Celebrity Death

Gucci Mane no longer disses the dead in his raps -- he lyrically eulogizes them -- recently taking the time in the booth to memorialize Takeoff.

On Tuesday, Gucci dropped off his mournful new single/video combo "Letter to Takeoff" ... as director Joe Yung Spike showcases the 1017 Records boss solemnly trekking through a cemetery and its accompanying mausoleum to hammer home the effect.

Gucci bleeds his emotions on the track's lyrics ... rapping "Just left another funeral, I shed a tear / I'm still in disbelief, I can't believe it's real ... like how the f*** we gon' lose Takeoff, damn he didn't deserve it / We don't supposed to question God, but damn, Takeoff was perfect."

Gucci's tribute also pays homage to other deceased rappers such as XXXTentacion, PnB Rock, Shawty Lo and even Atlanta rapper Slim Dunkin, who infamously was killed back in 2011 after an argument over a piece of candy in the studio went too far.

Sadly, Gucci walked down this road just 11 months ago when he mourned the late Young Dolph in a similar fashion ... via a heartfelt track.

Earlier this summer, Gucci released a song "Dissin the Dead" in hopes to curve the hip hop trend of rappers ripping those who already RIP.

The trend appears to work for some ... Lil Durk recently conducted an interview where he stated he was focused on chasing a billion dollars -- opposed to chasing death in his music.

Offset is breaking his silence on the death of Takeoff ... saying the pain he's left with after his cousin and groupmate's murder is "unbearable."

Offset took to Instagram Tuesday saying it "doesn't feel real" to be talking about his family member under such tragic circumstances, writing, "My heart is shattered and I have so many things to say, but I can't find the words" ... adding he's been waking up from his sleep recently, hoping it's just a dream -- but adds "it's reality, and reality feels like a nightmare."

He recalls all the times they'd see each other, wishing they could do so many things together just one more time ... writing, "You have left a hole in my heart that will never be filled."

He ends by asking for strength from Takeoff, hoping to get "a lil sign or a beautiful dream" from him soon -- tagging the post with, "I love you forever, 4L and after."

A new Nipsey Hussle docuseries is on its way ... and none other than LeBron James is going to have his fingerprints all over the project.

The Lakers superstar revealed the news on Tuesday morning ... announcing he and Maverick Carter's SpringHill Company has teamed up with Hussle's Marathon Films to bring Nipsey fans some new, inside looks into the life of the late rapper.

The work promises to, among other things, feature exclusive footage and tons of interviews with rap legends like Diddy and Snoop Dogg -- and Bron said Tuesday he was pumped for it all.

"It's an incredible honor for SpringHill to have a part in sharing Nipsey's story and legacy with the world," James said. "He used his gift to give back to his community and lived what it means to inspire, empower, and uplift others along the way."

LBJ added, "His words, his ambition, and his actions stick with me to this day as he continues to inspire myself, our company, and people everywhere."

The series does not yet have a title or a release date.

According to Deadline, James and Carter will receive credit as executive producers.

"It's an incredible responsibility to tell Nipsey Hussle’s story alongside his family and Marathon Films in a way that captures every facet of life from his childhood to his impact on community and culture," Carter said.

Rich the Kid is one of the freshest rappers around … and not even a lil thing like a TMZ Hip Hop camera will disrupt his dental hygiene!!!

We got Rich in NYC, outside of the Sirius XM office, as he was brushing his pearly whites in between appointments. RTK was on the move, but still made time to talk about the good times with his good friend, the late Takeoff.

The slain Migos star was laid to rest last Friday and as fans reminisced on social media, a clip of him teaching Rich how to make it rain inside the club resurfaced … much to the amusement of the "Plug Walk" rapper.

Rich tells us Takeoff was telling him "to chill the f**k out" in money-throwing footage because as you can see, the cash wasn't traveling too far!!!

He says Takeoff taught him a lot of things but he didn't want to get into specifics ... with emotions still so raw after his death.

Rich did, however, open up about his newly inked deal with RCA Records, which he claims made him $40 million richer. Huge number, for sure, but Rich tells us it's not about money ... it's more about having the right team behind him and inspiring him these days.

The 8-figures can't hurt, though.

DMX's 1998 debut album single "How's It Goin' Down" is a track still near and dear to fans' hearts, because they're currently giving Yung Bleu hell for remaking it.

On Monday, Yung Bleu dropped off the music video for his new single "What Type of Games" ... a clear homage to the late Ruff Ryder with its imagery set in NYC's concrete jungle.

