Celebrity Death

Kevin Brennan -- a former 'SNL' writer and comedian -- is making light of Matthew Perry's passing in a real ugly way ... which may speak to why he isn't more successful in showbiz.

Kevin -- who had a 2-year stint writing for the famed sketch comedy show way back when, and who was once a rising comic -- took to Twitter this weekend after news of Perry's death broke ... and posted an incredibly insensitive message mocking the late 'Friends' actor.

He wrote, "DROWNED IN A HOT TUB. HAHAHAHA" ... this while linking back to our story.

The tweet wasn't viewed by very many people -- KB only has about 5,900 followers or so anyway -- but it certainly left a bad taste in the mouths of folks who did see it ... with many people calling him out in the comments and bashing him for making a joke out of it.

While Kevin isn't nearly as relevant as he was in the '90s/early 2000s ... he still has a famous connection to mainstream Hollywood through his younger brother Neal Brennan -- from whom he's estranged. Neal, of course, is the co-creator/writer of 'Chappelle's Show.'

Neal and Kevin had a falling out years ago -- and the younger sibling went on to forge a solid path for himself. Neal's written for tons of shows, and even has his own Netflix comedy special now ... whereas Kevin hosts a pretty obscure podcast, and does gigs here and there.

It bears repeating ... Neal is NOT close to Kevin -- and based on interviews NB has done of late, where he was asked about his relationship with Kevin ... you can tell it's a sensitive topic. Based on this reaction to Perry alone, you'll see their personalities are very different.

So, of course, Kevin's crude remarks here are in no way a reflection of Neal -- who, as far as we can tell, minds his business and focuses on his work ... and who doesn't seem to have talked about Perry or 'Friends,' for that matter, very much at all publicly.

Kevin appears to still fancy himself standup-adjacent -- regularly commenting on mainstream comedians that Neal undoubtedly rubs shoulders with ... although, what he pulled here is far from a laughing matter. Neal doesn't seem to have reacted to his brother's post.

La muerte de Matthew Perry seguirá siendo un misterio por ahora, ya que las autoridades están esperando a que se realicen algunas pruebas clave antes de pronunciarse definitivamente sobre cómo murió.

La Oficina del Médico Forense del Condado de Los Angeles acaba de publicar sus conclusiones sobre una autopsia inicial del difunto actor de "Friends", y están aplazando su causa de la muerte a la espera de los resultados de toxicología y una mayor investigación, que podría tomar semanas para completarse.

Tampoco han informado el motivo de la muerte, aunque nuestras fuentes nos han dicho que no hay rastros de actividad sexual y no se encontraron narcóticos ilícitos en el lugar.

El único detalle destacable del informe de la autopsia es que se indica que murió en su domicilio y que el cuerpo está listo para ser entregado a la familia para su entierro o cremación. Una investigación sobre las circunstancias de su muerte está en marcha con la aplicación de la ley.

TMZ publicó la noticia, los primeros en responder se apresuraron a su propiedad por una llamada de paro cardíaco y Matthew fue encontrado sin respuesta en su bañera de hidromasaje, esto después de un aparente ahogamiento. La secuencia exacta de los acontecimientos no está clara, pero finalmente fue declarado muerto en el lugar.

Como informamos, Perry estuvo jugado al pickleball el sábado por la mañana durante un par de horas antes de volver a casa y enviar a su asistente a hacer un recado. Un rato después, el asistente regresó, descubrió a su jefe y luego llamó al 911.

No hace falta decir que el fallecimiento de Matthew envió ondas de choque en todo Hollywood. Teniendo en cuenta su historial con el abuso de sustancias, se ha especulado que podría estar en juego, pero hasta ahora, no hay ninguna indicación de que ese sea el caso.

Los profesionales médicos van a esperar para ver lo que estaba en su sistema en al momento de su muerte, mientras tanto, todos sus fans y seres queridos pueden recordarlo con cariño.

Matthew Perry's death will remain a mystery for now -- because officials are waiting for some key tests to be done before weighing in definitively on how he died.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office just published their findings on an initial autopsy of the late "Friends" actor -- and they're deferring his cause of death ... pending toxicology results and further investigation, which could take weeks to complete.

