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The entire 'Power Rangers' fandom is reeling over the death of star Jason David Frank, and we've learned about the sequence of events in the hours leading up to his suicide.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Jason and his wife, Tammie, checked into a Texas hotel Friday. We're told the two -- who are in the middle of a divorce -- got separate rooms, but at some point the estranged couple got into an argument in Tammie's room. We're told staffers were called to calm things down, and peace was restored.

Our law enforcement sources say at some point either late Friday night or early Saturday morning, the two got into another argument and Jason locked Tammie out of his room.

Our sources say Tammie was apparently concerned for his safety and called the cops around 5 AM Saturday morning. When officers couldn't make contact with Jason, we're told hotel management let them in and they discovered the actor hanged himself in the bathroom.

TMZ broke the story of the 49-year-old's death ... we're told Jason died by suicide.

Jason is survived by his 4 kids. His rep told us, "He loved his family, friends and fans very much. He will truly be missed."

The show "Chrisley Knows Best" is up in the air following Todd and Julie getting their lengthy prison sentences ... but we're told the network already has some new episodes in the bag that will air next year.

Sources tell TMZ ... no official word has come from NBCUniversal on the future of the show yet, despite reports Monday of the show getting the axe.

We're told a handful of episodes were shot prior to the trial and will air sometime next year. The crew didn't film at all during the trial, which started back in May.

Our sources say it would obviously be very challenging to continue filming the project with both of them behind bars ... but no word yet on if the series is getting 86'd.

As we reported, the judge gave Todd 12 years in prison after his conviction for bank fraud and tax evasion, while Julie was sentenced to 7. They both will also have 16 months of probation.

You'll recall, they were found guilty on a slew of federal charges back in June, and they were holed up in their Nashville mansion on house arrest as they awaited sentencing.

Brooke Shields says Barbara Walters put her in an uncomfortable position during an interview 41 years ago -- when Brooke was still a minor -- and it sticks with her to this day.

The actress and model recalled the 1981 interview she did with Walters ... when Shields was fresh off of a famous Calvin Klein ad campaign. On Tuesday, she told her story on "The Drew Barrymore Show," saying BW grilled her in an inappropriate manner.

Brooke, who was 15 at the time, recalls Walters fishing for a sound bite by asking for her measurements on the spot and to stand up ... making Brooke feel like Walters was comparing herself to the teen idol.

In hindsight, Brooke says she felt it wasn't right at the time -- but says she played along and did as she was told. Since then, she says she's learned how to say no and stand up for herself.

Walters and Shields seem to have made peace in more recent years -- they've posed for a lot of photos together, and always looked happy. Shields also said she doesn't hold anything against Walters now, and respects her career and legacy.

Walters is far from the only legacy broadcaster who's come under scrutiny of late for old sit-downs ... Britney Spears called out Diane Sawyer not too long ago for an interview in the 2000s that she felt was out of bounds too.

Sinbad suffered a life-changing stroke 2 years ago ... and in the first update since his medical emergency, the star's family says he's got a long road ahead of him on the way to recovery.

The family put out a lengthy release Monday, saying Sinbad was in the hospital for 9 months before his July release. They say he's still "fighting for every inch," and his limbs that were said to be "dead" are coming back to life. They say he's taking all the steps he can to learn how to walk again.

Sinbad's family says the survival rate from a stroke like his is around 30% ... but they're celebrating him beating those odds. His family also says they're looking for some help in the process ... noting the costs of his therapy have "far exceeded" what insurance covers.

They say it's taken a financial toll on them, and they've set up a website for anyone looking to contribute in any way they can.

As we reported, the comedian was recovering from a stroke in November of 2020 ... with his family saying they were "faithful and optimistic that he will bring laughter into our hearts soon."

Jay Leno has been released from the hospital after suffering severe burns following a gasoline garage accident -- and you can already tell how badly he was hurt.

The "You Bet Your Life" host posed for a photo taken and posted by the Grossman Burn Center, where JL has been receiving treatment for the past nine days. In it, he seems to be in good spirits alongside the facility staff ... but there's noticeable scarring on his face and hands.

Still, he's well enough to have been discharged ... and GBC says they're encouraged by his recovery. In a statement, the burn center says Jay will receive follow-up care at their outpatient facility, this after receiving burns throughout his upper, including on his chest.

