TMZ.com

Tyler Christopher died under sad circumstances -- according to officials, he suffocated to death ... and it appears to have been partially caused by him being drunk.

According to the Medical Examiner Office's report, obtained by TMZ, the "General Hospital" star's official cause of death is being listed as positional asphyxia due to acute alcohol intoxication. There's a contributing condition cited ... coronary artery atherosclerosis.

In layman's terms, Tyler suffocated to death because of how he was positioned when he died -- and the ME here is saying booze played in a part in him ending up that way. The latter description is basically plaque build-up in his arteries. His death was accidental.

We broke the story ... Tyler's friend found him deceased at his San Diego apartment -- this after trying and failing to get a hold of him for a while. His pal discovered his body in his bedroom ... and called 911 shortly thereafter.

Tyler's one-time costar, Maurice Benard, broke the news about his passing ... calling him a "truly talented individual that lit up the screen in every scene he performed and relished bringing joy to his loyal fans through his acting."

He'd been on 'General Hospital' for a very long time, starring in over 1,100 episodes. TC was only 50.

Teresa Giudice is a big hit with New York's finest, because cops nabbed the 'Real Housewife' ... for selfies and such, that is -- which is ironic considering her legal history.

The 'RHONJ' star was in Manhattan Thursday night when an NYPD cruiser pulled up next to her SUV parked in Midtown on 5th Avenue ... and the officers gave her a friendly greeting over their loudspeaker.

Folks who were there say cops hopped out of their car and walked over to Teresa and asked for a photo ... and she obliged. As you can see, Teresa and a trio of NYPD officers were all smiles as they took snaps on the sidewalk.

It's pretty interesting to see Teresa chopping it up with police ... especially since she ran into some serious legal trouble.

TG ended up doing 11 months at a federal correctional institution in Danbury, CT for wire and bank fraud. Of course, her then-husband Joe Giudice was also convicted of the same crimes, and hit with a 41-month sentence.

Khloe Kardashian's catching flak for wearing what looks like a real fur coat, but Drita D'Avanzo's not upset at all ... telling us she's excited the look -- credited to her cast -- is coming back into vogue.

We talked to the "Mob Wives" star, who told us ... furs and leather make for a fun and sexy look and she thought Khloe looked amazing in the coat. BTW, sources in the know told us the coat is faux fur.

Drita says she's heard from a ton of fans recently who mention her and the late, great Big Ang when stars wear these extravagant fur coats. Khloe's obviously on that same page -- when she posted sexy pics from a wintry photo shoot, she captioned it, "It’s giving mob wife vibes…. Faux mob wife of course."

Not only that, but Drita says she's seen lots of kids posing in this style on social media -- a kinda weird-funny moment for DDA because she knows the true cost of those clothes.

D'Avanzo said the clothes aren't just a look to her ... it's all part of the mob wife "lifestyle," saying she and her fellow "Mob Wives" were married to their husbands and the life, which she admits ain't easy.

She says it's cute to see teens emulating the look, as it'll definitely keep them warm ... but Drita warns that's where the association should stop -- because it's a "damn sure, f***ing cold life."

On a happier note, Drita's got a whole lotta interesting projects coming her way ... partly because the "Mob wives" look is so popular again. She said she's developing a scripted series with a major studio about her life -- taking fans from her humble roots growing up to becoming a famous TV personality.

When we talked she was on the set of a Steve Madden photo shoot for his Mob Connection clothing line -- and she credits getting the gig to the resurgent aesthetic.

Rick Harrison's son, Adam Harrison, seems to have been in a bad way in the days leading up to his death -- at least that's what people who were living around him told cops.

According to a new police report, obtained by TMZ, officers in Vegas responded to a call for service reporting an unresponsive person on Friday ... which turned out to be Adam. The responding officers arrived and confirmed he was deceased, and then were told more of the backstory of what apparently happened in the days leading up to this tragedy.

As it turns out, cops were told Adam had been staying in a guest house at this property -- and noted he had just been released from jail after serving 3 months behind bars ... although it's unclear what exactly for. The landlord said he needed a place to stay upon release, and they offered this guest house as somewhat of a kindness.

Officers interviewed a handful of roommates who had been living there as well ... and they said they hadn't seen Adam come by the main house in a few days. When they tried checking on him via social media, the roommates said they got a message back from him saying he was ill and quarantining.