They're also not indicating the manner of death at this point ... although our sources have told us no foul play is suspected, and no illicit narcotics were found on the premises.

The only other notable detail from his autopsy report is that they note he died at his residence -- and that his body is now ready to be released to his family for burial/cremation. A probe into the circumstances of his death is underway with law enforcement.

TMZ broke the news ... first responders rushed to his property on a cardiac arrest call, and Matthew was found unresponsive in his hot tub ... this after an apparent drowning. The exact sequence of events is unclear, but he was eventually declared deceased on the scene.

Like we told you ... MP had played pickleball Saturday morning for a couple hours before returning home and sending his assistant on an errand. Sometime later, the assistant returned, discovered his boss ... and then called 911.

It goes without saying ... Matthew's passing sent shockwaves throughout Hollywood. Considering his history with substance abuse, there's been speculation that could be at play -- but so far, there's no indication that's in fact the case.

Medical professionals are going to wait to see what was in his system at the time of his death -- in the meantime, all his fans and loved ones can do is mourn.

No word yet on funeral plans ... but we imagine a major celebration of life is coming soon.

Matthew Perry's family is speaking out in the wake of his death -- and they're addressing both the suddenness of losing him ... and the love they've received in the aftermath.

The actor's family tells TMZ ... "We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of our beloved son and brother. Matthew brought so much joy to the world, both as an actor and a friend. You all meant so much to him and we appreciate the tremendous outpouring of love."

It's brief, but impactful ... especially considering how strongly folks have reacted to the news.

Of course, members of Matt's family were on the scene last night -- including his parents, Suzanne Morrison and John Bennett Perry -- pulling up to his property and looking sorrowful. Even his stepfather, Keith Morrison, arrived and was moving through police tape.

Perry's parents split while he was young ... and his mother went on to marry Keith and have children with him -- including 3 girls and 1 boy, all of whom are MP's half-siblings. Keith also has a son from a previous marriage.

While his mom and dad might've not been together through most of his life -- they displayed a united front Saturday night in front of paps ... this while investigators did their work.

Countless stars and showbiz types have been pouring on the tributes for Matt -- including some old "Friends" staffers ... mostly folks behind the scenes. We still haven't heard directly from any of his main costars ... who've all been radio silent since TMZ broke the news.

An investigation into Matthew's death is ongoing ... but we know he was discovered unresponsive in his hot tub. No foul play is suspected, and no illicit drugs were found either.

He was 54.

Matthew Perry detailed his personal struggles with drug addiction in an interview with Diane Sawyer last year -- and they even discussed his possible death.

The "Friends" star sat down with the legendary journalist to promote his memoir during an ABC News segment in October 2022 — and the conversation turned dark almost immediately.

Sawyer read a passage from the book titled, "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir," quoting Perry as saying, “My friends call me Matty and I should be dead."  With a serious, yet troubled look on his face, Perry responded, “That’s definitely true."

Sawyer continued to quote from Perry's book, asserting that addicts can only beat drug addiction with a healthy support group.

Perry replied that his addiction was always waiting to get him alone so he could fill his time by using drugs, in which case he admitted, "You lose to the disease."

As we reported, Perry was found dead Saturday in a jacuzzi at his L.A.-area home after first responders received a call of a person in cardiac arrest. Investigators believe Perry drowned and are awaiting the results of toxicology tests to determine his cause of death. Our sources say no illicit drugs were recovered from the scene and no foul play is suspected.

At one point during the Sawyer interview, Perry tried to paint a rosier picture of his pill addiction, explaining that he "now feels OK and feels like he's got some strength." But Sawyer pushed back, asking him what he meant.

Perry said, "It means I developed some safety nets around this."

He went on to talk about his seemingly never-ending battle with the pain killer Vicodin, disclosing he ingested a jaw-dropping 55 pills per day. Visibly stunned, Sawyer asked how he could get so many pills.

Perry said he would do anything to obtain them -- even if it meant raiding the medicine cabinet at a seller's open house or going to a doctor's office with a fake migraine to get a prescription.

He also said he stayed sober for long periods of time -- but then he would get cocky, thinking, "I've got this" and "I don't need to learn anymore." As a result, Perry stopped going to 12-step meetings, leading him down the path of using drugs again.

