Celebrity Death

The gym formerly known as Mamba Sports Academy is suing the company that owned the doomed helicopter in the Kobe Bryant crash ... claiming the copter co. should be forced to pay over $100K in costs related to the death of one of the passengers on board.

It's all spelled out in new court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, in which an insurance company and the gym now known as Sports Academy are suing Island Express.

In the docs, the Academy and the insurance co. claim that because Christina Mauser -- a girls basketball coach -- was employed by the gym at the time of her death in the crash ... they paid "death benefits and burial expenses" to her family that exceeded $127,000.

In the docs, the plaintiffs argue that Island Express should be on the hook for that bill ... claiming the crash and Mauser's subsequent death were the result of the helicopter company's negligence.

The plaintiffs are asking for a reimbursement of the amounts already paid plus any additional workers' comp payments that may come due in the future.

As we previously reported, Mauser and eight others -- including Kobe and Gigi Bryant -- died in the helicopter crash in January 2020.

After a lengthy investigation, NTSB officials concluded that the crash likely happened due to a multitude of reasons, including, "Island Express Helicopter Inc.'s inadequate review and oversight of its safety management processes."

Jody "Babydol" Gibson -- a former madam who operated a massive network of prostitutes in Hollywood throughout the '80s and '90s -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... cops got a call Sunday from a family member and responded to Jody's Yucca Valley home around 11 AM, and she was pronounced dead on the scene. We're told she appears to have died in her sleep, and no foul play is suspected.

Eric Markel, her husband of 12 years, confirmed her death, and told us Jody's death is a bit of a mystery -- he explains she was not battling any known illness, but she had suffered dramatic weight loss of late. He says she'd dropped down to about 87 pounds.

Markel believes it's highly relevant that they were in the middle of a nasty lawsuit regarding the sale of their home -- he told us he thinks she died of "exhaustion" from the turmoil.

Gibson, infamously known as "Sasha of the Valley," did prison time in the early 2000s after being convicted of felony pimping in L.A. -- with prosecutors at the time alleging she ran one of the biggest escort services in town ... something JG herself eventually copped to in books and otherwise. She's said to have had upwards of 300 women working for her.

Babydol was sentenced to 3 years behind bars after going to trial but ended up just doing 2. Her trial had Hollywood buzzing because her black book allegedly listed several big-name celebs -- from sports, politics and entertainment -- as clients.

Her life story is pretty fascinating ... she came to L.A. in the early '80s seeking stardom via a music and modeling career -- with the latter taking off first and becoming her main bread and butter.

Soon, an agency she'd started began turning into an upscale hooking hot spot.

While she was running that biz, Jody had a couple of on-camera appearances ... showing up in a B-movie horror flick called "Evil Laugh," and a guest spot on the talk show "Up All Night." Later, she was featured a handful of times on "Larry King Live," "The Playboy Morning Show" and other one-off variety shows/docs.

Over the course of her life, Jody was not shy about sharing her journey ... and ended up becoming somewhat of a beloved pop culture icon. She was 64.

Traxamillion -- a Bay Area hip-hop producer who was instrumental to the hyphy movement -- has reportedly died.

The blog account Thizzler On The Roof broke the story, writing ... "Rest In Peace @traxamillion The San Jose producer who helped create the "Hyphy" sound passed away today. This is a huge loss for Northern California We send our condolences to his family & loved ones. #RIPTraxamillion."

No info was provided on the circumstances of his death, or where he may have passed exactly. We're working to confirm the news. With that said, this appears to have been sudden -- because the guy was posting on social media regularly prior to this.

In any case ... Traxamillion certainly left his mark on the area and the local culture, which went well beyond the Bay as far as music is concerned. During the mid-to-late 2000s, the hyphy movement was worldwide ... and Trax was a seminal part in forming the sound.

Some of the notable songs he's produced ... Keak Da Sneak's "Super Hyphy" and "On Citas," Mistah F.A.B.'s "Sideshow" and "Da Yellow Bus," The Pack's "Club Stuntin," Izz Thizz's "Gas, Skrape," The Jacka's "From the Hood," Dem Hoodstarz's "Grown Man Remix" ... and many others.

Trax will perhaps best be remembered for his compilation album "The Slapp Addict," which featured a number of Bay Area artists ... including legends like Clyde Carson, Turf Talk, San Quinn, Zion I, as well as many of the above-mentioned rappers.

