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John "Ecstasy" Fletcher, who co-founded the legendary hip-hop group Whodini and was known for rocking a Zorro hat like no other, has died.

John's death was announced Wednesday by Questlove, who remembers Fletcher as a "legendary and a pivotal member of one of the most legendary groups in hip-hop."

John was living in the Atlanta area, and his passing has come as a huge shock to close friends. So far, no cause of death has been announced by the family.

Together with Jalil Hutchins, John formed Whodini in Brooklyn way back in 1982 before DJ Grandmaster Dee joined in 1986 to form an iconic trio.

Whodini churned out a bunch of albums and hits, including "Freaks Come Out at Night," "Friends" and "The Haunted House of Rock."

The group earned the Hip Hop Icon Award at the 3rd Annual Black Music Honors in 2018 ... and Ice Cube's "Friday" movies often referenced Whodini songs like 'Friends' and 'Freaks.'

John, who provided the vocals with Jalil, was known for his trademark hat which helped him become one of rap's first sex symbols.

Whodini, managed by Russell Simmons during their 80s heyday, was one of the earliest acts to combine rap with rock, and they were the first to perform live with b-boy dancers. Their sound heavily influenced the launch of the New Jack Swing sound.

John's death is sending shockwaves through the music industry, with many artists posting pictures of him and sharing memories.

Cube thanked him for "showing us how to do it" and Jermaine Dupri says, "Ex you know I love you thank you for every word, every conversation, every good time."

Rapper Q-Tip remembered John as "one of the most under appreciated voices in hip hop" and LL Cool J says he's "one of the most important people in this culture to me.

Chuck D's also paying homage ... recalling the time John mentored him in the summer of 1987 and was always there to reassure him advice and tips.

Ecstasy was 56.

Wack 100 says good Americans better be ready to throw down at all times ... because ya never know when the bad apples are gonna pop up and try to knock you out.

We got The Game and Blueface's manager leaving Chanel in Los Angeles Wednesday and asked him about his brawl outside a burger joint last Saturday with a couple white men who allegedly set things off with a racial epithet.

Wack is chalking the fight up to the 2 Americas, one good and one bad, and he says folks need to stay ready because the "opposition" is always lurking.

He's also calling on the "good" Americans to band together, no matter their color, race or neighborhood.

As you know ... Wack's no stranger to getting in scraps, even brawling last year with Nipsey Hussle's former bodyguard, J Roc.

Wack says he learned to fight at an early age ... and he tells us how his gang opponents behind bars made him a better brawler.

The family of a Southern California man who died in police custody is calling the deputies who arrested him murderers ... and they're going to sue over his death.

Ernie Serrano's family and their attorneys, Humberto Guizar and Christian Contreras, announced legal action Wednesday against the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, claiming the 33-year-old's death amounts to murder and the officers killed him with a smile on their faces.

As we reported ... Ernie died last week after he was busted for assault with a deadly weapon following an alleged incident that required police assistance at a Stater Bros. supermarket in Jurupa Valley ... a fatal interaction with sheriffs that saw Ernie battered and bloodied before becoming unresponsive.

The family's legal team isn't buying the preliminary autopsy report -- concluding Ernie's death was the result of acute methamphetamine intoxication. Guizar claims body cam video shows he died from asphyxiation, so they want the officers charged with homicide.

Ernie's sister says even if he was on drugs ... he didn't deserve to die.

RCSD says they got calls from Stater Bros. about a man refusing to leave the store, but Serrano's attorneys claim the allegations aren't true and they're going to sue the grocery store as well.

Dr. Susan Moore is dead from COVID-19 after claiming she was mistreated at an Indiana hospital simply because of the color of her skin.

Dr. Moore, who is Black, died Sunday ... according to her family.

Dr. Moore, a physician herself, was diagnosed with COVID-19 back on Nov. 29 and was hospitalized at Indiana University Health North Hospital in Carmel, where she claimed hospital staff made her beg for a CT scan and meds.

