Celebrity Death

Ex-Notre Dame RB George Atkinson III -- son of former Super Bowl champ George Atkinson II -- died on Monday ... less than 1 year after his twin brother committed suicide.

It's unclear how the 27-year-old passed ... but the former NFL player said losing his brother, Josh, last December took a serious toll on him.

In a letter penned by Atkinson III in October ... he said Josh's death put him "on an emotional roller coaster and in a real dark place."

Atkinson III admitted he attempted to "harm himself" shortly after the death and had to be institutionalized ... but said his 2-year-old daughter was keeping him going.

"Without my daughter," Atkinson III wrote, "I don’t know where I would be right now. She gave me that second wind of motivation."

Atkinson III was a top recruit in the country coming out of high school in 2011 ... and was a stud for Notre Dame from '11 to '13 -- scoring 10 career TDs.

He went on to play two seasons in the NFL, one for the Raiders and one for the Browns ... and scored a memorable preseason TD in 2016.

Atkinson III's father was a star returner and defensive back for the Raiders, making two Pro Bowls and helping Oakland win Super Bowl XI over the Minnesota Vikings.

RIP

The world is a little less bubbly ... because the famous cat with a sparkling personality and super cute looks has sadly taken her last breath.

Internet sensation Lil Bub -- a kitten-size cat with 2.3 million Instagram followers, an album, a book, a stage production and a talk show -- died Sunday, according to her owners, Mike and Stacy Bridavsky, who say Lil Bub "unexpectedly passed away peacefully in her sleep."

Lil Bub had been battling health problems ... including what her humans say was a persistent and aggressive bone infection. Still, they weren't expecting her to die so suddenly and without warning.

LB was a major influencer with people and pets. The cat with an extra toe on each of her paws and osteopetrosis started the first national fund for special needs pets, and was the subject of groundbreaking biological and genetic research, helping raise over $700,000 for animals in need.

Not that she did it for fame, but Lil Bub did rub elbows with human celebs from time to time -- such as Robert DeNiro at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival.

She even had a famous bloodline ... scientists say she was related to Ernest Hemingway's six-toed cats.

Fun-ish feline fact: The first 2 cat years are roughly equivalent to 25 human years, after which each year equates to 4 human years. So, by our standards, Lil Bub lived to become a middle-aged woman of 49.

RIP

John Singleton's daughter will be taken care of for now in the wake of her father's passing ... while his estate figures out how to distribute his multi-million dollar fortune.

21-year-old Cleopatra Singleton -- one of the late filmmaker's seven children -- just got what she'd asked for a couple months ago ... a monthly allowance of nearly $3,000, plus a one-time payment to cover her semester abroad. A judge signed off on it just this week.

Per the order, Cleopatra will receive $2,778 a month -- as well as a one-time payout of $4,150. It's exactly what she'd requested back in September, arguing that her father had taken care of her finances while he was alive ... and she needs the dough to hold her over.

As we reported ... John's estate is estimated to be worth upwards of $35 million, which still needs to be divvied up. The estate also recently came up on an extra $500k or so.

TMZ broke the story ... John died in April after suffering a massive stroke. His mother, Shelia Ward, was put in charge of his estate.

Shelley Morrison -- who famously starred on "Will & Grace" as the maid, Rosario -- died Sunday from heart failure ... according to her publicist.

Shelley passed at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Her publicist, Lori DeWaal, told AP, the actress had a brief illness before her heart gave out at the hospital.

"Will & Grace" fans remember Shelley's role as Rosario Salazar from the show's original airings ... from 1999 to 2006. The story goes ... the show's writers only had the character in one episode, but her chemistry with Megan Mullally was so popular ... they kept writing her in more episodes.

Shelley would go on to appear in 68 episodes during the show's 8-year run. Debra Messing tweeted about her "dear Rosie" after getting the news of her death.

Now, Morrison was already a veteran actor by the time she became famous as Rosario. She'd started landing TV roles in the early 60s, and worked steadily as a charter actress in shows like, "Dr. Kildare," "Gunsmoke," "My Favorite Martian" and "The Partridge Family."

Shelley was 83.

Sad news in the college football world ... Pat Sullivan -- Auburn's first Heisman winner ever -- has died, according to his family.

The university released a statement Sunday, confirming the news on behalf of Pat's family. They say he died peacefully Sunday surrounded by loved ones. The fam goes on to say, "He was diagnosed with cancer in 2003 and fought a long and difficult battle as a result of his treatments. The family is appreciative of everyone's outpouring of love and support."