The song, produced by Murda Beatz, also features an interpolation of X's time-tested chorus -- but Bleu's had to defend his artistic decision against a wave of backlash, accusing him of using too much auto-tune ... and therefore RUINING a classic.

Bleu says he received the blessing of DMX's estate to revamp the song a couple of weeks ago, and assured fans his family is being compensated for the cover.

The song is featured on Bleu's most recent album "Tantra" ... a project the Alabama-born artist recently told TMZ Hip Hop he's proud of, regardless of first-week sales numbers.

Even if fans hate the X tribute, there are still plenty of other options on the album ... which sports guest appearances from ZAYN, Fivio Foreign, Nicki Minaj and Ne-Yo.

Nick Carter and his sister Angel are honoring their late brother Aaron by paying it forward ... raising money for a children's mental health charity.

Nick's rep tells TMZ ... Nick and Angel have started a fund where fans looking to pay tribute to Aaron can donate, in lieu of flowers, and the money will go to a children's mental health organization.

We're told the fund benefits a group called On Our Sleeves: The Movement for Children's Mental Health, and it's a cause Nick's championed for years ... even serving as an ambassador.

On Our Sleeve's mission is to provide every community in America with access to free, evidence-informed educational resources, to break stigmas about child mental health as well as educating families and advocates.

We're told donations will fund educational content, lesson plans for schools and activities for schools and organizations.

Nick's camp says ... "By honoring Aaron, you help Nick, Angel, and their family's commitment of helping others."

John Aniston, the award-winning soap opera star and Jennifer Aniston's dad, has died ... she announced it Monday morning.

Jen said in her emotional post that her father passed away on Friday, November 11. She says, "Sweet papa ... You were one of the most beautiful humans I ever knew. I am so grateful that you went soaring into the heavens in peace - and without pain."

John famously played Victor Kiriakis on "Days of Our Lives" for nearly as long as his daughter's been alive. He joined the soap cast in 1970 and remained on the show right up until his death. In fact, his final credited show is listed as Friday.

Noting that he passed on 11/11, Jennifer says, "You always had perfect timing. That number will forever hold an even greater meaning for me now. I'll love you till the end of time 💔"

As Friday was Veteran's Day, it's worth noting John served in the U.S. Navy as an intelligence officer in the 1950s.

After 52 years with 'Days,' he earned the Daytime Emmy Awards' Lifetime Achievement trophy in 2022. He also won Soap Opera Digest awards in 1986 and 2001.

John was born in Greece, and before his TV fame, he acted in several dozen theater productions. He's also had roles in "The West Wing," "Star Trek: Voyager," "Mission: Impossible" and "Kojak."

He and "Kojak" star Telly Savalas were best friends, and John even picked him to be Jennifer's godfather.

John is survived by Jennifer, his son Alexander and his wife Sherry Rooney.

He was 89.

Anthony "Rumble" Johnson has died ... this according to several prominent figures in the MMA community.

The former UFC fighter reportedly passed away this weekend after battling an undisclosed disease he's apparently been dealing with for quite a while. Unclear what it might be, though ... the rest of the details surrounding his death have yet to be released.

UFC's Michael Chiesa sent out a post for condolences, writing ... "RIP Anthony “Rumble” Johnson. One of the most prolific KO artists our sport has ever seen. My prayers go out to his family and everyone affected by this tragedy."

Other MMA fighters and journalists also posted tons of tributes for the guy ... the news seems to have shocked just about everyone, as Rumble's been out of the spotlight for a while.

One notable remembrance came from Daniel Cormier, who faced Rumble in the Octagon a couple different times. He writes, "Rest Easy my brother. For a guy who struck fear in so many peoples heart Anthony Johnson was a caring person. From random text to check ins during loss. What a person he was, Rumble will be missed. Sometimes life doesn’t seem fair. Horrible news."

What DC's referring to is the fact that Rumble was notorious for his sheer strength and force -- which translated to brutal knockouts that he'd often put on display in his prime. One good punch could put a guy to sleep, and he certainly had a rep for trying to prove that in bouts.

His record was incredible in its day ... 23 wins, 17 of which were by KO or TKO. He only had 6 losses. Rumble competed in several UFC events over the years -- dating back to 2006 -- but he never won a title. For a while, he was ranked #1 in his weight class, pre-retirement. He parted ways with the UFC intermittently, but officially cut ties in 2020 to join Bellator MMA.

Rumble fought at different levels ... middleweight, welterweight, light heavyweight and eventually heavy in his later years. He had the most success in the latter classes.

He was 38.