They add, "Jay would like to let everyone know how thankful he is for the care he received, and is very appreciative of all of the well wishes. He is looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with his family and friends and wishes everyone a wonderful holiday."

In addition to being placed in a hyperbaric chamber, JL is said to have undergone surgical excision and skin grafting ... removing unhealthy tissue and allowing the wounds to heal.

Remember ... this is all started while Jay was working on one of his vehicles in his Burbank garage. While trying to unclog a fuel line on a 1907 White Steam Car, he was sprayed with gasoline which erupted into flames. Jay's friend, who was present, saved his life.

Grayson Chrisley from "Chrisley Knows Best" totaled his car when he rear-ended another truck on the interstate ... and he suffered injuries bad enough to send him to a hospital.

Police in Tennessee say Grayson was driving his Ford F-150 on I-65 in Nashville last Saturday around 5:30 PM when he drove into the back of a Dodge pickup truck that was stopped in heavy standstill traffic.

Cops say officers at the scene asked Grayson what happened. Todd and Julie Chrisley's son could not recall anything about the accident, possibly due to a potential head injury. He was rushed by ambulance to a hospital.

TMZ obtained photos of Grayson's truck after the incident ... and the bumper is mangled, the hood is cracked and the windshield shattered.

Cops say the driver of the truck Grayson rear-ended suffered injuries as well, but refused medical attention. We're told both vehicles were towed from the scene.

Police say there have been no arrests, charges or citations handed out.

Grayson's incident is another tough blow for the reality TV family ... as we reported, his parents were found guilty in June of bank fraud and tax evasion. Todd and Julie are awaiting sentencing and are facing up to 30 years in federal prison.

Cheryl Burke is hanging up her boogie shoes on "Dancing With the Stars" -- and while she'd love a seat at the judge's table ... it doesn't sound like that's gonna happen, at least for now.

The longtime pro dancer and 'DWTS' staple -- who's been a recurring contestant for 26 seasons, and won twice -- announced Sunday she wouldn't be competing on the reality competition show anymore, saying it was time to retire and move on to new horizons.

In a lengthy IG post, Cheryl explained Monday night's finale episode would be her last dance performance on 'Dancing,' and added a heartfelt thank you to the production as a whole.

She writes, "This show has been my 2nd family since I was 21 years old. The cast, crew & fans have seen me through my highest highs & some of my lowest lows, & I honestly don’t know who I would be today without them. I also know that it is time for me to begin the next phase of my career, although dance will always be a part of me."

CB adds, "I am excited about the idea of evolving, about being challenged in new ways, having the ability to expand my commitment to mental health advocacy, focusing on my new found love for podcasting, & I’m ready to face the uncertainty (though it’s scary as sh**) of what the future holds - I do have a few things up my sleeves though, so don’t worry."

The official 'DWTS' Twitter page wished her well amid the news, calling her an icon. That's nice, but Cheryl was brutally honest about why she's exiting in follow-up interviews.

Cheryl told Variety that she actually wanted the empty judge's chair being vacated by mainstay Len Goodman -- who announced last week he was retiring as well. She says she's been vocal about this for years now, and has apparently expressed it to upper management ... but to no avail, it seems. Instead, it looks like ABC and co. are letting her walk away.

Jason David Frank -- one of the original "Power Rangers" -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

The actor and mixed martial artist died in Texas, according to his rep Justine Hunt. Sources with direct knowledge tell us his death was the result of suicide.

JDF is best known as Tommy Oliver from the original run of the "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" franchise, dating back to the kids series' debut in 1993 ... when he was introduced as one of six crime/monster-fighting superheroes, masked head to toe with kung-fu skills.

Fans will remember ... he started out as the Green Ranger in Season 1, introduced at first as an enemy of the Power Rangers -- only to do a 180 and become good. After his powers start to deteriorate, however, he's turned into the White Ranger ... and tapped as the new leader of the group. Frank starred as one of the leads for 3 seasons, totaling 123 episodes.

Frank went on to reprise his role as Tommy in several adaptions of 'Power Rangers' -- including 'Wild Force,' 'Turbo,' 'Zeo,' 'Dino Thunder,' 'Megaforce,' 'Ninja Steel,' 'HyperForce,' and more. He's been a Red Ranger, a Black Ranger and a Green Ranger anew. JDF is a fan favorite Power Ranger ... which is why he's returned to the franchise time and again.