Sullivan played quarterback for the Tigers between 1968 and 1971, going on to win the coveted Heisman in his final year. He threw for over 2,200 yards in '71 -- scoring 21 touchdowns and rushing for 66 yards. He went out with Auburn going 9-2.

His jersey number -- No. 7 -- was retired at the school, and he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1991. He went on to be drafted by the Atlanta Falcons, playing in the NFL for five seasons between the Falcons and the Redskins. He retired from football in 1976.

Years later, in 1986, he came back to Auburn to serve as their QB coach for a few years, before going to take on the role as head coach at TCU. He had a long career working in college football ... and eventually bowed out completely in 2014.

Pat was 69.

Pink Taco Founder Harry Morton's impact in Hollywood -- although he was just 38 when he died -- is perfectly illustrated by the friends who showed up Saturday for his memorial service.

Morton's service was held in Beverly Hills and industry titans like Jimmy Iovine and wife Liberty Ross and Steve Tisch were front and center. Actors Demi Moore and Stephen Dorff also attended ... along with oil heir Brandon Davis.

Lori Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, put their legal woes -- in the college bribery scandal -- aside to honor the Morton heir at the private service for family and friends.

The group gathered afterward at the home of Harry's father, Peter Morton, the Hard Rock Cafe cofounder.

TMZ broke the story ... Harry was found dead in his Bev Hills home last Saturday. The L.A. County Coroner has since revealed the restaurant tycoon suffered from coronary artery disease. He died from a heart attack brought on by blockage in 3 main arteries.

Harry, who founded the popular Pink Taco Mexican restaurant and food truck chain, grew up in the Hollywood scene and once dated Lindsay Lohan.

He worked with his father when he started out, but eventually struck out on his own ... following in the footsteps of not only his father, but his grandfather, Arnie Morton, who was cofounder of the Morton Steakhouse chain.

Pink Taco founder Harry Morton died after a heart attack brought on by several blockages in his arteries ... according to the Morton family.

The family's spokesperson says the L.A. County Coroner found the 38-year-old restaurateur was suffering from coronary artery disease and also had a "mildly enlarged heart."

The family says another doctor confirmed for them that Harry had calcification in 3 of his main arteries ... which caused a sudden cardiac arrest.

TMZ broke the story, Harry -- son of Hard Rock founder Peter Morton -- was found unresponsive this past Saturday at his Beverly Hills home. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

We're told the Coroner's Office is still conducting further testing on Harry's other organs, and will issue the official cause of death once those are completed.

Harry Morton went under the knife to repair a deviated septum just weeks before his death -- and we're told authorities are looking at this as one scenario that could have caused his death.

Sources close to Morton tell us he recently got a septoplasty -- a surgery designed to straighten out the septum to allow for better airflow through the nose. Here's the scenario ... if the surgical instruments go deeper than they should, it could end up damaging the base of the brain ... something that could lead to death.

There's no way of knowing precisely what caused Harry's death until an autopsy is performed ... that will occur Monday. What's more ... our sources say Harry was back to his normal routine and as far as we could determine, he never complained about complications from the surgery.

As for other theories ... our law enforcement sources say there were no illegal drugs found at the scene and only a couple prescription drugs. There are other possibilities as well ... that would result in the death of an apparently healthy 38-year-old male, but so far, no answers.

TMZ broke the story ... Morton was found unresponsive by a family member at his home in Beverly Hills on Saturday. He was pronounced dead at his home.

Harry's ex, Lindsay Lohan, posted a photo of the couple in their heyday on Sunday, captioning the post, "Best friends. Best life."

Harry was best known as the founder of the Pink Taco restaurant chain, which became a big hit on the Sunset Strip and has since expanded to other cities. His grandfather, Arnie, cofounded the incredibly popular Morton's The Steakhouse chain in 1978, and his dad, Peter, cofounded the Hard Rock Cafe empire in 1971. Harry worked at HRC for years and later headed up the business' development wing.

He was also a volunteer sheriff's deputy in and around L.A. and dedicated hundreds of hours a year to the department. Morton was recently honored as Reserve Detective of the Year.

Harry was 38.

RIP

Harry Morton -- the business tycoon and son of Peter Morton -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us that Harry was found unresponsive Saturday afternoon at his Beverly Hills home by a family member. Paramedics were called, but we're told Harry was pronounced dead at the scene and was then transported to the coroner's office -- where an autopsy is pending. Our sources say no foul play is suspected at this point.