However, when he continued to be off the radar thereafter ... the roommates told police that they tried knocking on his door, but said he never answered. At that point, they got the landlord involved -- who opened up Adam's unit ... only to find him lying unresponsive on his bed.

The roommates told officers that while his stay there at the property had been brief -- just two weeks or so, it seems -- they relayed behavior of his that they perceived as erratic and strange ... including allegedly barricading himself inside his little guest house there.

The roommates also claimed to cops that they suspected Adam had had a history of drug use too. As we reported ... Adam died of a fentanyl overdose, confirmed by his family.

Rick himself tells TMZ ... "Fentanyl turned my son into someone he wasn’t and that brought with it bad decisions and spending time in jail." Adam was only 39.

12:34 PM PT -- Alyssa Milano took to Twitter/X to address the backlash over the GoFundMe she set up to help fund her son's baseball team saying ... “I’m getting media inquiries about whether I have financially contributed to my son’s baseball team."

Alyssa continued, "I’ve paid for uniforms for the entire team and coaches, thrown bday parties and sponsor any kid who can’t afford monthly dues. The kids also do fundraising themselves—car washes, movie nights, and many other fun things!"

"Thank you to all who have contributed to the gofundme! You’ve made things easier for these boys and their families.”

Alyssa Milano asked her many followers/fans to chip in for her son's youth baseball trip -- and because she's perceived as incredibly wealthy ... she's getting dragged through the coals.

The actress posted a link to a GoFundMe account that she and her husband, David Bugliari, started on behalf of their kid's 12U squad ... which she calls a travel fund that'll help the boys get to Cooperstown for a big baseball tournament, plus other expenses.

She wrote, "My son’s baseball team is raising money for their Cooperstown trip. Any amount would be so greatly appreciated. You can read more about the team and make a donation here" ... after which, she linked to the GFM page, which has a goal of raising $10,000.

The cash, the page says, will go toward travel costs, uniforms and family dues for players -- and it benefits the whole team, of course ... not just Alyssa's son. Still, the internet's pissed.

You can hop into the "Alyssa Milano" trend this AM to get a sense of what the hell everyone's so angry about because of this -- but it's pretty straight-forward ... people are complaining that AM is a huge star, who's presumably loaded and who can afford this with the snap of her finger. So ... why is she going around soliciting donations like a normie???

As you can imagine, the jokes are flying at Alyssa's expense -- but a lot of folks are genuinely outraged that she'd try to fundraise considering her position. Even more interesting is the fact that in the list of visible donors, none appear to feature her name.

She hasn't addressed all the hand-wringing just yet -- but TBH, this feels like a case of people making assumptions about her on a number of fronts ... and we'll just leave it at that.

It's just about the end of the week here, and best believe we're finishing at TMZ -- especially when it comes to what we're covering on our TV shows ... and Thursday was no excpetion.

Let's start with 'TMZ Live,' where Harvey and Charles touched an ever-growing problem in the modern world -- namely, the fact that AI is starting to get VERY good at creating deepfake imagery, especially as it pertains to celebs. In this case, Taylor Swift herself was victimized.

We spoke with an AI expert about this ... and he told us to buckle up, it's just getting started.

On 'TMZ on TV,' the gang got to talking about Jason Momoa's new Super Bowl ad -- which he was seen filming this week out in the Valley ... alongside none other than Zach Braff and Donald Faison. Yes, it's for T-Mobile ... and yes, it's another musical/dance number thing.

We'll say this ... JM looked like he was having fun -- can you tell by the 'Flashdance' tribute?

Down in the 'TMZ Sports' world ... Mojo and Babcock got to talking about this new 'Road House' movie, starring Jake Gyllenhaal. The reason that's relevant to sports is because none other than Conor McGregor is also in the flick ... and he and JG face off in a BIG way.

Check your local listings for when TMZ is on in your area or catch up on past episodes!

Storm Reid's at the top of her game in Hollywood -- especially after winning an Emmy -- but that doesn't make her above anyone else on campus ... yes, she's still in school!

We got the professional actress -- who just took some hardware in recent weeks -- at LAX Thursday ... she says despite bagging the Outstanding Guest Actress award in a Drama Series for her role in HBO's "The Last of Us," she's still treated the same at USC School of Dramatic Arts -- where she's studying drama/theater.

