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Former child star Austin Majors' tragic fentanyl overdose occurred while he was in transitional housing ... and officials say there was evidence of drug use found at the scene.

According to the coroner's report, obtained by TMZ, security at the facility where 27-year-old Majors was staying did a bed check around 9:30 PM on February 11, but he didn't answer. When they entered the room they found him unresponsive in his bed.

The report notes Austin was seen getting food hours earlier as he walked around the facility -- which provides temporary shelter for the unhoused.

The report also mentions security found 2 rolled up dollar bills, foil with a white crystal-like powder, pills and a shot glass with white powder residue. Cops collected all the items as part of the death investigation.

TMZ broke the story, the former actor's autopsy results -- released last month -- revealed his death was attributed to an accidental fentanyl overdose.

Bill Maher's talk show is coming back to HBO ... he says he can't keep waiting around for the writers' strike to end and wants to get other folks back to earning a paycheck.

The "Real Time with Bill Maher" host announced his program's return Wednesday in a social media post ...  he doesn't say when the show will air but says it will have a different look without writers.

Bill, a writer himself, says he sympathizes with striking writers' "important issues ... and hope they are addressed to their satisfaction" ... but he says after 5 months on strike it's time to bring others back to work.

As he explains ... writers "are not the only people with issues, problems, and concerns. Despite some assistance from me, much of the staff is struggling mightily."

Bill's been outspoken about the strike recently, even calling for California Governor Gavin Newsom to step in and help end the stalemate.

Bill says he was hoping the strike would end after Labor Day, but that's since passed and he feels "there still seems to be nothing happening."

He adds ... "I love my writers, I am one of them, but I'm not prepared to lose an entire year and see so many below-the-line people suffer so much."

Bill says he will honor the "spirit of the strike" by doing away with a written monologue, desk piece, editorial or his popular New Rules segment ... all of which leaned on writers in past seasons.

The HBO star has a message for the audience too ... "The show I will be doing without my writers will not be as good as our normal show, full stop. But the heart of the show is an off-the-cuff panel discussion that aims to cut through the bulls*** and predictable partisanship, and that will continue."

It will be interesting to see how writers' guilds react to Bill's plan ... at least one guild effectively labeled Drew Barrymore a scab for bringing her talk show back amid the strike.

The show returns to HBO September 22.

Tom Sandoval is a good dude who did a bad thing, but deserves a second chance -- so says another guy well-versed in reality TV romance ... Mr. Tyler Cameron.

We got the 'Bachelorette' alum Tuesday in L.A., and since he's fresh off hanging with Tom on FOX's "Special Forces: World's Toughest Test" ... we asked about Sandoval's chances of rekindling with his 'Vanderpump' costar Rachel Leviss.

If ya missed it, Tom wished Rachel happy birthday on social media, only for her to block him with quickness.

Ty says getting blocked is never a good sign for reconciliation -- speaking from personal experience -- so on the prospect of TS and RL getting back together ... he's not hopeful.

Now, on the issue of Tom's character ... Tyler says he actually thinks the guy's got a good heart. The fellas got to know each other not too long ago while competing on the FOX reality show.

Tyler explains to us what he learned about Tom while shooting the show, and it's pretty illuminating. Sounds like Tyler believes Tom should be shown some grace.

Lastly, Tyler offers some relationship advice and it's simple, yet effective. One gal at a time is the takeaway here -- and based on what we've seen from Tom these past couple days ... it appears he's already putting TC's tips to good use.

Kim Zolciak is coming to a small screen near you in the immediate future -- however, don't expect to see her on Bravo just yet ... you will have to switch to MTV to catch her and other stars -- including Macy Gray, Chet Hanks and Johnny Weir -- all on the same show!!!

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Kim has signed a deal to appear as one of the cast members for the upcoming 8th season of "The Surreal Life."

Of course, Kim won't be alone in the house, we're told in all, the cast includes Gray, Hanks, Ally Brooke, O.T. Genasis, Josie Canseco, and Weir.

Our sources say Kim and the rest of the cast flew to Colombia over the weekend where production begins this month.

If you didn't hear, 'Surreal Life' was resurrected for a new season last year -- this after being off the air since the mid-2000s. The contestants last season included folks like Dennis Rodman, Stormy Daniels, Frankie Muniz, Tamar Braxton and others ... a mixed bag, indeed.

Obviously, this development is coming amid a tumultuous time for Kim -- she's in the middle of a divorce (again) from Kroy Biermann, with whom she's gone back and forth over their marriage in recent months.

As we've reported, the latest there is that Kroy's dead set on ending it, despite Kim's apparent optimism about a rekindling.

Anyway, this 'Surreal Life' gig could certainly be seen as some welcome news for her. With Kim getting on camera again, it means she'll be collecting a hefty check from the network ... which could go a long way toward alleviating some of her financial burdens.

