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Sgt. Chris Wilson, a game warden from Texas who appeared in the reality TV show "Lone Star Law," is dead after losing his battle with coronavirus ... TMZ has confirmed.

A rep for the Department tells TMZ, "Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Game Warden Sgt. Christopher Ray Wilson passed away August 26 after a valiant battle against health complications related to COVID-19."

Sgt. Wilson, who worked for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for 17 years, had been hospitalized at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center after testing positive for the virus.

Chris appeared in a lone episode of "Lone Star Law" back in 2016, serving a search warrant with other game wardens and Captain Scott Jurk.

The Dept. paid homage to Chris, saying, "Sgt. Wilson proudly served Texas as a State Game Warden with great purpose, pride and dedication. His End of Watch leaves a hole in the hearts of many who knew him. The State of Texas is grateful beyond words, for the dignity, strength and sacrifice of his service. Our thoughts are with his family during this difficult time."

A rep for Animal Planet tells TMZ, "Our deepest sympathy goes out to Chris' family and loved ones at this difficult time."

Other Texas game wardens escorted Chris' remains to a mortuary in town late Thursday, and they're standing watch outside the funeral home while his body is being prepped for a funeral.

Ronnie Ortiz-Magro says he's cleaned himself up and he's getting ready to come back to reality TV.

We got Ronnie at Avra in Beverly Hills on Thursday and he told our photog he's 4 months sober and planning to return to 'Jersey Shore' by the end of the 5th season.

It's welcome news for 'Jersey Shore' fans who've been missing Ron, and for him ... because it sounds like he's in a better place in his life.

As we reported ... Ronnie announced back in May he was stepping away from the show that made him famous as a result of mental health issues.

Ronnie's departure came in the wake of his domestic violence arrest, with Ron and MTV honchos agreeing he needed some time away from the cameras to seek treatment for issues he felt he was ignoring.

Ron says he's learned from his mountain of legal issues over the years ... and he says he's become a better father and fiancé.

As you know ... Ronnie got engaged to Saffire Matos despite allegedly attacking her and getting arrested. He ended up dodging criminal charges in the case.

Ronnie also tells us who is getting wedding invites and who is getting snubbed ... and it sounds like his ex, Jenn Harley, doesn't need to sit by the mailbox.

Farrah Abraham has moved on from her feud with Chrissy Teigen ... she's now going off on Harvard -- yes, that Harvard -- claiming she was the victim of "educational abuse" and promising legal action against the University.

We got the former "Teen Mom" star out in Hollywood Thursday, and she rattled off her laundry list of issues with the famed Ivy League school ... which stems from her allegedly being booted from a Zoom course by her teacher, with no follow-up explanation.

Farrah, who may be mad but not angry enough to put her Harvard sweatshirt in mothballs, claims her professor, Patricia Bellanca, played mind games with her by telling her to turn in an assignment without checking it over ... then later used that against her in trying to convince her to drop the course.

She also alleges Harvard's entire online program is a "joke" and a "scam," while insinuating she may have been racially discriminated against as well ... saying she was the "most person of color" in the class.

Farrah adds that she's had no choice but to go public with her Harvard beef, because allegedly neither her professor nor Dean Robert Neugeboren has returned any of her calls or emails.

Finally, she says she's going to file a lawsuit against the school for what she calls "abusive" treatment.

"True Life: Crime" is taking a deep dive into the fatal shooting of Darrien Hunt for its season 2 finale ... and one of show host Dometi Pongo's goals is to have the case re-opened.

The MTV host joined "TMZ Live" Thursday and said Darrien's family never got justice after he was gunned down in 2014 by police in Saratoga Springs, Utah. At the time, the case drew national attention following an outcry over inconsistencies in the police narrative.

Darrien was shot and killed September 10, 2014 after cops said the 22-year-old lunged at them with a sword.

An autopsy report later showed Darrien -- who was cosplaying as a samurai while carrying a decorative sword -- was shot 6 times in the back. Surveillance footage shows Darrien running from cops -- a glaring inconsistency from the police report.

The Utah County D.A.'s Office concluded the use of deadly force was justified. Fast forward to now ... there's a Change.org petition demanding officials reopen the case. The petition is now 744,000 signatures strong.

