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5:52 PM PT -- Tyler Perry has broken his silence over the death of Steve Mensch ... expressing his deep admiration and respect for his friend ... while noting how hard this time of year is for him with devastating losses.

"This time of year, grief meets me like an unwanted visitor, as tomorrow marks 15 years since the loss of my mother. It feels especially harder because I have lost so many friends and mentors this year, ranging in age from as young as 40 to 92. And today, yet another loss.

I’ve been trying to understand this tragedy all day—what went wrong with that plane. Steve loved flying, and he loved that plane; he took so much pride in it. I’m praying for his family as we all try to make sense of this heartbreak.

Life is but a moment; we are like vapors. Hold strong to the people you love AND TELL THEM!"

9:03 AM PT -- Tyler Perry Studios Studios has released an official statement on Steve Mensch's death.

“Steve was a cherished member of our team for more than 8 years, and well beloved in the community of Atlanta. It is hard to imagine not seeing him smiling throughout the halls. We will miss him dearly. Our heart goes out to his family as we all send them our prayers.”

Steve Mensch, the president and manager of general operations at Tyler Perry Studios, was killed in a single-seater plane crash in Florida on Friday night, a source close to the studios told TMZ.

Mark Withers -- a veteran actor who spend decades in the biz and appeared on such shows as "Stranger Things," "Magnum, P.I." and "Dynasty" -- has died.

In a statement to Variety ... Mark's daughter, Jessie, said the cause of death was pancreatic cancer ... and he died Nov. 22.

“He confronted his illness with the same strength and dignity he brought to his craft, creating a legacy of warmth, humor, and dedication, along with his remarkable ability to make every role unforgettable," Jessie said.

Leonardo DiCaprio took center stage at Miami's Art Basel, hosting a star-studded charity bash for his conservation org and raking in some serious cash for the cause.

The actor, co-founder of Re:wild -- a group teaming up with Indigenous peoples, local leaders, and community orgs to save the planet -- showed up in full force at a private Miami residence for the annual event Friday, which pulled in $2.5 million.

Jamie Foxx and Soleil Moon Frye took the reins at the auction, offering once-in-a-lifetime trips to Madagascar, Argentina, Ecuador, and Rwanda.

The Biden administration is ready to clean house ahead of Donald Trump's return to the Oval Office ... setting up a pricey cleaning service ahead of the handoff.

According tofederal financial documents obtained by TMZ ... the WH has tapped cleaners to do a deep clean of the West Wing, East Wing, and the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next door. The scrub-down will cost a whopping $140,930 ... and actually kicked off last month ahead of Thanksgiving.

The White House is also shelling out an additional $46,800 to have the carpets thoroughly cleaned in the aforementioned spaces ... noting the cleaning was needed before the 2025 Inauguration.

Sophie Rain has been inundated with opportunities since going viral over her massive OnlyFans paycheck ... but a high-end sex doll of her likeness is an offer she can refuse.

RealDoll -- the same sex doll company Lamar Odom purchased a model from -- reached out to the 20-year-old brunette bombshell a couple of times with an offer to recreate her nude torso.

She likely could have made a serious chunk of change for the mold, as those torsos usually retail for $1,900 ... but the company is pretty damn sure they could sell hers for $3K!

But, the butt offer ain't happening ... at least, not anytime soon, as a source close to SR tells us she is not interested right now.

As TMZ exclusively reported ... Sophie has been flooded with different offers since she went viral after claiming she made more than $40 million on OnlyFans this year.

Sophie joined us on "TMZ Live" earlier this week, and told us she's still a virgin and marketing herself as one is a big draw for men.

A source close to Sophie told us she's been getting offers to get her virginity taken on camera for big bucks ... but she isn't interested and passed on all the asks.

Ice Spice is having none from the haters giving her grief about toning up her figure ... and she used a hilarious SpongeBob meme to drive the point home.

The rapper posted some snaps Friday, showing off her new toned look ... and, of course, some clowns just had to say something ... like one who replied, "I liked u when u was bigger."

Clearly, she saw the popping off and seemingly responded on her IG story -- with a meme of a bloated, gross SpongeBob SquarePants with the caption, "nah she mid bro" -- signifying those criticizing her ain't exactly Brad Pitt.