Aaron Carter died without a will ... so now the State of California will decide who inherits his estate.

Family sources tell TMZ ... Aaron was advised by his attorney to make a will, especially because he had a child who depended on him.

We're told with all the drama between Aaron and his fiancée Melanie ... the L.A. County Dept. of Children and Family Services got involved and had 11-month-old Prince removed from their home. He's been living with Melanie's mom since September.

Aaron's lawyer still advised Aaron to make a will, but as you know circumstances tragically changed ... Aaron died a week ago.

Turns out Prince will not be left in the cold. In California, and most states for that matter, when a single person dies without a will and leaves a child behind, the child inherits the parent's estate.

Here's the rub ... we're told Aaron was not in a good place financially when he died. One source close to Aaron told us he was living hand-to-mouth and would typically spend what he earned in short order. His house, however, was on the market so the child may have security in any equity the sale brings.

Dolores Hughes, known affectionately as Mema, the unlikely/likely breakout star of the hit show, "Hollywood Hillbillies," has died ... TMZ has learned.

The exuberant grandma on the reality show died of heart failure at a hospital in Grayson, Georgia last Wednesday, according to her manager, David Weintraub.

"Hollywood Hillbillies," the #1 show on Reelz at the time, was a reverse version of "The Simple Life" and an obvious riff off the sitcom back in the day, "The Beverly Hillbillies."

Mema became the center of attention in her fam, which included grandson Michael Coppercab, who has gone on to become a YouTube star.

The show followed the family as they tried to navigate Hollywood, with the help of Ray J and Weintraub.

Weintraub tells TMZ, "Mema was the greatest, most outspoken 'tell-it-like-it-is personalities the world had ever seen on TV. I know that she will still be bossing all of us around from heaven."

Mema is survived by her husband, Paul Conlon, daughter Dee Dee Peters, son John Cox and grandson Michael Coppercab Kittrell.

Mema was 76.

The man whose bizarre life inspired the Steven Spielberg film "The Terminal" has died.

Iranian-born Mehran Karimi Nasseri reportedly passed away Saturday after suffering a heart attack in Terminal 2F at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. Nasseria had lived in the airport for 18 years -- from 1988 to 2006 -- after losing his travel documents while trying to fly to England. As a result, he was barred from taking a flight and entering France, leaving him in legal limbo at the airport. Later on, he apparently lived there by choice.

Nasseria -- played by Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks in the 2004 film -- was viewed as an “iconic character" at Charles deGaulle.

An airport official said employees looked after Nasseria "as much as possible during many years, even if we would have preferred him to find a real shelter." Nasseria always lived in public spaces at the airport and was free to move about.

He slept on a plastic bench and showered in staff facilities. He spent his days people-watching, writing in his diary and reading magazines and newspapers.

In the film, Hanks' character, Victor Navorski, sets up a makeshift home at New York's JFK Airport after he's unable to return to his fictional country, Krakozhia, following an attack. He's also barred from entering the U.S. since his passport is no longer valid because his country's new government is considered illegitimate. Like Nasseria, everyone in the airport falls in love with Norvorski, including a stewardess played by Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Nasseria was born around 1945 in Iran, making him roughly 76 when he died.

The new 'Black Panther' is mostly being hailed as a triumph/a great tribute to Chadwick Boseman -- but there are still some who aren't happy with how the page was turned.

Indeed ... the #RecastTChalla crowd is out in full force right now on Twitter -- this after 'Wakanda Forever' hit theaters this weekend -- and they're voicing their ongoing grievances about Marvel/Disney choosing not to find a new lead hero in the wake of CB's real-life death.

They've been on this for a while now, with their main argument being that the character is bigger than just Chadwick alone ... something Kevin Feige and co. firmly disagreed with.

Now that the sequel is out, the #Recast crew feels like their argument is even stronger than ever ... pointing out what they see as holes and flaws in the new flick that they think a simple recast would've fixed. At this point, we're getting into ***SPOILERS AHEAD***

You can hop into the trend yourself to see all the points, but basically ... super fans just aren't happy with how T'Challa's death is addressed, probably because they never quite explain what killed him -- other than to mention some vague disease he succumbed to.

There is certainly a lot of onscreen mourning, and Chadwicks' shadow looms large as the backdrop -- but you never hear his voice in the film ... only silent flashbacks/montages. Some say there should've been more of a creative effort to actually have him reappear/speak on camera somehow -- like Carrie Fisher did in 'Rise of Skywalker' -- but it never happens.