Matthew Perry detalló sus luchas personales con la adicción a las drogas en una entrevista con Diane Sawyer el año pasado, e incluso hablaron de su posible muerte.

La estrella de "Friends" se sentó con la legendaria periodista para promover su libro de memorias durante un segmento de ABC News en octubre de 2022 y la conversación se volvió oscura casi de inmediato.

Sawyer leyó un pasaje del libro titulado "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir", citando a Perry diciendo: "Mis amigos me llaman Matty y debería estar muerto".  Con una mirada seria, aunque preocupada, Perry respondió: "Eso es definitivamente cierto".

Sawyer continuó citando el libro de Perry, afirmando que los adictos solo pueden vencer la drogadicción con un grupo de apoyo sano.

Perry replicó que su adicción siempre estaba esperando a que se quedara solo para poder volver al consumiendo drogas, admitiendo: "Pierdes ante la enfermedad".

Como informamos, Perry fue encontrado muerto el sábado en un jacuzzi en su casa del área de Los Ángeles después de que los socorristas recibieran una llamada de una persona por paro cardíaco. Los investigadores creen que Perry se ahogó y están a la espera de los resultados de los análisis toxicológicos para determinar la causa de su muerte. Nuestras fuentes dicen que no se encontraron drogas ilícitas en la escena y no hay sospechas de actividad sexual.

En un momento durante la entrevista, Perry trató de pintar una imagen más color de rosa de su adicción a las pastillas, explicando que "ahora se siente bien y se siente como si tuviera un poco de fuerza." Pero Sawyer se opuso, preguntándole qué quería decir.

Perry dijo: "Significa que desarrollé algunas redes de seguridad en torno a esto".

Continuó hablando de su aparentemente interminable batalla con el analgésico Vicodin, revelando que ingería 55 pastillas al día. Visiblemente aturdida, Sawyer le preguntó cómo podía conseguir tantas pastillas.

Perry dijo que haría cualquier cosa para obtenerlas, incluso si eso significaba asaltar el botiquín en la casa abierta de un vendedor o ir a la consulta de un médico con una migraña falsa para obtener una receta.

También dijo que se mantenía sobrio durante largos periodos de tiempo, pero entonces se volvía engreído, pensando "ya lo tengo" y "no necesito aprender más". Como resultado, Perry dejó de ir a las reuniones de 12 pasos, lo que lo llevó por el camino de consumir drogas de nuevo.

6:02 PM PT -- Más detalles están surgiendo sobre las circunstancias que rodean la muerte de Matthew Perry. Fuentes directas nos dicen que en realidad murió en su propia casa luego de realizar un poco de actividad física esta mañana.

Nos informan que Matthew llegó a casa en algún momento de la mañana luego de una ronda de dos horas de pickleball y que le pidió a su asistente un favor poco después. Cuando el asistente regresó, alrededor de dos horas más tarde, encontró a Matthew sin sentido y llamó al 911.

No está claro si lo que Matthew estaba haciendo antes de su fallecimiento jugó algún papel en su muerte, la investigación está en marcha.

Matthew Perry, una de las estrellas de "Friends" ha muerto, TMZ ha indagado.

Fuentes policiales nos dicen que el actor fue encontrado el sábado en una casa de Los Ángeles, donde parece haberse ahogado. Nuestras fuentes dicen que los primeros en aparecer estaban respondiendo a una llamada de paro cardíaco. No está claro donde fue esto exactamente.

Nuestras fuentes dicen que fue encontrado en el jacuzzi de la casa y que no había drogas en la escena. También nos informan que no hay señales de actividad sexual.

Perry es más famoso por su papel como Chandler Bing en la exitosa comedia de los 90s que duró diez temporadas. Matthew participó en los 234 episodios. Su personaje era uno de los favoritos de los fans al igual que su actuación, cuyos gestos y frases han sido recreados por fans de todo el mundo. Me viene a la mente una en particular... "Podría (en blanco) SER más".

