Celebrity Death

Awesome Chadwick Boseman tribute from NFL star Jarvis Landry ... the Cleveland Browns receiver rocked a pair of custom "Black Panther" cleats with the late actor's face on them.

Landry donned the pieces for the Browns' game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday ... and they were clearly good luck, 'cause Landry's squad earned a much-needed win.

The cleats were pretty amazing ... they were all-black Nikes with no laces that featured spikes and an image of Boseman in his Black Panther costume.

"Chadwick Boseman 1976-2020" was also inscribed on the left shoe near Boseman's face.

Landry commented on the footwear just before he took the field in them Thursday night ... writing, "Rest easy" and adding an emoji of the "Wakanda Forever" arm sign.

Jarvis is just the latest sports star to pay tribute to the actor -- who died last month at 43 years old after a battle with colon cancer.

Patriots QB Cam Newton threw up the "Wakanda Forever" sign after a TD last week ... and in the MLB, several players -- including Braves star Marcell Ozuna -- did the same after home runs.

Christopher Scott Ellis -- a fan favorite on Discovery's "Street Outlaws" known by his nickname "Kentucky" -- has died in Oklahoma City ... TMZ has learned.

The OKC Medical Examiner tells us Chris died on September 9 and the initial autopsy was inconclusive. We're told a toxicology report is pending. According to his obituary, he passed away at his home.

Chris, who hails from -- you guessed it -- Kentucky, was a cast member on the inaugural season of "Street Outlaws" in 2013 but continued to make appearances as a mechanic over the years. He last appeared on a 2018 episode.

"Kentucky" was featured as part of the team at the Midwest Street Cars Automotive in Oklahoma City and coworkers remember him for his hard work and sense of humor.

His family says, "Chris was a dearly-loved brother, son, and friend who will be deeply missed by all who knew him."

Chris is survived by his mother, 3 brothers and 3 sisters.

He was 39.

The Notorious B.I.G.'s famed King of NY crown just got passed on to another for an absurd price -- over half a million bucks, which is juuust a bit north of the OG street value.

It's true, the headpiece Biggie wore in his iconic final photoshoot from 1997 -- that's been duplicated in prints thousands of times over -- just got sold off in a Sotheby's auction ... ultimately going to a bidder who was willing to spend a whopping $594,750 for the thing.

Pretty badass, right?!? Well, maybe ... keep in mind, the crown is actually made of plastic -- and ended up costing the photog who first used it with Biggie a mere $6 off the street.

Do the math ... and that's just about a 10,000,000% markup in value. And, all because the crown was worn by B.I.G. -- plus, the fact it's gone on to become a fixture in pop culture.

And, get this -- the photog, Barron Claiborne, says the crown concept almost didn't happen ... and it's apparently because Diddy wasn't feeling it at the time, allegedly saying it was gonna make Biggie look like "Burger King." Big Poppa didn't care though ... he wore it anyway.

As they say, heavy is the head that wears the crown. And, even heavier is the price tag.

The family of Don Lewis -- Carole Baskin's millionaire husband who went missing in 1997 -- is cutting in on Carole's first night of 'DWTS' ... asking the public for help finding him.

Don's family and attorney John Phillips bought time to air a commercial during Carole's "Dancing with the Stars" debut. We're told the spot will implore the public to send tips regarding his mysterious disappearance ... featured, of course, on 'Tiger King.'

We're told the spot will run during the first 'DWTS' commercial break of Monday night's premiere. It features Don's 3 daughters Gale, Lynda and Donna, plus his former assistant, Anne McQueen, and the family attorney ... who all allege Carole has something to do with Don's disappearance.

As you know ... Carole is getting ready for her big 'DTWS' debut ... and we're told Don's family feels her participation in the dance competition series undermines the ongoing investigation into his whereabouts and is a "grossly insensitive" decision by the show's producers.

Carole has always maintained her innocence in Don's case.

Funeral plans are underway for ex-Temptations lead singer Bruce Williamson Jr. ... and TMZ's learned the event will include the last surviving original member of the legendary group.

A source close to the family tells TMZ ... Bruce's family plans to hold the funeral in Las Vegas on September 26. We're told exact details are still in the works but here's what we do know -- Temptations founder Otis Williams will attend ... as will current member Ron Tyson and other former singers with the group.