He's also worked with the likes of E-40, City Girls, Paul Wall, Yukmouth, Andre Nickatina, Mac Dre, Messy Marv, Joyner Lucas, T.I., Freeway, The Lonely Island ... just to name a few.

He was 43.

Max Julien -- famous for his leading role in the blaxploitation film 'The Mack' -- has died.

The actor/writer/producer passed away on Jan. 1, due to undisclosed circumstances -- this according to his PR team ... who says his wife discovered him early him Saturday morning.

In a statement, they say in part ... "During Julien's decades-long career, he was known for being bold, honest and straightforward. He would live and speak his own truth both professionally and privately. He was thought of as a rare 'man among men'."

Comic book writer and film producer David F. Walker broke the news about Julien's death in a social media post, honoring his friend.

He wrote, "I met Max back in 1996. He was a great human being, and we had so many amazing conversations. He was brilliant and hilarious and charismatic... R.I.P" DFW's caption accompanied an artistic rendering of Julien in his prime, depicting a classic scene from 'TM.'

No cause of death was revealed.

While he's got handful of acting credits, Julien will be most remembered for playing Goldie in the '73 cult classic film -- in which he portrays an ambitious up-and-coming pimp in Oakland, who faces off with corrupt cops and a drug kingpin upon being released from prison.

Along the way, he builds his roster of women with his sidekick, Slim ... who, funny enough, is played by a then-young Richard Pryor, well before he blew up as a big time actor. RP, of course, was already well established as a comedian at this point.

Several different lines and scenes from 'The Mack' have made their way into popular culture -- especially in hip-hop, with multiple rappers sampling snippets of the film into their songs. Some of those MCs who paid tribute -- Too Short, Snoop Dogg, Raekwon, Mobb Deep, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, Jadakiss, MC Ren, Kriss Kross and Big K.R.I.T. ... just to name a few.

Some other notable movies and shows Julien has starred in ... "The Black Klansman," "Psych-Out," "Uptight," "Mod Squad," "Getting Straight," "How to Be Player," among others. He also helped create the 'Cleopatra Jones franchise -- another blaxploitation saga.

Julien is survived by his wife, Arabella. He was 88, despite what his public birthday is listed as online. We've been assured ... Max was born in 1933.

This is sure to kick up some dust among hip-hop heads -- just a year after learning of MF DOOM's death, it would seem the internet has decided that 50 Cent is ... well, greater.

You might've seen DOOM trending Saturday, and that's largely 'cause it's been 365 days since the world found out the enigmatic MC -- who was legendary in the underground scene throughout the 2000s -- tragically had passed away on Halloween 2020, this per his widow.

But that's not the only reason folks were talking about him -- some Twitter users appear to be fiercely debating who the better artist is between MFD and the one and only Fitty ... this after somebody held a rap G.O.A.T. tournament bracket -- and asked who'd beat who.

The OG poster of the bracket/poll says ... "First hot take of the year: In terms of greatness: 50 cent > MF Doom." They tweeted this in response to people being dumbfounded that 50 had overtaken DOOM in a head to head ... taking 70% of the vote out of about 100 people.

The reactions ... very mixed, and very polarized. On the one hand -- some simply won't accept that 50 Cent is the better rapper between the two ... noting DOOM is by far the superior lyricist, rhymer, beat selector and all-around creative if you look at 'em bar for bar.

On the other hand -- it seems even more people say he actually is ... on account that 50's got waaaay more mainstream hits than DOOM -- and has more name recognition. Not to mention his skills ... he, too, is solid on the mic.

While hardcore fans choose sides ... there's another take that's perhaps more nuanced. Fact is ... these 2 guys are totally different stylistically, and comparing them is ... weird. They're both great in their own right, especially depending on what you might wanna listen to!

FWIW ... 50 didn't seem to respond to the news about DOOM's passing last year (RIP, BTW), but he did respond to Eminem's homage to fallen legends (including MF) just earlier this year ... and seemed to dig the fact he'd gotten name dropped in the tribute.

Plus, they're both New York cats ... so ya gotta figure 50 knows about DOOM. After all, the guy's earned the title of your favorite rapper's favorite rapper -- he's that iconic/influential.

With all that said -- we gotta pose the question for those who know both of these fellas' music well and might have something to say ... does 50 Cent actually have MF DOOM's number in a would-be Verzuz???