Harry is perhaps best known as the founder of the Pink Taco restaurant chain, which blossomed on the Sunset Strip in L.A. but has since expanded to other cities across the U.S. He is also part of a very famous family of restaurateurs. His grandfather, Arnie, cofounded the incredibly popular Morton's The Steakhouse chain in 1978, and his dad, Peter, cofounded the Hard Rock Cafe empire in 1971. Harry worked at HRC for years, and later headed up the business's development wing.

He founded Pink Taco in 1999 when he was just 18. He's also the owner of the Hollywood nightclub the Viper Room -- where Joaquin Phoenix's brother, River Phoenix, died of a drug overdose in 1993. Harry bought it in 2008 -- it appears he still owns it to this day.

Harry recently made headlines for buying Elvis Presley's former Bev Hills estate the singer bought the year he married Priscilla Presley. We're told that Harry did not die there though -- he was found at a separate Beverly Hills residence of his.

It should also be noted that Harry was a volunteer sheriff's deputy in and around L.A. -- specifically, with the West Hollywood Sheriff's Station, where he was recently honored as a Reserve Detective of the Year. The station says he had dedicated hundreds of hours a year in support of the station's Detective Bureau. In other words, he was big on giving back.

Harry dated Lindsay Lohan back in the 2000s. He's also been linked to Demi Moore after her breakup from Ashton Kutcher, as well as Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Jennifer Aniston and Hayden Panettiere. It doesn't appear he's been married or has any kids of his own.

His half-sister, model/bounty hunter Domino Harvey, died of a drug overdose in 2005. Both of his parents -- Peter Morton and Paulene Stone -- are still alive today.

Harry was 38.

RIP

Goo Hara, a former member of the K-Pop group Kara, is dead.

Hara was found dead at her home Sunday in South Korea. Authorities have not released the cause of death ... it's still under investigation.

Hara reportedly attempted suicide in May and was hospitalized for a time. It occurred after an ex-boyfriend tried blackmailing her, threatening to release a sex video.

Her last post on Instagram was Saturday ... a pic of her in bed with the caption, "Good night."

Hara's death comes a month after another former K-Pop singer, Sulli, was found dead and authorities suspect that was suicide.

Hara joined Kara in 2008. She released a solo hit in 2015 and released another song -- "Midnight Queen" -- a few weeks ago.

Hara was 28.

XXXTentacion fans are about to get something special from the late rapper ... his fourth and final album is set for its long-awaited release.

XXX's posthumous album is dubbed "Bad Vibes Forever" and it's dropping in just two weeks on Dec. 6.

The late rapper's manager, Solomon Sobande, describes 'Bad Vibes' as the love child between 2 of XXX's previous projects, "17" and "?" ... and the new album is the second released since XXXTentacion's death.

XXX's mother, Cleopatra Bernard, is the album's executive producer ... and the project has a healthy number of features, including Blink-182, Tory Lanez and Mavado, plus a country collab with Lil Nas X.

'Bad Vibes Forever' includes some previously released singles in "Royalty" and "Hearteater" ... with the latter's music video featuring an appearance from the ex-girlfriend who accused XXX of physical abuse.

It's been almost a year and a half since XXX was murdered ... as we first reported, XXX was shot dead in June 2018 when 2 men wearing hoodies rolled up on the rapper at a motorcycle dealership in Florida and opened fire. The deadly shooting was captured on video.

As for the new album ... its title track is now streaming on all major platforms.

Oprah paid tribute to Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Toni Morrison by reading some of her literature and sharing a great anecdote about their first meeting.

Toni's celebration of life was held Thursday at The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in Manhattan. Angela Davis, Fran Lebowitz, Jesmyn Ward -- along with Oprah -- stepped up to the pulpit to honor their friend.

Oprah talked about the first time she met Toni -- during a gathering in Maya Angelou's backyard, of all places -- and called it "One of the great thrills of my life." That's despite the fact Oprah admitted saying something a little embarrassing to the celebrated author -- watch the clip, the story got big laughs.

To close out her time, Oprah recited a passage from Toni's 1977 work "Song of Solomon" ... and, again, the audience burst into applause.

Toni died in August of complications from pneumonia while surrounded by her loved ones.

Toni was perhaps best known for her 1987 best-seller, "Beloved." She was a renowned figure in literature for her novels that spoke to the African-American experience. "Beloved," "Jazz" and "Paradise" made up a loose trilogy -- with the first book being adapted into the 1998 film starring Oprah and Danny Glover.