Aunque "Friends" fue su mayor éxito, estuvo involucrado en innumerables programas de televisión a lo largo de los años; como "Boys Will Be Boys", "Growing Pains", "Silver Spoons", "Charles in Charge", "Sydney", "Beverly Hills, 90210", "Home Free", "Ally McBeal", "The West Wing", "Scrubs", "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip", "Go On", "The Odd Couple" y muchos más.

También actuó en un puñado de películas memorables (la mayoría de comedia), como 'Fools Rush In', 'The Whole Nine Yards', 'Three to Tango', 'The Kid', '17 Again', 'Getting In' y muchas otras. Su última actuación fue en una miniserie de televisión en 2017.

Aunque su personaje en pantalla era afable y optimista, Matthew sufría mucho entre bastidores, sobre todo por su adicción a las drogas y al alcohol, en concreto a los analgésicos. Él estuvo enganchado al Vicodin durante años, incluso mientras filmaba 'Friends' luchaba, dentro y fuera de rehabilitación.

Matthew se abrió sobre este doloroso capítulo de su vida en un libro de memorias que publicó el año pasado, donde detalló las luchas que tenía, incluyendo su clara pérdida de peso.

Durante la promoción de su libro, Matthew concedió una serie de entrevistas donde se puso muy emocional, incluyendo una con Diane Sawyer, donde detalló su historia.

Perry parecía estar limpio y sobrio hace un año, sin embargo, cuando él y los otros miembros del elenco estaban promocionando la reunión de 'Friends'; provocó la preocupación de los fans, ya que sentían que se veía mal, a veces arrastraba las palabras y parecía un poco fuera de sí.

Además del consumo de drogas, Matthew también tuvo problemas de salud, algunos de los cuales fueron graves y requirieron hospitalizaciones. Uno de ellos fue una perforación gastrointestinal que le obligó a someterse a una operación de urgencia, pero afortunadamente se recuperó.

Matthew nunca se casó, pero estuvo brevemente comprometido con Molly Hurwitz hace un par de años. La relación llegó a su fin luego de solo seis meses. Antes de eso, había estado vinculado a Lizzy Caplan.

Tenía 54 años.

RIP

6:02 PM PT -- More details are surfacing about the circumstances surrounding Matthew Perry's death ... as sources tell us he actually died at his own house after some physical activity this morning.

We're told Matthew came home sometime in the AM after a 2-hour round of pickleball, and that he sent his assistant out on an errand shortly thereafter. We're told when the assistant returned about 2 hours later, he discovered Matthew unresponsive ... and called 911.

Unclear if what Matthew was doing before his passing played any role in his death at this point -- the investigation into his death is underway.

Matthew Perry -- one of the stars of "Friends" -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us the actor was found Saturday at an L.A.-area home ... where we're told he appears to have drowned. Our sources say first responders rushed over on a call for cardiac arrest. It's unclear where exactly on the grounds this happened.

Our sources say he was found in a jacuzzi at the home ... and we're told there were no drugs found at the scene. We're also told there is no foul play involved.

Perry is most famous for his role as Chandler Bing on the hit '90s sitcom, which ran for 10 seasons ... and with him in all 234 episodes. His character was a fan fave, as was his performance -- mannerisms and lines of which have gone on to be recreated and spoofed by fans all over the world. One comes to mind, in particular ... "Could (blank) BE more ..."

While "Friends" was his biggest claim to fame ... MP starred/guest starred in countless other TV shows over the years -- such as "Boys Will Be Boys," "Growing Pains," "Silver Spoons," "Charles in Charge," "Sydney," "Beverly Hills, 90210," "Home Free," "Ally McBeal," "The West Wing," "Scrubs," "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," "Go On," "The Odd Couple" and more.

He had also acted in a handful of memorable films (mostly comedy) ... like "Fools Rush In," "The Whole Nine Yards," "Three to Tango," "The Kid," "17 Again," "Getting In," and many others. He's been off the scene more recently ... not having acted since a TV miniseries in 2017.

While his onscreen persona was affable and upbeat, Matthew suffered mightily behind the scenes -- notably, from his addiction to drugs and alcohol ... pain killers, specifically. He was hooked on Vicodin for years -- even while on 'Friends' -- and had been in and out of rehab.