We're sure Kim will have no problem sinking back into reality TV ... she's a vet at this point. On top of 'Real Housewives' -- on which she starred for 5 seasons, she also had her own Bravo show, "Don't Be Tardy" for 8 seasons before it was canceled.

Abby Lee Miller went on a bizarre tangent, claiming she's got a thing for high school football players in an interview that's raising plenty of eyebrows online.

57-year-old Abby took the odd stance on a recent episode of Sofia Franklyn's "Sofia with an F" podcast. At the very end of the show, the 2 started talking about Tom Cruise, causing Abby to bring up his 1983 flick, "All the Right Moves" about a HS football star.

Abby says those guys are her "downfall," claiming she's still into high school dudes today. Already a little odd, but Sofia notes that she's more into the coaches. Would be a great place to drop the conversation, right?

Well, Abby doubles down -- saying she isn't talkin' about guys that used to be in high school ... she means ones that are currently still in school.

It's a pretty wild thing to say, especially considering her former reality series, "Dance Moms," was all about running a studio full of kids ... and as you can imagine, she's been getting burnt online.

Many have been pointing out the obviously disgusting implications of her comment ... one person even pointed out, "The fact that she went back and clarified is crazy."

BTW, Abby's new show, "Mad House," begins airing at the end of September -- a series that takes young adult dancers and pins them against each other in the hopes of making it onto her team.

Tom Sandoval looks to have a new flame -- 'cause he was guiding a PYT back to his pad to cap off another weekend where he was out and about.

The "Vanderpump Rules" star was photographed early Monday morning, a little before 2 AM, leading singer-songwriter Tii to his apartment after they'd left a bar together in West Hollywood.

Yes, he was indeed holding her hand -- with fingers interlocked, mind you -- as they strolled along.

What's interesting ... Tom, just a month ago, denied Tii was anything but a pal. They'd been spotted hanging out lately, and when asked about it, he denied any romance.

Now, it seems the cat is out of the bag ... friends don't link up like this, especially on the late night. Now, as for who exactly she is -- like we said, she dabbles in music, so they have that in common right off the bat. Tom reportedly met Tii through mutual buddy, Billie Lee.

Anyway, just more evidence everyone's turning the page after the whole cheating thing earlier this year. The fallout lasted for a good while, but everybody involved is moving on.

Jenelle Evans' first husband suffered an apparent overdose at his home in North Carolina ... and his wife's frantic call to dispatchers is chilling.

TMZ obtained audio of the 911 call Courtland Rogers' wife placed Aug. 28 from their home in Wilmington, and she says Courtland is showing signs of an overdose ... describing him as being naked on the toilet while making concerning gurgling sounds.

Courtland's wife says he locked himself in the bathroom while she was out of the house with their kids ... but she broke down the door to find him unresponsive.

The dispatcher tells Courtland's wife to try getting him off the toilet, and lay him flat on his back on the floor, but he's too heavy for her to move and she resorts to trying CPR.

As Courtland's wife desperately tries to revive him, she screams for him to wake up ... and tells the dispatcher she's unsure what drugs he took and there's no Narcan available to resuscitate him.

Ultimately, paramedics arrive ... and that's when the call stops.

Our law enforcement sources say Courtland survived, and no drugs or paraphernalia were found on scene when authorities arrived.

A member of Laura Linney's team was assaulted by an autograph hound -- and considering how close this guy got to the star herself ... it's a testament to the need for bodyguards.

The 'Ozark' actress was in NYC Friday for Fashion Week, and as she was leaving an event -- escorted by a handler of some sort, it seems -- some dude came out of nowhere and attempted to approach her for her John Hancock ... and aggressively, right out of the gate.

The man she's with -- who, again, seems to be rolling with her in a working capacity -- is in the way of the overzealous fan at first ... who becomes visibly angry and pushes past him in order to approach Laura from the front, at which point he extends a photo for her to sign.

Laura's team member, though, cuts him off and tells the dude to back off. He also denies touching the autograph hound ... as it seems the man felt he was shoved first.

That's when things turn left, and quickly ... as the guy starts to walk away in frustration, he throws Laura's team member's head forward -- almost giving a half push/half smack, with some noticeable strength behind. It was clearly jarring enough to shock the crowd.

Topher Grace was once labeled an outsider on the set of 'That '70s Show' -- but after Danny Masterson's imprisonment this week ... many are saying he was right to steer clear.

There have been a lot of reactions in the wake of DM getting sentenced to 30 years behind bars Thursday -- this after he was convicted of raping 2 women back in the early 2000s ... and one of those is a re-examination of Topher's rep as a cast member on their sitcom.