Our sources say longtime friend Bubba Knight -- the brother of Gladys Knight and one of the Pips -- will also be there. The funeral will be small and have an exclusive invite-only list. It'll also largely be limited to family and close friends due to Nevada's COVID-19 restrictions.

Fans who want to watch the funeral will be able to do so because we're told it'll be live streamed. But, on September 25th, a day before the funeral, there will be a public viewing at Giddens Memorial Chapel where fans can pay their respects. The public viewing -- which will adhere to social distancing guidelines and a mask mandate -- begins at 4 PM PT.

Our source also says they're putting together a tribute concert gala in Vegas as well ... which will be announced once they nail down a date.

Toots Hibbert, the singer who helped popularize the name "reggae" with his 1968 hit song, "Do the Reggay," has died.

Toots was a pioneer of the music back in the '60s and beyond. He was a founding member of the band, the Maytals.

Hibbert was very close to Bob Marley. There was a time when the Maytals would perform on the same bill with Marley's group, The Wailers. They would alternate who would open and who would headline.

Hibbert and Marley were so close, they would record the same songs and both have great success. In particular, they both recorded "Redemption Song."

Toots also had a presence in film. He appeared in "The Harder They Come" back in '72. One of his songs, "Pressure Drop" was part of the film's soundtrack. When the song was covered by The Clash in '78 and became a hit, Toots scored legions of new, young fans.

He was a staple on the road, even appearing on stage with the Red Hot Chili Peppers to perform "Louie Louie" during a wild, 2011 New Year's Eve bash in St. Barts.

Toots was also featured on Willie Nelson's album, "Countryman."

Toots was injured in 2013 when someone in the audience threw a bottle at his head. The man was arrested, and when it came time for sentencing, Toots asked for leniency, saying, "He is a young man, and I have heard what happens to young men in jail." The guy got 6 months in jail.

His family broke the sad news, saying, "It is with the heaviest of hearts to announce that Frederick Nathaniel 'Toots' Hibbert passed away peacefully tonight, surrounded by his family at the University Hospital of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica."

The cause of death was not revealed.

Toots is survived by his wife, Miss D ... they were married 39 years. He's also survived by 7 children.

Aaron Grissom -- best known for competing on Season 12 of 'Top Chef' -- is dead after an apparent motorcycle crash in Washington state.

Grissom died Tuesday after suffering "multiple blunt force injuries" in a traffic accident, according to the Pierce County medical examiner ... who ruled his death an accident.

According to a friend and former coworker, the wreck happened in the area of Chambers Bay.

Grissom was one of 16 contestants on "Top Chef: Boston" in 2014, though he wasn't much of a fan favorite, and got eliminated pretty early. While appearing on the show, he was actually a resident of L.A. and worked as a chef at North Hollywood's Bow & Truss.

Before that, he appeared in an episode of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" when the show covered Dirty Oscar's Annex in Tacoma ... where Aaron made a name for himself.

According to reports, he had been working as a restaurant chef in the Tacoma area recently again, and was also cooking for touring singers, including Billie Eilish, before the pandemic shut things down.

Aaron was 34.

Damian Lillard's full Kobe Bryant tribute track just dropped ... and it's 3 minutes packed with tons of nods to the Mamba -- with Snoop Dogg going off on the beat as well.

The song starts with Derrick Milano's chorus ... and then goes right into Lillard's emotional bars remembering one the NBA's greatest of all-time.

"Rest In Peace to the Mamba and Baby Gigi," Dame rapped.

"Still remember where I was standing after the 3-peat. 'Fro was lined up yelling 'Kobe!' but playing Pee Wee. When you know they shoot the freebie right after they tear achilles. Killer!"

Dame D.O.L.L.A. continued ... "#8 was crazy. But, 24 was scary. Respect his name or else he might show up as Bloody Mary. Won't forget the things he mentioned -- how to get a Larry. Whatever necessary, he tried to help prepare me."

"They tell us never look in the eyes of a killer. I did out of respect for the greatest at Staples Center. The closest thing to M.J. and no I ain't talking Thriller. It ain't an I in team but a me in it. Please remember, Bean."

As we previously reported, the Portland Trailblazers superstar helped create the song for NBA 2K21 -- saying he just had to use his pull as a cover athlete to get the bars on the game's soundtrack.

As for Snoop ... his part of the song is just as fire as Dame's -- but his best nod to Kobe???

Dame Diana Rigg -- the legendary actress with epic roles in "Game of Thrones" and the UK's 'Avengers' TV series -- has died.