The “Big Brother” cast has more than just their own drama to sort through as they shoot -- there are would-be outsiders trying to butt in and ruin the show ... something producers are desperately trying to prevent.

Production sources tell TMZ ... there’s a group of ‘BB’ mega-fans who’ve made it tradition to head over to the CBS lot in Studio City where they film the series ... and shout over the wall to get the cast’s attention.

They’re known as “wall yellers” -- and we’re told after successfully getting near the wall last year for some screams, there are now rumblings of a potential return for the current season ... and the studio wants to nip it in the bud before they try again.

Our sources say security around the premises has been significantly ramped up, with at least 5 bodyguards roaming the grounds to keep people at bay.

If you’re wondering what’s got the ‘BB’ team bugging to begin with, we're told it all has to do with social media chatter. Our sources say folks on the crew actively monitor some socials of prior trouble makers -- including one from last year to whom they sent a cease and desist letter.

So, in order to get ahead of that nonsense ... we’re told ‘BB’ is adding this extra muscle to shoo 'em off, assuming they show up at all.

"Cobra Kai" fans may soon be able to stay in the famous mansion featured on the show, because the new buyer's got plans to make it happen ... via Airbnb.

Our real estate sources tell us ... the 9,214-square-foot home -- which is actually located in the Atlanta suburb of Marietta, GA and not Encino, CA -- just went under contract for $2.4 million ... though it's still in the process of closing.

When it does, we're told the anonymous buyer will turn the 6-bed, 6.5-bath Villa Flora mansion into a luxury Airbnb where devoted "Cobra Kai" fans can stay ... with plenty of room on the 1.1-acre lot to practice their karate moves.

It's interesting -- a few months ago Jamie Foxx showed interest in purchasing the property, but he didn't pull the trigger. Whoever did got a good deal ... more than $200k below asking price.

Khloe Kardashian and Kris Jenner are inching closer to the move-in date that will make them next-door neighbors, as construction crews work to finish their custom mansions.

We've obtained pics showing the progress that's been made in and around the modern farmhouses Khloe and Kris are building a stone's throw from each other in Los Angeles.

There's still a lot of work to be done, but the massive estates are taking shape. Both structures now have roofs that will include solar panels ... and both places will have massive pools.

The lot is essentially being subdivided in 2. It once had a single family home on the entire property, but when a developer bought it in 2012, he razed the house. It sat vacant for years ... that is until Khloe and Kris each plunked down north of $10 million for the properties and began construction.

When all is said and done ... Khloe's home -- the darker of the two -- will have 8 bedrooms, 9.5 bathrooms and 18,000 square feet. Kris' palace is similar at 17,000 square feet.

You'll recall Kris was PISSED after claiming on 'KUWTK' a shady contractor stole the deeds to the houses and while the legal mess got sorted out, construction came to a screeching halt.

LeVar Burton might still be the fan favorite to take over as the permanent host of "Jeopardy!" following Mike Richards' exit, but he's never been seriously considered for the role ... TMZ has learned.

Production sources tell us ... Sony Studios execs loved the "Reading Rainbow" star as a guest host, but they didn't think he was the right fit for the daily syndicated quiz show ... and the same can be said about almost all the other guest hosts.

As we first told you ... "Jeopardy!" honchos wanted Mayim Bialik to replace Alex Trebek as the sole host, but her busy schedule wouldn't allow it, so EP Richards got the daily gig. Of course, now they want her even more.

Our sources say Mayim and Mike were the ONLY guest hosts who had talks with Sony about hosting full-time ... so LeVar getting snubbed wasn't personal, and he wasn't alone.

However, we're told Sony did speak with LeVar about other projects outside of the "Jeopardy!" brand ... and those opportunities are still a possibility.

Sources close to LeVar tell us ... he has no hard feelings -- he got his shot at guest hosting, which is what he really wanted, and he gave it his all.

We're told he's fine with Sony's decision and is moving on ... which is a lot more than he had to say Tuesday about the "Jeopardy!" drama.

Our LeVar sources say he's had multiple other networks and Hollywood execs contact him about projects they can create with him ... including one with Ava DuVernay.

Andrew Cuomo is no longer the Governor of New York, and now ... he's no longer an Emmy Award winner either.