The show will go on ... it's something Betty White must have said many times during her life, so it's fitting the show dedicated to her life will go on, despite her passing.

Betty's life will be featured in a movie which was supposed to celebrate her 100th birthday on January 17. The flick was scheduled to play in movie theaters for just that one night. It will proceed as planned -- so producers told the New York Post -- and it's a real good bet theaters will be packed to capacity.

The show -- "Betty White: 100 Years Young -- A Birthday Celebration" features a gazillion stars, including Ryan Reynolds, Tina Fey, Robert Redford, Lin Manuel-Miranda, Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Jay Leno, Carol Burnett, Craig Ferguson, Jimmy Kimmel, Valerie Bertinelli, James Corden, Wendy Malick and Jennifer Love Hewitt.

The flick will feature Betty's breakout moments from "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "The Golden Girls." It also showcases Betty's first sitcom -- a lost episode, no less.

TMZ broke the story ... Betty died at her L.A. home on New Year's Eve, just days before her milestone birthday.

Betty's legacy will live on for decades. Aside from her amazing body of work in show biz, she was a devoted, unrelenting champion of animals, something she pretty much exclusively devoted her life to in the final years.

Her life is amazing ... decades of incredible shows, from "MTM" to "SNL" and "Hot in Cleveland." Beyond her work, she was one of the most beloved stars in the history of Hollywood.

Betty's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame has drawn big crowds ... folks are leaving candles, flowers, stuffed animals and other tokens.

NFL legend Dan Reeves -- who reached the Super Bowl 9 times as a player and a coach -- passed away due to complications from a "long illness," his family announced Saturday. He was 77 years old.

The former Broncos, Giants and Falcons head coach died peacefully and surrounded by loved ones at his home in Atlanta, the family said in a statement.

Reeves had a lengthy career on the field and sidelines -- he joined the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys in 1965 ... after a standout athletic career at South Carolina.

He played running back for America's Team for 8 seasons -- winning Super Bowl VI in 1972.

Reeves rejoined the Cowboys as an assistant coach from 1974-1980, reaching the Super Bowl 3 times and winning it all in 1978.

Reeves went on to become head coach of the Denver Broncos from 1981-1992, making 3 Super Bowl appearances with John Elway at quarterback.

Reeves later joined the New York Giants in 1993, leading them to the playoffs in his first year as head coach.

He became head coach of the Atlanta Falcons in 1997, posting a 14-2 record in his second season with the team and facing off against Elway and the Broncos in Super Bowl XXXIII.

Reeves finished with a 190-165-2 record over 23 seasons as an NFL head coach ... reaching the postseason 9 times. He was inducted into the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame in 2014.

"The Denver Broncos are deeply saddened by the loss of legendary Head Coach Dan Reeves, who passed away this morning at age 77 at home in Atlanta," the team said Saturday.

"One of the winningest coaches in NFL history, Coach Reeves set the foundation for the Broncos' decade of dominance in the 1980s and championship tradition for years to come."

Reeves is survived by his wife, Pam, 3 children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Jeanine Ann Roose, the little girl featured in the iconic movie, "It's a Wonderful Life," has died ... TMZ has confirmed.

Jeanine passed on New Year's Eve at her home in L.A. We're told she had been battling an illness -- an infection in her abdomen -- for a couple of months and succumbed to it. We're told it was not COVID-related.

Jeanine played Violet Bick, aka Little Violet, in the 1946 film. She once said, "It's A Wonderful Life was the only movie that I was in and it been an amazing lifetime experience to have been in such a collectively meaningful picture."

But, that was about it. Jeanine said her acting career ended when she enrolled at UCLA and decided not to become a performing arts major. She wanted to go into a career that helped others and thought about nursing, but decided instead to become a psychologist and ultimately a Jungian Analyst.

She actually saw a connection between her career choice and "Wonderful Life," saying, "It became clear that my desire was specifically to help others who were struggling with finding meaning in their life -- not unlike Clarence in the movie who helps George see the meaning of his life."

"Wonderful Life" wasn't Jeanine's first gig ... she appeared on "The Jack Benny Show" when she was 8, as Little Alice Harris.

Jeanine married Eugene Richard Auger in 1964. She was surrounded by her loved ones, including son Joe, when she passed.

Beloved actress, comedian and American icon Betty White has died, just weeks before a milestone birthday ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Betty passed away at her home just before 9:30 AM Friday.