Matthew opened up about this painful chapter of his life in a memoir he put out last year -- where he detailed the struggles he had ... including his clear weight loss/gain on the show.

During his press run for his book ... Matthew did a number of interviews where he got incredibly emotional -- including one with Diane Sawyer, where he detailed his story.

While Perry appeared to be clean and sober a year ago, the year prior -- when he and the other cast members were plugging the "Friends" reunion show -- drew concern from fans ... as they felt he appeared unwell, at times slurring his words and looking a bit out of it.

On top of his substance use ... Matthew also dealt with health issues, some of which were serious and required hospitalization. One such incident stemmed from a gastrointestinal perforation -- which forced him to undergo emergency surgery ... but he luckily recovered.

Matthew never married, but he was briefly engaged to Molly Hurwitz a couple years ago ... which came to an end after only 6 months. Before that, he'd been linked to Lizzy Caplan.

He was 54 years old.

RIP

Matthew Perry seemed to be enjoying a day out with a friend exactly one week before he died -- leaving a West L.A. eatery in a scene that turns out to be the last time he'd be seen in public.

On October 21, the "Friends" star was walking out of the Apple Pan -- a popular West L.A. spot for burgers, sandwiches and pies. He appeared to be leaving with a male friend who was carrying a takeout bag.

Matthew was growing a little goatee ... a different look from the clean-cut guy millions of "Friends" fans knew and loved, but all in all the guy seemed to be doing well.

Prior to that, MP was seen on October 3, as he left a workout in Los Angeles.

TMZ broke the story ... Matthew's assistant found him unresponsive Saturday morning at his home, just a couple hours after he'd completed a 2-hour match of pickleball. Our sources say he was found in a hot tub, and there were no drugs found at the scene.

It certainly seems like Matthew enjoyed soaking in the tub. It's an eerie image now, but just 6 days ago -- in what would be his final IG post -- he posted a nighttime shot from the hot tub, and included the caption, "Oh, so warm water swirling around makes you feel good? I'm Mattman."

Clearly, that sense of humor his fans loved and came to expect from the beloved 54-year-old actor was still intact.

Burt Young -- best known for his role as Paulie in the "Rocky" film franchise -- has died.

The Oscar-nominated actor passed away in Los Angeles on October 8. A cause of death was not disclosed.

His manager told TMZ, “Burt was an actor of tremendous emotional range. He could make you cry and he could scare you to death."

Young appeared in dozens of movies and TV shows during his decades-long career. Some of his most notable flicks included "Chinatown," "Once Upon a Time in America," "Back to School" and "The Pope of Greenwich Village."

He also landed parts in 2 hit TV programs, "M*A*S*H" and "Baretta."

But, Young will always be remembered most for playing Paulie, the rough and tumble brother-in-law of Sylvester Stallone's Rocky Balboa.

They starred together in each of the five "Rocky" movies from 1976 to 1990, as well as the final one in the series, "Rocky Balboa," in 2006.

Young received an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of Paulie in 1976, but lost to Jason Robards as Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee in "All The President's Men."

Young was 83.

Burt Young, más conocido por su papel de Paulie en la franquicia cinematográfica "Rocky", ha muerto.

El actor nominado al Oscar falleció en Los Ángeles el 8 de octubre, aunque aún no se ha revelado la causa de muerte.

Su representante declaró al New York Times: "Burt era un actor con un tremendo rango emocional. Podía hacerte llorar y podía darte un susto enorme".

Young apareció en docenas de películas y programas de televisión durante sus décadas de carrera. Algunas de sus películas más notables fueron "Chinatown", "Érase una vez en América", "De vuelta al cole" y "El Papa de Greenwich Village".

También consiguió papeles en dos exitosos programas de televisión, "M*A*S*H" y "Baretta".

Sin embargo, siempre será recordado principalmente por interpretar a Paulie, el rudo cuñado del Rocky Balboa, interpretado por Sylvester Stallone.

Protagonizaron juntos cada una de las cinco películas de "Rocky" de 1976 a 1990, así como la última de la serie, "Rocky Balboa", en 2006.

Young recibió una nominación al Oscar por su interpretación de Paulie en 1976, pero perdió ante Jason Robards como el editor del Washington Post, Ben Bradlee, en "Todos los hombres del presidente".

