Celebrity Death

The towel Kobe Bryant famously draped over his shoulders during his "Mamba Out" speech in 2016 just netted somebody a small fortune ... it sold for over $30K at an auction!!

You'll recall ... just minutes after the final buzzer sounded on Kobe's last game in the NBA on April 13, 2016 -- the Mamba grabbed a Body Armor towel and a mic and delivered a powerful speech.

He reflected on his L.A. career, thanked fans, and expressed gratitude for Vanessa, Gianna and the rest of his family for giving him the opportunity to hoop for the Lakers for 20 years.

Kobe famously ended the speech by saying "Mamba Out" ... and as he walked off the floor -- a lucky fan was able to nab the towel off his shoulders.

Turns out ... that was a VERY lucrative move -- because it not only fetched $8,000 at an auction in 2016 -- it sold again for $33,077.16 at a different auction Sunday.

Iconic Auctions president Jeff Woolf told CNN the winning bidder was none other than David Kohler -- the Lakers superfan who not only collects insane memorabilia but also sells it.

Remember, Kohler is the dude who scored $1 MILLION from Babe Ruth's 500th home run bat back in December!!

As for Kohler's plan for the towel ... Woolf says the guy with the massive Lakers collection wants to open up a museum someday with all of his L.A. memorabilia on display.

Actor Matthew Faber -- who starred in a number of cult classic films in the '90s -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Faber was found deceased Saturday inside his Van Nuys, CA apartment -- this after his family hadn't heard from him in some days and asked the landlord to his building to open up his unit ... according to Matt's brother, Mark. His death appears to be natural, we're told.

Mark tells TMZ, "A beautiful man. Incredibly talented. Wise beyond his years, quick-witted. Abundantly aware. He could really pay attention more than most. He had such incredible focus and ability to sustain concentration -- brilliant man, very aware, very smart."

Matt is perhaps best known for his roles as Mark Weiner in 1995's 'Welcome to the Dollhouse' and its 2004 sequel 'Palindromes.' He also starred in 'Natural Born Killers,' 'Hard Luck,' 'The Pallbearer,' 'Ride with the Devil,' 'Sue,' and several other mid-to-late '90s flicks.

John Callahan of 'All My Children' fame has died.

The longtime soap star passed away Saturday after suffering a massive stroke at his Palm Desert, CA home ... according to his rep. On Friday, paramedics were called to his home and he was transferred to a hospital in Rancho Mirage, where he was put on life support.

Callahan's rep says his death is NOT related to COVID-19 -- but notes that nonetheless, some of John's family members were only able to see him for a short while due to hospital restrictions currently in place all over the country because of the coronavirus.

His ex-wife and former 'AMC' co-star, Eva La Rue says ... " We are extremely saddened and distraught over the loss of John." She continued, "He was my great friend, co-parent and an amazing father to Kaya. The absence of his bigger than life, gregarious personality will leave a hole in our hearts forever. Words cannot express the shock and devastation we are feeling at this time. The Yankees just lost one of their greatest fans."

John played Edmund Grey on the hit show for years, starring in his role from 1992 all through 2005. He also acted on the daytime drama "Santa Barbara" for a couple years in the '80s as well as 'Falcon Crest' in the early '90s. He also had recurring roles on 'Days of Our Lives' dating back to the late '80s all the way up until 2010.

The guy had 34 acting credits to his name. He's survived by his daughter, Kaya.

Tragic day for the basketball community ... beloved Harlem Globetrotters legend Fred "Curly" Neal has passed away. He was 77 years old.

Curly became one of the most recognizable players for the Globies during his 22-year stint with the team ... playing in more than 6,000 games.

Neal's #22 jersey was retired in 2008 ... one of just 5 players to receive the honor.

Curly was also featured in several of the Globetrotters' TV specials ... including "The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island" and "The Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Special" ... as well as 'Scooby-Doo.'

Curly was the team's elite ball handler for the Globetrotters after a successful career at Johnson C. Smith University ... where he averaged 23 points a game.

Fellow Globetrotters legend Curley "Boo" Johnson mourned the loss of his friend on Twitter, saying "Last night the World lost a true ambassador of the game of basketball and outside of Muhammad Ali one of the most recognizable faces on the Planet!"

"Rest In Peace my Brother.... "

Christy McGinity is in mourning -- her newborn baby girl died after a premature birth ... TMZ has learned.

The "Little Women: LA" star shared the news Monday, telling TMZ ... "It is with our deepest sorrow that we send our baby girl Violet Eva Carazo to play with the angels." She continues, "We were able to spend two weeks with our sweet baby girl and for that we are forever thankful. Please respect our privacy during this difficult time. Your thoughts and prayers are very much appreciated."

We're told Violet arrived earlier this month, 7 weeks before her due date. She weighed just 3 lbs and 15 oz. and measured 15 inches long at birth. Christy had announced her pregnancy with boyfriend Gonzalo Justo Carazo last year.

Violet Eva was Christy's third child.

Country music legend Kenny Rogers died Friday evening at his home, surrounded by his family.

Kenny was under hospice care at the time of his passing ... according to a rep for the singer, who also says Kenny died of natural causes.

The Country Music Hall of Famer was known for his impressive string of hits that crossed over to top 40 pop hit radio. The biggest of his 60-year career include, "The Gambler," "Coward of the County," "Lucille," "Lady" and his #1 duet with Dolly Parton, "Islands in the Stream."

Kenny has had serious health issues in the past. Back in 2018, he had to cancel the remaining dates of his 'Gambler's Last Deal' farewell tour due to unspecified "health challenges." When he was forced to cancel, Kenny joked, "I didn't want to take forever to retire."