Robin Williams' former crib along the San Francisco Bay is up for grabs ... and the view alone might make it go quickly.

The late funny man's single-story Mediterranean home in Northern California -- located in Paradise Cay -- is a nearly 6,500-square-foot palace with walls of windows in the living room and kitchen to ensure you never lose sight of the gorgeous bay.

The house features a wood-paneled library/den, an office and 6 beds and 6.5 baths. Outside, there's a gorgeous stone patio with a pool and spa.

Williams -- who first started doing stand-up comedy in the San Fran area in the mid-1970s -- bought the property in 2008 for just over $4 million. Following his suicide in 2014, the home was transferred to a trust tied to his widow, Susan.

Jake Burton Carpenter -- the founder of Burton Snowboards and a pioneer of the sport -- has died after another bout with cancer, the company announced. He was 65.

Carpenter built his very first snowboard in a barn in Vermont in 1977 ... and things exploded from there. The sport became massive and now you can't go to a mountain anywhere in the world without seeing people shredding on a Burton board.

The news of Carpernter's death was revealed to Burton employees in an email on Thursday ... with co-CEO John Lacy saying, "It is with a very heavy heart that I share the news that Jake passed away peacefully last night surrounded by his family and loved ones as a result of complications from recurring cancer."

"He was our founder, the soul of snowboarding, the one who gave us the sport we all love so much."

Lacy added, "This all happened very sudden, and it’s a tremendous loss for his family, his friends and all of you. We will share more details about plans to celebrate Jake’s life soon."

Carpenter had battled testicular cancer in 2011 -- but on Nov. 9 he told the company the cancer had come back.

"It’s the same tumor as the first time around," Carpenter said at the time ... "We just never got rid of it all. A bit of it hung out in my lymph nodes and got back into business."

Carpenter added, "As much as I dread what is facing me, it’s easier to deal with when you know that you have a family that will carry on. I feel the same way about my company, my friends and our sport."

He noted the company was in "good hands, which is an amazing feeling when entering this zone of uncertainty."

Carpenter is survived by his wife and 3 sons.

Dog the Bounty Hunter wants it known -- he's NOT dead like the Internet might have you believe ... and we got our hands on a good old-fashioned "proof of life" photo to back it up.

The reality TV star took this hilarious photo of himself Tuesday holding a handmade "I'm Alive!" sign in one hand and that day's Denver Post to prove he is, in fact, still with us. We're told this was in response to a fake death story that was going around on Facebook.

Tons of fans were flooding Dog's social media with condolences and "RIP" posts, and our sources say Dog's team even reached out to him to make sure he was all good.

We're told Dog was on his way to a workout when his phone started blowing up and he first heard about the hoax -- which claimed he'd died because his grief over his late wife, Beth Chapman, caused a flare-up of his recent heart problems.

Two of the prison guards who were on watch when Jeffrey Epstein hanged himself in his cell are now facing prison time, themselves, thanks to their arrest on a federal indictment.

According to new legal docs ... Tova Noel and Michael Thomas are both facing charges of falsifying the logs of exactly when they performed checks on Epstein's jail cell.

The feds claim Noel and Thomas were 2 of the guards on duty on August 10 from 12 AM to 8 AM, and during their watch, they were supposed to conduct 5 scheduled checks on Epstein.

The 2 guards allegedly completed slips stating they made those checks, but the feds say not a single one was actually carried through. According to the indictment, Noel and Thomas were at their desks in the common area using computers ... just 15 feet from Epstein's cell. BTW, they weren't doing work either ... the feds allege they were shopping for furniture and hunting down motorcycle deals and sports news.

The feds claim for a period of approximately 2 hours, the guards were sitting at their desks "without moving, and appeared to have been asleep."

Epstein was found dead at 6:33 AM alone in his cell with a noose around his neck ... according to the indictment. Both guards allegedly fessed up to a supervisor that they skipped their checks.

As we reported ... Epstein had attempted suicide a couple weeks prior in July, which is why he was placed in a special housing unit requiring extra supervision.

Thomas and Noel are now each facing one count of conspiracy to falsify records. That carried a max sentence of 5 years in prison. Additionally, Noel is charged with 5 counts of falsifying records while Thomas only got 3. Each of those also carries a max sentence of 5 years

Epstein's death was ruled a suicide by hanging according to the autopsy, but as we've reported ... his team has not ruled out a cover-up, and at least one forensic expert claims the autopsy is missing DNA evidence.