Dr. Moore posted video earlier this month claiming doctors at IU Health tried sending her home despite her positive COVID diagnosis ... and she said hospital staff made her feel like a drug addict even though they knew she was a physician.

When Dr. Moore finally got a CT scan, she claims doctors discovered damage to her lungs ... but she says that didn't stop them from withholding pain medication for hours on end.

Dr. Moore believed she would have received better treatment if she were white. BTW ... she didn't buy a nurse's story about marching with the Black Lives Matter movement.

Now, she's dead at 52.

We reached out to IU Health. So far, no word back.

RIP

The NBA has postponed the Houston Rockets vs. OKC Thunder game set for Wednesday night -- because the Rockets don't have enough players available to field a team due to COVID restrictions.

An NBA team needs at least 8 players to compete -- and the Rockets don't have enough guys.

Here's the deal ... the NBA says, "Three Houston Rockets players have returned tests that were either positive or inconclusive for coronavirus."

Unclear which Rockets players returned the positive or inconclusive COVID tests.

Additionally, the league says 4 more players are quarantined due to the league's contact tracing protocol.

Rockets superstars John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins are 2 of the players in the contact tracing protocol, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.

Plus, there's more drama including James Harden, the NBA says the superstar is also unavailable due to "violation of the health and safety protocols."

Harden was spotted partying this week without a mask. Some people claimed Harden was at a strip club but Harden says he was just showing his "home girl love" at a private event.

So, that's a total of 8 guys unavailable for the Rockets -- which leaves them without enough players to field a team. Crappy way to kick off the season.

The Rockets vs. Thunder game was supposed to be one of the NBA's marquee opening night matchups to kick off the 2020-21 season.

Khloe Kardashian looks like she might be engaged to Tristan Thompson ... and by "looks like" we mean the bling on her left ring finger is big enough to make Rose from "Titanic" green with envy.

Khloe was sporting a huge ring on THAT finger during an outing in Boston Tuesday with TT and their daughter, True. The rock's got everyone talking and thinking engagement.

Seriously, look at this thing. It's HUGE.

As you know ... Khloe and Tristan first revealed their relationship back in September 2016, but after True was born in April 2018, videos surfaced showing TT cheating on KK.

Khloe and Tristan have been off-and-on ever since, but over the last year or so, they've appeared to be getting tight once again.

As we've told you ... Khloe and True are helping Tristan get settled in Boston, where the NBA star just signed a big contract with the Celtics. Still, Khloe says she won't leave L.A. for Beantown permanently.

Lori Loughlin is spending her final week in prison, counting the days till she's released -- while her husband, Mossimo Giannulli is still quarantined because of a COVID outbreak.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ, Lori will NOT get out for Xmas. We're told that was never the expectation. Her release date is December 28. We're told Lori has not been particularly engaged with other prisoners, but she's not unfriendly either. As it was put to us, "She's keeping her head down and doing everything to avoid trouble."

Because of COVID, Lori can't have visitors, but she is able to email her daughters and other family members, but not her husband. As for her state of mind -- as one source put it, "She's holding it together."

As for Mossimo, we're told he was quarantined when he entered prison on November 19, which is protocol. The prison quarantines all new inmates for 14 days. Thing is ... we're told one of the people in Mossimo's pod tested positive for coronavirus, so the quarantine has been extended. He's had no contact with his family since entering the facility for his 5-month sentence.

As for Lori, she'll leave the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, CA next Monday ... at least, that's the plan.

It has been 9 days since that emergency on a United Airlines flight where a passenger with COVID apparently lied about his symptoms and later died ... yet we've called passengers who were in close proximity to the man and they have still not been contacted by the CDC.

We have obtained new video of the incident as you see the man getting CPR. One of the passengers who is hovering over the man giving him chest compressions is Steven Chang, who was administering first aid for 45 minutes.

Chang has been tested and so far he's negative, but he's had COVID symptoms. We contacted him Wednesday morning and he has NOT been contacted by the CDC. This, despite United telling us they passed on the flight manifest and the CDC would be getting in touch with passengers in close proximity.

Ditto for 2 other passengers who were near the man who died. BTW, the medical examiner confirmed he died from COVID.