This was well-documented at the time -- especially on E!'s True Hollywood Story ... essentially, it was known that Topher simply wasn't all that close to the boys in the cast. While Ashton Kutcher, Wilmer Valderrama and Danny would hit the town together once cameras stopped rolling ... TG kept to himself, and would just go home after work.

The way he was portrayed back then was ... not that great. Topher was often painted as a snob and it sounds like people thought he felt he was too good for Danny and co.

Now, though, after his one-time costar is being sent to the slammer ... Twitter/X is making Topher trend all over again -- pointing out he was, perhaps, wise to keep his distance.

A lot of people also seem to find it funny that him being a mere introvert -- and maintaining a work-life balance -- was met with raised eyebrows by folks on the production ... as if that was abnormal. In 2023, it appears more people can relate to his 9-5 attitude than back then.

Of course, the Topher analysis is also being held in stark contrast to what Ashton and his wife/costar, Mila Kunis, did in this whole saga ... namely, going to bat for Danny in court.

You'll recall -- it was revealed they wrote separate letters to the judge ahead of Danny's sentencing hearing, explaining why he was such a great guy ... and asking for leniency. Take a look online, and you'll see they're getting crapped on big time for sticking by him.

Now, while Topher has yet to publicly comment on the Masterson scandal -- it appears his feelings are being telegraphed elsewhere ... specifically, from his wife Ashley Hinshaw.

She took to IG and wrote, "To every rape victim that is [re-traumatized] by witnessing society debate and focus their attention on what is going to happen to the RAPIST...I see you." Seeing how they're in the same household, it's safe to say Topher might feel the same.

Things sure do come full circle, don't they?

Martin Short's fans are coming to his defense on social media after he was skewered as a "desperately unfunny" comedian in a recent op-ed.

All the drama started Friday when Dan Kois published an opinion piece for Slate, calling into question Short's talents as a funnyman to the point of what many might interpret as being rude.

Kois wrote, "He (Short) would do anything, anything, for a laugh" ... "I find Martin Short's whole schtick exhausting, sweaty and desperately unfunny."

Continuing his takedown, Kois said ... "Every time he dresses up in a silly outfit or says something outrageous or mugs for the audience, I want to shout at the screen: 'Why are you being like this?'"

Kois also attacked Short's hugely popular TV show, "Only Murders In The Building," co-starring Selena Gomez and Steve Martin. Even though the series received Emmy nominations, Kois still thinks Short's character is not funny.

And the criticism went on and on and on.

But a lot of people disagreed with Kois and took to social media to show their support for Short, while posting clips of his best moments.

One fan wrote on X, "There's literally nothing that's not funny about martin short i dont understand this."

Another devotee said, "Martin Short has been hysterical since I was born lol."

Bob Barker's name could soon grace an intersection in Hollywood ... his longtime girlfriend and management team are working on getting him a memorial town square.

Roger Neal, Bob's longtime publicist, tells TMZ ... Bob's girlfriend, Nancy Burnet, and Bob's reps are working with the City of Los Angeles to make a potential "Bob Barker Memorial Square" a reality.

We're told Bob's camp is talking with city council members to see which intersection works best for a Barker tribute.

The late 'Price Is Right' host lived in Hollywood on Outpost Drive since the 1950s, and we're told the city agrees it's a no-brainer to remember him with a town square named in his honor ... so it sounds like location is the main hurdle.

Bob's publicist previously helped shepherd memorial town squares for Carol Burnett and Mickey Rooney in L.A. ... which would seem to bode well for Barker's camp.

TMZ broke the story ... PETA previously asked the city to honor Bob with Bob Barker Blvd. in front of their office on Sunset Blvd.

We're told Nancy and Bob's team are not a part of PETA's plans, and this is a totally separate memorial.

Paul Staehle says he never went missing in the Amazon, despite his family's fears ... chalking it up to some poor phone service and a snag on a river.

The "90 Day Fiancé" star tells TMZ ... he's been living by himself in Manaus, Brazil and he recently went out on a boat with a fan of the reality show in an effort to clear his head, a decision that had a snowball effect.

Paul says they were heading to a floating house in the Amazon, but along the way the boat had some mechanical problems, and his companion temporarily left him alone. Paul tells us he grew nervous and started reaching out to folks for help, but his buddy was ultimately able to fix the boat and they resumed their journey.

Once they got to the floating house, Paul says he didn't have a phone charger and there was poor cell service ... limiting his means of communication with his family back in America.

As we reported ... Paul's mom feared he was lost in Brazil after an alarming text exchange with her son, and his wife Karine made some cryptic social media posts, alerting folks in Brazil about his situation.

Paul says his family was just assuming the worst when they couldn't get in touch with him ... and he's denying this was all a publicity stunt. He says he didn't want the story to get out and was shocked by his mom's reaction and the ensuing media buzz.