The iconic singer was born and raised in Houston, and was the 4th of 8 children. He has 5 kids of his own, and got married 5 different times.

Kenny was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013, and in 2017 he was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame. He's also won 13 American Music Awards, 6 CMAs, and 3 Grammy awards ... 2 of them for Best Male Country Vocal Performance.

In addition to his sterling career on the mic, Kenny also dabbled in acting, appearing in movies and on TV. Some of his notable acting credits include the title role in "Kenny Rogers as The Gambler" and an awesome guest-starring spot on "The Muppet Show."

Rogers was also a very successful businessman, who co-founded the restaurant chain Kenny Rogers Roasters. So, yes ... somewhere in the darkness, the Gambler broke way more than even.

Kenny was 81.

RIP

Vanessa Bryant is blown away by a man's new tribute tattoo to Kobe and Gianna ... calling the piece "beautiful" and praising the artist for the work.

"Just came across this," Vanessa said Thursday. "So amazing. What a BEAUTIFUL tribute to my Gigi and Kobe. Kobe would never want to outshine our baby girl. Thank you for honoring them together❤️"

The man who did the ink -- Steve Butcher -- is famous in the tattoo world ... he's put down art on everybody from Matt Barnes to Lonzo Ball -- and has been tattooing Kobe tributes weekly since the NBA legend's tragic helicopter crash in January.

Butcher's pieces are insanely real ... and the skin work he did on a Kobe fan's leg this month really touched Vanessa.

"This is really beautiful," she said.

The artwork features a picture of a smiling Kobe with his daughter, Gigi. It also has butterflies and a portrayal of the night the Lakers left Mamba and Mambacita jerseys on courtside seats at Staples just days after their deaths.

Of course, celebs and athletes all across the globe have gotten tattoos to honor the Lakers legend ... everyone from The Game to Odell Beckham, LeBron James and Kobe's sister have new artwork for the Mamba.

English soccer star Peter Whittingham has tragically passed away after suffering head injuries from an accidental fall, his former club announced. He was only 35.

The ex-Cardiff City and Aston Villa midfielder had reportedly been hospitalized following the accident on March 7 ... and succumbed to the injuries at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff on Thursday.

Cardiff released a statement on the tragedy, saying, "It is with an immeasurable amount of sorrow that we must inform supporters that Peter Whittingham has passed away at the age of 35."

"We are heartbroken. The news of Peter’s sudden and untimely passing has shaken us to our very foundation."

Whittingham is survived by his wife, Amanda, and their young son.

"They are at the forefront of our thoughts and, on their behalf, we ask for their privacy to be respected at this unfathomably cruel and difficult time," Cardiff said.

The club praised Whittingham for being a family man with a sense of humor ... as well as a true professional on the field.

"The loss of Peter will be painfully felt by our city, supporters and indeed all who ever had the pleasure of knowing him. We love you Pete and your memory will eternally stay with us."

Whittingham played for Villa from 2003-07 before spending his next 11 seasons with Cardiff ... where he became the 9th-leading scorer in the club's history.

Juice WRLD may have barely been old enough to buy beer but he was loaded ... worth MILLIONS before his tragic death.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... the late rapper's estate was worth $3,278,867.49. This included a condo in Miami worth around $1,490,000 and several bank accounts ... including one with $1,001,515.68.

He was also a huuuuge watch and jewelry collector cause, according to docs, his watches and jewelry alone are worth $459,318.75. Remember, it's possible Juice WRLD is actually worth a lot more cause there could be assets in trusts outside of the probate estate.

Floyd Mayweather's uncle, Roger Mayweather -- one of the most famous boxing trainers ever -- has died, Floyd's camp confirms with TMZ Sports. He was 58.

Roger was a KEY member of Floyd's training team -- and sculpted him into becoming the global phenom he is today. Many considered Roger the best trainer in the world.

He was also a pretty good boxer and battled with some pretty big stars, including Julio César Chávez and Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini.

He was also a 2-weight world champion -- holding the WBA and lineal super featherweight titles back in the day, along with the WBC light welterweight title (from '87 to '89).

Roger had been in declining health for years. In fact, Floyd opened up about Roger's health back in 2015 and blamed boxing for damaging his brain.

"My uncle Roger Mayweather has lost a lot of memory from the sport of boxing," Floyd said ... "He's only in his 50s, but it seems like he's an old man in his 80s."

A few years ago, Roger went missing -- and fortunately, he was located by law enforcement officials.

We're told Floyd was close with Roger and is deeply emotional about his passing.

Story developing ...

Lyle Waggoner -- known for his roles on hit TV shows in the '60s and '70s, and as the founder of Star Waggons -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to his family tell TMZ ... the former actor died peacefully at his home Tuesday morning after a battling an illness. He was surrounded by his wife and sons.

Lyle's career took off in the mid-'60s after landing a guest role on "Gunsmoke." He was in the running for the title role on the iconic "Batman" TV series ... but lost out to Adam West.

Waggoner didn't let it stop him, though, and soon afterward he began a 7-year stint on "The Carol Burnett Show," playing various characters on the legendary sketch comedy and variety show.

He'd go on to star in "Wonder Woman" starting in 1975, playing both Steve Trevor and Steve Trevor Jr. over 3 seasons of the show.

On top of acting, Lyle was also a major heartthrob and became the first male seminude centerfold for Playgirl magazine in 1973.

Waggoner appeared in several TV movies and small films in the '70s and '80s, often cast as the hunk.

Around the same time, Lyle was busy founding Star Waggons ... the company known for its customized trailers used in the entertainment biz.

He was 84.

RIP