A trailblazer and pioneer in media, Betty had the longest running career for any woman in TV prior to her death -- starring in multiple shows over the past 8 decades, starting way back in 1939.

Betty is perhaps most famous for her lead role as Rose Nylund in "The Golden Girls," which ran from 1985 to 1992. She'd been in TONS of other big hits throughout her life though.

Betty got her start in radio in the '40s, making appearances on "Blondie," "The Great Gildersleeve," and "This is Your FBI." She eventually got her own radio program. In 1949, she began working on a TV variety show with Al Jarvis called "Hollywood on Television" -- which she later co-hosted -- before breaking out into more TV roles.

Her breakout comedic role came in 1973 when she played Sue Ann Nivens on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" ... which ran until 1977, and then she got her starring role in "The Betty White Show."

With 115 acting credits to her name, Betty had roles in productions like "Life with Elizabeth," "Date with the Angels," "The Love Boat," "Mama's Family," "The Golden Palace," "Ladies Man," "That '70s Show," "Higglytown Heroes," "Boston Legal," "The Bold and the Beautiful," "Pound Puppies," "Hot in Cleveland," and many, many, many other shows and films.

Betty won 5 Primetime Emmy Awards -- including 2 for 'Mary Tyler Moore,' 1 for "Golden Girls" and 1 for her 1975 'SNL' appearance -- along with Screen Actors Guild Awards, American Comedy Awards and even a 2012 Grammy.

She's been nominated for several Golden Globes and has also been honored with lots of Lifetime Achievement Awards and celebrations through several organizations.

Betty had just made headlines this week when she told People, "I've heard Ryan [Reynolds] can't get over his thing for me" -- they co-starred in the 2009 movie, "The Proposal."

Ryan jokingly responded on Twitter ... "I'm absolutely sick of the media exploiting past relationships just to drive clicks."

The last time we got Betty on camera, she was teasing the launch of her Facebook page back in 2012.

As we've reported ... Betty had been extra cautious during the pandemic, mostly chilling at home and passing the time by reading, watching TV and doing crossword puzzles.

Betty was 99 and she would have celebrated her 100th birthday on January 17.

RIP

Detectives working to find out who killed Drakeo the Ruler are fighting an uphill battle, finding it hard to get anyone who may have info on the suspect to come forward and talk ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... investigators are mostly relying on surveillance and cellphone footage to crack the case. As we reported, he was stabbed in the neck backstage at the Once Upon A Time in L.A. festival on Dec. 18.

Our sources say detectives attempting to chat with witnesses to the scuffle ... but they're not talking, which makes it hard/next to impossible to nab the culprits.

Detectives are starting to go another route -- looking to see if the Slim 400 murder might be connected to Drakeo the Ruler's demise.

As we reported, there's a lot of tension between gangs in the City of Angels as of late, so cops are well aware of the chance for retaliation.

Nothing's been made public to connect the Drakeo and Slim murders -- but our sources say cops aren't ruling it out.

Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube and 50 Cent were among the acts set to perform at the festival where Drakeo was killed ... Snoop posted a heartfelt message, saying, "My prayers go out to everyone affected by the tragedy. Please take care, love one another and stay safe y'all."

He ended with, "IM PRAYING FOR PEACE IN HIP HOP."

Buckingham Palace nearly put the kibosh on one of Elton John's most legendary performances to honor his friend Princess Diana ... only allegedly giving him the go-ahead in hopes the display would help turn public opinion in favor of the Royal Family.

According to newly released documents, obtained by SkyNews, the Palace believed lyrics to Elton's "Candle In The Wind" were "too sentimental" to be played at Diana's service in 1997.

The report states it was only after a letter from the Dean of Westminster, who believed giving Elton the chance to sing would be "imaginative and generous" to the public (who was pissed at the Royal Family) that the song got the green-light.

Of course, at the time of her death, Diana had been divorced from Prince Charles for a year ... and many felt the Palace -- including the Queen -- hadn't done enough to mourn her.

Diana had bashed Charles for cheating, saying there were, "Three of us in this marriage," referring to Charles' mistress, Camilla Parker Bowles, who he went on to marry. Many thought the Royal Family's lack of empathy when she died was tied to her public bashing of the Prince.

Simon Cowell quietly tried to save the life of Il Divo singer Carlos Marin ... by offering him a private jet so he could get treatment for COVID.

