keibler gave his fans an insight into the star's final days ... posting a photo of him watching the sunset from his wheelchair.
Keibler -- a former pro wrestler and actress -- shared the photo Wednesday afternoon ... hours after news of James' death broke, and she wrote it was "a true gift" to spend the star's final days with him.
Stacy writes she learned a lot from James in his final days ... including what it looks like to continue to believe in God's plan, even when the plan is heartbreaking.
Tributes are pouring in for James Van Der Beek following his death today at 48 -- with celebs making their heartbreak loud and clear.
Derek Hough shared an emotional IG post sending prayers to James’ wife and children, while Sarah Michelle Gellar reflected on growing up alongside him. Noah Beck posted a still with James from the comedy "Sidelined: The QB and Me," writing simply, "Bye for now."
James Van Der Beek's family says his declining health and his death brought on significant financial strain ... and now a crowdfunding page has been set up to help pay the bills.
James' wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, said on Instagram her friends organized a GoFundMe with a $500,000 goal ... and it's already crossed $200,000 in donations ... including a $1,000 pledge from 'DWTS' pro and EXTRA host Derek Hough.
Actor Bud Cort, who starred in movies and TV for decades, has died.
Cort had many credits, beginning in television and movies in the late 1960s, and working steadily into the 21st century.
Cort starred in the films "Harold and Maude" and "The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou," and was featured in "Coyote Ugly" and "M*A*S*H" among many others.
He had a notable role in the TV show "Arrested Development." Most recently, he was the voice of The King in 2015's animated movie "The Little Prince."
American actress Laura-Leigh was 22 years old when she was cast to be a part of "Vanderpump Rules" ... first airing in 2013, led by restaurateur and television personality Lisa Vanderpump.
Forget trusting the pods and letting love be blind ... 'cause one contestant on the new season made her experience on the show painfully literal by practically gluing her own eye shut!!
The wildly ironic moment went down during the S10 premiere of the Netflix dating series when 39-year-old nurse (yes, really ... nurse😬) Elissa Finley was rushed to the hospital after accidentally putting nail glue straight into her eye.
Elissa told her costars she spotted a tiny bottle in the bathroom, assumed it was eye drops, and squeezed a few drops in -- only to realize it was nail glue. Brutal.
Looks like a new celeb spark might be brewing ... because Jeannie Mai was just spotted getting real cozy with none other than Anderson .Paak.
Catch the clip ... the two were seen locking in on each other during dinner at L.A. hotspot Andy’s Tuesday night, sitting close in a booth and clearly in their own little world.
At one point, the singer had his arm around Jeannie as they leaned in for what looked like a pretty intimate, low-key convo.
Jill Zarin suffered a huge own goal today ... the original "The Real Housewives of New York City" cast member was fired from E! reunion show "The Golden Life" following a wild tirade against Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show.
Blink49 Studios -- the production company behind "The Golden Life" -- issued a statement to TMZ, writing ... "In light of recent public comments made by Jill Zarin, Blink49 Studios has decided not to move forward with her involvement in ‘The Golden Life.’ We remain committed to delivering the series in line with our company standards and values.”
A source close to the situation tells TMZ ... the cast had been warned not to say or do anything controversial, and while the women were initially excited about the show, Jill's actions have dampened the mood though the other women understand why she was fired.
The new cast of "Vanderpump Rules" completely took over "TMZ After Dark," led by breakout stars VenusandNatalie, who made passengers feel like they were on an actual episode of the show!
The duo took us back to the early, raunchy days of 'Vanderpump.' And with DJ Nyla DJing the bus, the energy was high from the start as Venus and Natalie jumped right in -- dancing, hyping up the crowd, and setting the vibe for the night.
The first stop was the Rainbow Bar & Grill, where party girl Natalie was already familiar with the manager and staff, and the pair handed out the bar's signature “Woohoo” shots, cheers-ing to the wild night ahead.
The night continued at Saddle Ranch, where the manager welcomed the group with unlimited chicken (original and buffalo) and famous pink gummy shots, followed by Venus riding the mechanical bull and nearly making it through the full ride before being thrown off in an epic fall.
Looks like Andy Dick may finally be pumping the brakes after his terrifying overdose ... 'cause he was spotted looking healthy and happy during a bike ride around L.A.
TMZ obtained this clip of Andy not long after wrapping up a 50-day rehab stint -- he was cruising through the L.A. streets Tuesday morning, putting his health first with a spot of cardio.
Andy appeared upbeat and relaxed, chatting it up with a buddy as they rode through a quiet residential neighborhood ... a pretty stark contrast from where we last saw him.
Bad news for some Lovatics ... Demi Lovato just pulled the plug on a whopping five dates from her "It’s Not That Deep" tour.
In a lengthy IG Stories post Tuesday, Demi revealed she’s also pushing back the tour kickoff -- moving it from April 8 in Charlotte, NC to April 13 in Orlando, FL -- saying the call is all about protecting her health.
Demi explained once rehearsals got underway, it became clear she’d overextended herself. Bottom line: she needs more time to "rest and rehearse" so she can actually make it through the entire run.
Professional race car driver Lewis Hamilton's obviously not afraid to move fast ... and clearly Kim Kardashian isn't either -- because it seems she's already bringing him around her famous family.
Kim shared a vid of her and her sisters Khloé Kardashian and Kylie Jenner trying the "Titanic Challenge" ... a viral trend where people attempt to go from lying on their backs to flipping over and rolling up on their partner's hip and thighs.
It's meant to mimic the iconic "I'm flying" scene from the hit 1997 movie ... though the Kardashian sisters' attempts reminded us more of the film's ending -- spoiler alert: a bit disastrous.
During one of Kim's doomed voyages, you can hear Lewis shouting advice to push off and away ... which caught the attention of many fans on social media.
