RIP

Ryan Quigley -- friend and former teammate of late college football standout Tiger Bech -- broke his silence after the death of the Princeton star ... as the two buddies found themselves in the middle of the horrible Bourbon Street terror attack.

Quigley, also a former Princeton Tiger, commented on a post put out by his alma mater mourning the death of 27-year-old Bech, with RQ writing, "I love you forever, Pal."

Quigley, who remains hospitalized with a broken leg, sustained during the attack, played at the Ivy League institution from 2016-19. He appeared in 33 games, rushing for 1,192 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Tiger Bech tragically had his life taken in the early morning hours of New Year's Day, and now the standout football player's high school coach is speaking out about the life and death of his late star.

"When we lose someone, it always hurts. To lose someone like Tiger and then to lose him in such a tragic way on a holiday when he had come into town to be with family and friends, just tragic," Marty Cannon, former assistant football coach turned principal at St. Thomas More Catholic High School in Louisiana told Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs nightly on FS1).

"Our thoughts and prayers definitely go out to the Bech family. They are also a tight-knit group of people, close, close family that we deeply love, and they love St. Thomas More. So, a lot of people are hurting today."

The Allstate Sugar Bowl is underway in New Orleans ... but before Georgia and Notre Dame kicked off the College Football Playoff matchup, the Caesars Superdome held a moment of silence to remember those lost during the Bourbon Street terrorist attack.

As we previously reported, the contest was postponed a day in wake of the tragedy ... but local law enforcement stated on Thursday the city was confident in its measures to ensure everyone in attendance would be safe.

After the moment of silence in the stadium, it was followed by chants of "U-S-A" and an emotional rendition of the national anthem from NOLA native Samyra Miller.

Chris Pousson grew up with Shamsud-Din Jabbar -- the terrorist who killed 14 people in New Orleans in the early hours of New Year's Day -- and reconnected with him online in recent years ... but he says Jabbar never gave any indication of being a killer.

Chris joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday and told us about his relationship with Jabbar, who he knew as Sham.

The friends went to high school together after meeting in middle school, and Chris says when they graduated he enlisted in the Air Force and Jabbar went to the Army ... so they lost touch for a while before finding each other on Facebook.

John Capodice, a veteran character actor who appeared onstage and screen for decades -- including in memorable roles in 'Ace Ventura' and 'General Hospital' -- has died, TMZ has learned.

Capodice's passing was announced on the Pizzi Funeral Home website in New Jersey Thursday. His cause of death was not revealed.

Capodice was born on Christmas Day, 1941, in Chicago, and he served in the U.S. Army in Korea in the mid-1960s, before moving to New York City to begin his acting career in Off-Broadway stage productions.

The younger brother of New Orleans terrorist Shamsud-Din Jabbar is reportedly blaming "radicalization" for his kin's rampage that killed 15 people and injured scores more.

Abdur Jabbar told the New York Times Shamsud-Din was a practicing Christian in his early years in Beaumont, Texas, but then turned to the Muslim faith, spending most of his life studying Islam.

But, Abdur noted, "What he did does not represent Islam. This is more some type of radicalization, not religion."

Former college football standout Tiger Bech was killed in the New Orleans terrorist attack early Wednesday morning, his brother announced. He was just 27 years old.

Bech -- an all-conference kick returner for the Princeton Tigers -- was in New Orleans for the holiday when he was struck by the pickup truck that drove into a crowd on Bourbon Street around 3:15 AM local time.

He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was held on life support until his family arrived at the facility, according to local outlets.

Swiss-born New York socialite Jocelyn Wildenstein, often referred to in the media as 'Catwoman' due to her surgically enhanced cat-like features, has died at the age of 84.

Paris Match reports Wildenstein passed away in a Parisian palace on Tuesday in Paris from a pulmonary embolism.

Wildenstein -- famous for her dramatic feline-like cosmetic transformation -- married billionaire art dealer Alec Wildenstein in 1978, and their subsequent divorce in 1999 was widely publicized.

Former college basketball star Mike Babul has passed away, UMass announced on Tuesday. He was 47 years old.

The school broke the news just minutes ago ... saying in a heartfelt statement the Minutemen fanbase is grieving the loss of an iconic member of the community.

"Babul was a true Massachusetts basketball legend on the court, serving as a positive force in his community and on many sidelines as a coach," the school said.

The only two survivors aboard the plane carrying 181 passengers that crashed in South Korea lucked out and had their lives spared because of their seating arrangement, according to news reports.

The fortunate flight attendants -- a man and a woman -- were reportedly seated in the tail section of the Jeju commercial airliner, which was landing at Muan International Airport after taking off from Bangkok, Thailand on Sunday.

When the plane touched down on the runway, it veered off and rammed into a wall, exploding into flames.

Liam Payne was advised by his psychiatrist just weeks before his death ... he needed a "higher level of care" than she could provide.

In a letter, filed with the court in Argentina and obtained by TMZ ... the One Direction star's psychiatrist informed the British singer in September she could no longer provide psychiatric care for him.

As the psychiatrist put it ... she decided to stop treating Liam "after careful consideration and assessment," but advised him to continue with a treatment plan -- which included taking medications only as prescribed, avoiding heavy drinking while on medication, weekly therapy, meeting with a primary care doctor, and further testing.

Angus MacInnes -- a prolific actor who appeared in the original "Star Wars" film -- has died ... according to a Facebook post by a family member.

In the statement, his family reveals MacInnes passed away peacefully on December 23, surrounded by loved ones. They did not list a cause of death.

Angus' family says he took great pride in appearing in some unforgettable projects during his career ... adding that fans of "Star Wars" held a special place in his heart.

Linda Lavin -- best known for her lead role in the 1970s TV sitcom "Alice" -- has died, TMZ has confirmed.

The actress passed away Sunday in Los Angeles from complications of lung cancer with which she was recently diagnosed, according to her reps.

Lavin began her career in the late '60s on Broadway before heading west in the '70s to Hollywood.

Several people connected to Liam Payne's death are facing formal charges in Argentina ... according to local reports in the Latin American country.

Infobae -- an Argentinian online newspaper -- revealed Saturday that sources with direct knowledge of the case confirmed five people have been charged by a judge.

Among them ... Liam's friend Roger Nores -- who says he left Liam at the CasaSur Palermo hotel about an hour before he fell to his death -- who authorities have charged with negligent homicide.

Jimmy Carter -- the 39th President of the United States, a renowned philanthropist and a Nobel Peace Prize winner -- has died.

The news of his death was confirmed by his son, Jimmy Carter III also known as Chip to the Washington Post on Sunday.

The Carter Center tells TMZ ... Jimmy passed away at home surrounded by family. He was the longest living former president in history when he passed away.