Young tenía 83 años.

The golf world is mourning the death of Ivor Robson -- better known as the "Voice of The Open" -- including Tiger Woods who thanked the icon for making each Open Championship "so memorable."

The Open released a statement on Tuesday announcing the death of Robson at 83.

Tiger paid tribute once the sad news broke, writing, "Thank you Ivor for making each one of my Open starts so memorable," Woods said on X.

Other golfers honored Robson, as well. Thomas Bjorn called him "a real legend in our world who will be deeply missed" and Paul McGinley described him as "the most famous & popular first tee starter golfer has ever had."

McGinley added ... "His legacy will be that iconic and quintessential British voice of his."

Robson began his career at The Open in 1975 ... and was one of the most admired announcers in sports until his retirement in 2015 after 41 Championships.

In fact, Robson, who established the famous "On the tee" introduction, was known to not even take bathroom breaks during the Championships.

Martin Slumbers, CEO of The R&A (Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews), expressed sadness over Robson's passing.

"He was popular and well respected among all golfers who played in The Open and I know that they will share in our sadness at this news," Slumbers said.

"On behalf of all of us at The R&A, I would like to convey our heartfelt condolences to his wife of 61 years, Lesley, and the Robson family."

In 2015, when Ivor called his last Open Championship, he said ... "It has been a wonderful career. It's been a great honor," Robson said at his final announcement. The way I have been treated by players, officials, sponsors ... thank you all very much."

Tupac Shakur's brother Mopreme says Diddy called him personally to deny involvement in the Las Vegas murder, and while folks like 50 Cent continue to fuel that rumor ... it sounds like Mopreme still wants an official verdict.

On Monday, Pac's bro was back in the hot seat for "Art Of Dialogue" -- the same platform where Tupac murder suspect Keefe D told on himself -- and Mopreme dug into his memory vault to recall the Diddy phone call.

At the time, they hadn't met, but Mo says the Bad Boy mogul knew exactly who he was and what he was about -- and wanted to tell him "man-to-man" the killing wasn't on his hands.

Mopreme says Diddy dialed him "sometime in the 2000s" ... which aligns with the 2008 Los Angeles Times story written by Chuck Philips that implicated Diddy in Tupac's murder.

The Times eventually retracted the story after the FBI reports it cited were found to be falsified.

Mopreme admits finding answers behind Pac's death has been a chore, and doesn't know what to make of Diddy's phone call to him.

For what it's worth, Keefe has previously claimed Diddy was orchestrating behind the scenes. It's unclear what he'll say in court now, should he actually stand trial for Tupac's murder.

Disney fans got to hear Robin Williams' voice from "Aladdin" with completely new lines not featured in the original movie -- but rest assured, no robots were involved in the revival.

This was a big moment from Sunday night's airing of "Once Upon a Studio" ... a short film the Mouse House released on ABC to celebrate their 100-year anniversary, to touch on all the iconic characters and milestones they've hit over the years -- RW's Genie, included.

The Genie's cameo is brief but memorable ... he's shown popping off a page that Olaf -- from "Frozen" -- is working on, which causes the snowman to go crashing to the ground.

In response, Genie says ... "I haven't seen a fall like that since Rome." Once Olaf pops up and recomposes himself, Robin can be heard saying ... "Much better." It's just a couple lines, but some fans worried Disney recreated the late actor's voice by using artificial intelligence.

Fortunately for everybody, that's not the case ... as clarified by the producers/directors -- who told Variety they got official permission to use the real thing ... namely, Robin's actual vocals.

They say they reached out to Robin's estate, explaining ... "We tried to take them on the journey with us to say, 'We’ve got this very special short that we’re doing. Robin as the genie means so much to so many people and we would really love to involve him.'"

The creative team behind 'OUAS' adds ... "So Dan listened to the outtakes from the original recording and he found those little bites that we could use. We went back to the estate and said, 'This is what we hope to do. Eric, who originally animated the genie is on the show, and he’s going to be part of it.' And, it was wonderful to see that happen."