The obvious question is ... how are folks treating you after the Emmy win?!? As it turns out, Storm tells people are pretty regular with her -- and, apparently, just excited and proud of her, as they come up to congratulate her ... at least that's what Storm's saying.

Clearly, she's staying humble ... but we'll say -- it is fascinating that her shiny new accolade doesn't seem to change her dynamic between her theatre teachers, or her peers.

From this chat here ... you'd almost never know she was a decorated, pro actor!

With that said, Storm's pleased to be learning loads of new techniques from the acting curriculum ... which she's already implementing in her on-screen work.

The gist here is that she's very happy in her Hannah Montana era -- living the best of both worlds -- a Hollywood star and an average, everyday dorm-living college student.

Hasan Minhaj almost ended "The Daily Show" producers' search for a permanent host months ago ... only for his embellishing scandal to blow the deal -- according to reports.

Here's the deal ... The Hollywood Reporter gave fans of 'TDS' an inside look at how Jon Stewart's return to Comedy Central's flagship satirical news show came to fruition -- and Minhaj got name-dropped in the piece.

Basically, THR says the deal was right at the finish line, just needing to cross the t's and dot the i's over the summer to bring HM on as Trevor Noah's replacement ... until the New Yorker published their exposé on Hasan embellishing stories in his stand-up special.

Remember, the magazine alleged Hasan hammed up stories for the shock value ... including one about taking his daughter to the hospital because of an anthrax scare and another where he said he was turned down by a girl he asked out because of his race -- something the woman in question flat-out denied BTW.

Minhaj -- who appeared as a guest host in the year-plus since Noah went off the air -- has defended himself, denying some of the New Yorker's assertions ... but THR says the scandal was "suddenly seen as a liability" so higher-ups backed off hiring him.

The backlash to Hasan's scandal was swift ... with some comedians frustrated over Minhaj saying they all embellish with their stand-ups. Bill Maher straight-up called the guy a liar on an episode of his show back in October.

As we previously reported ... producers recently announced a tried and true part-time option -- bringing back Jon Stewart to host the show on Mondays through election season and executive produce the show through at least 2025. Hosting duties from Tuesday to Thursday will be handled by correspondents on a rotating basis.

Anthony Ramos has been tapped to play a live-action version of 'Bob the Builder' -- but the move is turning heads ... 'cause his character is apparently going to be Latino, explicitly.

Here's the deal ... AR was announced as the lead of Mattel's newest toy-to-movie offering, meaning he's going to play Bob himself -- although, in the press release that's going around ... it says his character's real name is actually "Roberto."

The official description of the plot reads ... "When Roberto 'Bob' travels to the enchanting island of Puerto Rico for a major construction job, he takes on issues affecting the island and digs deeper into what it means to build. Bob’s journey will celebrate the vibrant and colorful textures of the Caribbean Latin nations and their people."

The other big news from this is the fact that Jennifer Lopez's movie company -- Nuyorican Productions -- is helping make this thing ... of course, she herself is also Latina.

So the question ... why are we making 'Bob the Builder' Hispanic all of a sudden???

That's certainly what a lot of people online are asking right now -- not to mention a bunch of memes and jokes about this surprise twist on the cartoon show that's been around for years. The biggest takeaway is that Bob has always been perceived as a white character.

Now, however, it looks like J Lo and co. wanna reimagine that for some reason -- and let's just say there are mixed reactions to the decision. Some are for it, arguing it shouldn't matter what race/ethnicity Bob is ... but others are crying foul and claiming this is "woke" casting.

Worse yet ... some are even suggesting that making Bob Latino might just be a little racist -- playing into stereotypes and turning a character on its head, which nobody asked for.

Funny enough, there are even a handful of folks suggesting Jen and everybody would've been better off developing/adapting another "worker" cartoon character who's already written as a Latino ... namely, 'Handy Manny.' Why not just have Anthony play him?

How people are digesting this is for sure a mixed bag -- and we suppose Bob's racial identity is, technically, in the eye of the beholder. We'll say this ... it does sorta feel like a reach.

Ukraine is lambasting HBO's "The White Lotus" for casting Miloš Biković ... a Serbian actor who's voiced support and admiration for Russia amid the ongoing war, and has accepted a medal from Vladimir Putin.

Ukraine's foreign ministry called out HBO in an X post Wednesday ... asking if it was right for the outlet to work with a person who supports genocide and violates international law.