The British actress rose to prominence in the 1961 TV series, "The Avengers," and became a worldwide phenomenon as a Bond girl in the 1969 Bond film, "On Her Majesty's Secret Service."

For the younger generation ... Dame Diana, of course, earned critical acclaim for her role as Lady Olenna Tyrell in the HBO hit show, "Game of Thrones." Sad to say ... she admitted in 2019 she never watched the show, but that's neither here nor there. Rigg earned an Emmy nomination for her role in 2018.

BTW ... her Bond role was pretty historic. She played Tracey Bond ... James Bond's wife. She was the only Bond girl to ever get him to the altar, never mind the character was killed shortly after the wedding.

In "The Avengers," she played the incredibly desirable Emma Peel and earned an Emmy nomination in 1967 and 1968.

Rigg, who grew up in India after her father accepted a job there, trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and made her acting debut in "The Caucasian Chalk Circle" at the 1957 York Festival. She'd later join the Royal Shakespeare Company and earned several roles but perhaps none more important than as Cordelia in the touring production of "King Lear."

Dame Diana was a highly-respected stage actress ... earning a Tony Award nomination for her role in "Abelard and Heloise." She'd later join the National Theatre Company ... earning a second Tony nomination for her role as Celimene in "The Misanthrope."

She finally won a Tony Award in 1994 for Best Actress for her role in "Medea." That same year, she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for her work in drama at the 1994 Birthday Honours.

Rigg had already been made a Commander of the order of the British Empire at the 1988 New Year Honours.

"See you when I get there coach..."

That's Allen Iverson's emotional message to John Thompson ... after the Hall of Famer served as a pallbearer at the funeral for his legendary college coach.

Thompson -- one of the greatest college basketball coaches of all-time -- passed away Monday morning at the age of 78.

The list of NBA legends JT coached at Georgetown University is long ... and former players -- including A.I., Dikembe Mutombo, Alonzo Mourning and Patrick Ewing -- took part in service at St. Augustine Church in D.C. ... carrying Thompson's casket during the touching ceremony.

Iverson and John had a special relationship ... and A.I. even credited JT with "saving his life" after The Answer was accused of injuring people in a bowling alley brawl.

It's not only GU hoopers who have sent love in the wake of Thompson's passing ... the NBA had a moment of silence for Big John before playoff games this week.

Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith also celebrated Thompson's life on "Inside The NBA."

Allen Iverson is still hurting like hell over the death of Kobe Bryant ... he broke down in tears during a recent interview remembering the Mamba, and it's SUPER emotional.

Iverson was talking hoops with The Players' Tribune in a video posted Monday ... when he was asked which NBA players he enjoyed most hanging out with during All-Star weekends.

That's when AI got teary-eyed ... and said his favorite was none other than Kobe.

"It was always a battle between me and him," Iverson said. "And then, having the chance to be on the same team with him, looking back on it, like, that was it. You know what I mean?"

Iverson choked back tears explaining it all ... adding, "That was it. Just having the chance to play with my guy."

Allen has made no attempts to hide how heartbroken he's been since Kobe tragically died in a helicopter crash last January.

He's shared multiple social media posts about the former Lakers superstar ... and even wrote a lengthy piece for The Players' Tribune last month, saying Kobe's death "still doesn’t seem real."

"Nobody was tougher than you," Iverson said in the article. "Nobody got more out of me. We’re linked forever in this game -- in this life."

Kevin Dobson -- a veteran actor best known for his roles on TV dramas and soaps -- has reportedly died of a heart attack.

Dobson -- a star on the classic '70s detective show "Kojak" along with the primetime soap opera "Knots Landing" in the '80s and early '90s -- died Sunday ... according to the United Veterans Council of San Joaquin County. He's an Army vet who once served as Chairman of the council.

Kevin broke into acting in 1968 when he landed a role on "One Life to Live," which set him on a path loaded with regular TV roles ... including "The Doctors," "Mod Squad" and "Emergency!"

He became a more recognizable face after starring alongside Telly Savalas as Det. Bobby Crocker on "Kojak." Then, in 1982, he scored his most notable role as Mack MacKenzie on the CBS drama, "Knots Landing" ... which earned him 5 Soap Opera Digest Awards.

He'd go on to appear on several other popular soaps like "The Bold and the Beautiful" and "Days of Our Lives," along with a handful of films.