Los fans de Disney pudieron escuchar la voz de Robin Williams en "Aladdin" con líneas completamente nuevas que no aparecían en la película original. El estudio asegura que no hubo robots involucrados en el proyecto.

Este fue un gran momento de la emisión del domingo por la noche de "Once Upon a Studio" un cortometraje que la Casa del Ratón lanzó en ABC para celebrar su 100 aniversario. La idea es repasar todos los personajes icónicos y los hitos que han alcanzado a lo largo de los años, incluyendo al genio de Robin Williams.

El cameo del Genio es breve pero memorable. Se le muestra haciendo saltar una página en la que Olaf (de "Frozen") está trabajando, lo que provoca que el muñeco de nieve se caiga al suelo.

En respuesta, Genie dice: "No he visto una caída así desde Roma". Una vez que Olaf aparece y se recompone, se oye a Robin decir: "Mucho mejor." Son solo un par de líneas, pero algunos fans estaban preocupados de que Disney recreara la voz del actor fallecido mediante el uso de inteligencia artificial.

Afortunadamente para todos, ese no es el caso. Según lo aclarado por los productores y directores en Variery, consiguieron el permiso oficial para utilizar la voz real de Robin.

Dicen que se pusieron en contacto con el patrimonio de Robin, explicando: "Tratamos de involucrarlos en el viaje con nosotros, 'Tenemos este corto muy especial que estamos haciendo. Robin como el genio significa mucho para tanta gente y realmente nos encantaría incluirlo'".

El equipo creativo detrás añade: "Así que Dan escuchó las tomas descartadas de la grabación original y encontró esos pequeños fragmentos que podíamos utilizar. Volvimos a la finca y dijimos: 'Esto es lo que queremos hacer'". Eric, que originalmente animó al genio, está en la serie y va a formar parte de ella'. Fue maravilloso ver que eso sucedía".

2:06 PM PT -- Suzanne's rep tells us ... "Her family was gathered to celebrate her 77th birthday on October 16th. Instead, they will celebrate her extraordinary life, and want to thank her millions of fans and followers who loved her dearly. A private family burial will take place this week, with a memorial to follow next month."

Sources close to the late actress also tell us that Suzanne had recently been seeking treatment for her breast cancer out of state in the Midwest -- but we're told it proved to be unsuccessful and she was ultimately brought home.

Suzanne Somers has died after a long battle with cancer ... this according to her team.

The legendary actress -- famous from "Three's Company" and a score of other TV shows/movies -- passed away Sunday morning at her home ... so says her publicist, R. Couri Hay, who broke the tragic news to Page Six.

He says, "Suzanne Somers passed away peacefully at home in the early morning hours of October 15th. She survived an aggressive form of breast cancer for over 23 years. Suzanne was surrounded by her loving husband Alan, her son Bruce, and her immediate family."

It's a heartbreaking development for the showbiz icon ... who's been dealing with cancer, in one form or another, since the early 2000s. She was first diagnosed with melanoma in 2000 ... and developed breast cancer shortly thereafter. SS battled breast cancer on and off for years ... but it fully returned just earlier this year in the summer, when she told the world.

At the time, she wrote ... "As you know, I had breast cancer two decades ago, and every now and then it pops up again, and I continue to bat it down. I have used the best alternative and conventional treatments to combat it. This is not new territory for me. I know how to put on my battle gear and I’m a fighter."

Obviously, she'll best be remembered for her work on the famed ABC sitcom opposite John Ritter and Joyce DeWitt -- where she played the hilarious and ditzy Chrissy Snow for five seasons -- but her work spanned decades ... and was notable well beyond that.

Suzanne is also well-known for roles in "Starsky and Hutch," "Hollywood Wives," "She's the Sheriff," "Step by Step," and countless one-time appearances on several other hit series.

Movie-wise, her work on "American Graffiti" is her biggest claim to fame on the big screen -- but Suzanne starred in a number of films ... including "Ants!" "Yesterday's Hero," "Nothing Personal," "Serial Mom," "The Nutty Professor," "Say It Isn't So" and more. She hasn't acted since 2001, right around the time her health troubles surfaced.

Suzanne's death comes just one day before her 77th birthday. She's survived by her son, Bruce Jr.

She was 76.

RIP