Bill Maher is wondering why California's Governor is standing on the sidelines during Hollywood's economy-crushing labor disputes, and he's calling on Gavin Newsom to help hammer out a deal.

The 'Real Time' host joined us on "TMZ Live" and we asked him about the strike that's put his, and every other TV host's, staffs out of work for months now. Bill says this should be Gov. Newsom's time to shine by getting both sides in a room to find a quicker path to ending the work stoppage.

He also pointed out the obvious -- showbiz is one of California's biggest industries, so Gov. Newsom absolutely has a vested interest in fixing it.

Now, Bill says he is supportive of the writers -- hell, he IS one, and says he's not shooting his show out of solidarity -- but he also tells us some of the union demands get under his skin ... and lays out exactly why.

The HBO host also has strong thoughts on what's going on at college campuses around the country ... explaining why he's not surprised Harvard was just ranked the worst school for free speech.

Bill says it's part of an ever-growing echo chamber of sorts, calling it an extension of what has been playing out at corporate media outlets for decades, but he's got some solutions.

As always, Bill is equal parts funny, practical and blunt, and he's got a lot to say before he heads out to the MGM Grand in Las Vegas for a series of standup shows on Sept. 15-16 and Nov. 3-4.

Lil Rel Howery says an ill-timed trip to the men's room almost spoiled his marriage proposal during Beyoncé's concert ... and he's thanking her for stalling long enough for him to pop the question.

The comedian joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" and told us all about how his engagement went down ... and why nature called at the most inopportune time.

Lil Rel proposed to his GF Dannella Lane at Beyonce's concert Monday night at SoFi Stadium, and he says Jay-Z and Beyoncé's mom, Tina Knowles, advised him to do it when she sang "Love On Top" ... and they arranged to get the moment on the stadium's big screen.

It's funny, Lil Rel says he was waiting for the song for so long, he finally needed to break the seal ... and as soon as he got to the bathroom, "Love On Top" started playing.

Lil Rel says he finished his biz, and rushed back to his woman ... but he couldn't find their seats!!!

With the clock literally ticking, Lil Rel says he had to go back out and retrace his steps, and when he finally got back to his seats a cameraman was waiting ... and Beyoncé was motioning for him to get on with the proposal because she was dragging out the song. 😂

It all worked out, since Dannella said "Yes," and he tells us how the plan to propose really came together at the last minute. As for whether Bey's forgiven his tardiness ... we'll let him tell it.

Jim Tom Hedrick of "Moonshiners" has died ... TMZ has confirmed.

A family member of JT's tells us he passed away Wednesday morning in Robbinsville, NC -- although the exact circumstances are unclear. What we do know, per the relative, is that JT had kidney cancer and was receiving dialysis for a long time.

We're told Jim was in a nursing home for the last year, and photos of him in a hospital bed had been posted in recent months.

A statement from Sugarlands Distilling Co reads, "Jim Tom dedicated much of his life to the art of moonshining, becoming a legend in Appalachia along the way. Jim Tom’s well-earned reputation as one of the most skilled moonshiners in the South earned him a role on the hit television program Moonshiners, where his colorful personality endeared Jim Tom to the hearts of millions."

SDC goes on to say Jim Tom was one of the veteran moonshiners in the area who embraced them when they opened their doors ... and his stamp of approval went a long way.

Jim Tom appeared on several seasons of the long-running Discovery reality series -- which chronicles moonshiners running their illegal booze biz all throughout the Appalachian mountains. He joined during Season 2 in 2012 and stuck around through 2017.

He was known for his unique personality and manners of speaking -- not to mention his storytelling and, of course, his pristine skill at making homemade alcohol out in nature.

He was 82.

Bob Barker's cause of death has been revealed as a result of Alzheimer's disease, TMZ has learned.

According to his death certificate, obtained by TMZ, the 99-year-old 'Price Is Right' icon suffered from Alzheimer's, something he's never addressed publicly before. It's unclear exactly how long Bob battled the disease, but the docs say his death came "years" after his Alzheimer's began.

You'll recall, Bob also suffered multiple falls over the years -- he had minor battles with skin cancer, and took 2 trips to the hospital for issues with his back in 2018.

For those unaware, Bob -- who has been a vegetarian for over 4 decades -- teamed up with PETA back in 2013 to highlight the benefits of the diet, saying giving up meat can help prevent the onset of the brain disorder.

TMZ broke the story, Bob's rep told us he died peacefully at his Los Angeles home on August 26 ... and his passing has been met with an outpour of love across the globe.

CBS thanked Bob for "making countless people's dreams come true" for decades on "The Price Is Right" ... and PETA said his longtime involvement with the org cemented him as "a national animal rights treasure."