The disgraced ex-governor has been stripped of his special 2020 international Emmy in wake of the sexual harassment scandal that led to his recent resignation.

The decision to rescind the award was handed down Tuesday by the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, in wake of him leaving office following the New York AG's report that substantiated allegations of Cuomo's misconduct.

The International Academy adds ... "His name and any reference to his receiving the award will be eliminated from International Academy material going forward."

Cuomo -- who officially resigned as Gov. Monday -- was bestowed the Founders Award at the 48th International Emmys in November for his daily, almost ubiquitous COVID-19 press briefings beginning in March 2020 ... in recognition of his "effective use of television during the pandemic."

He's not the first person to lose such an award for similar reasons -- the same thing happened to Kevin Spacey following allegations of sexual misconduct in 2017.

However, on the movie side of things, Roman Polanski won an Oscar for Best Director in 2003 for "The Pianist" after he pled guilty to having sex with a 13-year-old girl. Polanski received a standing ovation for winning the award, yet wasn't even allowed in the country to accept it. It was never taken away.

As we reported ... Cuomo resigned following NY State's harassment probe but denied any criminal activity.

LeVar Burton is by far the fan fave to take up the mantle on 'Jeopardy!' as Mike Richards takes a bow -- but he's pretty clammy these days when you bring up the topic ... which may or may not be telling, depending on how you read and hear this.

The 'Reading Rainbow' vet got approached by a pap Monday outside a STAPLES in the San Fernando Valley, and of course ... they asked him about all the 'Jeopardy!' drama, and whether he thought he should be given a shot to host the game show permanently.

Check out his response ... the dude is pretty firm here with his repeated "no comment" line -- so it's clear he's got zip to say about the sitch, despite most everyone else seeming to have an opinion (in his favor).

You could interpret this a couple ways -- he's either got something to lose (perhaps?) by running his mouth ... so he'd rather zip it instead of risk it. OR, he truly doesn't give a damn and just doesn't wanna talk about it ... 'cause he's over all the speculation and mind games.

Based on the online fanfare over his potential permanent hosting ... something tells us there may be something to that former theory -- namely, that LB could have something in the works with the 'Jeopardy!' powers that be ... especially considering how they did him dirty.

LeVar's guest-hosting stint was scheduled right up against the Olympics, and got poor ratings. There's no concrete reporting on how he might personally feel about that -- but his supporters were utterly outraged ... up to and including when Richards got tapped for day-to-day duties, only to be forced out amid controversy.

Spike Lee's going where so many other Americans have already gone before -- promoting 9/11 conspiracy theories -- but the way he's doing it is still surprising ... even 20 years later.

The famed director's riding the publicity train for his HBO docuseries about New York -- "NYC Epicenters 9/11-2021½" -- but one thing that stands out with his new show is the inclusion of interviews with members of a conspiracy group called Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth.

Turns out, Spike wanted those interviews because he believes in certain 9/11 conspiracy theories himself ... namely, that jet fuel can't melt steel beams, so the World Trade Center collapse must have been a controlled demolition.

In speaking with New York Times reporter Reggie Ugwu about his thoughts on 9/11, Lee says ... "I got questions. And I hope that maybe the legacy of this documentary is that Congress holds a hearing, a congressional hearing about 9/11."

Spike says he doesn't buy the official explanations because, "The amount of heat that it takes to make steel melt, that temperature’s not reached," adding ... "And then the juxtaposition of the way Building 7 fell to the ground — when you put it next to other building collapses that were demolitions, it’s like you’re looking at the same thing."

Lee goes on to say he includes the information in his documentary, but it's up to the audience to judge for themselves. However, when Ugwu called him out for not saying "make up your own mind" about vaccine conspiracies or the presidential election being stolen, the director simply said ... "People are going to think what they think, regardless."

"Jeopardy!" honchos really want Mayim Bialik to step in as new daily host following the quick exit of Mike Richards, and they're willing to bend over backwards to show her how much they mean it ... TMZ has learned.

Sony production sources tell us ... execs for the game show are doing everything possible to work around Mayim's schedule in order to bank as many episodes with her hosting the daily syndicated version, with the ultimate goal of her taking over full-time.

Our sources say Sony bosses have even offered up the possibility of shooting on weekends and normal hiatus weeks to squeeze in more shows with Mayim. She's already locked in for 15 episodes.