As we reported, United has not contacted any of the passengers to warn them. Remember, the man's wife said during the emergency her husband had lost his sense of taste and smell, and he was experiencing shortness of breath. United could have contacted passengers -- especially since many were going home to family for XMAS -- urging them to exercise caution, but United told TMZ it's the CDC's job to do that, not theirs.

Short story ... 9 days in the CDC apparently hasn't gotten in touch with any of the passengers we could find.

So, exactly how safe is it to fly?

Some Texas cops are getting sued over a simple traffic stop that turned into 2 completely outrageous arrests in what, on video, appears to be a disgusting abuse of power.

This Keller PD body cam footage shows Sgt. Blake Shimanek pulling over Dillon Puente for allegedly making a wide right turn. That's it. But, watch the video, Shimanek immediately escalated things by ordering Dillion out of his car. Why? Because he had rolled up his window. Shimanek said to him, "Why are you acting so suspicious?"

Next thing ya know ... Dillon's getting handcuffed and his father, Marco Puente, happened to drive by and witness this. The concerned parent pulled over and stood on the sidewalk across the street recording his son's arrest with his phone.

This clearly pissed off Shimanek, who ordered another officer to go arrest Marco ... allegedly for interfering with an arrest. Eventually, Shimanek and the other cop end up wrestling Marco to the ground, grabbing at his phone, and pepper spraying him.

They cuffed Marco and arrested him ... while Dillon had to pay a ticket for the wide right turn just to get released from jail.

Marco filed a lawsuit last week against the officers for the August 15 arrest -- he alleges they denied him medical attention for nearly 20 minutes after he was pepper sprayed.

Shimanek's already been demoted by Keller PD which conducted an internal investigation and found his conduct was unbecoming of an officer ... and his use of force was "inappropriate."

Louis Vuitton thinks there's a market for $10,400 designer kites, but that theory is going over like a lead balloon on the Internet.

The luxury brand is getting roasted on TikTok for hawking a $10,400 monogrammed kite, which it describes as a "stand-out gift for the outdoor enthusiast."

The designer kite is covered in LV's signature initial print and the hefty price tag also gets you a matching monogrammed carrying case.

The Louis V kite debuted in the designer's Men's Spring-Summer 2020 show last year, with models toting it down the runway, but the product's just now going viral on social media after some popular accounts found it on LV's online store. Probably not the ideal last-minute gift idea.

Some folks are wondering how a $10,400 kite is even a thing ... and some are saying it better fly people first class.

If kites ain't your jam ... LV's also hawking a $705 jump rope, $2,869 dumbbells, $2,400 ping pong set and a billiard table for a cool $135,000!!! Talk about how the other half lives.

Meek Mill's spreading a ton of holiday cheer in his hometown for families impacted by the criminal justice system by delivering some great gifts, and one big surprise.

Meek's DreamChasers crew is delivering sacks of gifts around Philadelphia ahead of Christmas -- all due respect to Santa -- and this stop at the Morse household was filled with emotions.

First off, the kids went nuts ... opening the gifts to find an Xbox Series X, Puma clothing, iPads and a lot more. They were already overjoyed, and then ... a surprise video call from Meek.

While the kids were tongue-tied, their Dad, Anthony Morse, had plenty to say to Meek. Anthony, who fosters 5 kids in addition to raising his own, got choked up as he expressed his gratitude.

Meek tells TMZ ... “It’s been a tough year for all of us, but through all the ups and downs, I’ll always do my part to support and give back to the Philly community that raised me.”

He's also donating $30k to the volunteer group Twelve Days of Christmas ... which is buying gifts for 30 North Philly families.

An L.A. County Sheriff's deputy allegedly had sex on the Universal Studios lot, and the guy had his mic open for all to hear ... and the recording is now the talk of the department.

Apparently one of the participants was a movie buff, because the encounter went down right by the Bates Motel on the lot.

You hear a woman moaning as a dispatcher from the Sheriff's station repeatedly tries to get her deputy's attention, telling him he had an open mic.