Dobson most recent credits include guest spots on "House of Lies" and "Anger Management." He's also set to appear in the TV series "12 to Midnight" next year.

Kevin's survived by his wife and their 3 children. He was 77.

Labor Day has a certain sadness to it this year for those still feeling the sting of the tragic loss of Mac Miller ... who died 2 years ago today.

Miller's receiving an outpouring of love as friends, fans and peers in the music biz remember the late rapper with tributes on social media, including Mustard, Wale, Juicy J, Souly Had and many more.

Mac died at just 26 on September 7, 2018 at his home in Studio City, CA. The rising hip hop star's death was ruled an accidental overdose due to mixed drug toxicity.

The news of Miller's passing hit hard for his fans and loved ones, including his ex-girlfriend, Ariana Grande ... whose relationship with the rapper was highly publicized.

The months following Mac's death were loaded with tributes from celebs in the entertainment industry and culminated with his 'Celebration of Life' concert in October 2018.

He'd also go on to be nominated for Grammy posthumously for his "Swimming" album, and later release "Circles" in 2020.

As Souly Had said -- Mac left the world with a catalog full of inspiration ... and people all over the world are feeling it today. RIP.

St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Famer Lou Brock has died ... this according to the St. Louis-Post Dispatch.

Reporter Rick Hummel says Brock passed away Sunday afternoon, adding he was battling multiple medical conditions near the end of his life. The exact circumstances of his death remain unclear.

Brock was a living legend in Missouri, as he's best known as one of the greatest Cardinals players ever who helped lead the franchise to a World Series title in 1964 ... the same year he was traded to the team from the Chicago Cubs. He was a major factor to them winning the fall classic again in 1967, racking up a then-historic number of hits and stolen bases.

Speaking of the latter, Lou will perhaps be best remembered for exactly that ... the dude could steal anything out on the diamond. The guy leads the National League as the all-time greatest base stealer (ever) with a whopping 938 stolen bases through his 19-year career.

There are other milestones he hit along the way, but just to sum up his achievements ... the guy was a 6-time All-Star, 2-time World Series champ, had over 3,000 hits to his name and was a first-ballot HOF inductee. He goes down in the books as one of the greats.

He's survived by his wife, Jacqueline, and his son, Lou Jr. Brock was 81.

Up and coming beauty influencer Ethan Peters -- AKA, Ethan is Supreme -- has died ... according to those closest to him.

Peters appears to have passed away this weekend from an apparent overdose of what might be Percocet (an opioid) ... this according to his best friend and musician Ava Louise, who claims the guy had an addiction that he developed over the past couple years or so.

She says she wishes she would've done more to curb his drug usage -- which she describes as pill-popping. Ava went on to mourn his death in several Twitter posts. She describes his addiction as being fueled by fame at a young age. She said he cried out for help, but tragically it didn't prevent his death.

Ava also took the opportunity to lend a helping hand to anyone else struggling with addiction -- posting phone numbers to hotlines and saying the disease shouldn't be shamed, but rather discussed openly so folks can get the help they need before it's too late.

Ethan's death drew a strong reaction in the beauty and YouTube community -- people like Tana Mongeau, Manny MUA and Grace Auten, among others, posted tributes to their late friend who was just getting his feet wet in the biz. He had upwards of 500k followers on IG, and was steadily growing his fan base with makeup tutorials and fashion line shoots.

Ethan was 17.

Someone wants the home where Pop Smoke was gunned down ... because we found out it's about to be sold, just six months after the rapper was killed on the property.

The Hollywood Hills home was listed for $2,950,000 in July, and the house is now in escrow ... meaning the seller has accepted an offer from a prospective buyer.

We broke the story ... Pop Smoke was shot and killed by 4 masked gunmen back in February, in what looked like a home invasion robbery at the rental pad.

Bloody history aside, the 4-bedroom home is pretty awesome ... it's 2,918 square feet with views of Laurel Canyon, the L.A. skyline and the Pacific. The place is outfitted with an infinity pool, spa, fire pit lounge, koi pond and zen garden, plus some cool sundecks.

The master bedroom has a soaking tub and its own private terrace ... and the home comes with smart tech, surround sound and a 3-car garage.

Teddi Mellencamp and her husband, Edwin Arroyave used to own the home and rent it out ... and now it's on the verge of changing hands despite being the scene of Pop's grisly death.