Simon's not the person who made this public ... it was Carlos' wife, Geraldine Larrosa, who told a Spanish outlet, "Simon personally phoned the hospital and offered to help with anything."

Geraldine says Simon offered to fly Carlos to Spain for some sort of treatment ... treatment that presumably was not available at Manchester Royal Hospital where he was fighting for his life.

Carlos' case was so severe, he had to be intubated. He died on December 19 at the age of 53.

There were a lot of shocking and sad celebrity deaths in 2021 ... including tragic shootings, a drug overdose, stunning cancer revelations and, of course, COVID.

The rap world lost DMX, who died of an OD which triggered a heart attack, plus Young Dolph, Slim 400 and Drakeo the Ruler, who all died from violence.

Trailblazing designer Virgil Abloh succumbed after a battle with cancer ... ditto for Justin Michael Tyler, Dustin Diamond and Norm Macdonald, who never let the world know he was suffering.

The heartbreak continued with Tawny Kitaen, who left the world too soon as a result of heart disease ... and there's Halyna Hutchins, whose shooting death on a movie set likely could have been prevented.

It was a full year living in a pandemic ... and Colin Powell was among those who died from COVID-related complications.

The list of legends gone sadly went on ... Charlie Watts, Cloris Leachman, Stephen Sondheim, Vicente Fernández, Tommy Lasorda, Michael K. Williams, Hank Aaron and Biz Markie.

Warren Moon says of all the non-athletes in the sports world ... John Madden was by far the most legendary.

"I think he's probably the biggest sports icon of a non-athlete that there is," the Hall of Famer told TMZ Sports just one day after the famed football coach and broadcaster passed away.

"He's probably the biggest icon sports has had of a non-athlete."

Moon spent a lot of time with Madden over the years -- the two were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame together back in 2006 -- and he said the coach's passing devastated him.

Moon tells us he knew John was "in bad health" -- but he was shocked to hear the news of his death on Tuesday.

Moon, though, says John will never be forgotten ... telling us that while athletes like Michael Jordan, Jim Brown and Babe Ruth might be more iconic, no non-athlete was more memorable than Madden.

Avicii's final words before taking his own life have been revealed in a new book, and it underscores the tragedy.

As we reported ... the 28-year-old Swedish DJ committed suicide back in April 2018, using a broken glass bottle.

Diary entries he wrote just before his death are in the book, "Tim – The Official Biography of Avicii” and they are heartbreaking.

The grim entries were written while he was in the hospital and in rehab ... He wrote, "Those days in hospital were the most anxiety and stress-free days I can remember the past six years, those were my true vacations, as depressing as it might sound.”

The EDM singer opened up about his long battle with drug and alcohol abuse... "I had a hard time accepting never drinking again though strongly suggested from all doctors to wait at least a year before even having a beer.” That had shades of a dangerous turn in the rehab movement -- California rehab, which suggests addicts can drink moderately and smoke weed. Experts say it's a recipe for disaster.

He went on ... “Of course, I didn’t listen to the majority of the doctors, I listened to the couple who said it was OK if I was careful. I was ignorant and naive and touring the world, still on the never-ending tour ..."

The day before his suicide, Avici wrote, "The shedding of the soul is the last attachment before it restarts!"

John Madden's death rocked the entire sports world ... and athletes like LeBron James, Tom Brady and Alex Rodriguez all mourned the football icon's passing Tuesday.

LeBron said on his social media page following the sad news, "Rest in Paradise To the [GOAT] John Madden!!!! Your legacy will continue to live on!!!!!"

Added Brady on Instagram, "John called our first Super Bowl. He was always so good to me. RIP to a legend of our game."

A-Rod, meanwhile, said even though Madden was associated with the sport he did not play professionally, his passing still affected him greatly.

"An incredible coach, broadcaster and person," Rodriguez said of Madden. "A true hero and role model. He will be deeply missed."

Tons of other sports figures also wrote tribute messages to the former Oakland Raiders head coach -- with Vin Scully, Emmitt Smith, Troy Aikman, Robert Kraft and Julian Edelman also expressing their sadness over the loss.

NFL star Richard Sherman had one of the more memorable tributes to Madden following the news of his death ... calling it an honor to have been a cover athlete on his famous football game.

"Thank you for the years of joy and motivation!" Sherman said.

As we reported, Madden -- the face of the "Madden" video game franchise and a legendary NFL head coach and broadcaster -- passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday. He was 85 years old.