His onscreen fighting abilities translated into the real world ... Frank was a professionally trained MMA brawler, who was well-versed in everything from Taekwondo, Muay Thai, Judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and others. He fought professionally for a time from 2008 to 2010.

He's survived by his four children.

Jason's rep Justine tells TMZ  ... "Please respect the privacy of his family and friends during this horrible time as we come to terms with the loss of such a wonderful human being. He loved his family, friends and fans very much. He will truly be missed."

Frank was 49.

RIP

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org

'Real Housewives' star Lisa Rinna says she'd be down to have anyone on the reality show with her, Kathy Hilton included ... this coming after Kathy said she's not comin' back unless Lisa is out.

We got Lisa leaving Jayde's Market in Bev Hills ... and Kathy's ultimatum doesn't seem to bother her -- saying there isn't a soul she can't work with.

Unclear if Lisa's actually coming back ... mums the word on whether she'll make a return.

As we reported, Kathy called Lisa and Erika Jayne "bullies" after they went ham on her, calling her out for bad-mouthing the cast, including her sister, Kyle Richards. The explosive reunion episodes showed in living color the toll it all took on the siblings.

Tim Allen just got done visiting Jay Leno in the hospital ... and he says his close friend's face isn't going to be disfigured by severe burns suffered in a car fire.

Tim saw Jay at the Grossman Burn Center in West Hills, CA Thursday and talked to the paparazzi on his way out ... telling photogs Jay is feeling better after suffering deep burns to his face, hands and chest.

Jay seems to be in good spirits in the hospital, despite undergoing treatment in a hyperbaric chamber for his burns ... Tim says Jay was happy and they cracked some jokes. Hey, laughter is the best medicine, right?

TMZ broke the story ... Jay got burned bad over the weekend when a car erupted into flames while he was working on fixing a clogged fuel line on his 1907 White Steam Car in his Burbank garage.

Jay's not shying away from cars despite the incident ... Tim says he brought JL some car magazines to pour over during his recovery.

Jeffrey Dahmer's father is admitting he ignored a ton of warning signs about his killer son's behavior, but it's the why -- which he shared with Dr. Phil -- that will likely piss off the public.

Lionel Dahmer got candid with the daytime TV host during his 3-day special on the Dahmer case ... and Phil asked him if, in retrospect, he feels he should've seen the evil coming. His response is pretty chilling.

He recalled Dahmer between the ages of 11-14, and said his son used to roam around country roads where they lived to collect the remains of various animals that had been killed ... and then he'd take them home in garbage bags.

Lionel says there were all kinds of dead animals from foxes to small dogs, but he claims it wasn't until Dahmer's trial he found out his son would explore the animals' insides and feel them up.

It's interesting he's claiming he didn't know, because the Netflix series depicts Lionel as sharing that gory experience with his son in their basement.

Now, you'd think the collecting of the carcasses would be enough of a "red flag," but he says he simply didn't dig any deeper into Dahmer's behavior because he had friends who did the "same thing."

As you'd imagine, that explanation didn't sit right with survivors, who told Dr. Phil ... Lionel's ignorance about his son is complete BS.

Ellen Pompeo is officially bidding farewell to "Grey's Anatomy" ... the series lead just said goodbye after reports of her leaving the long-running drama.

Ellen made the announcement Thursday on social media, saying she's "eternally grateful and humbled by the love and support," she's received the last 19 seasons playing Meredith Grey on the ABC show.

In her goodbye post, Ellen naturally thanked the fans and said they are the ones who made her run on 'Grey's' so fun and iconic.

As fans of the show already know, a teaser for the upcoming "Grey's Anatomy" midseason premier shows Ellen's character saying her goodbyes to her fellow doctors as she moves away from Seattle and heads to Boston. There were also earlier reports of Ellen scaling back her role to only 8 episodes on the current season 19, and she's so far appeared in 7 episodes.

Ellen's appeared in over 400 episodes during a long run on the series, and while there were recent rumors she might reunite with former 'Grey's' costar Patrick Dempsey on a new show, Patrick shot the reports down.