Ice has really gotten after it in the gym ... posting a vid last month of her doing her first pull-up -- after strutting her stuff at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

She went off back in August, shutting down Ozempic rumors in a chat on X Spaces, saying ... "I wish y'all never learned the word Ozempic. That's one thing I wish. Oh, my God, like, what even is Ozempic? What the f*** is that? Genuinely, what is that?"

Ice has made it clear ... her fire look is thanks to the gym, clean eating, and nonstop touring.

Zach Collins better get ready to open his wallet ... 'cause it's likely going to cost him big time for flipping off a referee after being ejected from Friday's game.

Here is the deal ... the Sacramento Kings dominated the Spurs in San Antonio with a 140-113 victory ... but it was what happened while the game was still in reach that's making headlines.

Zach -- the Spurs' power forward -- flew off the handle after he was ejected following a series of fouls ... and he got so pissed over it, he flipped referee Michael Smith the bird.

Brittany Cartwright isn't feeling blue this Christmas season ... even though it's her first since being separated from her husband Jax Taylor.

Photogs caught up with "The Valley" star outside LAX, where she spilled all on her upcoming holiday plans amid her breakup from the "Vanderpump Rules" alum.

As Brittany put it ... she's going all out with the decorations so that her son, Cruz, can have a "very special" holiday. However, there will be one important family member missing from their celebration ... Brittany confessed Jax would not be looped into her plans this year.

Barry Keoghan has gone off the grid ... or at least the Instagram grid, 'cause his snaps page is gone in the wake of his high-profile split with Sabrina Carpenter.

The actor's IG merely showed an error page Saturday morning ... along with a note that the "page may have been removed."

BK did not ditch all his socials, though ... his X account is still up and running ... but he hasn't posted anything on there since Nov 24.

The suspect who fatally shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan may have used a special weapon more common on farms ... at least according to cops.

NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told reporters Friday police investigators are looking into the possibility the gunman used a veterinary gun ... a larger gun commonly used on ranches and farms.

Kenny says this specialized, larger firearm is used for animals because, "If an animal has to get put down, the animal can be shot without" the gun causing a loud noise.

"Shazam!" star Zachary Levi and his girlfriend, Maggie Keating, are preparing for a very special delivery.

The couple is having their first child together and the two couldn't be happier!

Zachary was so excited, he jumped on Instagram Friday and posted a sonogram, showing their little bundle of joy, along with a photo of Maggie embracing him with a smile.

The Florida high school quarterback who beat Tom Brady in a passing competition apparently has a solid head on his shoulders to go along with a great throwing arm ... 'cause he tells TMZ Sports he's got very modest plans for his $100K winnings.

If you haven't seen it yet, Jake Balanovich scored the big payday as part of MrBeast's recent competition video ... where the senior popped four balloons with a football just before Brady could.

Many expected the teenager to do something extravagant with the prize ... but he said in an interview with us this week he's "just planning on being smart with that money, not blowing it on anything dumb."

It's that time of year again ... All the single ladies and gents are coolin' off and are ready to chill with the idea of cuffing up with other hotties ridin' solo. There's nothing taboo if you're a party of one, however it's a PDA rager for these hot doubles!

Dynamic duos like Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco literally, couldn't 'keep their hands to themselves', Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra took off their pants and kept cozy in France ... and Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos are still hot for each other after 28 years of marriage.

"Take a little sip" and "tap in" to these fire photos of Saweetie lookin' like a sexy snow bunny on stage! Do you think you've got what it takes to find the minor switch-ups?  There's only one way to find out ...

Earlier this week in Fort Worth, Texas, the rapper hit the stage and grabbed the mic at iHeartRadio's Jingle Ball 2024. Saweetie sure looked sweet donning a pair of boots with the fur and a white hat to top off her winter look ... Long hair, don't care!

Jamie Foxx is opening up about his hospitalization last year ... describing his mystery health scare as a "near-death experience."

The actor talks about his 2023 stint in an Atlanta hospital in his new Netflix comedy special, "What Had Happened Was."

Jamie recorded the special in October and two of the people in the crowd told CNN Jamie revealed his diagnosis and detailed his recovery.

"Duck Dynasty" patriarch Phil Robertson is suffering from a brain disorder.

Phil's family revealed he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in the latest episode of the "Unashamed with The Robertson Family" podcast.

Jase Robertson also said doctors told them Phil is suffering from a blood disease that's causing all kinds of problems, and it's only getting worse.