The deputy doesn't respond ... but the woman does, throughout the clip.

We don't know whether the deputy was in the patrol car or nearby.

We're told there is an internal investigation and the deputy has been taken off duty pending the results.

Stella Tennant, famous for her modeling work with designers including Karl Lagerfeld and Versace, is dead.

The British model's family says she died Tuesday, and they're remembering her as "a wonderful woman and an inspiration to us all."

The family has not disclosed the cause of death.

Stella forged a name for herself in the early 1990s, walking the runways for Karl and Versace, and gracing the covers of Harper's Bazaar and Vogue.

She first appeared in British Vogue back in 1993 when she was 22, going on to work with other big designers including Burberry, Calvin Klein, Alexander McQueen and Jean Paul Gaultier.

When the Summer Olympics came to London in 2012, Stella starred in the closing ceremony alongside Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss.

She also had royal blood ... she's the granddaughter of Deborah Mitford and Andrew Cavendish, the 11th Duke of Devonshire.

Stella was 50.

Donald Trump has stunned everyone by blasting Congress for the relief bill they finally agreed on ... saying $600 checks are disgracefully low, and he wants a drastic reduction in the bill's extraneous spending.

This seemingly came out of nowhere. Trump was on the sidelines, silent as Congress negotiated the package. In fact, his aides said as late as Tuesday Trump would sign the bill.

Now, he wants $2,000 for individuals or $4,000 for a couple ... amounts that were never on the table. It took Congress months to reach an agreement, and if Trump is serious about vetoing the bill there's no way relief is coming to Americans until after January 20.

However, in announcing his contempt for the bill, Trump called out Congress for filling the COVID-relief package with billions in relief to foreign countries and domestic programs that have nothing to do with pandemic losses.

For instance, $134 million to Burma, $85.5 mil to Cambodia, $1.3 billion for Egypt, $2.5 mil to count amberjack fish in the Gulf of Mexico, $3 mil in poultry production technology, $566 mil for FBI construction projects and on and on and on.

Trump's point ... spend less on that stuff, and give more to American citizens, restaurants and other small businesses.

Dems jumped on this -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said they'll bring the $2,000 direct payments to the floor Thursday for a vote by unanimous consent.

Just like ol' times in Murdock, Minnesota, where a "whites-only" church just got approval to open its doors.

It's true ... The Asatru Folk Assembly applied and was granted a conditional use permit to preach its pre-Christian messages. The Church, which formed in Northern Europe, operates openly to exclude anyone but white people.

The Murdock City Council approved the permit this month, but not without protest. There's a petition drive opposing the Council's move and it has 50,000 signatures, though clearly not just from the town. Murdock has a population of 280.

Many locals have also protested, saying they support the growing Latino population in the town and favor them over the views of the church.

Kirk Cameron took his anti-mask Xmas caroling on the road again, but this time he encountered protesters who were enraged by the flaunting of COVID precautions.

The "Growing Pains" star got around 100 people to descend on The Oaks mall in Thousand Oaks -- just outside of L.A. -- and there was no social distancing and hardly any masks in sight.

Some folks who saw the display voiced their displeasure in their cars and on foot, some confronting the carolers.  It looked tense as the carolers got in the face of at least one protester.

Kirk gets on the megaphone and tells the crowd, "We live in a free land, regardless of what they are trying to do. The liberty we have from Christ that no one can take away."

The message is a little complicated. We know Cameron has been railing on Governor Gavin Newsom's COVID shutdowns -- something that has caused a lot of head-scratching in determining why certain businesses were ordered shut while others remained open.

But, as for the masks and social distancing ... well, if Kirk thinks that's an assault on democracy, he's gotta bone up on history because there are an untold number of restrictions on "liberty" for health and safety reasons.

There was a stand where carolers were handing out "mask exemption badges." It's theatre, but given the explosion of COVID cases and deaths, it ain't funny.

The folks who run The Oaks said this ... "We continue to share our community's concerns over these irresponsible - yet constitutionally protected - events and have law enforcement on property. We reached out to the organizer to ask that the event be moved."