A quick rundown on the uproar: Biković's been accused of supporting Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine ... even posting an X poll showing that trust in Putin was higher than in Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.

He's starred in a string of Russian films, such as 2014's "Sunstroke" ... which Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said he'd filmed in Crimea, the peninsula Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014.

In 2018, Putin awarded Biković a Pushkin medal for advancing Russian culture. A year later, Ukraine banned him from entering the country for national security reasons.

The 36-year-old was unfazed over the ban, making it clear where his loyalties lie as he gushed over receiving Russian citizenship in 2021 ... and added, he'd been actively participating in Russian cultural life for more than 7 years.

His casting in the third season of Mike White's anthology series was announced earlier this month ... and production is set to begin next month in Thailand.

Deadline reports he'll likely play a Russian-speaking wellness guru at the hotel -- though his character details haven't been confirmed.

The dark comedy has been a massive hit with fans and has dominated award season with its first 2 seasons ... so expectations are undoubtedly high for the third.

Whoopi Goldberg knows a thing or two about being nominated for Oscars -- which is why her saying Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig were not snubbed this year is ... fascinating.

Despite all the pearl-clutching going on among "Barbie" fans after the lead star and director missed out on Oscar nods earlier this week, Whoopi kept it realer than real on "The View" Wednesday as the crew was discussing it ... saying flatly, they weren't entitled to anything.

WG said the obvious to kick off her thoughts, noting that "everybody doesn't win" when it comes to the Academy Awards, and more importantly ... not everyone can be nominated.

Whoopi then put it even more matter-of-factly, adding ... "You don't get everything you want to get. There are no snubs. That's what you have to keep in mind: Not everybody gets a prize, and it is subjective. Movies are subjective."

She then explained that just because "Barbie" was a fan-fave and moneymaker doesn't necessarily mean it was a shoo-in in and of itself, saying ... "The movies you love may not be loved by the people who are voting." Worth noting ... Whoopi's an Academy member.

Remember ... Whoopi's won an Oscar herself, and she's been nominated for a second too -- so she's been through the wringer before. Considering the wave of outrage on behalf of Margot and Greta ... it's interesting that she's taking a somewhat controversial stand here.

"Wizards of Waverly Place" alum Dan Benson knows he's being cut out of the Disney Channel show's upcoming reboot and says it's upsetting, but not shocking ... due to to his very adult career choices.

Dan tells TMZ ... he's disappointed over being unable to reprise the role of Zeke Beakerman, and also acknowledges he didn't really leave the show's bosses any real option to include him -- having gone from child star to OnlyFans porn star.

He totally sees things from their point of view ... telling us it'd be unreasonable to bring back his wholesome character, while he's also publicizing all his risqué personal life decisions.

Dan even imagines how discussions of his return went down in the reboot's first meeting ... wondering if some Disney exec Googled him to see what he's doing, only to learn he's been posting adults-only content since 2022.

BTW, Selena Gomez is an executive producer, which has Dan wondering just how much of his "body" of work his old costar's come across.

While he's sad his career choices affected his chance to be back on screen, he tells us he actually would've said no if the reboot bosses asked him back.

The reason being that life after the show got really hard for him, as he struggled to land another mainstream acting gig.

Now, Dan's over being dependent on someone else for opportunities ... something he doesn't have to worry about now cause he's his own boss and makes it happen for himself.

We're just past the mid-way point in the week, and we are rolling at TMZ when it comes to our television shows ... 'cause now, we're talking biting fetishes, and Hillary Clinton!!!

Let's begin with Armie Hammer -- who's bedroom fetishes and kinks got put on blast by a former flame who says they hooked up last year ... during which, he supposedly explained the whole "cannibalism" thing that consumed his rep for much of 2021 and beyond.

Check out the segment to see what she had to say about it ... and what he's (allegedly) into.

On the 'TMZ on TV' side of things ... we were back to talking 'Barbie,' but this time -- with a new voice chiming in on the all the indignation over the perceived snubs against Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig ... and that would be ... Hillary Clinton. Yes, the one and only.

Harvey had some hot takes about whether this is actually all about patriarchy or not -- in his mind, it's more like ... hey, sometimes you lose, kid -- guy or gal! He might have a point.

Over at 'TMZ Sports' ... Babcock and Mojo talked about Tyreek Hill and the fact that he says he's still married ... even though he and his wife have technically filed for divorce. Hmm ...