There's also the issue of Letitia Wright/Shuri -- who, in fact, becomes the new Black Panther ... but literally just for the last 30 minutes or so, and only has one big fight sequence before she loses the suit. It's badass, but super brief -- and a fair amount of people feel like there simply wasn't enough Black Panther in 'BP' ... so they're complaining about this too.

Last but not least -- and this one is a *HUGE SPOILER* -- there's a new "T'Challa," of sorts, that's introduced at the very, very end in the post-credits scene ... T'Challa's son, Toussaint.

Essentially, they tease the notion that the kid will one day become the new king of Wakanda/assume the Black Panther mantle ... which effectively means more movies, etc.

Quavo is publicly addressing Takeoff's death, and he did with a lengthy remembrance that highlights their storied life together.

The rapper took to Instagram to post a tribute to his nephew and partner-in-rhyme ... starting out by recapping their childhood and noting how difficult his passing is since Takeoff had always been right by his side in virtually everything.

Quavo touched on a few character traits of Takeoff's that he says he'll always remember, including the fact that the guy was the quietest in the room but was always watching. Quavo also says Takeoff was the most unbothered and by far the funniest of their group.

He also says Takeoff always felt like more than a nephew to him, even though he knew he wasn't quite a brother -- as he was the son of Quavo's older sister. Turns out, he likened him to an angel. Quavo then reflected on Takeoff's death specifically and said something poignant.

Quavo writes, "Me and u knew we gon always be with each other for life and jus like now we gon see each other again. I love with you all my heart. I'll never leave you I guess God jus ain't need my help. So can you ask Him for me what I gotta do to be with you again!!!"

Aaron Carter's housekeeper -- who discovered his body -- is a homeless woman he'd taken in ... TMZ has learned.

Sources familiar tell us ... Aaron and his fiancée, Melanie Miller, went down to Orange County last month for a few nights to visit their son, Prince ... who's currently under the care of Melanie's mom, as neither parent had physical custody of the child.

While they were in the OC, we're told Aaron and Melanie got word of a possible break-in at their house ... their front door was open and someone left behind cigarette butts.

Our sources say when they got back to Lancaster, a friend urged them ... to get someone to house-sit for them if/when they left. Turns out, the friend had a woman in mind from his church ... who happened to be homeless.

We're told Melanie and Aaron met her, and they felt she was a good fit ... so they brokered a deal where they'd offer her a free place to stay in exchange for keeping an eye on the place. She'd also do odd jobs around the property.

As we reported ... it was this same woman who found Aaron dead in his bathtub over the weekend, and who called 911. She's only been living there for 2-3 weeks.

Offset was consoling mourners and they were consoling him after the incredibly emotional memorial service for Takeoff.

Offset was in a parking garage outside the State Farm Arena in Atlanta Friday, hugging friends and receiving it right back as they absorbed the tragedy of their dear friend.

The service was packed with friends, family and fans ... among them, Cardi B.

Cardi has not spoken about the death of her husband's compadre and her dear friend, until now. She posted this ... "Takeoff your untimely passing has brought a great deal of pain and sorrow to so many lives. The impact you had in this world was so considerable and we have struggled to grasp this tragedy. I am heartbroken but I am grateful for all the precious memories we got to share while you were here with us."

She went on ... "This has truly been a nightmare and the pain is incomparable. The emptiness your brothers are feeling is unbearable and I pray that you give Offset ,Quavo, and your friends and family the strength to keep going as they are trying to cope with this loss. I believe that angels send signs and beautiful dreams to loved ones to assure them that they’re watching them and they’re okay and happy…send your mom some of those 🙏🏽."

Cardi made it clear ... she's not just a close friend of the Migos member who was gunned down nearly 2 weeks ago ... "As a Migos fan it hurts me to look at pictures and videos of y’all together, and hearing y’all songs that changed the music industry and moved the culture and had the clubs lit 🔥. It hurts because I know it will never be the same again—but I know your bros and y’all fans will make sure the world never forgets the impact you made."

Vin Scully's massive mansion has a HEFTY price tag attached to it ... but TMZ has learned his estate already has a buyer for the incredible property.

We're told Vin's estate accepted an offer Wednesday for the Hidden Hills home ... there are still contingencies, but we're told it looks solid.

As we reported, thr 7-bedroom, 9-bathroom palace -- where Vin passed away -- hit the market last month, with an asking price of $15 mil.

The 2-acre lot has a ton of bells and whistles ... including a pool, spa, putting green, oversized chef's kitchen, game room, marble wet bar and outdoor kitchen.

The pad also comes with a guest house and 6-car garage.