Jay Leno is on to a new stage of his recovery after his horrifying car fire accident -- he's undergoing treatment in a hyperbaric chamber for his burns.

As you can see, the procedure requires Jay to lie down on his back in a tube-like chamber ... with his arms and hands bandaged up.

The treatment helps with swelling and increases blood flow with good oxygenation to the burns on Jay's arms, shoulders, neck and face. Dr. Peter Grossman of the Grossman Burn Center told Inside Edition the process will also decrease bacteria around the injuries.

TMZ broke the story, JL suffered second and third-degree burns when a car erupted into flames while working on his 1907 White Steam Car in his Burbank garage, fixing a clogged fuel line.

Earlier this week, Grossman said Jay had already had one surgery to repair his skin, and would undergo another one at some point this week.

Most importantly, he said Jay was expected to make a full recovery.

Dr. Grossman said the patient remains in good condition and is up and moving ... even finding time to make a few jokes and pass out cookies to other patients.

As far as the scars, Doc says they will most likely be visible in the foreseeable future, but the hope is they won't remain apparent.

He has high hopes for Jay's healing journey ... saying he thinks the comedian could be back to work in no more than a couple months.

Jeffrey Dahmer's father says there were at least a couple opportunities to stop his son's murder spree in its tracks -- which he described in gruesome detail to Dr. Phil.

Lionel Dahmer's interview with the TV host is included in a 3-day Dahmer special Phil and co. are airing this week ... and TMZ got a hold of a couple clips from the sit-down addressing two different times when Lionel felt he should've realized something was amiss with his kid.

First, Lionel tells about the time when Jeffrey was still living with his grandmother in Milwaukee -- a period during which he'd already started to kill people -- and how there was a mysterious wooden box Jeff kept that Lionel suspected had pornography inside.

When he tried opening it up, he says Jeffrey was able to buy himself a day ... and then sneak out a severed human head, which he replaced with porno magazines and the like. Lionel says he wishes he would've pressed the issue the day he wanted it open -- because if he did, he says Jeff told him post-arrest that the jig would've been up, potentially saving lives.

Lionel was also asked about what he thinks set Jeffrey down this dark path, and he discusses how when he was young and going through puberty -- he'd mutilate animals and apparently get a sexual thrill by playing with their innards. In hindsight, the signs were there.

Candace Cameron Bure says she has love for everybody -- after facing a rash of criticism for comments she made about focusing on "traditional" families on her new network -- but she isn't backing down on her position.

The new chief creative officer at the Great American Family network released a statement Monday, saying in part, "I am a devoted Christian. Which means that I believe that every human being bears the image of God. Because of that, I am called to love all people, and I do. If you know me, you know that I am a person who loves fiercely and indiscriminately."

She continues, "My heart yearns to build bridges and bring people one step closer to God, to love others well, and to simply be a reflection of God’s huge love for all of us."

As we reported, Bure chatted with The WSJ about her new role on the network, explaining they'd work to highlight heterosexual relationships ... unlike The Hallmark Channel. Though she says The WSJ didn't include everything.

Bure states, "I had also expressed in my interview, which was not included, that people of all ethnicities and identities have and will continue to contribute to the network in great ways both in front of and behind the camera, which I encourage and fully support."

She ends her statement by saying, "The God we serve is a wildly creative and loving God.  He didn’t just capture a small part of my heart, He has captured all of my heart. He will be reflected in everything I do and say; in my family, my work and my interactions with people from all walks of life, God’s love and God’s compassion is front and center."

"Survivor: Nicaragua" contestant Dan Lembo has died from a rare brain disease ... TMZ has learned.

Emily Lembo, Dan's daughter-in-law tells TMZ Dan died Sept 3 from an incurable brain disorder called progressive supranuclear palsy. We're told he battled the disease for 6 years, and over time, it took a huge toll on his memory, speech and motor skills.

Emily says Dan died peacefully at his home in New York, where he was surrounded by loved ones.

'Survivor' fans will remember Dan from season 21, which filmed in 2010. Dan made it all the way to the final five and was voted out on Day 37. Dan was a successful businessman and wore expensive alligator shoes during the competition.

Emily says he loved being on the show and getting recognized on the street -- he was very outgoing and will be remembered for his larger-than-life personality.

He was 75.