As we first told you ... "The Big Bang Theory" star has been the top choice to take over as "Jeopardy!" host, but the problem is she's super busy with her new FOX sitcom, "Call Me Kat," and shooting schedules for that are set in stone.

Our sources say there's a mutual interest from Mayim to become the permanent host as well, and FOX is being cooperative with her interim hosting ... so there's still a path to her taking over permanently.

As we reported ... "Jeopardy!" made a surprise announcement earlier this month that 2 hosts would take over for Alex Trebek -- EP Mike Richards for the daily show, and Bialik for primetime specials and spin-offs.

Richards' time was cut super short -- he only shot 5 episodes on one day of filming -- due to multiple controversies from his past coming back to bite him.

Jeff Lewis is looking to sell his home in the Hollywood Hills ... and the place looks amazing.

Real estate sources tell TMZ ... the "Flipping Out" star just listed his 3-bedroom home above the Sunset Strip for a cool $5,995,000.

The Bravo star personally designed the estate, which is 3,947 square feet with beautiful views of the skyline and ocean.

The house sits behind a gated courtyard with tall hedges and welcomes folks in with double steel and glass front doors.

The master bedroom has panoramic city views, plus a large wardrobe dressing room, spa-like master bath with an oversized rainfall shower and a freestanding 60-inch tub.

Oh, and ya gotta see the outdoor deck, complete with a pebble tech pool/spa overlooking the L.A. skyline. Looks super relaxing.

Erika Jayne's elderly estranged husband, Tom Girardi, has moved out of his multi-million dollar mansion and into a senior living facility.

The 82-year-old -- who's currently going through a divorce from "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star along with a lawsuit for allegedly embezzling funds from families of plane crash victims -- was spotted by Daily Mail entering the Burbank nursing home Sunday.

Girardi -- who up until recently lived in an incredible $13 million mansion in Pasadena -- has been forced to give up his luxurious lifestyle due to his embezzlement scandal, his law firm filing for bankruptcy ... and health issues.

Safe to say it's not been a very good year for Tom, who once had an estimated net worth of more than $260 million. Along with the divorce, he's been disbarred, forced to auction off a lot of stuff from his law offices to cover legal costs ... and has been spotted out in public looking worse for wear.

Earlier this year ... he filed legal docs claiming he's been diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer's, as he had his assets frozen as he's potentially been facing federal charges for months.

William Petersen had a scary situation while on the clock this week -- he had to be taken by ambulance to the hospital after falling ill on set of his most popular show.

The longtime 'CSI' star's rep tells TMZ ... Petersen was working on set Friday in L.A. for "CSI: Las Vegas" when, at some point, he started feeling terrible ... and told the director that he needed a break.

It became clear he might've needed more than just a rest -- because we're told an ambulance was called on his behalf, and Bill was taken to a nearby facility. The rep says it was mostly done out of an abundance of caution, but it was clearly serious enough to call.

As to what led to the health scare ... WP's rep tells us his guy has been working nonstop long days for the past 12 weeks -- so this may have been a case of overexertion or exhaustion.

Tarek El Moussa's so perturbed about word of his on-set eruption on his "Flip or Flop" costar getting out, he's gone to Herculean lengths to make sure it doesn't happen on his own show ... by eliminating any potential rats.

Production sources tell TMZ ... Tarek's team went to the production company after we posted our story about him flipping out on his ex-wife, Christina Haack, and demanded that any crew member who was working on "Flip or Flop" that day be removed from the staff of his spin-off series, 'Flipping 101.'

We're told Tarek was pissed because he believes someone on that crew leaked the story about him going off on Christina, and the production company -- which produces the show and "Christina on the Coast" -- shifted some workers around to accommodate his demand.

However, a source close to Tarek tells us the crew change request was more about wanting a group that is excited for him and his fiancee, Heather Rae Young ... and one the couple can trust to not leak any upcoming wedding spoilers.

As we told you ... Tarek was accused of yelling at Christina on set last month after she signaled it was time to begin filming, and allegedly it wasn't the first time he'd done this.

A source close to Tarek claimed his anger toward his ex-wife stemmed from her recent admission she smoked toad venom ... and he was concerned about what else she was doing around their kids.