Lots of opinions and takes with this one -- take a look for yourself and see where you land.

Check your local listings for when TMZ is on in your area or catch up on past episodes!

"The Daily Show" is going back to a familiar face to provide some stability ... though it might end up being just another temporary fix.

Jon Stewart -- who originally hosted the show from 1999 to 2015 -- is headed back to Comedy Central to host 'TDS' ... but only on Mondays. From Tuesday-Thursday, fans will see some of their fav correspondents helm the show.

The part-time hosting gig doesn't mean Jon will be kicking back during the rest of the week -- he's also returning as executive producer for every episode from now through 2025 -- so it looks like he'll be sticking around for a bit.

Not only was Stewart host and EP of the show for more than 15 years, but he mentored some of the biggest names in comedy while heading up the program.

Just check out the roster ... Stephen Colbert, Trevor Noah, Samantha Bee, John Oliver, Steve Carell, Ed Helms, Olivia Munn, Hasan Minhaj and Josh Gad just to name a few. Talk about one hell of a coaching tree!

It's probably a good time for JS to head back to his old stompin' ground ... 'cause his latest television venture, "The Problem with Jon Stewart" didn't go so well.

Apple TV+ canceled Stewart's show in October after a little over 2 years, and The New York Times reported the comedian butted heads with Apple execs on show topics and guests.

And remember, "The Daily Show" hasn't fared much better ... they've been working with a rotating cast of guest hosts for more than a year since Trevor stepped down from the role -- culminating in a funny/awkward moment at this year's Emmys where former correspondent Roy Wood Jr. basically pled with execs in the crowd to "please hire a host."

Not exactly the permanent solution Roy was looking for, but definitely a step in the right direction.

Dana Carvey's eldest son, Dex, died from a combination of drugs that sadly took his life ... TMZ has confirmed.

According to the L.A. County Medical Examiner's Office -- the comedian's adult son's official cause of death was toxicity from fentanyl, ketamine and cocaine. The agency lists his death as accidental.

TMZ broke the story ... Dex passed away in November after his girlfriend called 911 ... and first responders found him unresponsive in the bathroom of an L.A. home.

Our sources say paramedics tried reviving him, but to no avail ... he was pronounced dead on the scene.

Days later, Dana said Dex died of an accidental drug overdose ... penning an emotional tribute to his son, praising his musical talents and calling him a "beautiful person."

In the note shared alongside wife Paula, they added, "To anyone struggling with addiction or who loves someone struggling with addiction, you are in our hearts and prayers."

The father and son duo were extremely close ... with Dex following in his father's comedy footsteps -- getting his feet wet in the stand-up world over the past few years.

Dana recently got back to work by hopping on his and David Spade's podcast -- where he said laughter would help him heal from the tragedy in his family.

There's a battle brewing over soap opera star Sonya Eddy's posthumous Daytime Emmy ... with her estranged family determined to take the trophy back from her friend and producing partner.

Here's the deal ... Sonya died at the end of 2022 and she won a Daytime Emmy last month for her work on "General Hospital," with her producing partner and friend Tyler Ford accepting the award on her behalf.

Now, Sonya's family members want the award in their possession ... and they're pissed it wasn't given to them in the first place.

Sonya's younger brother, Robbie Eddy, tells TMZ ... the Television Academy didn't tell her family she was going to be winning an Emmy beforehand, and Tyler's told them he's going to keep her trophy.

We're told Sonya's whole family is now working to get the Emmy ... sending a letter to the Television Academy.

While Sonya's kin waits to hear back from the Academy, we're told they feel this whole thing is a slap in the face -- they're still grieving, and this dispute is making that process harder. Plus, the Emmys happened shortly before the 1-year anniversary of her death.

Sonya's brother says the family has no plans to take any kind of legal action against Tyler or the Academy ... they don't want to tarnish her memory with a lawsuit, they're just hoping Tyler does the "right thing" and hands over her Emmy.

If the Eddys do get the trophy, we're told Sonya's 84-year-old mother will hold onto the award ... the family says her mom sponsored Sonya's Hollywood career.

Now, we've also heard Sonya was actually estranged from some family members when she died -- she wasn't getting along with her brother because they were fighting over who was going to provide and care for their mom, who has Alzheimer's and dementia.

Sonya's brother tells us they were working on repairing their relationship not long before she died.